leslie10646

OK, Jon, I'll get onto it (after the cattle). Update on the live meat transport - We had a choice of three different CIE designs (at least), and have decided to do the unfitted 1950 version (the two nearest to the camera). A conversion to the 1949 one - the further one in this photo, should not be too difficult if you have a yen to have one or two. Watch this space!

Jon Just tell me how many you want! Thanks, Gentlemen for the feedback to date. Leslie

All very encouraging, Gents, thanks. Kieran, they will be available singly, but you can be assured of a bit of discount on multiples. I did the beet as a Five Pack and that was pretty popular - worth thinking about.

Friends I was speaking to Roderick of 00 Works the other day regarding his next potential Irish project and I drew the conversation around to whether he had any of his J15s left. Unusually for him, he produced a modest number "on spec" and these remain unsold as of a week ago. So, if you want one, I'd get in there quickly. He does not do reruns! Which brings me to another query I made of him, re the Class UG he did a couple of years ago. I'm afraid that he isn't interested in rerunning that for the odd dozen which I have on my list, so if you want a Class UG, you'll have to wait for some of us to leave them to you in our wills! Leslie

This is a bit cheeky, but before I invest a couple of thousand quid I don't have ...... Recent sales have been disappointing (obviously I'm doing something very wrong!), so before I produce another damp squib, may I ask? My next planned wagon, intended for launch at the Blackrock Exhibition in October, is the 1950 CIE Cattle Wagon. My logic is that now that one can buy a RTR Class J15, folk will need something to pull behind it? So, what did they spend their lives pulling? - endless cattle specials from Fairs the length and breadth of the Republic. The choice seems logical (with one of my GSWR brakes on the back, or even front and back!). But is it? Any takers? I can't hold you to any number which you might buy, but it would be useful to know, please! Maybe, if you're interested, you'd e-mail me on lesliemcallister@aol..com Thanks for your forbearance with me. Leslie

Well, Kieran, the photo was taken on "Portadown Jct" - in fact the van is sitting on the Down line from Dublin, which runs behind the roundhouse - on a train running wrong line! The turntable is there, the tracks are there, but the roundhouse isn't! It was a convenient place to photo the van. Doesn't the camera lie? There's not a stone of ballast under those tracks, there's the illusion of sky only because I painted the plasterboard behind the layout blue, the Park Royals, plus 141 Class are sitting on the Portadown Goods Loop - having been dumped there for convenience. As I said, a total illusion. Alas, sadly, also a delusion on my part, as for personal reasons the layout is likely to be abandoned. Life can be a mess - but Provincial Wagons continues! Leslie

A couple of pictures of my GNR Class Y5 van, which has been available for over a month now. The vans were originally built about a 100 years ago as Bread Vans, but were subsequently rebuilt for use as luggage / sundries vans. The obvious big change was the fitting of sliding doors, a feature beloved of the GN. The vans were to be found hanging on the back of passenger trains, especially on secondary line passenger lines like the that from Dundalk to Omagh and Bundoran. Latterly, they were quite a feature on the much-lamented "Derry Road", often hauled by AEC and later BUT railcars. They lasted through to the 1960s and at least one was repainted in CIE green. The kit comes with transfers for several numbers in the series and costs £35 (roughly €40) post paid. As usual, if you are ordering more than kit, I'll knock off a little as I save in postage. Of course, the reason for producing the van was to give people something to pull behind their 00 Works U Class.

Hi Lambeg man 00 Works only did the U Class in GNR blue. I hate to say it but I'm pretty sure that no U Class turned a wheel even in 1965 - my last run with one was in the Summer of 1964. Of course, it's YOUR railway and you can be economical with prototypical reality? You could always say that the UTA hadn't got round to repainting her? Just enjoy running her - looks great with a few mahogany coaches behind her. Pat - If I understand Roderick's business model, he makes what he has orders for and very few more, if any. Bear in mind that every 4/5 you build over and above the order list is another thousand quid you're out of pocket! Fear not they are sure to come on the market as, regrettably, we Oldies will pass on and our children will put them on eBay! Roderick tends to do a different loco each year. He has already announced his 2019 loco (a LSWR 4-4-0), but when I was talking to Rebecca (his wife) this morning, she confirmed that it is still possible to buy a J15. If you haven't grabbed one already, it's time to act - a nice little engine. As the old saying goes, "Strike while the Iron is Hot"!

