Noel

Very interesting reading how micro mechanical issues are dealt with on these superb models. Fab running videos on a really atmospheric layout.

One of the latest batch of my mk3 resprays before weathering. This time I tried Lima donors. Next up will be some Hornby shorties. Now to get back to cutting, filling, sanding and filing an EGV for them. I like the see through glass in the Limas compared to the dark Hornby windows, but the Hornby flush glazing is better. Swings and roundabouts.

Whatever comes in the future will be a bonus. The Irish models glass seems 75% full at this stage.

Rear of building (car park side)

Ahem IMHO I thought 1960s early 1970s were the golden era before modern era uniform coaching stock and bogie freight removed all of the visual interest and operational diversity. Shunting loose coupled 2 axles wagons had a Rubik's come quality to it, and was a visual feast to watch it for real as well as an assault of the senses. Then in the naughties yo-yos removed the need for much of the track work, no more runarounds, marshalling, etc, instead a driver could just walk the length of the platform or train to change cab ends. The fisher price 22k sets seem as stirring to operate as marmite on a slice of brown toast. Well there is the choice of RTR laminates from IFM of which I have quite a few and very happy with them along with IFM Park Royal RTR and kits. For laminates there is also the option of JM design brass overlay kits for Dapol donor coaches. The IFM stuff was not inexpensive but more than passed the 'duck test' especially the park royals and look fab in a mixed rake with Cravens. One of the great things about the MM Cravens is it allowed one to mix and match a few of them with one or two IFM Park Royals or Laminates to make up the usual 1960s rake of coaches combined with a heating van of some kind unless it was summer. One can legitimately run an A class with a single craven and a tin van, or any variant of GSV for any branch working, or a pair of cravens and a heating van. I remember when the cravens were introduced they were considered the height of modernity and had soft curved lines at the ends as well as the massive width the Irish loading gauge allowed for. Gone were the flaky dynamo lighting that flickered and dimmed. Yes I suspect Mk3s might sell well, but most folk already seem to have a good stock of resprays, so perhaps Park Royals could be the big seller, given the A class due soon, and so many of the MM baby GM variants of the period. Personally I'd be happy with any Irish coaching stock pre-super train (eg PR, Lam, or AEC). The CIE 1974 modernisation programme wiped out the outdated but visually and operationally interesting goods wagon era with large yards and goods sheds in daily use at every station as manual handling was replaced by pallets, folk lift trucks, containerisation and uniform rakes. Nowadays there's hardly any freight left on rail, and innovative services like 'fastback' long gone, pre-dating copiers. On mainline trains you cannot even get cooked food anymore except the 1st and last cork trains of the day and some enterprise services. Back in the day you had a restaurant coach on most services to places like Wateford, Galway, Sligo, Kerry, now if your lucky is a trolly with shake'n'vac sandwiches, a tin of pop and a packet of crisps. Oh for fillet steak or full Irish on the Cork City Gold service. Progress will always happen. If I was a betting man and I'm not I'd put a half crown each way on mk3 or mk4s making it to RTR before too long as there are plenty of MM 071 and MM 201s they can run with. The long herald and much anticipated A classes may need some additional 60s and 70s coaching stock to haul as MM mk2d and MM Cravens are out of production and out of stock. Happy to sit back and wait to see what happens, I'm fortunate to have collected or kit bashed enough 1960s and 1970s coaching stock for my era, and even a rake of mk3 resprays, and a rake of mk4's to run with my sole 201 no 222. But no DVD yet, that is still on the cutting bench awaiting sculpting

Back to start detailing the buildings a bit and a break from the layout. Pending are gutters, door handles, window boxes with bedding plants and a bit of extremely gentle weathering. Not sure how to model bedding plants, might end up using plasticine for colours, or untwisted electrical cable core dipped in sawdust. Or just multicore data cables which are perhaps colourful enough themselves. In case of any interest here's a photo of the internal structure of the building. Outer walls laminated plain plastic sheet covered in embossed dressed stone, some vertical members to aid but joints, and roof trusses to support the hipped roof sections.

