Model Era - Is it an age thing or am I just a dinosaur?

[Noel]

I must be a fuddy duddy when it comes to my rose tinted railway memories. Forgive the long boring Friday afternoon rambling of one nostalgic for how railways were, or at least what memory thinks they were like.

 

I first became aware of real trains and model trains in the early 60s, and more so in the 70s. There were two types of trains, the CIE ones I travelled on, and the trains I saw in movies and TV. The former were A & C, 141/181, 121 and later 071 loco hauled passenger trains with a wide variety of coaching stock in rakes including old laminates, the fabulous Park Royals, and the modern Cravens. The latter were all UK steam trains, GWR, LMS, LNER and SR, and my earliest exposure to model railways was my fathers Hornby Dublo 2 rail made up of GWR and BR express steam locos.

 

The real goods trains I saw here in the 60s and early 70s, and the goods trains one always saw on TV back then and in old movies were short wheelbase two axel un-breaked wagons of all sorts, and here is the punch line - all goods trains had a break/guards van at the end, as did mainline passenger trains always have a break van at the end of the rake. I grew up with old coaching stock and old freight trains in the brain.

 

I remember well when CIE introduced the 'super train' to much fanfare and very intense advertising campaign (i.e. mk2s), but even back then I thought it was a most ugly livery and not easy on the eye. Who in their right mind would paint a coach roof exposed to severe weathering a daft colour like day glow orange! Then bogie freight started to arrive late 70s and hells bells awful plain boxy looking container wagon - that didn't need a break van at the end, looked incomplete like a fish that had its tail bitten off by a shark. Suddenly all the freight wagons were getting longer and longer and didn't look as well on small layouts with tight radius curves. At least they were largely hauled by the amazing sounding GMs - a sound etched in my childhood memory, a sweet sound no UK loco ever emitted, rather they sounded like quiet tractors.

 

Most of the trains I travelled on were on the former GSWR and MGWR rails, never until the 90s had I been on the east coast lines south to Wexford or north to Belfast. I was on an enterprise that broke down in Portadown station on the Friday of the annual 'drumcree' problem in 1997 at a bygone time when passions were high and I had to spend a very nervous 2 hours in the station waiting for a replacement train. I spoke vit ze german (deutscher) akzent ven I sprech mit ze NIR stazion staf, asking zem wen ze korrect train vud kom tu ze station. It was a most uncomfortable experience but passed uneventfully. Been on a quite a few enterprises since and had very pleasant experiences travelling for work in 1st class - a cut well above IE fare. The food on the Cork early bird now is a joke compared to 15 years ago or earlier, when you could order from a menu, had a linen table cloth and ones food was cooked on the train and served on ceramic plates instead of a cellophane wrapped microwaved bacon buttie. How times of changed.

 

These new railcar trains seem such characterless plastic tubberware bus boxes on rails, that sound like buses not like real trains and have the most uncomfortable seats and ride compared to the coaching stock of yesteryear. When the 201s were introduced in the early 90s with the initial livery that seemed dreamt up by a colour blind graphic designer, visually they didn't 'blow my skirt up', no walkway, just a long box with a slanty bit at each end as a token homage to aerodynamics. Spoke to a driver before boarding one day in 1996 and asked him if the new locos were a big improvement on the 071s - "Huh!" he grunted, "No these heaps of 5x1t are as reliable as a straw bra strap, always breaking down, and have new fangled fly-by-wire software that is always stopping the trains. These junk heaps are not a patch on the reliable 071s". Twas early days for the 201s and the early problems did get snagged out, but they cause some reliability grief in the early years, but at least they sounded like locos - not bendy bus 22ks.

 

My memory of Irish good trains were black liveried A(101),C, 141 and 181s hauling mixed traffic corrugated open wagons, closed vans, short wheel based open flats with boxes and crates strapped down, cattle wagons, cable wagons, fertiliser wagons, beat, and the odd two axel short coach/vans, all terminated with a beefy break van. One christmas my little brother got a train set with heaven forbid, twin axil bogied container flats and four 40ft containers - ugly modern or what I thought - glad santa didn't inflict that one me I thought (ungrateful little brat I was). No buffers, no guards van, and they were so long they overhung the short radius set track so much that the curved platforms couldn't be used!!!