A real treat for any of you living within an hour or so from London. Thursday, 4 April, “Classic Irish Steam” by Ciarán Cooney IRRS Photographic Archivist, Ciarán Cooney, has skilfully restored the classic photos of Bob Clements, Denis Morris and J Macartney Robbins. Enjoy stirring shots of 400s, 500s and 800s hard at work annostalgic photos of rarely-seen places like Clara Midland and Inny Junction. Then high-wheeled J5s on the Midland doing everything from cattle trains to excursions, and 2-4-0’s in the west,with much more to come such as the SL&NCR, the GNR(I), the B&CDR, and NCC moguls, mogul tanks and 4-4-0’s. This is a veritable feast of classic Irish steam with memorable and classic photos from the cameras of the great IRRS photographers of the past. It is similar to a show Ciarán gave to the RPSI in Belfast where it received the highest acclaim. Don’t miss it this time round. 19.00 in the Function Room, Calthorpe Arms, Grays Inn Road, LONDON WC1X 8JR Fine ales, food available from our excellent landlord, Adrian. Hope to see some of you there - be sure to say ""Hallo"! Followed by - Richard McLachlan and I will be manning (personning in these PC days?) a Irish Railway Record Society stand at Wakefield this weekend. So, if you live "up North" in the Big Island, you might come along and have a look. Focus will be on Richard's superb books of drawings - everything from Irish track standards, through buildings, wagons, coaches to enough information to build a 12 inches to the foot model of quite a few Irish locos. All carefully digitised from the Society's archive in Dublin. We always have a screen going with photographs from the Society's collections - presently from the late Lance King and John Dewing and the very much alive Conrad Natzio. I will have a selection of Provincial Wagons kits in a box "under the table" in case you can be tempted! Hope to see a few of you hardy Northerners there. Fuller details of the Show here - https://www.scalefour.org/scalefournorth/2019/ Leslie

As I had mine sent straight to my Chippie, I only got her back a couple of weeks ago. As all my "proper" wagons were in storage (until I lay enough sidings for them) I used the train of eleven bubbles which I had behind my NIR 112. This little engine just romped away with the load - an amusing example of ancient and modern - if they'd survived just a few years, it could have happened in practice! I must try her on as many bogie coaches!

John Congratulations - she's a thing of great beauty - even without the Flyaway cab! I must look up Bob Clements' notes to see how they made the switch from Flyaway to the rounded version on the earlier model. It appears that some of the nice curves of the original cab were retained? What are you going to blow us away with next? Leslie

Great stuff Kieran Your GSWR brakes are the first built examples of my (Michael's) kit and look great. Richard's six wheel passenger van is a delight - I've got two of them on Portadown Junction - they got some use on Christmas postal extras. He's really conquered the six wheel underframe which rides well even on my vile track work. Highly recommended to anyone modelling GNR. Michael is making progress with a Y5 van for me - hopefully by Bangor.

I can heartily recommend a visit to the replica railway at Listowel. I was leading a Great Rail Journeys group in Ireland a few years ago and rang ahead on spec. They found me a crew and gave us the works at very short notice. My group (30 plus) thought it was a great experience.

