Duff's Camera & Model Shop Wexford Street, Dublin

[Weshty]

Has anyone heard of this delightful emporium that was open up to the late 80's(ish)?

 

Would love to know more about it. Apparantly the owner is big into larger scale garden model layouts?

[Warbonnet]

Used to sell a bit of Marklin and LGB if I remember correctly? A thread on the old retailers we remember would be a great idea. Be interesting to see who got us into this hobby in the first place! History in itself.

[Weshty]

Trains, Boats and Planes in Cork for me. 1982. Spent my hard saved cash on two Lima irish green coaches, signals and powered lima points. Got them for my Irish Freight Set bought in Dunnes the previous Christmas. Soon to be followed by a Class 25 freight set (with working loco lights!! And a Bernard Russell record) bought in the Monument House in Mallow the following Christmas.

Edited June 12, 2012 by Weshty

[WRENNEIRE]

John Gunn on Wexford St was the Marklin agent at one stage

I know a few gents still meet there on the odd Friday for a chat

Some serious railway buffs who collect everything from N to Gauge I, with one of them having an outdoor Gauge I layout

running only older coarse scale stock such as Marklin, Bing Carette etc

[Garfield]

Trains, Boats and Planes in Cork for me. 1982. Spent my hard saved cash on two Lima irish green coaches, signals and powered lima points. Got them for my Irish Freight Set bought in Dunnes the previous Christmas. Soon to be followed by a Class 25 freight set (with working loco lights!! And a Bernard Russell record) bought in the Monument House in Mallow the following Christmas.

 

The class 25 freight set was my first train set, too... obtained second-hand after my mum's friend's sons had outgrown 'toys'. Soon followed by my dad's old Tri-ang stuff.

 

I have one of those old Lima green Mk1s in its original box. How much are they worth, Dave?

[WRENNEIRE]

All depends

Mint boxed can make up to €75

Played with and loved can make €20

Then theres everything in between

I have a couple that came from a chap who bought them new in 1978, priceless!!!

[Weshty]

Mint for €75? Nice appreciation seeing as the price tag shows £4.50.

[WRENNEIRE]

I think I was on about £60 a week in 78

So roughly 13.5% of my wage

So I reckon the value has doubled in real terms in 35 years

Not the best investment in the world but at least it hasnt lost any value!

And remember this is based on a mint in box example, not many around.

[Warbonnet]

John Gunn on Wexford St was the Marklin agent at one stage

I know a few gents still meet there on the odd Friday for a chat

Some serious railway buffs who collect everything from N to Gauge I, with one of them having an outdoor Gauge I layout

running only older coarse scale stock such as Marklin, Bing Carette etc

 

Would love to see that outdoor layout. The stock must be worth a fortune.

 

Do they still sell Marklin there Dave? I know the shop is still there selling cameras. Was in it years ago, seemed like a nice guy.

[scahalane]

Trains, Boats and Planes in Cork for me. 1982. Spent my hard saved cash on two Lima irish green coaches, signals and powered lima points. Got them for my Irish Freight Set bought in Dunnes the previous Christmas. Soon to be followed by a Class 25 freight set (with working loco lights!! And a Bernard Russell record) bought in the Monument House in Mallow the following Christmas.

 

Ah Trains, Boats and Planes, that brings back some memories, bought quite a bit of stuff in there myself. Called in there the last day it closed down and the builders who were gutting the place gave me a big box of old trains, needless to say I was a happy chappy. Sold it all later to my brother for the price of a ticket to see Queen at Slane '86.......

[WRENNEIRE]

I spoke with John Gunn this afternoon

He was the only Marklin agent in Dublin in the 80's

The agency is long gone but the shop remains

Most Friday mornings some of hos older customers meet there and reminisce about clockwork, 3 rail, live steam etc

There was no other camera shop on Wexford street, indeed no shop called Duff's as long as he has been there

[Weshty]

Ah Trains, Boats and Planes, that brings back some memories, bought quite a bit of stuff in there myself. Called in there the last day it closed down and the builders who were gutting the place gave me a big box of old trains, needless to say I was a happy chappy. Sold it all later to my brother for the price of a ticket to see Queen at Slane '86.......

 

Queen '86? The most overhyped POS gig I have ever attended. Pretty much everyone went on the strength of their Liveaid performance the previous year. An 8 hour odyssey of a journey to get there (and back home at 6:30 am the following morning), p**ing rain, rioting so bad they actually had to stop playing to tell everyone to calm the f*%$ down (literally). And to top it all the "fabulous light show" was utterly wasted as they were on at 7:00pm.

 

Having said that, Chris Rea was awesome. Steel River stole the show.

 

All was not lost though. The freebie "Lark by the Lee" a fortnight later was in contrast one of the best gigs I've ever seen, 20,000 people turned up and Paul Brady and his band made it an evening to remember forever.

Edited June 16, 2012 by Weshty
further detail.

[RedRich]

Queen '86? The most overhyped POS gig I have ever attended. Pretty much everyone went on the strength of their Liveaid performance the previous year. An 8 hour odyssey of a journey to get there (and back home at 6:30 am the following morning), p**ing rain, rioting so bad they actually had to stop playing to tell everyone to calm the f*%$ down (literally). And to top it all the "fabulous light show" was utterly wasted as they were on at 7:00pm.

 

Having said that, Chris Rea was awesome. Steel River stole the show.

 

All was not lost though. The freebie "Lark by the Lee" a fortnight later was in contrast one of the best gigs I've ever seen, 20,000 people turned up and Paul Brady and his band made it an evening to remember forever.

 

Des a couple of my mates went to see Queen at Slane in 86 and were nearly squashed to death when the Bangles came on as everyone wanted to get up close to check out the totty. They said due to the conditions (a mud bath) and poor sound through the mixing desk it was s**t gig. Live Aid made U2's career and saved Queens. I remember some reports at the time saying that Springsteen wouldn't play the London show due to Queen being on the bill, as they had played a gig the previous year in South Africa. Springsteen was hugely involved with Amnesty International at the time, and he was in Europe at that time touring Born in the USA.

 

I remember that Self Aid gig in the RDS in 86 and Chris Rea was fantastic on that day also.

 

Rich,