What a nice "trip report" Mike. The stock by Neil Ramsay looks fantastic.

Good luck! :-)

Nice pictures and narrative Mike - Thanks for sharing them.

Stay away from the outside big stuff...

Big Thrills = Big Bills

What a nice "trip report" Mike. The stock by Neil Ramsay looks fantastic.

 

Good luck! :-)

Thanks Mikkel - just a reflection of the great day I had.  Both John and Neil are really nice guys - no airs and graces - surprising given their level of skill and experience.  They were only too willing to talk and explain their methods.  You know, you think you're getting good at this modelling lark until you get to see work like theirs close up.  I also had long conversations with Simon (Chester MRS) and Vincent Hayes from the Irish group, also incredibly nice guys.  It seems that the vast majority of railway modelers are a really great bunch of people and I certainly hope the Irish group takes off and thrives - it'd certainly be nice to get involved somehow.  Although the distance from where I live to Blennerville is about an hour and ten minutes by car.  Such are the inconveniences of country living - it ain't all roses! 

Mike

Love those pictures of the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway and those beautiful handmade rolling stock.

Hi Job.  Yes, can't tell you brilliant they are and the photos simply don't do them justice.  Simon explained that their are the culmination of a life times work.  

Sorry to have missed this one it would have been worth the trip from

Wexford   was it advertised and have you any further details on how to visit the site and opening details

TIA

Many thanks

David Wexford

Hi David

It was advertised in the local papers, but I gather in a bit of a hurry - I only found out by word of mouth.  The Irish group is only just starting up and only had a couple of weeks to throw their own layout together for the exhibition.  It was a great effort given the speed of the build.  

The Chester layout will be housed there permanently from now on and will be open when the Windmill Museum is open.  April to October - 9 till 5.30 everyday.  Closed over the Winter.  The museum is 2km West of Tralee on the N86 en route to Dingle. 

It was an extremely generous gift by the Chester MRC and the intention is to give the Tralee and Dingle Light Railway Group a bit of a lift as much interest has been lost in the section of preserved line due a lack of funds.  As you're aware, we simply don't have the footfall here in Ireland and it's hard to keep these type of things going, but combining it with the Windmill museum can only be a good thing as it's a well established tourist attraction.  Here's hoping for the future.  

Mike

Nice pictures and narrative Mike - Thanks for sharing them.

 

Stay away from the outside big stuff...

 

Big Thrills = Big Bills

Cheers, Pete.

Wouldn't worry too much about keeping me away from the big stuff.  Julie's been working overtime telling me that we don't have that kind of wonga!!  If I do decide to daly that way I'm going to have to end up scratch building everything myself and I simply ain't that good yet.  But Live Steam really is seductive stuff and I can't shake the images of a Roundhouse chuffer coming round the corner on a cold winter's day, great clouds of steam and the smell of oil and butane from my head!