 

Even though 60s and early 70s CIE Irish passenger trains were hauled by GM diesels, there was a nostalgic echo back to the steam days when one saw swirls of steam leaking up from the coach sides and ends at the platforms due to the steam heating on those old trains. All that was missing was 'chuff chuff', but the GMs notching up and down were stirring sounds, like a space ship preparing for warp speed (i.e. 70mph if you were lucky on a CIE mainline express to Cork).

 

So I'm a self confessed model railway dinosaur who considers everything after 071s, Park Royals, Cravens and short wheel base freight wagons, mere modern tubberware buses that have no soul, and from a modelling point of view need very large radius curves that just don't fit into most modern homes in OO gauge. I'm a hybrid that grew up with toy trains modelled on UK steam era as seen on the movies and TV, but grew up travelling on Irish trains hauled by ubiquitous GMs and 001 class locos. Thanks to Murphy Models I have now been able to run proper model Irish trains on my layout instead of repainted BR coaches and orange class 25s and 33s that look nothing like CIE 001 class. I'm sure one day somebody may well be rambling on about the 39000 class 200mph Cork express DMUs and hoping they will soon be released as models with preloaded DCC mk4 chips (i.e. lights, sound, smell modules). Ah well, IR train toilets have holding tanks unlike swiss railways which still use the tracks (i.e. the best run railways in the world). Now the TGV and soon to run EGV, thats a real train one again despite pretending to be a very long rail car. If I could wave a magic wand at the MRSI exhibition I'd buy a new train set with a MM 001 class loco pulling a rake of Park Royals compete with linen table cloths of course!

 

[EOF - end of meandering ramblings]

[Weshty]

Noel,

 

It's whatever you grew up with. I thought going to Dublin in the 70's in the Supertrain mk2's was the height of luxury. Particularly given the fact that the laminate and craven gangways lurching and grinding used to frighten the bejaysus out of me as a chissler. And I used to go to college in the MK3's which were the ultimate, full air conditioning!!

 

 

While we all wax lyrical about the cravens, I wil not miss taking a 2.5 hour journey in one, first thing in the morning, where the heating would fry you or freeze you..

Freight for me has always been intermodal, and I always liked the ammonias bombing through Mallow at high speed. I never paid much attention to freight while it was operational, but only on its demise did I appreciate the variety of liveries and wagons. and at least beet and cement were 4 wheel to the end.

 

While I don't like the 2600's, 2700's or 2800's, I think the 22000s look very well and are a pleasure to travel on.

[jhb171achill]

I was weaned on noisy MED*, MPD* and AEC railcars, Park Royal / Bredin / Laminate / Craven mixes, UTA "Jeeps", and CIE A, 121, 141, 181, C & E classes. Loose coupled wagons pre-all-brown livery (i.e. all plain grey) and steam breakdown cranes. I remember track gangs, PW & weedspray workers before they had to dress in all bright orange like Halloween ornaments, nobody ever dying from wearing "proper" clothes.... and before anything maintenance-orientated on wheels had to be garish bright yellow from nose to tail!

 

Mechanical signalling, staffed graffiti-free stations, and jointed track.

 

Yes, I'm a dinosaur. But a happy one.....

 

(* MPD and MED cars were the most uncomfortable things ever to run on rails apart from the ghastly 450s.....yes, I plead guilty to "dinosaur", m'lud.....)

[Dunluce Castle]

I grew up with 80s, 450s and the current 3000 and 4000 class, but have never witnessed a proper goods train apart from 111s with ballast trains, yet despite all that, I model the steam era somewhat 60 years before my time

[108]

I grew up in the 70's watching the trains at the grannies in Harmonstown. Spent many a Tuesday on the bridge near St. Paul's watching 201s on pp sets and 141s on suburban sets with a 4 or 6 wheel van with the occasional DH on the Enterprise. I still remember my shock when 106 ran past light southbound. Back there this weekend for the show. Happy memories.

