Andy Cundick

A couple of points to bear in mind especially when you're starting the great thing with soldered PCB track is that once assembled it can be tweeked with a soldering iron not an option with other forms of construction,as for rail i use code 75 bullhead NS no one has noticed yet that its been used on Valencia,Courtmacsherry and Arigna and will probably be used on Ballinacarthy.Another source of Sleeper strip is Wizard models who's mail order is first class bear in mind the date of your layout as earlier sleepers were 9 Point foot rather than 8'6".Point vees are easy to do it takes about 2-3 minutes and doesnt need anything more technical than a pencil,paper file and vice.1st draw the the vee you want then extend one line on so you have a sort of a wye.you then bend the rail to that angle so you have the shallow vee,stick it in a vice a file the outer angle of the vee until it is almost breaking through then bend the rail filed side inwards and you will have a nicely filed up vee ready for soldering,simples!(its easier describing this with a diagram but i havn't a clue how to do this on a computer).My main challenge at the moment is a thee way point in bridge rail to 7ft gauge for another project which has been bumbling along,what larks! Andy.

The layout itself is no more,as i wasn't happy with the trackwork on the 3foot side its down to the point radius the stock runs through it all right but for bigger 3ft stock they don't look happy thats the main reason i built my own track for Arigna.Saying that the new Donegal layout Brucklees uses it as i had it in stock and just being a siding it shouldn't be an issue.However all the buildings and signals have been saved and who knows Strabane may rise from the ashes,that said i don't know when as the next irish layout is going to Ballinacarthy junction as i seem to be suffering from a surfeit of Bandon tanks plus it gives the Courtmacsherry stock somewhere else to play.Andy.

Ah Ah memories of the Westinghouse show at Chippenham ,October 1996, 8 irish layouts including Adavoyle and Castle Rackrent.I had Castlefinn there and had a visitor comment that there seemed to be a lot of County Donegal layouts there(3), something i've never heard before or since.Happy days Andy.

Personally all my layouts which use handbuilt track (3 out of the 7 at the moment) are all built directly onto the baseboard that way once its drawn out you can better visualise what you are getting as well as especially with curves using a mark one eyeball you should be able to get much smoother flowing curves.One tip when making point vees/frogs keep the tails as long as possible that way you avoid the inevitable slight kink the curved part of the point.(theres a bit in one of the recent New Irish Lines on a simple foolproof way of doing the frogs).For gauges the Scalefour Society do them but they can be made up with some washers bolted together as can a back to back gauge.Incidently i always use EM standards which at least give you a fighting chance.Andy

The daft thing is its not that difficult,both Valencia and Courtmacsherry were built directly onto the boards,having drawn out the track basically 2 parallel lines first(tip here a 3ft steel rule on its side gives you lovely transition curves),copperclad sleepers then laid on double sided carpet tape and a soldering you will go.I can't remember how long Valencia took but Courtmacsherry took about 10 days in total,Andy.

I'm afraid to say no it isn't. 228 was Castlederg No 28 was a steel underframed 4 plank open bought from Pickerings along with the bogie open No 29 both were numbered in the Donegals goods vehicle series.Whereas the 6 original Castlederg opens 15-20 were the original Red wagons and apparently numbered 3-9,i say apparently as i've at least 2 photos of No2 which is supposed to be a Clogher van but is definitely an ex Castlederg open (been there built the lot) .Andy.

Almost as interesting is the Red wagon as it shows the internal layout as well as how the sheet was supported,i'm not sure of its Donegal number its Castlederg No15(been there built it)as it was the only open with drop sides apparently to carry millstones from a local quarry,Andy.

I'll warn you when she does,planning is going on for the next one which like being Ballinacarthy Junction,but that doesn't explain why i'm just finishing a GN Pp and a K15,what larks Andy.

The stonework on Court has since been finished in the appropriate shades the photos were taken over a year ago when the layout was still unfinished hence the lack of names over the shops and the unfinished detailing such as point rodding and the bare bits of the harbour(any idea how boring making lobster pots are).The text for the article was the result of a ten minute phonecall and unfortunately they didn't pickup on the unfinished nature of the layout.Anyway enough mea culpas for now Andy.

One good thing it gives me a bit more time to finish my Welshpool locos,for Llanfair which was going this year.The main problem being i keep getting side tracked with other things currently some Great Northern coaches and an Austin Gipsy.Andy.

Yes on the 2nd one and no they don't.Andy.

Classic case was Swindon "A" shop roof was completely reglazed with new glass and ally framing (all 24 acres)of it two years before closure and a new sawmill was still being installed when the place closed.Andy

Banwy models who do a range of Welshpool prototypes in 3d are a good example of what can be done .The cattle trucks and bolsters needed no fettling just fit couplings and wheels and away we go.Andy.

Hate to say it the striation is just as bad in 4mm i've got one sitting on the workbench at the moment a good argument for etched brass i'm afraidespecially as its sharing the workbench with a rake of Worsley DNGR 6 wheelers.Andy.

Scalefour Society do 21mm gauge back to back and track gauges.21mm gauge w irons are done by SSM and Prickley Pear. Driving wheels Alan Gibson with homemade axles(1/8" steel bar hacksaw then file in drill chuck),other wheels Gibson with homemade axles(1.5 or 2mm steel rod with pin points done in drill with grinding block).Its also a good idea to subscribe to New Irish Lines.Its surprising what there is out there i've just finished the Judith Edge kit for NCC No22 which is trundling up and down Valencia as happy as a sand boy still not quite sure how she would of got there and am now putting the finishing touches to one of the DNGR tanks which i've had half built for while all good fun Andy.