Colin R

Hi all, this is a bit of a reminder for me and anyone else. A couple of years ago there was talk about a few new Irish Broad Gauge Steam Loco kits com in both 4mm or 7mm scales, I think one was the Kerry Bogie and the other one was a D17 as featured in the film 'the Quiet man' can anyone recall what the state of play is with them and if there is any news from new manufactures. I have been trying to obtains drawings where I can but as a lot of these locos where built at Inchicore I am not sure where any drawing may still exist and whom to contact. Colin R

Hi Guys time to bring this list up to date, any new layouts planned? also does anyone have a contact address for Tim Cramer, I was wondering if he has any more unpublished loco and rolling stock drawings. Colin Rainsbury

thats a great tip wished i had though of that one. Another link for you to look at http://www.zen98812.zen.co.uk/track.html Don't think about this gauge but it is the way they do things down that small hope it help, I think at this moment in time RichL would be the best person to give you a demo as most of my stuff is packed away thanks having to store stuff for other people right now.

A decent soldering Iron of 30 /40 watts size A soldering Iron stand most important dont want to start to burn the worktop on your first attempt or burn through the Iron supply cable (yes I have done that). A flat screwdriver (to hold the rail down on the copper clad while you solder it, you don’t want to start to burn the fingers just yet) that is wider than the rail head so a 4 or 5 mm Flat should do. Rail cutter from your local model shop (the orange handle make are good). A disposable cheap paint brush for the flux (a kiddies type is good enough for this). Double sided tape for the bottom of your Jig (you stick one side to the base of the jig and this then holds the sleepers in place while you are doing your soldering). A standard pair of electricians Pliers. A set of long nose Pliers 6 or 7inch size will be good enough for now. A small 6inch flat file or two (get a modellers set ie flat, half round, round and Tri square ). A junior hacksaw for cutting the copper clad in the middle so you don't get a short Green washing up pads (for cleaning the copper clad). Roller gauges Disposable rubber gloves:- saves getting all that dirt and copper in the skin. I think that is all I use, but sods law state’s that I will have forgotten something. One other tip I forgot to mention always tin the copper clad before you try to solder the rail to the copper makes life so much easier. Colin Rainsbury I see both Rich and myself think the same things I forgot the Fibreglass stick which is most useful and another reason to get the disposal gloves. Colin

A few things about soldering:- 1) Make sure everything is clean before you start and make sure you use flux Practise 2) Make sure you have a big enough iron and you are comfortable using it. Practise 3) Practice soldering two pieces of copper wire together before you before you start work on copper clad. Practise 4) Learn just how much heat to use to make a joint. Don’t leave a soldering iron on the copper clad for longer that you need as it will delineate (ie the copper foil will come away from the Paxolin base. The following link may also help, the Carrs hand book on soldering is a useful item to have in the library. https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/carrs/soldering/flux/c1210 Also check out You tube for demos on soldering. Finally don’t be afraid of cocking it all up, we have all been there, read the book and brought the tee shirt. Rome wasn’t built in a day an hay have fun and enjoy. Colin Rainsbury

Richard Chown's Taking of all these Irish layouts who remembers a layout by the name of Killaney and built by a guy by the name David Walker? it was back in the 1980's as it appeared in the Novemebr 1985 RM. I wonder what happen to it. He was a friend of Richard Chown at the time. Colin Rainsbury

Personally I prefer to jig build plan track with just one rail and the sleepers in the jig then with the use of tracksetta lay the track out in the location and use roller gauges to install the second rail once on site. The plan is to build 21mm gauge track but to EM standards, while this is not so perfect, it does allow me to have a bit of leyway on back to back and clearances when it comes to building or converting locos and rolling stock. if you want something simple check this site out there are Hundreds of simple Irish railway plans on here it is the heritage verition of Google http://map.geohive.ie/mapviewer.htm I should add it will be up to you if you want plastic, wood and pin or copper clad sleepers, there are a number of modell trackbuilders on the web it is just a case of having a look out there the P4 society site is a good place to start as is the EM Society as well. Regards Colin Rainsbury

Hi Glover Just to let you know that you are such an inspiration, when it come to modelling the Irish Broad Gauge. I haven’t as yet made much progress with my own project, but the planning is almost finished. One thing I did notice was the footbridge on the layout, can you recall where you got it from or who made it, as it looks really good. If you are still up to it, would you mind taking some more photos of your layout for us all to enjoy. Having been through this before with a friend over here please make sure your family or friends know what to do with you models and who to contact, as I have seen collections end up in the dustbin as the family did not know that some one out there may be interested or could help out. Take care and look after yourself, it has been wonderful to read about your layout. Colin Rainsbury

