Irishrailwayman

I purchased a Park Royal from IFM along with a number of other models. The PR is a fine model and runs well with my rake of cravens on Ballybeg. I added one of the cravens end-boards to the PR, did some weathering and added a functioning corridor connector to make it part of my collection. I also got their silver tin van, bulleid wagon, Lyons Tea van and their 42 foot flat. All delivered within a month of ordering and being given suitable touch ups. I am happy with each of these models and they fill important gaps in my period Irish rolling stock collection for Ballybeg. Will post some videos shortly of these running on my layout.

Can someone answer the all-important question?

 

What are these IRFM coaches like in reality? Finish, running, etc?

 

The seem to offer very good value for a pretty unique coach.

 

Leslie

Nice work Eamonn and looks well in the flesh also. Best of luck with exhibiting.

I used Alphagraphix card kits of Irish railway buildings extensively on my layout Ballybeg (see under Layouts section of forum for photos and videos).Michael Morris visits most of the MR exhibitions in Ireland during the year. Probably will be at the Wexford MR exhibition at end-October next.

Alphagrafix no web site but advertises in the railway magazine (23 Darris Road, Selly Park, Birmingham, B29 7QY, England) produces card kits of Irish buildings and steam era rolling stock.

 

Several articles on assembling the kits in New Irish Lines http://newirishlines.org/tag/alphagraphix/

Great shots of lovely models. The photies really capture the scene well.

Busy workbench as always with some great results streaming through!

Some additional shots - the Wales Tourist Board may be happier with those blue skies albeit with a few clouds!

A couple of updated photos to show progress (Note: new photos uploaded via edit as originals lost to Photobucket/may differ from those originally posted).

Thanks Gerry, unfortunately they don't seem to have a website and I'm finding very little information online. Are they still available?

They are often available at exhibitions including the Wexford MR shows at Easter and October each year. Michael Morris is the retailer (Tel 087 7870447/email clamm05@eircom.net). Alphagraphix have a nice catalogue with a wide range of card kits in O and OO for wagons and buildings many of them Irish. I have used their "stone" 2-storey wayside halt/station cottage (Kit F506) based on Kiltubrid on the C&L; a 2-storey crossing keeper cottage (Kit F505) and a single storey version (Kit F530). They are easy to put together and have an authentic Irish feel to them! They are also very reasonable costing only a few euro each.

Gerry

Remarkable job you've done there Gerry - it looks and 'feels' like the place.

 

Grey skies are about right too!

 

What you've done with the continuation under the bridge is very reminiscent of what used to be at Dolgellau, about forty miles further up the line towards the coast.

 

I don't think I've ever seen Metcalfe kits used to represent an actual prototype so well.

 

I showed the the former CME of the Llangollen Railway the first pics on the thread, without telling him what scale it was, or even where it was supposed to be a model of - He said 'He's got Llan just right' - then I told him it was 'N'…. His face was a picture!

 

-Rob

I'm delighted that you like my work as you know the locality so well. In addition referencing my own photographs, I have a very good illustrated book on the Railways of North Wales: The Llangollen Line: Ruabon-Barmouth by WG Rear and N Jones (2012 edition). The cover colour photograph shows a quintessential view of the station from the bridge.

I used the book to design the section "east" of the bridge as if this had been preserved. I have used modeller's licence to add a curved cross-over at the west side also and rearranged the waiting room (in "stone"rather than brick as on the prototype as is the secondary road bridge) locations to suit the layout. I selected the Metcalfe card kits and plastic Kestral kits which most closely resembled the prototypes and kit-bashed these to resemble the prototypes.

I have now added Peco clouded skies paper to the backscene and will consider using a generic woodland overlay perhaps with a few cut-out photos of actual buildings in the background (including perhaps Dinas Bran).

Gerry

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Over the weekend the last of the ground cover and stone walls were done leaving the scenery basically complete although much detail work can still be done. The trees on the layout will also be redone at some point to improve them and better represent mid to late October. The time has also come to start on the Studio Scale Models semaphore signal kits, a task I'm not particularly looking forward to. I'm much more at home building scenery than soldering tiny parts together but I'm sure they will add immensely to the character of the layout. I'm also looking at options for the crossing keepers cottage at Keilys Cross. In the meantime here are a couple of photos taken today. Anything to avoid getting the soldering iron out!

Some of the OO Alphagraphix kits in card may be suitable as a crossing keepers cottage. I have used these buildings extensively on my layout Ballybeg (see layout section for videos/photos etc).

Regards,

Gerry

A few photos to update you on progress with "Llangollen in N". Next tasks include completing hard scenic base and adding cloudy sky... (Note: new photos uploaded by edit due to loss on Photobucket/may differ from original posting).

Thanks for the positive comments guys. I plan to keep the controls simple i.e. DC using a Morley N gauge twin controller and push rods for the turnouts. I have collected some rolling stock mainly new Graham Farish or Dapol which are of very high quality including Foxcote manor steam outline locomotive, Class 20 BR, Class 108 DMUs in green and blue liveries, goods wagons, and rakes of BR MK 1 coaches in choclate/cream, maroon, carmine/cream and BR blue/grey liveries. I plan to get a few 0-6-0 tank engines for the autocoachs in various liveries also.

