Colin R

Thanks I don't have a copy so I will watch this one, unless anyone else wants it. Colin Rainsbury

Thank you Leslie for lets us all know, I really liked his style of modelling, I hope that it can be kept as a collection in one form or other for others to enjoy his modelling. After reading his Blog? I went and brough all the Railway modellers he used to build his Coaches with, I think I may very well have this winters modelling programme sorted. Colin

This is the back head of a right handed drive loco There are a load more photos on line just look for backhead details of a steam locomotive, I am not sure which side of the loco the CB&P locos where driven from, but you get the idea of what could be in there. regards Colin Rainsbury

Numbers getting out of control and Liverpool is at the centre of things with a level 3 lockdown in place from this weekend so nothing going to happen anytime soon. This could be followed by a full lockdown in a couple of weeks when the schools in Liverpool shut for half term, they are talking about a full two weeks of closure nothing in or nothing out. Colin R Its a long way to Tipperary.........

Thats nice, very nice

Thanks for the correction I knew it was an early one. Colin

Thanks Paul that is the one we are looking for, it would be great to find her again and if the 009 Society don't get her then the guys at Donegal would be the better place for her to be displayed. Please keep a look out for her, it is sad when people pass on but may be some good will come of this. Colin Rainsbury

Hi Guys I wonder if anyone has come across a model of one of the Swilly 4-8-0 Tender locos that was given to the Swilly board of directors in the 1960's. I know the swilly company no longer exists, but I just wondered if anyone knew what has happen to the model, I am hoping that it has gone to a local museum in Derry or the public records office in Belfast. This is part of the search of where narrow gauge model locomotives from the 1960 have ended up, if It can be traced then I plan to let the 009 Heritage collection manager know about it, they already have a number of 009 and 00n3 locos in the collection from that period and as this is one I recall, it would be great to find out what has happen to it and get it preserved. Colin Rainsbury

This was the station many years ago that I wanted to model in 00n3, but I didn't have enough space for it, I think it works out around 20ft+ x 3ft at the widest point in 00n3. I would like to return to this one at some stage, but I have other stations to model at the moment, If I recall there was a magazine called railway archives, i am sure it was Issue 1 vol 1 it had a a big article about Victoria Road station, I still have it some where in the mess. This would be my main reason for taking a weekend trip to Derry to take measurements of the remaining buildings and of course to hopefully look at the 3ft stock in store as well. Colin R

One of those horse boxes would make a greta touring van for today tourists. A mate of mine in Wales has converted a horse box into a camper van, but unless you looked inside, you would not know. Colin

Yes very true I am awaiting a number of kits for the IOM and some irish lines to make another appearance, notable a number of Donegal loco and carriage kits. Allen tells me he is willing to do more Irish standard gauge kits if he can get hold of some decent drawings. Colin

Hi David, just in case you can't resist any longer, see Worsley works kits he does all his 4mm irish kits in both 7, 3 and 2mm scales, in 7mm I think you need to find wheels, motors, and castings etc, but the basic etch is there if you want it Colin R

Hopefully you can find some to use, 5ft 3 is a bit rare around the world, Over here in the UK some one had 3 or 4 swedish gauge locos as static exhibits, may be a source for a rebuilt 5ft 3ins gauge steam loco, I am not sure if they are 5ft or 5ft 6in, as they are of no use to anyone else it might be worth having a look at them for the future, also not sure about Indian either as they have 5ft 3ins gauge lines so might have the odd 4-4-0 in a scrap yard still.

I take my hat to you guy’s fabulous work; I hope you can get hold of a couple of the ex BnM wagonmaster locos before they all get sold, this is going to be a great railway project, how long is the run going to be? Carry on looking forward to getting over to see you at some time next year. Colin Rainsbury

Hi as I understand it it is still under development, I am not sure if there has been any other attempt to make a kit for them in 7mm. Colin R

Hi did you ever find the drawing for these locos? if you don't mind the scratch aid route then why not send them to Allen at Worsley works. Colin Rainsbury

Now thats something I like 10ml XF-63 German Grey Acrylic Tamiya 81763. Colin Rainsbury

I totally agree, well done Des for keeping the flag flying. You are the number one Irish model railway kit shop of choice. I suspect that Irish railway modelling is on the edge of expanding, most UK modellers can now get almost everything RTR or in kit form and some of them are begging to look around to find something a bit different to model. While there is still a healthy kit market, I can see that some Irish prototypes have an appeal to those that want something different, but it still looks like it has a British outline. I may be wishing my life away in asking for more Irish loco and rolling stock kits from the 1920 to 1950’s period, but while we have access to a lot of the information it is not a bad time to make sure we get it right now. Compared to the modelling resources we have had in the past to what we can get hold of now is remarkable. Regartds Colin R

Thats understandable in the current conditions everyone deserves a break, a lot of websites say that the owner is taking a break and will be back on so and so date hope he will be back. Colin

thanks Guys, hopefully Des will see this and can let us know when it is up and running again. Colin

Hi Guys is it just me but I can't reach the SSM website as i just wanted to check what kits he had on there. regards Colin R

No criticism intended, as I was taken aback at a loco looking so clean and not what I was expecting, I bow to the greater knowledge of how these locos looked back then and just how wrong even some of the current modellers still get it wrong. For those who have the Irish Narrow Gauge book by the late David Lloyd pub by Peco even he painted his locos a Dark Grey, it is great that there are people out there who can still tell us where we have been going wrong all these years. Would the T&D locos as well as the C&L locos that went to inchicore for overhaul would they have come back having been repainted in this shade as well?

Once again great photos. Colin R

Hi Phil I know that colour is always a big discussion point when it comes to models, but I am sure I have seen a colour photo of one of these locos in a much darker shade of grey almost black, (inside of Irish Railways in Colour 1955 to 1967 by Tom Ferris) I do understand that this as build or before it goes into service, you learn something new everyday. A great model thanks for sharing it with us. Colin R

It won't hurt to plant some new ones in there place, the thing is don't forget that these trees have grown up since the line closed and could be in the way, so to get rid of a few now is not a big deal as long as new young sapplings are plants over the next few months.