Noel

Why? Cause I'd like to know what this decoder project is like to drive prototypically. Looks good on paper but it would be nice to try it in a test bed loco.

Nice surprise when the post man brought this book today. Our own @jhb171achill's latest book. Glued to it. Excellent read with wonderful archive maps and photos. The map on page 30 is particularly interesting considering Galway city today. This lost line was an MGWR gem. Gotto go back to the book. PS: Congrats on another excellent production. Hmmm Clifton station looks an interesting subject . . . no, no, no, stick to the mission and complete Gort, there's still much more to be done. Thanks for another great book. Love MGWR history.

Wow! First Layout - seriously impressive. Don't worry, it may be your first but it looks like it was built by a seasoned master. Learning? Your learning exceptionally fast. Love it. Stream and viaduct really impressive. there is so much in that hard to pick out all the high points. Love the way the scenics blend seamlessly into the back scene. Really Exceptional. "Well done" almost seems patronising but you know what I mean. Hats off. Hope you are really pleased with the way it has turned out. Will enjoy watching this in the future.

Love it. Fantastic looking layout and stock. Looks about 1972 or 1973, nearing the end of wonderful two axle pick up goods wagons and the onset of containerisation as the first colour light signals appeared. Only the hi-vis jackets bring it into the 1990s. That photo of B145 double heading is fabulous. Evocative of the pinnacle era of Irish railways, when trains were trains, men were men, engines pulled carriages and engines pulled wagons, not a bogie in sight, nor a DMU, and goods trains were properly punctuated at the end with a brake van, none of this fully fitted modernity with just a pair of white lamps at the end looking like a snake that had its head bitten off. I assume your friend lets you drive some trains on that fab looking layout.

Just found this old photo of Gort being dry prototyped 3 years ago using elements to check sizing and wagon capacity in loops, etc. and check general arrangement worked. Hard to believe how it started. Thanks to WMRC colleagues for the encouragement and Jonathan and Barry for the photo in their book 'Rails through the West' for the inspiration.

Did the A not run in IE/IR livery right up to the early/mid 90s when they were withdrawn? A small few never got the Tippex strips? so I guess all locos except the two Sulzer variant hauled those late Cravens, mainly 071, baby GM pairs, singles on local services, and occasional 201.

That looks like a real photo of a real Heuston just before it starts raining on a cold dark January day. Its so life like, I'm half expecting to see movement, like the man in the hi-vis gear, climb up into the cab of the scania. I can hear yard noises in my head and rail clank.

Fab-U-lous

Received my first IRM ESU LokSound V5 decoder for IRM A class in advance of the locos arriving. Slowly building up the tension. Delighted to see F5 and F8 included. Will be interested in F13 which looks rather tasty. Debating will I wait for the first of my A class locos to arrive in early Sept, or will I try out driving this decoder in another loco in the mean time so that I can learn its driving characteristics. I have a spare Bachmann class 37 which might suffice as a test bed. What's four weeks? But love to hear what it sounds and drives like while waiting for the locos. Also have an ESU test bed PCB with speaker which I could use to listen to the sounds. With zees funkschions ambassador you are spoiling us, ja! Nice function list available on the IRM web site. (link below) https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0026/4984/9913/files/A_Class_DCC_functionality.pdf?v=1603462537

Guess that might be because of nostalgia memory reflecting the age demographics of customers. When I say train to my Uncle he immediately thinks of a steam loco, and all the noise that entails, whereas I immediately think of Green and B&T A classes or Black'n'Tan 141/181s from my childhood traveling on the railways, and B&T AEC sets. I vividly remember travelling to Galway behind grey 121 on more than a few occasions. Its grey livery under the dark station roof looked more like a military shade of grey when appealed to me at the time as a child they grew up on ww2 war movies. Remember W J Owens in Bray selling ww2 transets, with war wells and tanks. Todays kids may think of Green intercity stock behind 201s and 2600 DMUs when they are our age. Another advantage of the B&T era is it facilitates short wheel base rolling stock which tends to look better of typical layout size curves whereas modern mk3, mk4 coaching stock can look unrealistic overhanging track bends, also limits the length of trains whereas behind a B&T A class or MM 141 20 two axle goods wagons looks seriously long and full of interest due to the variety. Also easy to convert readily available BR (40s-60s) RTR 2-axle wagons to CIE era to make up pick up goods trains formations that once dominated Kingsbridge/Heuston yards as well as Cork.