Thank you will be on my next list Colin

the Isle of Man used to have a load of carrigaes which had that fault and they keep on using them. That said it is a concern that a relative new loco has deveolped such a problem bring back the Heitage collection of ex CIE diesle locos. Could be that Inchicore are in for a lot of rebuilding with new chassis's or a building a new jig to put each one right as they go through a full service, out of interest how many do they need to run the current service and just how many do they have in total? Colin R

Hi guys I have the Patrick Taylor book on the WCR; however I am looking for a source of station building, engine sheds and good shed drawings. I am looking for the following stations:- Kilrush Kilmurry Milltown Malbay Lahinch Ennistymon I have a half started layout based on the WCR which I acquired a few years ago as the owner was not happy with it, this has now been taken apart and a number of bits saved for the new layout. The plan is to rebuild it with typical WCR features if it is possible. I have on order enough timber to build something based on Milltown Malbay which will be about 4 meters in length. I also hope to build Kilrush in 00n3 at some point in tribute to the same fellow modeller who has recently passed on. However it will be over 6 meters in length to do it justice. Colin Rainsbury

Hi can you give the title of the mag please? Colin Rainsbury

Tto take a rough view on this for the first class there would have been five first class seats with the sixth missing to give acces to the WC, it may have been that two WC could have been back to back ie the 1st and the 2nd Class WC's only occuping half the width of the coach, the 2nd class compartment may have been 3 seats one side and 5 on the other. As for the third class compartments I would guess that as each compartment only held 8 seats there must have been space for the door to the WC and also some seats removed to give access via a 3rd compartment Colin Rainsbury

Hi do you mean Parkside Models? as that is part of Peco. I understand that the coach sides are once again available as seperate items, so you can buy just one full kit and purchase extra sides to kit bash. regards Colin Rainsbury

I wish I had the patients to do what you do to these models, an excellent looking model once again. Inspirational to us all. Colin R

If you are in to Irish 7mm scale, take a look at this lot on eBay https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/henry_of_sutton/m.html?item=353104786542&hash=item5236af746e%3Ag%3AggwAAOSwt0pe24-c&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2562 Colin R

Thanks Seagoebox that is most interesting, I must look out for a copy of the Donegal WTT's Hi Arbhin I have check the site out and the irish map people stop at the boarder and the maps from pronti dont get anywhere near enough with the detail, I haven't given up yet. Colin

Seller has removed it from sale or some one was mug enough to buy it at that price. Colin R

Hi John We have two groups with more than a passing interest in Irish Narrow Gauge:- IrishThreeFoot@groups.io 00n3modellers@groups.io Come on in and join, both groups have a period of all and then nothing for a while. The information you have posted above will be more than helpfull to those who asked the question Colin

Hi Guys i have a question for the experts, Over on a narrow guage forum some oen has asked what colour was the Flying Snail on narrow gauge coaches and wagons, a lot of modellers have gone for white, but there is now doubt if this is correct or should it be light green? Colin

Many years ago in the Model Railway News (who remembers that publication) a couple of guys built an N Gauge scale (ie 2mm to the foot) layout of the Welsh Highland Station at Dinas; it was called the Vale Penwal Railway it had hand built working locos and rolling stock and also finally had an extension based on the Vale of Rheidol. Some details of it appear near the bottom of this page https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/111723-2mm-scale-narrow-gauge-group/ http://www.zen98812.zen.co.uk/penwal.html Regards Colin R

Thanks Dhu Varren, I have looked at Proni site and I have now worked it out that Derry would fit an 00n3 layout of 15ft, in length and to do justice to the good shed and other buildings it needs a width of 4ft, while that sound very wide do not forget you would be looking from the river bank up to the road level and beyond, at present I do not know the exact drop from the road to the river, but I did see that some one has purchased some of the old station site to build yet more homes just there. The map on the Proni site is not a very accurate track plan, but it does give the location of the buildings.

Thank you for your help guys, the reason I was looking for 25 inch to the mile maps was so I could work out things like the length of the platform at Victoria Road on the Donegal, I am never to sure just how long it was or the size of any of the goods buildings, engine shed and station buildings, I know I could guess, but theplatform length is the one that escapes me at present, as an example I read somewhere that the Donegal used to run speicals from Derry to Ballyshannon that where 11 coaches in length, If that was the case, was the long main platform at Derry able to take a train of 11 coaches? Regards Colin

Hi Guys I am aware of the 25:1 history maps of Ireland and the majority of the Irish Railway System, How ever I am looking for a clear map of Derry (Londonderry) and both Swilly and Donegal Stations. I am sure someone on here sent me a link in the past, but for some reason I can no longer find it, if you help thanks. Hopefully it will like the rest of Ireland and I hope I can trace other Irish narrow gauge railway in the North East of Ulster as well. Regards Colin Rainsbury

Sounds good, but do you mind if I can make a suggestion, don't go mad buying all this kit right away I would suggest getting one loco, two coaches and five mixed wagons, while that might not sound like much, it will however give you enough stock while you are building the layout to play trains with. good luck with the project sound very interesting. Colin