Colin R

The only reason they try to get people to go to college and or into university is to see just how much they can learn is the shortest period of time, I am personal disillusioned with the whole education system either side of the stream between our countries. Having worked in it for a few years I feel that anyone going now looses out on so much more. But most importantly, it is more about box ticking and not so much about the education in its own right. If you have the talent for something practical on the whole you are not always encouraged to develop it, but to become someone who is capable of being an officer worker pushing bits of paper from one place to another. Before you say I am off to where ever, just ask your self what sort of life you want afterwards, not every university student ends up with a high flying job. Also don't forget this day and age it is more than likely you will end up with having had two or three different jobs by the time you get to my grumpy old age of 63. If you like using your hands then think about a modern Apprenticeship it will make your life so much more rewarding, I have yet to find a course on self employment or how to set up your own company or stuff of this nature as this is far and few between. If you have ambitions to become the next designer for Irish model rail it would be worth talking to them to find out what sort of qualities they would be looking for in someone to fill that role. You don't have to be mad, but is does help you go a long way Good luck in your educational endeavours, who knows you may one day end up being the President of Ireland, you can but dream Colin Rainsbury

Just got all my 4 out of the boxes to take a look at them fantastic, now sadly however I am having to put them away so they don't get damaged while the work around the house get done, if everything works out how I hope it might, I shall be moving next year to somewhere that I can build a nice size model room, we will be starting the house hunting after Christmas as there is no rush right now.

Hi Robert don't put your self down one of the hardest bits in doing a production run is the prototyping to see how it is going to look in reality, most big manufactures now use 3D printing to make sure they get all the detail right before they make the moulds, for the production run. It used to be a very highly skill job to be a tool maker, My cousin before he retired used to have such a job. Cad Cam productions methods are used a lot more than people realise. your 3D work can in theory be used by a mould maker to produce the finish moulds for the kit. I do realise that to produce such a model may require someone to sit down and think in terms of the best way to go ahead in the production of the moulds, as a rough guess I would think you could be looking at something around 15 to 20 separate moulds before all the bits are glued together at the final end of the production line.

Hi Fran and all This sounds so good for Irish modelling one of the problems for model Irish railways is getting some one to do the design work, If i may be so bold but if we have any more talented modellers out there, then I suggest that Fran and co have a few quiet social meetings with these people to discuss how this can benefit everyone and not just us on this forum. Who knows what might happen, it could be the start of a much larger Irish based resin building series like those from Bachmann, but under the IRM label? Knowing how popular anything Irish is in America I would be interested to know how many requests for these footbridges are from Americans and does selling Irish model railways to America feature in anyway for the future? Good luck with this project, now that IRM are behind this at least I feel more than happy that I will be able purchase more than the two I was thinking about much earlier. ( I can feel the razor saw getting ready to make a few adjustments to one of them) Colin R

So since I have had a very brief read of this tread one question which comes to mind is who is doing what in AEC Railcar kits in 4mm scale? I know about the Silver Fox model, but is there anyone else doing a model of them and if so who? I am not sure if Worsley works do the basic parts and if they are any good has anyone tried them yet?

ARRRRGH. If I had known this was going to happen I would have asked for one of these as well, however sadly the bank won't allow me to have one right now. Like you say railway heritage is so very important to the railway modeller, I suspect these will fly off the shelfs as well. I will have to have another look in January to see if you have any left as that is the earliest that I could buy one. That is of course you don't surprise us again with another green version before then as well.

Thanks Galteemore, that make a lot more sense. Colin Rainsbury

WELL THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU, You have done it now, the first of four turned up today it has been waiting for me to pick it up from the post office drooled all over it when I got it home, until construction can start on the 21mm gauge layout, it stays in the box so I don't loose anything a bit of a jig and a bottle of the black stuff are now in order but which comes first I will leave it up to you to decided

May be it is me but the advert was for a super deltic loco, so is the E model that was produced supposed to be a copy of the prototype but with a deltic engine inside? I guess we shall never know, it sure does not help the modellers/historians when something like this red herring comes along. The other thing is was the deltic E class going to be a bogie style locos for CIE? but the need for a shunter was more pressing so that came next? Over on the UK they produced more prototype's than anyone else, I think some worked and went on to form the basis of more successful BR loco classes while others where just scrapped, the BR deltic had at least three variations that I know of the main fleet (Class 55) the Baby Deltic (Class 23) and a couple of prototypes the one in the NRM and DP2 (she has been scrapped after a major accident) but her parts went on to help build the class 50 locos. So this brings me back to my question. Did English Electric produce a set of drawings for a co-co style locos for the CIE based on the experience of the BR class 55 I wonder? see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Rail_Class_50 Colin

Hi guys I am biting so what was this mysterious proposed Irish loco? Colin

This does deserve its onw thread I think

Thanks for the up dates guys great stuff to see these flying off the shelves Colin

Hi I know this might sound wrong but do you have an update as to which models you still have left from this batch? (not that I can afford anymore just now, but it is more out of curiosity). Colin

Hay Murphaph I wonder how much people would pay if you could make a replica works plate say in resin

Just had confirmation from the Post office in the UK that my order is on it way thanks guys

They will be likes buses all turn up at the same time, I have been waiting this long so I think I can wait a while more.

Just how long was it from first announcement to shifting the boxes today? I am just glad that everything came together at my end finally, might be a while before I can buy any more Irish stock.

Do you know who is doing the shipping in the UK? If it is the Post office I can get them to hang on to mind so I can collect them from the depot and so they don't get left outside and stolen Thanks

Looking forward to my ones turning up soon, just as soon as I can they will become 21mm gauge EM standard locos.

Hi there is nothing new in this, the old Irish railway companies where sending stuff like this before most of us where born (I think) good to see some common sense coming out of all of this at last, maybe some one should say something to the guys who run Network rail here in the UK.

Hi Eoin. When you start to look around, you can find yourself looking at a number of these bits of kit ranging from £500 up to £4,000 pounds. Thanks for the information about your machine tools, it gives me something to think about. Colin

Hi Eoin (sorry for getting your name wrong in the last post). That is more than welcome, I have been thinking for some time about which mini lathe to get, the link did not help as it has too many goodies in store . That said, there is just so much information out there I had forgotten about. I will see if they do a miller to match the lathe, since I don't owner either at present. Regards Colin R

I think it has only just come out so still a new publication £8.50 sounds about right Colin

Hi Eion I must have missed it, but who makes the lathe you are using, if so what model was it and do you have any other advice beside the fan extension? Colin

Hi Guy, a question or two from a friend in the states Three long-shot questions for the members: 1. Might anyone know of a source for drawings or an illustrated folk culture study of traditional Irish donkey carts? I'm particularly interested in any regional variations between the Cavan & Leitrim Railway region, Kerry, and southern Cork. My Irish folk culture books and Irish agrarian history books are falling short. 2. Do any makers of kits (Anscorton, Langley, others) offer a kit for a cart that matches a specific Irish design? 3. Might anyone be able to recommend a published source of the history of cattle-raising in the Irish Midlands or in Kerry? I'd like to collect some details about the breeds and appearances of cattle that the C&L, the MGWR, and the TDLR hauled, to ensure authentic miniatures. Thank you in advance for any guidance. Martin Tuohy Tinley Park, Illinois, USA