GSR 800

Many thanks for this JB, greatly appreciated. Regarding the down Sligo Day Mail, is there a Galway/Westport-bound PAS service leaving Mullingar around the same time? I wonder if the Sligo Mail was ever left overnight at Mullingar, awaiting a Galway bound train before heading for Sligo as the Day Mail?

Very much unfortunately for me modelling Mullingar, I was not around for any of the interesting junction operations!

Interesting, I wonder if this went back into the steam era. Many thanks, JB. I also presume that, given the Jail Siding was almost always full of coaches in every photo I've seen of it (admittedly, later on it was RPSI stock), that trains that were split at Mullingar would've been strengthened with extra coaches.

Many thanks Mol

Work done tonight, sides soldered on, doorways soldered in also. And now a question. I was reading through one of the Irish railway rover books, which had a photo of a Night Up Galway mail train at Mullingar. The book mentioned that it was waiting for the Up Sligo mail, which in turn would then wait for the Down Mail before returning to Sligo. Am I right then in thinking that the Sligo Mail was pretty much a Shuttle from Mullingar to Sligo, first going up to Mullingar, meeting the Up Galway there and having its Mail transferred to that train, then waiting for the Down Galway Mail, having mail transferred to it, then heading back to Sligo. OR was it the case that the trains were simply split and joined as per other trains at Mullingar? There's a photo of a Cattle Engine shunting a TPO tin van at Mullingar somewhere..

Not unlike the old wisdom not to model anything that won't be seen!

Wonderful work!

Only Fish and Horses? Viewed from the Signal Box at Mullingar, 664 shunts the Meat and Fish Van and Horsebox onto the 11.00 am to Westland Row. Sorting the Mail And so on it goes! Work started on the Tin Van TPO. Folded up the ends and sides. Dry fitting to whet the appetite? I think I'll call it a night!

MGWR Meat and Fish Van continued. Good bit done so far today. The underbelly looking less neat! Wheels up Brake rigging, springs, axleboxes to add, along with the roof of course!

Maedbh is as good as it gets for CIE green. I was looking at her lining when I was up in Cultra, the white definitely has a yellow/cream tinge to it, rather than being brilliant.

Work started on the Meat Van. As she comes. First thing was some rivetting. Some of these had been half etched on both sides. The result Folded up Ends added and soldered.

Many thanks Andy, will do!

Pretty much finished now. Misplaced one of the roof vents, hopefully it'll turn up! A bit of MGWR shunting action at Mullingar!

Thanks JB, the horsebox is John Mayne's excellent kit. More updates on her later!

More work done on the horsebox van tonight. Bearings fitted and wheels added. Rolling along now! Beading, strapping, brake gear, springs, axle boxes and buffers added.

Hi John, many thanks. I probably did it somewhat arseways, first using a rolling pin to get the 'main' curve in the roof. Then, for the curve down to meet the sides, I used a jig not dissimilar to what you recommend for forming tumblehomes, but with a smaller radius curve. Marked the start of the curve on the roof against the coach ends and then bent it. Some fettling was required, but I'm happy enough with it. Looking back, it may have made more sense to do the ends curves first? Thin brass strip (gutters?) helps mask some of the imperfections. Still unsure as to what to number the G2! I wonder if anyone knows which ones were stationed at Mullingar? There were several of them at Mullingar when Clements made his visit in 56, but I'm unsure as to which ones were stationed vs which were visitors.

Midland passenger trains were very often headed or tailed with horseboxes, meatvans and cattle wagons. A good excuse to buy JMs horsebox and meat vans! Made a start with the horsebox, with its quirky 'lean to' dog box! Folded up, ends soldered on, roof added to the lean to. W irons bended down. Size comparison with a H van!

Some more work done recently. Acquired a Worsley laminate SO kit. Have another two laminates ordered from Worsley Works, getting orders in before Allen retires! On some dummy bogies, awaiting parts from Dart Castings. Got my order from JM today also. After finding the roof and glueing it onto the dapol body the buffet sides were scribed, tumbleform formed from a thoroughly ag spec jig, and then overlayed. Both now require detailing, roof vents and cabling, glazing, interiors, painting, the list goes on! Some dry fitting on the Bredin Steel side. And the G2 has returned, was receiving some touch ups to paint and a new drawbar. Much to do on her also, weight to be added, the tender needs it's springs and axleboxes along with a dose of weathering, more handrails, step added to cab and the cab interior needs to be built and fitted. The chassis and wheels on both loco and tender also need a repaint into grey! I've also a horsebox, meat van and 2 tin vans to build, so plenty on the workbench!

finescale z sounds mad indeed!

Heljan seem to be very hit and miss. While the 'consensus' is generally that their steam is extremely poor and their diesels are okay, their diesels are very often nothing to write home about. And then sometimes they are grand.

Very useful indeed, could cover DSER and GSWR Atlantic tanks very well indeed, possibly BCDR examples also. How does it compare against the GNRI T2?

You can straight-up print the model with holes AFAIK, avoiding the need to drill (somewhat brittle) 3d prints altogether. Might need to bore some out somewhat at worst. I think this is preferable, better to have a more durable brass or N/S wire for handrails IMO. The addition of a jig would further simplify it further, yes.

I think the Lord Nelsons haven't shifted very well due to being panned as very light and therefore somewhat poor haulers for their size. Heljan don't seem to be very well considered at all.

What are overall sales for the 800s like so far compared against other locos in the IRM range?