[heirflick]

I would love to go back in time to the early 70's when trains were trains and when you heard one rattling away in the distance you had plenty of time to boil the kettle and have a brew before grabbing your ould camera and nipping down to the track to capture the glory of the roar of the sulzer thumping past with an assorted goods train, or an a class reving up with the morning train to the smoke.....and all that before going to school! boy, those were the days! I look back with great memories - I wonder what the little ones will think of the stock they see now in another 30 years?

[GNRi Milepost 105]

Steam was gone before my memories began but I remember NIR 70 Class sets passing the bottom of our garden on the 'new' line to Antrim from Lisburn, 80 Class on the suburban services from Lisburn into Belfast. And the frequent freight trains from the south that ran into Adelaide which always had me running down to the fence to see the CIE locos and the cement bubbles, sometimes if I was lucky a train would be checked at the signal before Lisburn waiting for a clear road and then restarting towards Belfast with that glorious engine noise. But what I miss most is sitting with my head against the window of the train travelling to relatives in Portadown listening to the clickety clack of wheels on rail joints and watching the rise and fall of the telegraph wires. I was on a train into Belfast the other day, it was fast and comfortable but it wasn't memorable. They have even smoothed out the bump when the train passes Dunmurry Lane Level Crossing!!! It's just not right!!

Edited October 24, 2014 by GNRi Milepost 105

[heirflick]

I was on a train into Belfast the other day, it was fast and comfortable but it wasn't memorable. They have even smoothed out the bump when the train passes Dunmurry Lane Level Crossing!!! It's just not right!!

 

....the inconsiderate gits!

 

great to hear the ramblings of the ould dinosaurs:tumbsup:

[richrua]

my first experiences of trains in real life was at my grans house in roscommon town. she lived across the road from the station. when visiting from dublin we were allowed to go and watch. there was also a sweet shop on the other side of the tracks. mam never bothered with the footbridge. we always crossed the in the lane by the level crossing.

 

i have a clear memory of black and orange 141 or 181s. the noise of them as mich as anything.

 

as the years rolled by i remember all sorts of trains in dublin. eventually spending a lot of time on the enterprise up and down to belfast. even recently there was plenty of freight. plenty of times i watched the guinness wagons near adelaide st. etc. I think it is daft in this whole era of global warming that the govs didnt bother subsidising the freight rail to reduce the number of lorries on the roads....

[Noel]

Steam was gone before my memories began but I remember NIR 70 Class sets passing the bottom of our garden on the 'new' line to Antrim from Lisburn, 80 Class on the suburban services from Lisburn into Belfast. And the frequent freight trains from the south that ran into Adelaide which always had me running down to the fence to see the CIE locos and the cement bubbles, sometimes if I was lucky a train would be checked at the signal before Lisburn waiting for a clear road and then restarting towards Belfast with that glorious engine noise. But what I miss most is sitting with my head against the window of the train travelling to relatives in Portadown listening to the clickety clack of wheels on rail joints and watching the rise and fall of the telegraph wires. I was on a train into Belfast the other day, it was fast and comfortable but it wasn't memorable. They have even smoothed out the bump when the train passes Dunmurry Lane Level Crossing!!! It's just not right!!

 

Just Classic.

[jhb171achill]

Nelson, you're one of a select few. Psychologists have shown us - I read about this years ago - that we are drawn out of a sense of security to an era in our young childhood. You will therefore often find that modellers (how many of us here?) concentrate on a period around their childhood / teenage years, especially when older and they realise that the current world is no longer so familiar and unchanging as they imagined as children.

 

A few model past times they would never have known. These are usually people with a very deep interest in, and understanding of, the era of their parents or grandparents. I remember seeing an article maybe 40 years ago in the Railway Modeller about a superb scratch built model of Brunel's broad gauge line - it looked extremely accurate and the modeller had gone to great lengths to ensure absolute accuracy. But such things are an exception.