mk4 sets or 1950 laminates or indeed park royals Would be equally welcome, combined with the MM mk3 that would leave modellers with a full deck or Irish rolling stock covering 1950 right up today. Then all that remains are h-vans and beet wagons. Lots to look forward to. The forthcoming A’s will look great hauling the MM mk2d supertrain livery stock as launched in 1972 with CIEs first modern marketing campaign, I can still hear the TV adverts in my head and remember the awe when I first saw the spaceship like matching supertrain A and Brel coaches with their similar roof profiles, the Irish TGV we all thought back then but 75mph on 100yo broken rail was fast enough Back then to have Sparkes flying off rosary beads every time the train clattered over points. Happy days spoilt for choice.

I’ve got 10 of those Lima’s in a box

Thanks, yes it would be fun to plug into an Athenry section and send trains to Claremorris.

A break from work so a late evening running session, 20:40 mixed pick up goods arriving from Athenry. The sun is low on the western sky as dusk approaches. Its has been a wet day in Gort. Loco will run around the train in the main loop and shut two wagons off the back into the goods yard. Had forgotten to tighten the baseboard joint bolts, there was no earth quake. Cattle will be in the shed tonight ahead of 5am milking in the milking parlour shed early next morning then dosing in the cattle grid before vet inspection and then off out to pasture again for a few more weeks.

Straw. Typical agri loads overloaded on artic this time of year. Hope they get a big fine. Could have caused a horrific accident to innocents immediately following. Darwin

Love this. Fab-U-lous. Totally sublime. It succeeds by every metric. Great Visual entertainment too Jonathan. Excellent LLPs too.

The passage of time. Hard to believe how much time has passed since the first steps were taken. Baseboards made 2018 Draw out the track plan for transposition now and again later onto closed cell form base Dry testing the track plan 2 years ago. check for fit and general arrangement 2021 Nearing completion a few weeks ago. Will it ever end Ted?

These SF ones need a little weathering to tone down the shade of tan, but very happy with both the 4 wheel and 6 wheel variants. The are the right era for Gort.

10 coach formation is impressive

Don't think that track will ever see wheels run on it again, the sleepers are rotten and track pins in poor shape, no sleeper shoes. Pity it isn't weed sprayed (from the asphalt lane) so the track remains visible to walkers and cyclists. The track is barely visible due to over growth for most of the stitch. Had we more time we could have cycled out to moate.

Stunning job. Class. Like your own version of the loads too.

Cycled a stretch of this greenway today. I travelled regularly on this line as a youngster when the Galway trains used to depart from Westland Row and Amiens street before the Mullingar-Athlone line was closed to passenger traffic. They are currently working on the section through the centre of Athlone including a controversial new decdicated cycle bridge over the river shannon, that looks a bit of an architectural carbuncle as well as butchering the popular Athlone UDC marina on the River Shannon.

Last week had to separate the baseboards temporarily so I could rotate them on their sides to check some wiring. Daylight between the Ennis board and the Athenry board. The brass dowels work well and I was surprised how well the track joins perform and maintain shape despite being just glued by the ballast to the closed cell dense foam track bed.

CIE era goods scene at Woodvale junction on Kingsbridge. B&T with grey J15 !

Gave it a try last year but wasn't happy with the light bleed and the translucent roof. Battery operated Lighting strips with motion sensing to switch on, so no stiff bogie axles due power pickups. Will try and darken the inside of the roof and put skirts inside to try and eliminate light bleed.