DoctorPan

Having moved houses, Backwood was packed away until recently some free time was found to add some finishing touches to the layout. The exit road gained a signal controlling movements to the world beyond the yard. Hand Point levers were painted up and added to the S&C around the yard, the fuel point and yard was weathered and details add, including this shunter having just finished refueling 071. Touches like the human touch add an extra dimension to layouts, and I love setting up small scenes like a fitter taking a break under the watchful eye of the foreman or this track gang working on the headshunt's buffer stop after the shunt was reballasted, including the TSC on the phone over line blockades.

I wonder if the ITG could be bribed to turn A39r into that livery and suddenly it goes from a what if to a necassary model for modern Downpatrick ops guv! I'm sure fluffy dice and nanners might do the trick...

Stick me down for one as an expression of interest. After all, what's one more after the rake I've already ordered!

Yeah I usually stick my rattle cans in a saucepan of warm water for a couple of minutes before shaking the bejayus of them and spraying. Never had any spalts or peels since using that prep technique.

Its cheaper by rail currently plus its more reliable. Massive issues with supply of road drivers at the moment.

In my own experience over the last 10 years or so (christ I'm geting old!) there is a dismissal of our rail heritage in favour of argicultural heritage. I do think a big reason that has contributed to the lack of a seed for the general public for railways is the limtied good memories the national service gave them when they were young. In the UK, a lot seems to trade on memories of going to the seaside by train or nice days out visiting family and the adventure of travelling by train where here that seems to be lacking from the general public conscenious (bar memories of specials to Knock and religious experiences do not make great railway loving memories) and so heritage railways are treated somewhat like a novelty experience or something akin to a fairground ride.

Happened recently enough, failed near Adamstown. Set limped to Adamstown and passengers transferred to a replacement ICR set.

A lot of us newer folk who joined the market with IRM's offerings missed out on the MM diesels and the old problem of having GMs and nothing for them to haul has been flipped on its head with a good number having wagons and nothing to pull them!

Oh well, bright side of this is, I'll get to pay off my outstanding balance and probably order another A!

Testing structures to see what views and looks could be achieved on this from a week ago. Its amazing what you can get done in a week focusing on the layout. Minor details left to go, painting and fitting point levers, weathering ballast and general human touches detailing, the running shed is crying out for some fitters and some details, plus need to fit a signal to control passage under the box to the "outside world".

With a period of enforced annual leaving approaching due to end of year and outstanding leave due to Covid, I decided to set myself a small task of building a small micro layout. A diesel depot was chosen as my small fleet of GMs (and soon to be bolstered by the As) needed somewhere that I could pose them and take nice pictures and would offer some potienial in the limited space I had due to the life of living in rental accomadation. Just two photos to start off with of the shed area from nearly the same angle, just after track laying finished and just after scenic work has started in erenst.

latest project on the go, a fueling point for a micro layout I decided to build during lockdown annual leave. Just needs painting

Nostalgia leaves me with old slam door stock with dusty seats and cold dafty interiors and being replaced with brand new railcars that were bright and increditably warm. New stations opening up and plans for two extra tracks out of Heuston.

A on a whim purchase! Was made aware of this 90% complete conversion of a Hornby Stainer 2-6-4T into a Jeep and just had to have it. Joins the back of the workbench crew but plans are to finish her off as the lovely No.4