Junctionmad

living within 300 metres of that line . I saw all these trains from when the line restarted in 1970 ( I had had got my first train set in 1968 ) and living in the country the line was dead, then suddenly the roar of the GMs and A's could be heard , especially at night, and I can remember lying in bed, mesmerised by the sounds that hadn't been there the year before. The magnesite trains were much more uncommon compared to the dolomite trains ( I think the magnetite was imported through cork) and often just were tackled on to the back of oil trains . Twin baby GMs, ( inc 121s) handled the dolomite and always A's on the fuel/magnetite . I took to then walking that line, typically from the red bridge to Kilmacthomas, and remember the cabin well ( the remnants are still there) . I was privedged to travel in the cab on three trains on that line, ( I was always dropped off on the old platform at Kilmeaden which then left about 1 mile walk east along the tracks to home ) and I knew one of the plate layers ( Stephen ) very well as he was originally a farm labourer on the farm behind our house. Its great to see the narrow gauge railway, but it was depressing to see the state of Kilmac station after 30 years of neglect . I am of two minds in relation to the greenway , maybe these things should just die in peace. very sad and depressing , but then all the railways in ireland these days are sad and depressing

Noel, is nothing, if not precise. I think he'd burn it before he'd allow a wobbly stripe

lovely lovely stuff, Gerry

some very good tips here, Ill be happy when I get to 300 hours of compressor time !!!!

I remember it like yesterday

Im not so sure, there was a requirement to do a brake test , that requires the test to be performed in the last vehicle of a fitted train.

what sort of wire are you using , steel ?

go CIE roundel and super train era ......

I remember travelling behind all three versions , but wasn't the 6 wheel version the only van of that " general type" that had both the spanner boiler and generator , due to the combined weight

I'm involved in a small projects with a few members in the club ( wexford MRC ) to try and restore a pair of miniature Webb and Thompson ETS machines , once widespread on the railways. We have three units , but only one is in any way complete. In particular we are missing the galvanometer and the locking coiks from the other two. I have just received the wiring diagrams etc I was wondering if any members here could help or might know where I might locate bits and pieces for these machines ( or someone might donate them. ) The idea is too have a fully working pair as a permanent exhibition in the club house Now if I could find a pair of harpers block instruments !!!!! Thanks

So it is , I apologise for the confusion

I was in the cab of a 141 in 1974 , when it collected ballast from queallys quarry at carrolls cross , loads of ballast . no plough van at all !!. Ive seen several pictures of a single plough van , the double setup seems to be much later in IR days

nothing in railway modelling is " cheap" so a " big layout with expensive stuff" or a "small layout .. extremely expensive stuff" the point is this thread is about weathering not about IFM anyways

Nice , good to see Kingsbridge has staged its own Easter rising !!

Forget the jig , the chassis is lovely

Love the tank wagons

Of course , steam engine life , was very much a triggers brush effect , 50 years old , but only with 5 new handles and 8 new heads sort of thing. The poor service intervals of steam engines meant more was replaced as they went along , and inchicore and elsewhere had the engineering ability to do so then It's quite remarkable, that given the poor state of inchicore that these engines are still in service, and by comparison very strange that the 201s are in such dilapidated condition ( well the stored ones ) IR are facing a right abyss when the 071s are finally life expired.

Or perhaps greenore , where one could postulate the LNWR lived on, till dieselisation and had the LMS had its way , sure we would have had green and blue diesels running around the midlands !!!

Sadly Bell never saw Bellview which is the new port , in Waterford Bell was always known as bell ferry , and it's jetties to the day they failed , were opposite Reginald's tower on the ferrybank side I had the pleasure as a kid , being taken up into the container crane cabin and watched them upload trains etc. ( the crane drivers, legend had it, were the highest paid men in Waterford )

For a minute there , I thought you were referring to pre-grouping in the U.K. .....

In the US , that basic Diesel loco pattern had killed steam from 45 onwards . I seem to remember getting a cab ride in the 70s , with a driver that had been a fireman , did firemen retrain to be diesel drivers ?

I only commented Richie , because I have seen his IFM stock up close and as I commented , I feel the criticisms are misplaced , in so much that there is a wide variety of accuracies on any layout , ranging from track that's 5mm too narrow to all sorts of compromises. Equally there are others kits from others that are, in my opinion, also poorly rendered in certain areas , but if a builder really feels bad about it , he can correct those issues no more then someone with an IFM model could equally do. I don't think that discrepancies are solely with IFM , many kits and products from smaller and larger suppliers have issues that are either overlooked or fixed depending on the builders skill and interest As I've said , I've seen them , and I think they are very nice for what they are and add great variety to what would otherwise be a sea of Murphy models and several other posts seem to agree. We'd all like everything to be perfect, but that's not possible. Taken on an absolute comparison, These IFM coaches aren't perfect, but then many similar small suppliers kits aren't perfect either. I don't see that they should be particularly singled out from any others , that's all

I presume many were bought , but I can't tell Equally the various ifm models are considerably better then the Lima case. I've seen them up close , they are " not bad "

Looking forward to mine too. It will spur me on to finish the second plough van ( the remaining gswr one ) Or double headed I can re-live standing by the line as the dolomite trains went by to ballinacourty , I can still them , two baby GMs snaking along by the suir , blowing their horns to warn trackside imps like me All I need then is an A class an a few oil tankers to complete the memories

I suppose at the end of the day , it boils down to what one thinks is " top dollar " , certainly commissioning a high quality coach is well beyond 100 quid or so ( and likely well beyond 200 ) As for suitability for a given layout. Well I'm sure P4 plank style layouts like Valencia harbour would take an IFM moulding and make great things with it. A large 00 layout like Noels hasn't that luxury of just needing 6 pieces of rolling stock ! Or in tony mills , case, a virtual battilion of helpers. Equally we see everyday layouts that are full of compromises , highly detailed stock running on PECO 100 , or Scenery that is inexpertly rendered etc. Very few modellers are experts in all forms of the craft. My own view is a layout works best when the " general " level of detail and accuracy is the same across all the crafts that make up railway modelling. Whether that's good , great or extra ordinary accuracy is really up to the layout implementior . Therefore I think the critism is misplaced somewhat, yes the models have deficiencies and the manufacturing methodology has drawbacks, but right now it's the only rtr available and that floats Noels boat and as we say round here " it's your train set "