Yes cheers guys. They only thing that jumped out at me is folk seem to want more coaching stock to run behind all the new and existing locos they have.

As promised Survey Results here - click PDF link:Survey2021.pdf(110 respondents) Thanks to those who participated and completed the survey on here and on the FaceBook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/318749555716842 Q1 - If you could choose one new Irish RTR model would it be a? Q2 - If you could choose a single goods/fright wagon? Q3 - If you could choose a single locomotive? Q4 - If you could choose a single passenger stock item? Q5 - If you could choose a single RTR line to be re-run?

And the LLPs?

Excellent. Where do you source 1:76 kits? Your LLPs are fantastic and a Wonderful feature of your layout scenes. They look so natural.

The prices we pay nowadays for dinky's

You've an excellent CIE bus collection. Personally I preferred the cream and red livery I remember travelling on in the early 1970s due nostalgia memory (not the school bus variant shown below). Travelling up to Dublin to watch SCT rugby matches with a fleet of 10 in convoy was fun.

Ah now that's a proper bus for my preferred era

Eoin, Stunning brass engineering. You are an absolute genius when it comes to model engineering and brass. Inspirational

Received my order yesterday

Some interesting and unexpected patterns emerging already. Will post results at the weekend. Thanks to anybody who completed the brief survey.

A few daylight photos of prorgess on Gort. I'm really looking forward to shunting stock on this layout when its finished and operational. Only two kadee uncoupling magnets should be needed to shunt the entire yard. B165 about to pick up wagons and join them onto the holding goods train for onward trip to Galway via Athenry. Two wagons will be dropped off at Athenry for later collection by the Claremorris bound afternoon working. The layout only needs 7 points. Gort circa 1970'ish a golden era for CIE and Irish railways. A hint of the transition era to containerisation with 20ft Bells. Goods train arrived from Limerick via Ennis collecting some wagons from the loading dock before proceeding to Athenry and then on to Galway Overview shot of the overall station. Two loops made for interesting goods traffic operations. Gort was primarily a station that handled goods traffic rather than passengers being connected to agri heartlands out west.

Just for fun a hypothetical short survey. Its open until Saturday. Will post results then. Feel free to not respond. Apologies as its a bit CIE era and ROI centric and apologies if obvious items have been omitted. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/5VMJWSX

Thanks for kind comments guys. This project has been a dream of mine for a number of years. Relieved to have got this far.

A few more pics from this evening of the buildings dry fitted just to see how the whole thing is coming together before any glue, nails or scenics used. Working from photos was really fun and challenging too, but I've really enjoyed the process so far. Thanks to buying JHB's fab book 'Rails Through the west' a few years ago this has been on my heart since then.

It was this photo by Barry Carse in 'Rails Through the West' book by himself and Jonathan Beaumont ( @jhb171achill) that put the idea and inspiration to do a layout of Gort into my head 3 years ago. Slowly getting near modelling that scene. Once the scenics are done will retake the layout photo in good daylight and see how they match up. The layout design was pretty much done using this photo.

Very nice

Hi Dave I don't know the answers to many of those questions but it looks like all you might need to do is replace the 'Southern' logo and no on the tender with a flying snail transfer and replace the red number panel on the cab side with a running number. See pic below of one of mine. The shade of green on the loco looks good enough to me. @jhb171achill the oracle on such matters might have good answers to those questions Noel

Eureka - Bloody marvellous GWR, was my favourite of the big four and I still have a load of GWR coaching stock

Started painting the new buildings. Detailing next and then finish off with a little weathering. But at least Gort now has its four principe buildings made. Only the eastern platform shelter is needed next. Took me a while to mix up a shade I was happy with for the slates When I removed the masking tape covering the capping stones along the roof edges I pulled a strip of the plastic card off!!!