Noel

Stunning scenics

Some years ago a friend of mine had a motorway put through his farm so they built an under pass like the above so he could move his cattle under the road. He warned them about the water table level and localised flooding but the road engineers didn't listen saying they'd done their numbers, and research. The under pass had 5ft of water in it the week after it was completed, so they put expensive automatic drain pumps in it with all of the cost that entailed including piping to nearby drainage, then some H&S bod came out and had life rings installed at both ends of the underpass lest anybody drown when the pumps failed! Old proverb, ignore local knowledge at your pearl.

Great idea to repaint the interiors. The plastic blue fisher price seating looked awful. This is a great improvement.

The offset corridors connectors are curious

Super pics of unique vans. Love Leslie's sole cattle wagon in the background.

The thread on starter sets got me reminiscing and thinking about how youngsters got started in the hobby. It usually started with a basic train set that in some cases grew over time with extra track packs, accessories and scenic buildings and structures, signals, stations, bridges, level crossings, etc. Once started this triggers the 'collection gene', saving pocket money to buy an additional point or an additional coach coach, subsequent birthdays and/or Christmas's usually had train sets or train set accessories on the wish list, uncles and aunts encouraged to always give little jimmy something for his train set. Aside from youngsters imagination replaying either train movements they have witnessed themselves in real life, or reenacting what they have seen on TV or films (eg period TV dramas or old war movies depicting steam passenger trains in UK). Detached nostalgia, or whatever, but it seems to work. Youngsters acquire a whole range of skills, constructor, track geometry, assembling and disassembling track plans, experimenting with possible track layouts using limited resources they have in terms of set track, basic electrical skills, loco maintenance, lubrication, removing carpet hairs, etc, the list of skills they are being exposed to is amazing, engineering, geometry, electrics, electric motors, basic wiring, and imagination let loose. They very first thing every kid wanted was to buy a point for their starter oval or track so that their imaginary railway could actually do something purposeful and be controlled, then the desire for a second loco, so their magic train world could switch trains. Making up cardboard add on scenery, using hardback beano annuals as station platforms, shoe boxes as tunnels or raised track sections. Learning about structural engineering through trial and error. Is there anything better to stir a youngsters development and imagination? . . . and keep them stimulated and occupied for hours on end without being glued to an LCD screen? Things like Lego, Mecanno are well up there on the list, but nothing beats toy train sets for stimulating such a diverse future hobby.

If I buy trains for my grand children it will be Thomas sets with colour and playability with inexpensive durable stock. It might get them to also read the books

Yea the 1st world has gone a bit daft alright. Fisher Price perhaps best placed to do a 22k set that's indestructible.

Ouch. Did I see some cellotape?

Great photo. That's really useful.

Jonathan you risk being sent to the 'bogie of eternal stench' in the next life for suggesting such blasphemy as a 22k set, you of all people, defender of the 3 link coupling and all things green and black'n'tan. If one wanted such a plastic toy a yo-yo on a piece of string would offer more operational stimulation. Rumours that Bachmann might produce a 22k sound about as believable as any tweet from the orange man child.

Bloody potholes! either that or somebody made a sows ear of putting the decoder in.

Some really nice pics as ever. Love that area around the parks in Killarney. A favourite haunt on eBikes. And pleased to see not a 22k in sight.

Any photos of the damaged loco?

Paint job is superb

Or a tooth brush covered in chocolate. They are both fixable though.

Thanks. Received a lovely pair which is sufficient for me running in a mixed rake of containers and bubbles. Classy wagons.

Most unfortunate. What an unholy botch job. Cheap perhaps only if somebody can respray and put new transfers on, and still then they won't be a patch on what they were like when they left IRM. An unfortunate shame

They look very good. Great job. Enjoy. Ps what chassis did you use?

MM baby GMs there are still some good deals on EBay if one has the patience to wait. https://www.ebay.ie/itm/124240376472?ul_noapp=true

Fabulous. Love this layout. The harbour is wonderful

Hi Eoin Thanks for the info, both the mk3 and GSV had the same primer applied on the same day about 3-4 weeks ago. As I had sanded and filed the flash away from the resin body a week or two before that so I suspect I may have forgotten to give it its customary wipe with a weak cleaning agent a few days before priming. The Mk3 was absolutely fine and it had a lot of tape on it. The ease with which the paint including the grey primer peeled off the GSV body almost like cling film suggests the resin release agent was the culprit here. We live and learn. All stripped back now ready to start again. Peeled off like a plastic wrap Not even a hint that the primer bonded anywhere on the body. At least it can be redone now without aggressive paint stripping damaging the body shell. Now where's my dulux emulsion paint brush. The Mk3 was fine and it had a lot more tape on it. The primer bonded will over the hornby body shell on top of a previous BR paint scheme.

Congratulations and well done Tony. Persistence, vision and skill Paid off.

Go back to 'go' do not collect $100, its like snakes and ladders, but if at first you don't succeed, try, try again, so here we go again. Was fortunate to get the paint off without using and solvents or cleaning fluids. Just shows the primer did not bond with that resin because I failed to clean off the releasing agent properly. It will get a serious dose this time around before re-priming and re-painting. You never stop learning in this hobby. Its almost as if I'd covered it in a 'wrap'. Peeled off handy enough with the help of finger nails, tweezers and wooden tooth picks.It will get a good bath before next primer.

Thanks for the info Eoin. I am cautions about using IPA to remove the paint as it could destroy the resin as might brake fluid. The orange paint was 4 weeks old, and judging by how the halfords primer came so cleanly off revealing the resin below I suspect it was release agent that I failed to clean off properly before priming. I'm cautions now about stripping the paint as these rebuilt GSV bodies are difficult to come by. Another mistake I made was using tape that was too wide instead of my normal 6mm tape. Cheers. Yea it was a bit of a bummer all right. First time its happened to me. Will try the oven cleaner. Do you spray oven cleaner on the body or just inside the freezer bag. How long do you leave it in the bag before washing it with soapy water?