 

Personally, given huge amounts of extra spare time, and possibly better eyesight nowadays, I'd like a layout based on a country terminus or junction in GSR (MGWR) territory about 1930. But I'll never have the time; being retired results in me being far, far too busy.......

[jhb171achill]

While at it... imagination suggests a few interesting scenarios for layouts in the last half century....

 

1. Newcastle West type location, still with passenger in the BnT era. Stacks of loose coupled H vans and beet trucks....

2. Imaginary Portadown if still a junction in 1975, and a few Jeeps left coming off they Derry Road. 70s, new 80s, ex-NCC & GNR stock, Enterprise with Hunslets, laminates from Monaghan...

3. Claremorris type location in 1958 - MGW or GSW steam, A, B101, C, E, G classes; AECs, a visiting SLNCR railcar "B" ...

 

Ah well.

[Riversuir226]

Think.it is an age thing for the most part , my main modelling era is the mid 1990's till the mid 00's as this is when i spent many a happy day watching rail movements around the network. I think it was also the last interesting era with plenty of freight , a bigger variety of locos and coaches. Plus it starts at the point were tpo's, park royals were still active. Even with all this variety the odd grey 071will get into the collection .

Ultimately i d like to model the 1950's based on the lost Waterford & Cork lines but until i learn the neccessary skills in loco building it ll have to wait . My interest in this era comes from hearing stories etc about the lines and growing up near the former trackbeds .

Edited October 25, 2014 by Riversuir226

[Hunslet 102]

Psychologists have shown us - I read about this years ago - that we are drawn out of a sense of security to an era in our young childhood. You will therefore often find that modellers (how many of us here?) concentrate on a period around their childhood / teenage years, especially when older and they realise that the current world is no longer so familiar and unchanging as they imagined as children.

 

I think you have hit the nail on the head there John.My layout thread GVSt and Adelaide is being built with the great childhood memories I have from living beside Adelaide station in the 70s.I was lucky to witness the swansong of steam with the jeeps,the building of Adelaide freight yard from the ruins of the old GNR loco sheds on the bog meadow and seeing every type of railcar,AEC,BUT,MED,MPD,70s and 80s running along side brand new DH and DLs with various forms of rolling stock.Added to that the CIE Enterprise in the hands of an A class or 141/181 with the 071s coming a few years later,but the main highlight was watching the freight operations all day during the holidays at Adelaide,with As,Cs and 141/181s hauling traditional freight trains with a brake van,before being replaced with the container traffic.Always remember racing the freight trains as they pulled out of Adelaide along the back entry's as far as Lislea(were the entry ran out)and waving to the brakeman.Happy days,hence the reason of trying to recreate it all in model form.

[Mayner]

Going back to modelling what we felt we were secure with in our childhood does not really stack up for those of us who grew up in the late 50s early-mid 60. Probably the reason why so many people model Continental, American or even the Big Four or the GNR in preference to CIE or UTA.

 

As a teenager I was mainly interested in the GWR mainly from articles in the Railway Modeller, only started to develop an interest in contemporary CIE operation exploring the network on a Rambler Ticket after I left school. The new Supertrains, 1st phase of CTC on the Cork Line, new freight stock was exciting, but as I grew older the traditional steam age railway became more and more enticing.

 

All this probably explains why have American G & N gauge collections and a mixture of Irish and BR locos and stock.

[jhb171achill]

That actually amplifies my point, Mayner - the "Railway Modeller" was in fact your point of reference for those same formative years - same as me. My layout had BR class 31s, Hymeks, stuff I had never even seen. Apart, of course, from the pages of the eagerly awaited annual Hornby catalogue!

 

Later, crude attempts at CIE were to follow. Today's youthful modellers have RTR or kit-form CIE stuff, a luxury you or I could only dream of.

[minister_for_hardship]

Wouldn't mind a pre-1925 layout, before pretty much every loco got plastered with battleship grey. Since many rural Irish stations changed very little between the 1900's and 1980's with a few subtle changes one could have a bit of scope. A station serving 2 or 3 companies would have been rather colourful places back in the day, think WL&WR locos were the best looking things on wheels, plenty brass and spit-and-polish.

