My 7mm scale 1950s workbench

[Colonel]

Looking great and compared to mid April, all the charm of a J26 is coming out now.

[Galteemore]

After the relative disappointment of Black Lion, I wanted to finish a simple engine to get some inspiration back. It took longer than I thought, thanks to @Mol_PMB who has inspired more exacting standards by the details he identified in J26 variations. 558 seems to have had more variation than any other non-Tramore loco, including bunker steps, a tank brace, door clips, and an extra handrail, plus huge buffers. Sourcing some parts took time, and the buffers I found in the end are from a Heljan diesel so I suppose technically this has an IRM link. And thankfully @Tullygrainey she runs beautifully - due in large part to a special helical gearbox. Just the cab roof to glue when the crew have set and she’s done. Numbers are slightly too big but just about ok….

Edited June 3 by Galteemore

[Mol_PMB]

Wonderful!

[Patrick Davey]

Handsome machine and a fine build!

[Tullygrainey]

That's spot on David! A great build and a perfect weathering job. Every inch a hard-working, well used engine. And a good runner into the bargain! Ticks all the boxes.

I know what you mean about inspiration. It's so easy to lose heart, and interest, when things don't work out so I'm glad this one has come good. I hope you're planning the next one.

Onward and upward. 

[Colonel]

A real beauty, oozing with character - well done!

[Galteemore]

Inspired by @Tullygraineys PP build I dragged mine out of the box to give her a blast up and down. Reassuringly she ran  - also gave me a chance to pose a CIE grey loco with a proper black engine - the colour difference is striking. We are moving house in a month or two so this will be my last loco build for a bit - I have a blue 4-4-0 to do but that’s not a job to rush. I may try another small project though…..watch this space !!

Edited June 6 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

The PPs are pure GNR - elegant and perfectly-proportioned!

[Paul 34F]

David,

Hope your house move goes smoothly.

I’m still plodding along with the U class drawings.  Summer maintenance is taking up all of my time at the moment.

Paul

[Mol_PMB]

Two superb models! Very nice work. 
All the best for the move, and I look forward to the next modelling project. 

[Patrick Davey]

Am guessing…… you are moving to a new place with an outbuilding that has space for a representation of the complete SLNCR….. in O gauge?

[Galteemore]

7 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Am guessing…… you are moving to a new place with an outbuilding that has space for a representation of the complete SLNCR….. in O gauge?

I wish ! My employer will find a house for us to rent but sadly that’s not a criterion! 

8 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Am guessing…… you are moving to a new place with an outbuilding that has space for a representation of the complete SLNCR….. in O gauge?

I wish ! My employer will find a house for us to rent but sadly that’s not a criterion! 

[Northroader]

Well, it’s not as if you’ve had some practice at it. Best wishes on this one.

[Galteemore]

Main effort of late has been finishing off some printed cattle wagons. These arrived in fairly good shape, 36.75mm wheels already fitted, with just painting, fitting of bars (0.7mm wire was what I  figured would work) and putting the doors on. As supplied the planks had a distinct curve across the length of each, so I cut new planks from 10thou plastic and superglued these on top. Make a very nice rake. Ther is the odd irregularity, but one tends to look at a whole train in the case of wagons like this, so it all blends in. Cattle trucks, like signal cabins, are tricky to make, and this has saved a lot of work. Just need to fit couplings (thinking of using S and W). The 7:20 has a few empties tonight ! 

Edited Sunday at 14:13 by Galteemore

[Mol_PMB]

Very nice - that's a great looking rake!
Which breed of cattle will you use - eBay, etsy, woodlands scenics, or win the lottery and get ModelU?

 

[Galteemore]

Just now, Mol_PMB said:

Very nice - that's a great looking rake!
Which breed of cattle will you use - eBay, etsy, woodlands scenics, or win the lottery and get ModelU?

Thanks Paul. Too late - doors are glued! This will be an empty rake. Got some tyre weights to glue underneath if weight is needed  

[Colonel]

Lovely stuff - just need another 20 or so to make up a full train!

Finding enough cattle to go in a train is no joke. When I did my rake of five, options were limited and as well as being heavy, Slater's whitemetal ones worked out at £3-4 each. Then you'd need a dcc chip for sound effects, not to say something smelly under the layout as well...

[Mol_PMB]

9 minutes ago, Colonel said:

Lovely stuff - just need another 20 or so to make up a full train!

Finding enough cattle to go in a train is no joke. When I did my rake of five, options were limited and as well as being heavy, Slater's whitemetal ones worked out at £3-4 each. Then you'd need a dcc chip for sound effects, not to say something smelly under the layout as well...

Great idea on the sound effects. Plenty of moo needed, plus the occasional long sloppy splatter followed by using a dcc-driven servo to release a measured dose of a gas with a foul aroma. The gas canister could be similar to one of those laughing gas ones, and concealed in an adjacent truck.

[Paul 34F]

6 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

Great idea on the sound effects. Plenty of moo needed, plus the occasional long sloppy splatter followed by using a dcc-driven servo to release a measured dose of a gas with a foul aroma. The gas canister could be similar to one of those laughing gas ones, and concealed in an adjacent truck.

This device could useful at exhibitions to get rid of those less Savoury Characters, that have a habit of visiting shows.  Just got to remember to deploy a more pleasant smell to attract the general crowd back to the layout, afterwards!!!!!

Paul

[GSR 800]

48 minutes ago, Paul 34F said:

This device could useful at exhibitions to get rid of those less Savoury Characters, that have a habit of visiting shows.  Just got to remember to deploy a more pleasant smell to attract the general crowd back to the layout, afterwards!!!!!

Paul

For a more targeted approach you could perhaps have a model slurry tanker

[Paul 34F]

A certain scene with Father Ted comes to mind!

Paul

[Colonel]

On our first trip to Ireland we were driving back from Limerick towards Dublin and found ourselves following a loaded cattle lorry. It was springtime and the beasts had obviously been feasting on the fresh, new grass - so much so that a steady stream of wet, brown slurry was coming from the back of the lorry. I stayed a prudent distance behind and nobody tried to overtake me...

 When we got to the next town, it was clearly market day and a small traffic jam had built up. Pity therefore the two ladies, who had just finished sweeping and cleaning their front steps only to watch in horror as a sizeable small pond of slurry formed, right outside their houses...

[jhb171achill]

On 27/7/2026 at 7:41 AM, Mol_PMB said:

Great idea on the sound effects. Plenty of moo needed, plus the occasional long sloppy splatter followed by using a dcc-driven servo to release a measured dose of a gas with a foul aroma. The gas canister could be similar to one of those laughing gas ones, and concealed in an adjacent truck.

You’ve just reminded me - senior recalled as a teen in the early 1930s, watching a cattle train from the west passing through Ashtown or somewhere like that, then right out in the country. 

To a city boy like him, the smell was overwhelming….