Irishrailwayman

Any O Gauge versions on the horizon?

Generally good reaction from RMWebbers: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130571-accurascale-announce-4mm-scale-huo-and-buffer-detailing-kits/page-1

and the advanced engineer's models with livery variations?

Kit bashing is a useful way of turning out a bespoke version of real structures with the satisfaction of knowing the result is unique to you!

Mr Soundguy supplies a wide range of UK outline sound projects while also specialising in Irish prototypes. A recent soundchip acquired from him for the new Dapol streamlined GWR Railcar produces some impressive results. See attached video kindly prepared by Enniscorthyman:

It's all for fun!

Moving swiftly along, the buildings are now glued in place. The fencing is in development along with name-boards and many other details to be fitted later.

Could be used to mimic/outline old West Clare Railway?

An additional layer of patchy brown Earth undercoat and two tones of static grass applied on PVA using the Noch puffer bottle further adds to the scene. A little sand sprinkled on PVA gives a rough stony texture to the slopes also.

Advance notice that the 10th annual Model Railway Easter Exhibition is being held at St Joseph's Community Centre in Wexford on Easter Sunday 1st April and Bank Holiday Monday 2nd April 2018. Already 25 layouts have been booked - many new to show - as well as 11 traders and counting. The exhibition will run from noon to 6 pm on the Sunday and 11 am to 5 pm on the Monday. Looking forward to meeting you all there! More details closer to the event...

Thanks Noel. I start with a base of green then experiment with patches of the brown to give a variety of bases for scatter, weeds and static grass. This is the approach I adopted with Ballybeg, Llangollen and now Llanuwchllyn.

A coat of Green Earth Undercoat and we begin to see the emergence of a model railway... Particularly when some model buildings are added to the scene...

We fade to grey for this phase: a good coat of Rustins grey primer/undercoat provides a hardened base on the polyfilla coating ideal for landscaping. Next up, base coats of green/brown washes and start using scatter/grass materials...

That's the Peco locomotive holding unit allowing repairs etc. Very useful alright.

Snowfall on Llanuwchllyn! Plaster bandage was wetted quickly in strips and and placed over the dried cardboard/newspaper base. Polyfilla was then added with wetted brushes to provide smooth surfaces and contours. This is left to dry overnight before adding further filler if needed and wiping off any unwanted splashes on the backscene/mirrors/tracks with a damp cloth etc. Next up, once plaster is dry, paint the base landscape with undercoat to harden the surface...

Re. Dreams - if you confine yourself to O gauge Goods Wagons these work out around £40 each (less for kits) and you only need a half dozen or so. BR outline could be shuffled around with a Dapol 08 or Terrier/Pannier. and GWR with a suitably liveried Pannier. Carriages are a bit more expensive although Lion Heart are doing BR MK1s soon for £199 and Tower Models have the Dapol Autocoach for £170...

Anyone tempted to try N gauge Irish using Electra Railway Graphics (http://www.electrarailwaygraphics.co.uk/) vinyl overlays on Graham Farish coaches (MK1, MK2, MK3, MK4, EGVs, 201 etc available); Shapeways bodies for 201, 121, 141, 181, 071, A/C Class etc; Studio Scale Models 2mm Irish transfers on repainted UK steam locos/wagons; Alphagraphix 4mm kits colour copied in 50%reduction etc? For example, the GWR Express Parcels below was made from an ERG vinyl overlay on an old GWR Railcar and both models were given a new chassis:

Layout has now reached the "Blue Peter" stage using scrap card/wood, crumpled newspaper, PVA glue etc to form the landscape around the platforms and buildings... A couple of shots showing the weathered buildings in their approximate location:

I use Code 55 as opposed to the more common Code 80 Peco N gauge track. With careful ballasting this can look well enough without being oversized. I suppose the overall challenge for any railway modeller is to convert "toy trains" into something that looks "real". One way I have attempted this is to model real locations and represent them with carefully selected kit built model buildings etc using subtle colours. Modern HD camera 'phones provide a good way of testing if the effects achieved are real. I have posted photo sequences on this forum of the building of each of my layouts and as they progress, I can see at some point how they cease to look like a collection of model items on a board and begin to cohere as a believable scene (my current build Llauwchllyn is approaching this point I hope!). Many people have commented favourably on my results which I appreciate and I am always happy to share how/what I do with them.

You are probably aware of the Bachmann resin version of the station at Carlow:

You could consider using Deluxe Glue and Glaze to cover the gap for now?

Llanuwchllyn has now been ballasted using a fine grey ballast material and a fascia board added. Track/point-work has been re-tested and working fine. Next up, fit platforms and form the landscape around the rails/buildings... For contrast, Cynwyd was ballasted with a beige coloured ballast, although the grey is probably closer to the prototype...

Thanks Noel, just back from rebuilding the clubrooms! The railcars started under GWR from 1933/4 and through BR days to 1962. BR had carmine/cream and malachite green liveries. The new Dapol model is of a Gloucester AEC streamlined vehicle in contrast to the "razor edge" versions depicted in the older OO Lima and N Farish models. Both GWR and BR ran "Express Parcels" vehicles which had no saloon windows. See pictures of my GWR models below.

Enniscorthyman did a nice video of my GWR streamlined railcar on Ballybeg this evening. Sound courtesy of Mr Soundguy!

Shunters Yard has a new streamlined railcar from Dapol to augment it's passenger services! Thanks to Mr Soundguy it also has a realistic soundchip fitted. Some early morning sun caught the model this am.