[Dhu Varren]

(* MPD and MED cars were the most uncomfortable things ever to run on rails apart from the ghastly 450s.....yes, I plead guilty to "dinosaur", m'lud.....)

 

Have to disagree in part about the MPDs being the most uncomfortable things ever to run on rails. The early batch converted from the Festival coaches have to be the most comfortable DMUs ever, with proper seating, in both open and compartment formats. I would agree that the later batches with their bus type seating were very much on the basic side.

My greatest memory of that era is of travelling from Derry to Belfast as a child on an MPD set, with bus seats, and once underway being invited into the guards/drivers area for a cab ride all the way until the approaches to York Road, when I had to leave so as not to be seen by anyone in authority on arrival. Halcyon days. I have had a soft spot for MPDs ever since.

[jhb171achill]

Ah..... I was never in one of the "comfortable" ones, me being in GNR (God's) Territory an' all.......

[Mayner]

Wouldn't mind a pre-1925 layout, before pretty much every loco got plastered with battleship grey. Since many rural Irish stations changed very little between the 1900's and 1980's with a few subtle changes one could have a bit of scope. A station serving 2 or 3 companies would have been rather colourful places back in the day, think WL&WR locos were the best looking things on wheels, plenty brass and spit-and-polish.

 

WLWR layouts made it to the cover of the Railway Modeller and almost became fashionable in the 80s with Richard Chown's Castlerackrent and Dave Walker (I think) Killaney. Killanney was exhibited at Chatham and Castlerackrent tends to appear in various forms at exhibitions in Scotland.

 

There is a good selections of photos seems to be mainly MGWR and WLWR No2 Shannon in lined black http://highlandmiscellany.com/2014/06/03/last-train-to-castle-rackrent/.

 

The 0-6-0s and 2-4-0s locos were supposed to be based on GWR designs and close in size to the Dean Goods, tank engines fairly simple in outline would be fairly easy to build in plasticard if you can find a small enough 2-4-2 or 0-4-4 chassis.

 

The 4-4-2T & 2-4-2T locos appear to be identical apart from one class having a leading bogie this was probably to improve tracking/reduce wear on the loco and track. The GSWR did the same around the same time turning out the last of the small radial tanks for the Kerry branches and Cobh line as bogie engines.

[jhb171achill]

I remember seeing Castle Rackrent in a Railway Modeller article. Even by today's exceptionally high standards, that layout was - is - the very best possible, accurate in every detail. Castle Rackrent must serve as the epitome of what a modeller can achieve. It was a good half century ahead of its time in this regard.

 

Anyone know if it is still operational, in any form?

[Garfield]

I remember seeing Castle Rackrent in a Railway Modeller article. Even by today's exceptionally high standards, that layout was - is - the very best possible, accurate in every detail. Castle Rackrent must serve as the epitome of what a modeller can achieve. It was a good half century ahead of its time in this regard.

 

Anyone know if it is still operational, in any form?

 

I believe it's still operational, JB.

[Broithe]

I remember seeing Castle Rackrent in a Railway Modeller article. Even by today's exceptionally high standards, that layout was - is - the very best possible, accurate in every detail. Castle Rackrent must serve as the epitome of what a modeller can achieve. It was a good half century ahead of its time in this regard.

 

Anyone know if it is still operational, in any form?

 

Seems to be still around - http://highlandmiscellany.com/2014/06/03/last-train-to-castle-rackrent/

[Junctionmad]

Noel and I were talking about this, my first trip on a train was in the early seventies when I was 12 ( my dad was a car nut and never liked going anywhere by train). I grew up near Portlaw, and could hear the GMs and A's on the dolomite and magnesite trains, lulling me to sleep. ( I can clearly remember them at night accelerating up those gradients

 

Then in my early twenties ( first job) , new minolta camera, and a CIE full access trackside pass, I photographed everything, including a full signalling survey of waterford station,dublin, elsewhere etc , 1000s of photos, which sadly all got lost in a house move some 20 years later,

 

 

you for me it was baby GMs, 071, orange , and I love block freight, CIE had such an interesting collection of "hacked" together freight stock in the 80s and 90s. I never had much interested in the black and tan days, I then modelled a succession of GWR ( my grandfather worked for them for a while ) layouts, all with hand built stock and track etc. But eventually I ran out time and other things got in the way.

