Colonel Posted March 20 Posted March 20 Great work and nice to see the 'photo plank' getting good use too. 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 21 Author Posted March 21 The sun's shining and I've managed to finish off a couple more stalled projects, so the photo plank is being deployed again! The Tar Bitumen tank is based on a Bachmann tank with Rumney Models etched chassis widened for 21mm gauge. Also finished off this week with glazing, couplings and final detailing is a JM Design 20t brake van, seen here with the tanker: Together with my Murphy 141, this makes a complete train for the last years of the Quartertown Mill branch: I have plans and parts for another traditional bitumen tanker, also for a bitumen tank container than can be loaded onto a flat wagon. But I have more half-finished projects to complete first! 9
Flying Snail Posted March 21 Posted March 21 Love the weathering on show here - especially the bitumen tanker. Its clearly a working wagon with the grime that goes with doing a dirty job, but still not OTT! 1 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 I had a bit of an accidental impulse buy on eBay this week and have acquired this with no real plan of what to do with it!
Horsetan Posted March 24 Posted March 24 25 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said: I had a bit of an accidental impulse buy on eBay this week and have acquired this with no real plan of what to do with it! David Geen kit?
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 47 minutes ago, Horsetan said: David Geen kit? London Road Models kit, I'm not sure of its parentage. It seems about the right size for an Irish branch line. Big enough for an 0-6-0 or 2-4-0 steam loco or a 121 class.
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 Another purchase arrived this afternoon - some extra shelves for my display cabinet, so that I can fit in twice as many toy trains! I have fitted them and done some reorganisation and consolidation. The principle at present is that the left-hand cabinet contains only completed 21mm gauge models, while the right-hand cabinet is at present mostly empty but I may put some of my yet-to-be-regauged models in it now that I have the space. I have an embarrassingly large stash of green IRM boxes (and some black MM boxes) that haven't yet been regauged, as well as some kits still to build. These cabinets can hold a lot of wagons but once I start putting bogie carriages in, I think they will fill up rather quickly. Hence my desire to make best use of the space with extra shelves. Here are the finished items, and the eagle-eyed may notice a new vehicle - the tin van - bottom right. I've just completed this today and will take a proper portrait of it on the photo plank when the sun comes out. You can also see that my era selection has been rather indecisive, with some wagons in late 1940s liveries, right through to the 1970s. The truth is, I model what I like the look of! I still need to put A11 back together so it can take its place on the empty shelf, and I also have the WLWR horsebox to finish off. There are a couple of other stalled projects but I may allow myself to start something new when I get back from my weekend trip to Cork. 9 3
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 Thanks! I'll fill up the other side with some unconverted stock and see what it looks like. Though I might get daunted by the amount of work still to do on them!
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 Now I have scared myself with how many wheelsets need regauging and how many buffers need moving. And I haven't even unboxed the cement bubbles which are the most difficult. I also have a stash of wagon kits to work on, which will probably take priority over many of these. I can see the commercial reasons for IRM producing wagons in sets of three, but it's a policy that has led to be buying too many. Note to self: NO MORE TRUCKS! As you can see, full-length bogie coaches only fit one to a shelf in these display cabinets, though they could be paired with a tin van or a baby GM on a shelf. Some of the trucks will have to get put away again, or be regauged and move to the other side of the cabinet, to make room for the Park Royals when they arrive. 6
