patrick

I would love to see Rails Through Waterford and Wexford.

Great news John. I cant wait to get a copy and would love to see the series continue.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/holycorner/6934023720/in/album-72157629831107647/ Here is a link to the photo. Check out the whole collection, the photos are priceless for anyone interested in goods wagons.

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=&type=AllFields&page=229&view=list Bitumen tank wagon from the O'Dea collection. This is a representation of one of these wagons using a repainted Bachmann tank wagon. Trying to remove the factory lettering proved so difficult so I simply gave it an overall coat of matt black using a spray can. The outline of the Shell lettering can be seen in the photo but is not at all apparent on the layout. The tank ends are wrong, I may go back and change then in the future and the lettering is simply done on my printer on paper and applied with a glue stick. If SSM dosn't come up with a set of decals I may have to print my on on white decal paper! I doubt if the large Tar Bitumen lettering lasted long on the prototype so I lettered it similar to how similar wagons were lettered in the seventies. The Bachmann model is also very similar to the fuel oil tank at Dublin port in my previous post although the brake gear is different.

http://irishphotoarchive.photoshelter.com/image?&_bqG=81&_bqH=eJxtT9tqAjEQ_Rr3raAti1TIQzYz3U51kzYXJU.himDtQ8SK0H59M4u0S2sgJ.eSkzD35vj.1NpV3L_k.c1.er49NTm71dcnzSb13WwyHvMuSAmcEpu3bUXJgfQ4qpuuG9UgBgYAGwADK5bFJp_Fxr9V_F_F61VFPvaf.RIzUSZob2MiZ1gaS6hLRkazJJcsLlA6hIt8HmpnrBdW6nnVT5akBnEqPDi0iUAEnnp3WE_P68d8CLlES7I.yEWSLWoV.VKVVJOoPFyqFxp.qH34pR1Tqbz42L4eN7tq2bfbHhXjN14JcQU-&GI_ID= I hope this link works. An nice photo of a tank wagon being loaded at Dublin port.

Goods train at Grange.

A50 on Waterford Cork goods at Keilys Cross October 1970.

If they ever produce a J15 I could see silver Metrovicks and green railcars in my future!

A view from the tunnel mouth looking East towards Keilys Cross level crossing. I think I will use a distant signal here between the telegraph pole and the point. Since the gates will not be operating the signal will be permanently set at clear. Any suggestion for this situation here? The point on the Right hand side is the entrance to Glen More passing loop. This is the latest progress on signal construction.Not as neat as assembling the studio scale kits following instructions but I don't have to solder small parts. Hopefully they will eventually operational using memory wire. Thanks to everyone for the information.

Thanks Garfield.

I have a question regarding semaphore signals which protected manually operated level crossing gates. Were these signals home or distant? Also what colour were the semaphore arms painted in the early seventies. Thanks.

While on the subject of the North Eastern railroads before Conrail here is a real interesting film on the plight of Penn Central.

I was't suggesting or expecting that accurate variations be produced but hoping that a painted unlettered model of the ballast hopper be made available or painted and lettered as dolomite and gypsum wagons. I imagine many of us would accept the detail differences between the prototypes. Sprues in a bag! Great idea. Lets hope it works out.

I have already ordered the ballast hoppers but would gladly wait for dolomite hoppers instead if they will be produced.

Is there any chance to produce some painted undercoated packs (without PWD markings and numbers) for those of us who want dolomite or gypsum hoppers?

Over the last few years I have been frustrated attempting to assemble SSM signal kits mainly due to the difficulty soldering small parts. Since the layout needs 12 signals an easier construction method was needed. Here is what I came up with. Substitute 2mm Plastistruct rod for the brass tube. 2mm square plastic strip is used for the semaphore mount and short sections of L girder is used to support the lamp. The weight arm is brass strip and all the pivots are track nails. Not as close to scale as the orignal parts but much easier to construct.

Nice choice of era and locale for a layout John. The railroads of the North East USA had so much of interest and character before Conrail. Thanks for posting, I always enjoy seeing pictures of this layout.

Beautiful modelling. An inspiration.

Unfortunately my circle of friends and acquaintances over here doesn't include any railway/railroad modelers and the nearest club is 50 miles away. Our neighbor Bruce has a passing interest in railways and enjoys following progress on the layout and operating from time to time. The layout is located in what was originally a windowless storage room at the bottom of the stairs in our split level condo which the previous owner opened up by removing a non load bearing wall and turned into a "multi media room". Maureen agreed that the area could be used for a model railway and continue along the walls of the corridor as long as it looked tidy, hence the valance, fascia and drapes. The aisles are kept clear making it very comfortable to view and operate the layout. When we have company the layout lighting is left on encouraging visitors to take a tour of "the hills of Ireland" as the layout is known in our household and always receives very favorable comments. Most visitors are very surprised at the presentation, expecting an 8X4 foot sheet of plywood with track on it on a table in the middle of the floor! As regards minimal scenery and trackwork, i don't think this as a curiosity. There seems to be quiet a movement over here towards shelf style switching layouts in recent years and larger layouts with narrow benchwork emphasizing the railroad letting an effective backdrop providing depth. I am flattered at the suggestion that an article on the layout could be published in a magazine. To be honest I am not a great craftsman. Many of my models are crude imitations. The layout succeeds as a whole (in my opinion) because I try to keep all the elements era appropriate, avoid overcrowding and study prototype photos and model the mundane and typical. I am also an advocate of Allen Mc Clelland's (of Virginian and Ohio model railroad fame) good enough philosophy. The idea is that not all the elements of a model railway have to be super detailed but "good enough" to work together to paint a convincing big picture.

A few more photos from the most recent operating session.

There hasn't been much progress on the layout due to my work schedule in the last six months. Hopefully that will change soon. We still enjoy operating from time to time though.

I remember seeing vans still in service in Tralee with the C painted on, rather like the B on opens for beet service.

[quote I was also wondering about the "C" on this van The C appeared in the very last days of the loose coupled goods era and was I believe painted on wagons intended for bagged cement traffic.