 

personally I always wanted to model CIE in the "orange " era, It was a time when loco hauled reigned supreme, but the older infrastructure was still prevalent. I remember meeting rail enthusiasts from the UL in the 80s who came over because to then Ireland was a working rail museum . I never saw Irish steam as alluring, it always seemed to broken down and decrepit. IN fact really irish railways never had a golden period ever.

 

Today I find looking at IRs antics entirely depressing, I don't even want to travel by train anymore.

 

What I do find interesting is the interest in so called "modern image" ( I hate that term) , you are now seeing fine scale diesel layouts etc. good stuff,

[Horsetan]

..... I never saw Irish steam as alluring, it always seemed to broken down and decrepit. IN fact really irish railways never had a golden period ever.

 

Today I find looking at IRs antics entirely depressing, ....,

 

That's partly because Irish railways have perennially been short of money, not helped historically by unrealistic hopes or the more modern love affair with the car.

 

Broken down / decrepit / neglected became part of the charm of the whole thing.

[Dhu Varren]

Ah..... I was never in one of the "comfortable" ones, me being in GNR (God's) Territory an' all.......

 

I was also familiar with the GNR AEC and BUT sets, as I used to travel regularly on 'The Derry Road' to Portadown. My one real memory of AEC sets was when, as a child, I travelled on my own to Portadown to stay with family near there. When it was time to return home on a service that was always an AEC set, my aunt, as a birthday treat, upgraded my 3rd class ticket for a 1st class one, so that I could travel behind the driver, almost a cab ride. Imagine the disappointment when the rostered AEC was replaced by, of all things, a steam train! Changed days. Sadly, the opportunity never arose again, although I did travel quite often in BUT sets, but not behind the driver.

[jhb171achill]

That's one of those tales like we see here and there - like the time I went to Loughrea seeking "G" class haulage, and it was "only" a "C" class!!!

[Old Blarney]

Castle Rackrent.

 

It is most certainly operational and it resides at Richards's home.

 

Running this layout requires each station to be manned, all train movements are controlled by each station, all stations communicate with their UP and Down counterparts by Bell Codes and Telephone, just as the real railway did when signal boxes were in use.

 

The railway runs one a month as far as I'm aware, but it is at least six years ago since I had the pleasure of visiting it. Must speak to Richard on this matter.

 

David.

[Noel]

Having just watched a DVD on Irish Railways 1967-1997 I am consolidating my jurassic tendencies - Yes it's 1960s and 70s era for me even more after the memories stirred by the video. All the unbraked freight wagons, mixed passenger and freight trains, Bredins and Park Royals, loose wagon shunting - wonderful operations. Makes me wonder if I will need less Cravens and more Park Royal and Bredin/Laminate coaches?

[josefstadt]

Makes me wonder if I will need less Cravens and more Park Royal and Bredin/Laminate coaches?

 

For the whole period you are modelling you will need lots of Cravens. '67 to '72 they were the 'Top Link' stock. From '72 onwards they were progressivly displaced by the MkIIs and then the MkIIIs, but they would still have been seen on the main line. You will also need the Bredins, Park Royals and Laminates for this period.

[jhb171achill]

And up to about 1970 even an occasional wooden bogie coach - almost inevitably of GSWR origin...

[leslie10646]

Castle Rackrent must serve as the epitome of what a modeller can achieve. It was a good half century ahead of its time in this regard.

 

Anyone know if it is still operational, in any form?