Early days yet, I looking forward to seeing how the layout shapes up as I add additional layers of detail including modelling a fast running river, trees etc. I have mirrors for each end to develop the illusion that the river/trees extend into the distance...

keep us posted on that Ger!

Heirflick, I have posted up a new thread under British Railway Modelling on the early work on Llangollen in N with pictures!

I am working on an N Gauge model based on a reopened section of the former Ruabon to Barmouth line at Llangollen in NE Wales. I have based the track plan on the BR pre-closure layout and as if the section east of the bridge had been refurbished. I am using modified Metcalfe card kits as well as some Kestral plastic kits. The track is Peco finescale and power is straightforward DC (Morley Vesta Zero2N). I will use a rtr stock in GWR/early BR with steam/DMU/early diesel outline as in "preserved stock" or heritage line. I have a model of Foxcote Manor which is actually preserved at Llangollen. The pictures below show the early/intermediate stages of construction and I will post updates from time to time. I hope to show the model at exhibitions in time. (Note: Edited to reload photos lost to Photobucket/may differ to original posting).

I visited Leinster Models as a youngster in the '70s every saturday walking from Cremore Park, Glasnevin. Collected mainly Tri-angHornby UK outline in so far as pocket money/presents would allow. When I started secondary school, the whole lot (£50 worth) was sold off for £5 through the Evening Press ads.

I last visited the shop in about 1990 having been living away from Dublin for a number of years. I purchased a Lima catalogue then but only recommenced modelling when I joined Wexford MRC in 2002. Since then I developed "Ballybeg" a OO Irish layout and am currently working on Llangollen a UK outline N gauge layout. Realising some boyhood dreams along the way...

Patrick Scott, one of Ireland's greatest artists, has died (1921-2014). He is perhaps best known to the Irish railway community as the originator of the classic CIE black/golden brown/white liveries. He did this creative work for CIE in the 1960s when he worked with the Signa design consultancy (a firm founded by Louis le Brocquy and Michael Scott in 1953). The story goes that Patrick was inspired by a cat he owned which had a coat with mixture of the livery colours!

May he Rest in Peace.

The layout is a Wexford MR club "OO" layout "Joseph's Bridge" constructed by John Walker. The rolling stock on view here is a "Supertrain" liveried collection from my own layout "Ballybeg" which was not shown at this show. This DCC stock ran well on this DC layout (with a simple adjustment of CV 29). Thanks to all who supported the show which received much positive feedback.

Gerry

Another approach is to get a brass overlay with the correct window/vent/door arrangement from Bill Bedford and work from there. The donor coach then just needs cutting back where openings don't coincide. The sides are glued in place and filed/filled to smooth any gaps. A good paint and decal job then finishes t off well.

Lovely Eamonn, as the lads have said the SSM detailing kit does wonders for the Silver Fox model. The headlights like nice also. Even though I have no need for them, I think I will have to invest in a Bell 20' to pose it in a scene, as you see them located in plenty of places around the country. No matter which model from any era, Gerry's layout seems timeless.

 

Rich,

Glad you all like the scene - EM is a dab hand with the camera! The 20ft Bell containers are from C Rail Intermodal and cost only £7 each (£8 for the 40 ft Bell which is also very nicely done). The two 20fts plus one 40 ft came to less than €30 including postage. On Ballybeg I have placed them on two IRM flats made for me by Model Shop Belfast.

The Irish railway liveries from the late 1960's to early 2000s were based on a design by the artist Patrick Scott consisting of variations of "matt brown/orange and black" (seemingly he had a cat of similar hue). In this era also most trains were loco hauled (running around trains was common) and semaphore (lower quadrant) signals ruled. Beyond this date modernisation has introduced new corporate liveries, colour light signals, DMUs, push-pull operations etc ie a lot less romantic. Breaking down the eras these range from CIE roundal logo with more black in the liveries, to Supertrain liveries through to the more recent IR and IE logo/livery variations. These have all been well represented in Murphy Models 141/181, 071 and upcoming 121 series. Silver Fox also have complementary liveries in their A and C Class locomotive series. So it is a question of choosing an era/sub-era and get modelling! I developed Ballybeg as a layout to display all of these eras including late steam/early diesels (Flaying Snail logo) - see IRM.com Layouts section under Ballybeg plus assorted posted videos on UTube.

Welcome back Eamonn!

I reviewed the ESU website 071/201 sounds and they appear to be different to those recorded previously for MSBelfast/Mr Soundguy. I personally prefer the original versions which sound best from a Bass Reflex speaker (not overly difficult to fit to MM 071 if allowed to intrude into the cab space -I did a lot of filing on the speaker without breaching its integrity). Capturing the full roar of an 071 at notch 8 is a challenge for the soundchip technology but the GM revs ticking over or rising/falling capture the prototype pretty well I think. The horn, brake and flange squeal add to the authenticity.

Great to see all the pictures of the show, looks very impressive. Was hoping to see to see (and hear) Railwayman’s Sulzer on display.

Unfortunately my B101 was the only loco to let me down on the day! I had its sound running with lights but the loco would not budge (back to the workshop as a motor wire must have dislodged...). Everything else worked well on Ballybeg.

Just fitted a Zimo soundchip and Bass Reflex speaker to my 073 and 086 - magic combination! The weathering on 073 is very realistic - probably the best model in my collection.

Strawberry Hill is billed to appear at the St Joseph's Community Easter Show in 2013.