Flying Snail Posted March 24 Posted March 24 Now thats a nice collection! How deep are the shelves? 1 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 24 Author Posted March 24 8 minutes ago, Flying Snail said: Now thats a nice collection! How deep are the shelves? The plan view of each shelf is 450mm x 89mm, and with them at the close spacing they are 63mm apart (height of 58mm between the top of one shelf and the bottom of the one above). The top and bottom shelves have slightly less clearance. It's just enough for 4mm scale Irish stock on the low profile 21mm gauge track. But there's less than 2mm clearance between the 141's horns and the shelf above, so taller stock needs a bit of care to get in and out. 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 26 Author Posted March 26 A bit of sun early this morning, after yesterday's hailstorms, so here are some photos of the tin van. This is from a JM Models kit with a few additions/modifications: Some areas of this came out well, others not so well, but overall I'm happy with it. It has the interior modelled, not that there's much of it. Perhaps it would benefit from some parcels and cases inside. I have a plan to fit battery-operated, magnetically switched lighting in the roof, but I haven't done that yet. My 6-wheelers don't have lighting but the Park Royals will so it seems sensible to add it to the tin van. I'll wait until the Park Royals are here, so that I can design the lighting to match the colour and brightness, and to work with the same magnetic wand. I have a similar kit for the heating van variant, which I have not yet started. I can't decide what colour to paint it, in fact I wish I'd bought two so that I have them in different liveries. As a compromise I'm considering early (1961) BnT livery. 9
west_clare_wanderer Posted March 26 Posted March 26 On 24/3/2026 at 8:59 PM, Mol_PMB said: Now I have scared myself with how many wheelsets need regauging and how many buffers need moving. And I haven't even unboxed the cement bubbles which are the most difficult. I also have a stash of wagon kits to work on, which will probably take priority over many of these. I can see the commercial reasons for IRM producing wagons in sets of three, but it's a policy that has led to be buying too many. Note to self: NO MORE TRUCKS! As you can see, full-length bogie coaches only fit one to a shelf in these display cabinets, though they could be paired with a tin van or a baby GM on a shelf. Some of the trucks will have to get put away again, or be regauged and move to the other side of the cabinet, to make room for the Park Royals when they arrive. Fantastic! I think we've all told ourselves "NO MORE TRUCKS" but we keep on falling for it.... And, if you keep buying them all up, it is good news for my wallet! You've got enough stock in that cabinet to run a small branch line mind! 2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Yummy 2
Colonel Posted March 27 Posted March 27 20 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: A bit of sun early this morning, after yesterday's hailstorms, so here are some photos of the tin van. This is from a JM Models kit with a few additions/modifications: Some areas of this came out well, others not so well, but overall I'm happy with it. It has the interior modelled, not that there's much of it. Perhaps it would benefit from some parcels and cases inside. I have a plan to fit battery-operated, magnetically switched lighting in the roof, but I haven't done that yet. My 6-wheelers don't have lighting but the Park Royals will so it seems sensible to add it to the tin van. I'll wait until the Park Royals are here, so that I can design the lighting to match the colour and brightness, and to work with the same magnetic wand. I have a similar kit for the heating van variant, which I have not yet started. I can't decide what colour to paint it, in fact I wish I'd bought two so that I have them in different liveries. As a compromise I'm considering early (1961) BnT livery. Remember that coaches and wagons can always be a different colour on the other side, but excellent models, whatever the livery. 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 Thanks! This morning I am going to see what, if anything, remains of Quartertown Mill. 1
mfjoc Posted March 27 Posted March 27 Last nights IRRS film show had a clip from Joe St Leger showing a tar train going from Mallow to Quartertown 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 10 minutes ago, mfjoc said: Last nights IRRS film show had a clip from Joe St Leger showing a tar train going from Mallow to Quartertown Oh, I wish I’d been able to see that. Hopefully it will go up on the IRRS Youtube channel. Thanks for the tip.
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 The buildings are still here, though a bit more of the old mill has fallen down! 3
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 Visiting the site has given me a much better feel for the place, and may prompt a few minor changes to the position of the buildings on my model. I also dropped in to the library in Mallow and looked through the local studies section. They had a full set of Mallow Field Club journals including the article on Quartertown Mill which I had previously found online. But I didn’t find much else. A general tome on industrial archaeology in county Cork didn’t mention Quartertown. I should have asked about maps, but forgot. I don’t think the trackplan is going to change!