 

John, it most certainly is, I think it's at Richard's home in Scotland. He turned up at the talk I gave on modelling to the IRRS (London) this year and brought a couple of locos with him. They may be visible in the photos which Horsetan took on the evening.

 

As a layout, it set an impossibly high standard for the rest of us to try to emulate. Richard is a serious good modeller!

[leslie10646]

Right, John's psychologist can get to work on this lot -

 

My grandparental home overlooked the GN Armagh line at Richhill and as a babe in arms I was held up to see the trains (over the lane hedge) - can I sue my grandfather for mental cruelty? So, the station is now at one end of the loft! But it was a long journey there.

 

The first layout was Trix Twin (ghastly three rail stuff with 0-4-0 tender engines!).

 

The moment Hornby brought out their two rail stuff, the Trix stuff was disposed of and the Southern Railway R2 tank goods set was bought. That was followed by various other locos, including a BR Standard tank, which was repainted as a Class WT. The WR coaches got a blue stripe to Great Northernise them, a Triang 3F was made into No.19 - then shunting York Road (which was a mile from the house) - all this on a 8ft by 4ft layout - I even persuaded my parents to replace my double bed with bunks to make room for it!

 

I moved to England and even had a 6ft by 4ft layout in the hostel in lived in. After discovering just how wonderful Bulleid Pacifics were, the next layout was Southern. BUT, with the end of steam in England, Germany beckoned and in 1970 a German friend took me into a model shop in Hamburg, where I bought a Fleischmann Class 55 0-8-0.

 

It was like going to a model heaven - this loco ran completely silently - out went the Hornby / Traing stuff and over the next few years a collection of German stock was bought to run on my now 12ft by 6ft layout.

 

Marriage and houses followed and it was only when I moved into this house 25 years ago that I partly floored the loft and set about recreating a built of the Mosel Valley line to run those lovely German locos round. I had double track round 21ft by 17ft; but it was never even partly completed. Work and family got seriously in the way and ther, as the books say, things remained.

 

Until I went to Hong Kong to work, after my first retirement, and while there was intorduced to a brilliant Chinese modeller, Daniel Wu. He built me one of the original SSM Class SG kits (and very impressed with it, he was, having built about 25 kits from other British kit makers). THREE Class S 4-4-0s followed; 33Lima built my ASEC and BUT railcar sets and so on and so on.

 

Three years ago, a Life Insurance coughed up when I was 65 and the money went into insulating and flooring the loft properly; plus getting my builder, who is a master carpenter, to built the baseboards.

 

Now, back to my youth - the layout will have Portadown Jct and goods yard at one end, complete with the roundhouse (gotta use that expensive electrically operated Flesichmann turntable!); round the corner to Portadown Passenger, round the corner (and therefore opposite the "Junction") to Richhill and finally on the fourth side a couple of loops (which will take a 4-4-0 and ten coaches) off the double track line to act as "The Rest of the Known Universe". I am taking photos as I go and when there's REALLY something to see, I'll start a thread.

 

Still battling with basics like soldering terminals (oh, yes, it's DCC) and laying track which won't derail the wagons produced by a certain wagon builder, which shares the address.

 

It's getting there slowly. Tonight's little success was getting the (second) SG to run right round with fourteen wagons.

 

Enough. As you can see, having been indoctrinated at a VERY early age, I think that engines should be blue and pull mahogany coaches and that's where this railway is going (DV).

[jhb171achill]

Leslie; my psycho-analyst, psychologist, and griceologist are all highly impressed, and apart from saying that it proves the point, their only comment is that had your grandfather held you up to see a CAF, an NIR 450 or a 29000, now THAT would have been mental cruelty.....

[leslie10646]

Yes, John, I did an hour or so photographing departures at Heuston a few years ago and stopped when I realised that every photo looked the same! The CAFs, Rotems etc are great trains for the Irish people to travel in, but they don't stir the blood of the enthusiast! I only have CAF in the collection so that I can send Mal McGreavy a photo of it at Richhill, when the model station is recognisable! Subtle (or not?) hint to him about where to go next!

 

Floreat Vapor!