patrick

Ah, the escapism of a model railway. From time to time I hear Maureen's voice at the top of the stairs telling me how late it is and suggesting I get to bed! Love the sand loading facility. It reminds me of the various gypsum loading facilities that existed at Kingsport over the years.

Track work on the curve outside Grange. There were two bad rail joints on curves on the main line. Put it down to my inexperienced laying flex track on insulation foam when I started the layout. These areas were prone to occasional derailment especially when trains were propelled around them. Today I finally got around to fixing it. Here East of Grange a section of track was replaced to fix the problem.

A goods train approaches Glen More in 1972.

Last weekend Maureen and I traveled to Stratford Ontario for the annual Shakespeare Festival. While there we saw Spamalot, Dark Magic and King Lear, all wonderful productions. I also got to check out the railroad activity. Stratford is served by the Canadian National RR which runs a daily freight daily in each direction and two Via Rail trains each way between Sarnia and Toronto. It is also the interchanged point for the Goderich Exeter Railway whose main business is hauling salt from a mine at Goderich and grain from online elevators. On Saturday we caught the Toronto bound Via train and a Goderich Exeter GP15 at Stratford, the Goderich bound train having already left. Monday morning we caught the Goderich power, two GP's in the yard. It was a great weekend getaway which we hope to do again next year.

1971 on the South Waterford Line. 20230825_175030.mp4 1974 on the South Waterford Line. 20230825_183722.mp4

1967 on the South Waterford Line. 20230825_162145.mp4

Wonderful modeling and photography. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this layout.

More JM Design wagons waiting for couplers before entering service. All will be weathered when I'm so inclined. These are great models and it's good to see the full range is currently available. The most difficult part of completing these models was applying the tiny tare transfer to the planked vans.

I finally got to apply decals to the JM Designs open wagons. Kadee couplers are on order.

While on the subject of books I recently found this. During the 1970's the Tralee library's copy spent more time in my hands than on their shelves!

My recreation of the train depicted on the cover of the 1967 book Irish Railways Today. A perfect passenger train for a secondary line like the South Waterford.

Anyone know when this style of level crossing gates were introduced? The gates in the picture were built from a SSM kit.

Having converted to kadee couplers I have a large number of these tension locks surplus to requirements which nobody needs over here. I will gladly send them to anyone who can use them rather than throw them out.

Thanks John. I'm very pleased with these models and encourage anyone looking for accurate goods stock to run with their A class Crossley diesels to check them out. The solid grey paint scheme makes them a very easy paint job with a spray can. Together with Leslie's Provincial wagon kits it's never been easier to assemble an accurate loose coupled goods train.

Here are a few JM Design wagons straight out of the paint shop. Tomorrow I hope to do three more vans and a grain hopper, also from JM Design and hopefully all will receive decals over the weekend. The open wagon with the timber load is a white metal kit from SSM and a different prototype than the JM Design model. Does anyone have any information on these?

Has Rails Through North Kerry sold out?

Not all these weathering markers are created equal. All the track on the South Waterford Line has been painted using them and In my experience the Woodland Scenics ones are far better quality.

A few images from a short running session this morning. 20230717_123206.mp4 20230717_124157.mp4

Waterford Cork passenger train at Kelly's Cross 1968

Overview of Glen More station 1968. 20230522_151113.mp4

Did any grey 30 ton brake vans have black and yellow stripes on the duckets? On some photos I've found they appear to be painted black but it may just be dirt! I'm planning to build an SSM kit for mid sixties operations and want to get the livery right. Thanks.

I went to trade school in Berlin in the ninteys and qualified as a carpenter/cabinet maker. Went back to school here in Ohio in 2010 and became a nurse. I haven't met any railway modellers in those fields but met quite a few who are musicians.

A55 passes Glen More on the Waterford goods October 1970 while a Cork bound train shunts the yard. 20230613_221804.mp4

Waterford bound goods passes through Kelly's Cross in the evening light Autumn 1969. 20230608_215145.mp4

What's a vacation without a souvenir........