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 Many thanks to @Westcorkrailway I had a fascinating private tour of parts of West Cork this afternoon and saw some interesting survivors. One of my models has been for a trip out to see its larger cousin. And I have been introduced to another that is crying out to be modelled It was only a few days ago that I was saying I need more trucks… I now feel ready for the proper Tailte tour tomorrow which will visit other parts of the network and see some more rolling stock survivors. 6
flange lubricator Posted March 27 Posted March 27 9 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: Oh, I wish I’d been able to see that. Hopefully it will go up on the IRRS Youtube channel. Thanks for the tip. I was watching that last night and thought if you were watching always a surprise what pops up at these shows . 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 27 Author Posted March 27 A few of Ernie’s pics showing the type of GSWR van we saw in the field today. Two on the left: Right background: Partial view on the left: Mostly hidden by the loco smokebox: second wagon in the train: second wagon in a different train, this appears to have special use lettering and is numbered in the A series: on the left, this one has had thin metal sheeting added over the planks, like the one we saw in the field: on the right: And finally this is almost the main subject of the photo, and again one skinned over in metal sheeting: 6
Colonel Posted March 28 Posted March 28 Some fine photos there. As well as the wagons, the one with the J11 shows an interesting piece of trackwork, with two points, very close together with a catch point somehow sandwiched in between. 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 28 Author Posted March 28 A very good day had in west Cork where the sun was shining and there were many interesting things to see. Skibbereen: Some of my toy trains on the trackside at Ballinascarthy: No doubt there will be more pics to follow in due course. I even spotted an old 1960s CIE container by the roadside! 9
Horsetan Posted March 28 Posted March 28 On 26/3/2026 at 8:25 PM, Mol_PMB said: Smethwick's isn't bad either. 1
Mol_PMB Posted March 29 Author Posted March 29 20 hours ago, Horsetan said: Smethwick's isn't bad either. The Blarney brewery ales are rather good. And I’ve even found some hand-pull cask ale from Kerry!
Mol_PMB Posted March 29 Author Posted March 29 And a very minor point, I have validated my choice of red squirrels rather than grey for the trees on the Quartertown Mill layout. I don’t think JHB’s livery files extend to the lineside wildlife 4 1 3
Broithe Posted March 29 Posted March 29 29 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said: And a very minor point, I have validated my choice of red squirrels rather than grey for the trees on the Quartertown Mill layout. I don’t think JHB’s livery files extend to the lineside wildlife It could be either, depending on the brake arrangement - all that really matters is that the chassis isn't black. 4
jhb171achill Posted March 30 Posted March 30 5 hours ago, Mol_PMB said: And a very minor point, I have validated my choice of red squirrels rather than grey for the trees on the Quartertown Mill layout. I don’t think JHB’s livery files extend to the lineside wildlife If you'd shaved its back, you'd have seen its flying snail tattoo.... On 28/3/2026 at 8:41 PM, Mol_PMB said: A very good day had in west Cork where the sun was shining and there were many interesting things to see. Skibbereen: Some of my toy trains on the trackside at Ballinascarthy: No doubt there will be more pics to follow in due course. I even spotted an old 1960s CIE container by the roadside! Great to see you on the tour, Mol, and those sublimely excellent vans in a natural setting. You've beaten me to it; I was about to post my own very similar pictuire here! 5
jhb171achill Posted March 30 Posted March 30 Good to meet Mol__PMB, Signalpost and others from the forum on the Tailte Tours West Cork jaunt on Saturday. As always, the after-party was great too; some of us (you know who you are) even drank Beamish and Murphys. Not like those oul jhb Jackeens with their Guinness....... The good news is, Tailte Tours are already weighing up at least half a dozen different possibilities for day tours, or even 2-day ones. 3
Mol_PMB Posted March 30 Author Posted March 30 Bedtime reading… Apart from the other Colm Creedon books, am I missing any? Are there any CBSCR carriage drawings in existence? 2
Westcorkrailway Posted March 30 Posted March 30 1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said: Bedtime reading… Apart from the other Colm Creedon books, am I missing any? Are there any CBSCR carriage drawings in existence? You really have it mostly covered there. Every other book (outside Colm Creedon vol 1 / 2 / Macroom ) is quite obscure, although there is schull and skibbereen books but that’s a whole other story There probobly is, but you’d have a hard time finding them. There was a 7mm kit for a CBSCR short bogey that I assume was based on drawings, ciril fry has one of these too. 1 1
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