Colin R

Yes I agree you are sadly too young at present, but that does not stop you from enjoying this hobby of railways, one bit of advice that I wish I could have given myself when I was your age was to read what is known over here in the UK as the Blue Book or to give it its full title 'The Requirements for passenger lines and Recommendations for Goods lines and the other book which is just as rare is the Festiniog Railway Volunteers Manual. I mention the first book since it is what most of the operational UK heritage lines have based their operational rule books on. The first book is on line the second one however (the FR book) some times comes up on ebay and is a bit dated H&S wise but still useful to read up and to start your jounery on to becoming a much sort after volunteer. Regards Colin Rainsbury

Hi David, I like this a lot, I have been giving this area some though as well. I would also suggest that the lighthouse at Arryheernabin could also be used as an excuse for a tramway with a population of around 700+ as well as a small fishing port that catches pollack, cod, ray, gurnard, whiting, ling, thornback ray and many other varieties of flat fish.

A couple more green livery A's would be great or and a silver version as well. Or how about some pre CIE stock or some old GNR (i) stock before and after it got split up, or what about one of the pullmans or some of the six wheel bogie stock for the cork mails? Or even better still how about doing a Downpartick collection of locos and rolling stock?

well that has to be the B and C class then

I think you said this else where and yes it might only be 1mm extra each side but that extra bit does help, I think the cab was also wider.

Thanks David, Since the period I hope to model is 1950's to 1960's I wasn't to sure if code 70 might be a bit light or if I should use code 83? Colin

Cheers for that, so they didn't get anywhere near Sligo or Northern Ireland then

Hi Guys just where did the Magnesite wagon run and from when until to?

I was just wondering that myself

Another question but what do you guys think about using code 70 rail is that about the right size for Irish mainline track in the 1950's or should I use code 83? the reason I am asking is that since it will have to be hand built track i would like it to look as realistic as possible, I am undecided as yet but I might use EM standards as opposed to P4.

All we need now is for Des to produce his Leitrim 0-6-4 etches in 4mm scale and leaving the rest of the bits up to the modeller and things will only get better. Regards Colin Rainsbury

Hi Guys Something for you all to think about, I have been in touch with Roger owner of Alphagraphix and I asked him about producing his locos in 4mm scale, he doesn't want to produce the castings but I think that it might not be to much trouble to find alternatives over the range of 4mm casting all ready offered by other companies. That said he is willing to produce the etches in 4mm scale leaving the builder to find all those other casting parts we need. The down side is that for this to happen he needs to have confirmation of a minimum of six orders per locomotive. I have below listed the known locos he currently does in 7mm. If any of these interest you please indicate on this thread to start with and we can take it from there, I wont get involved witht e money since you will be dealing with Roger direct on this matter. Great Southern & Western Railway. Ivatt F6 class 2-4-2T Great Southern & Western Railway. Ivatt J30 class 0-6-0T Cork, Bandon & South Coast Railway. Beyer Peacock 4-6-0T Great Northern Railway. (Ireland) JT class 2-4-2T Midland Great Western Railway. Atock G2 class 2-4-0 tender loco. Midland Great Western Railway. Fairbairn "Elf" class 2-2-2ST Midland Great Western Railway Atock J26 class 0-6-0T Belfast & County Down Railway. 2-4-0 tender loco "The famous No.6" Timoleague & Courtmacsherry Lt. Railway. Hunslet 2-6-0T "Argadeen" Timoleague & Courtmacsherry Lt. Railway. Hunslet 0-4-2T "St. Molaga" Great Southern Railways. Drewry 4-wheel Petrol Railcar Please remember these will be brass eteches only and no cast fittings, motor, gear box or wheels and bearsing will be included Regards Colin Rainsbury Rogers contact details https://alphagraphixkits.co.uk/449095275

Hi Yes it is going to take a lot of time to build some thing to this standard, but it will be a major challenge, as it so happen I do have some SSM kits which I brough years ago and again they all need to be built

Hi John, thank you, you have answered my next question as to what etch kits are still available, I already have two of your loco kits to build and three tin vans as well. The late Richard Chown must have had some drawings but I don't know who is best to contact about them now, David Walker who built 'Killaney' all those years ago, only had five locos when the article appear in Railway Modeller in November 1985. Reading this link has made me wonder if I should try to built the layout based on Sligo rather that attempt to build a scale model of it, just the loco shed area in 4mm will take up a space of 8ft by 3ft plus 2 4ft x 3ft fiddle yards one at each each will make it 16ft if i decide to ever take it on to the exhibition circuit. The need for the layout is mainly to be used as a display of Irish 21mm gauge locos and rolling stock, also to help me improve on my basic modelling skills. I am not sure what Irish standard gauge locos Worsley still do, but I am sure that both a W and a WT locos will appear at some point. At this rate the model will be turninig into a cross boarder layout or a number of speicals may be run as well.

Thanks, In time I hope to only have prototype locos running on the layout, but for now it was to just get something running and to give me a quick steam loco to try out 21mm gauge. What I will need at some point are drawings of J26, G2 2.4.0 or a J18 0.6.0. Locos if they still exist.

I have been poundering this question all day and i wonder if anyone would care to up date us with what UK OO gauge locos can be modified to look more Irish, I an think in term of the Dapol Dean goods as a starter for 10. Regards Colin Rainsbury

If I need to build just one MGWR steam locomotive for such a service what would it be?

Now I like that one and it might just work as a model

Hi Angus I happen to agree with you on the point about Sligo as a station, my take on it is that the powers that be managed to get the existing station at Sligo extened and managed to get the railway to run at a high level throught the Town itself on a viaduct, where it then cross the river and headed north to Bundoran. The only major issue I have with this set up is that any freight coming down from the GNR would have to reverse down into the good yard off the main line, unless I added a single line as an avolding line of the station itself, at present this is the only major issues I have, but since I am changing the layout with the addition of a GNR(I) connection, then I need to make the whole thing believable to say the least.

Hi Guys over on yet another open thread, I did say that at present i don't have that much in the way of Irish standard gauge rolling stock (4 class A and a few wagons and a couple of Bachman CIE (green) coaches), Now I was wondering and this is manly aimed at you guys who do the exhibition circuit. It may take me a couple of years to build up the stock but what do you think would be a safe amount to have to operate let say a secondary branch line through station on the Dublin to Sligo route in the 1940's to 1960's period? Colin

Sadly Insurance will not begin to cover the amount of time that has gone into the building of the railway in the first place. But does any one know just what rolling stock has been lost damaged or stolen? I just wonder if there is anything we could do to help from a group point of view?

Since I don't have that much Irish stock at present, I am drawn to Sligo Engine Shed as a display module, I did see that Angus was building a 2mm scale version of this station, I wonder if it got finished or is it still being worked on? Colin

I am sorry if this has been answered before, but does anyone know if the current Sligo station was meant to be extended and the line to be continued up to Bundoran / Ballyshannon or somewhere else? Thanks Colin Rainsbury

Yes and on a 4mm scale model, I think the centre wheel set might be better off as flangeless.

Hi all Just found it they used 60ib per yard rail