If any of you were hoping to buy my new wagon (and the others, of course) and Raheny at the weekend, I'm afraid I've had to let you down. The vehicle which carries my kits etc over to Ireland was stolen on Monday night and it hasn't proved possible to get a courtesy vehicle (so much for insurance!). Hiring a vehicle would make the cost prohibitive. I shall be selling my new brake van at the intended Exhibition price for the next month and will POST it to you within that price. £32 or €35. Orders either via my normal e-mail or using the link on my website - provincial wagons.com Sorry to have to miss the exhibition. If you're going, have a great time. Leslie

Spurred on by the promise of the forthcoming 00 Works J15, I thought I'd offer the ability to have a complete branch goods to be hauled by it. Hence this kit. We've finished two in slightly different liveries, although both have the proverbial snail! Above is close to the GSWR "black / very dark grey" which some vans may have kept throughout their long lives. Below is a shot at a more CIE-style livery. I am still waiting for my final transfer sheet for the van, which will be simply for its later life as a CIE van. There are photos of them on branch lines in the 1950s an early 1960s, hauled by the ubiquitous J15, but also with the early diesels like the C and G Class. The kit is a gift to the weathering men - no two can have been alike, part from a high level of grubbiness? Michael Rayner, my modeller, has included some nice touches like the brake wheels on the verandahs, the "safety" equipment in the form of the safety bar at the doors and those very flimsy-looking steps! I'll have a stock of the kit at Raheny in ten day's time, selling at €35. Reserve yours by e-mailing me at - lesliemcallister@aol.com I hope that you like it. Leslie

First, Colm, good luck with the new project. When I read about your Powermaster - I was imnpressed to find that someone else still had a working one - then I noticed that yours was one of the "modern" version! My 1964-bought one is still in use powering the Portadown turntable - a good invetsment at sixty four shillings? Lucky man to have Ken doing the work for you! Leslie

As always, coming from you, Nelson, a masterpiece! It was an education to watch you start the kit at Bangor - serious preparation before the super glue came out! Well done. Leslie

Jeremy, I'll be delighted to sell you a couple of kits! I'll admit that my two prototypes will have their couplings changed to Kadeem as well. The wheels are worthy of note - I spotted these correct size Hornby ones on Amazon who offered the best price around and helped kept the price down! Apparently wheel prices are on the rise, like everything coming out of China these days. Otherwise, of course, it's UK made (I'm pretty sure the little island off Southampton is still part of The Kingdom?). You have to see this van in the flesh - so to speak - it's HUGE. I must post a photo of one beside a GNR 9 ton van!

Some very nice shots there. Thanks for putting it up. Especially pleasing as No.131 was my SECOND Q Class for haulage, having had a run with her sister No.132 to Greystones in the 1960s. Happy days! Well done Peter Scott and his team for getting 131 back on track.

Just an extra note to say that the van kit is now in production and I should have about fifty kits at Bangor. As I have over fifty "statements of interest", if you plan to pick one up at Bangor, please send me a message through my website and I will reserve one for you. The van kit, is priced at £29 and comes complete with transfers offering several different numbers - these will be the original numbers which they carried - there was a re-numbering. Leslie

To celebrate St Patrick's Day, a new wagon which could almost be seen from Slemish where the Saint "wrought a few". The Ulstermen (remember we've got St P up there!) have been pestering me for years to do a "Brown Van" and today the prototype arrived from the Isle of Wight - Now that I have a couple of sides to send to Steve at Railtec, the next job is the transfers - not a lot, as it happens. The eagle-eyed among the NCC fans will realise that this is the UTA version built in the late 1940s after WW2. The earlier NCC version has a totally different chassis and wheelbase. I should have supplies for Bangor Model Railway Exhibition on 21/22 April. Happy St Patrick's Day! Leslie

I completely agree, the colour is much too bright - I was in a rush to put up a transferred sample and had no time to get it to one of my experts! A second container (not illustrated on the website) is a lot duller. I DID say that I hadn't painted / transferred anything in thirty plus years - Kieran has really got the touch - thanks to plenty of practise, as his fascinating "Workbench" shows.'s the best advert Provincial Wagons has! Great stuff, Kieran - keep it up! Leslie

Folks, you've probably all seen this, but the December British Railway Modelling has an article on this far-famed 3mm Irish layout - while I don't think that the photos do full justice to the work of Steve, Mick and Alan, it's well worth a look. The other place to admire the layout (if you can't catch up with it at a show) is Model Railway Journal No.249 - for me that showed the superb weathering on wagons etc that the guys have achieved. Getting back to BRM - the same edition has "World's End" which was at Bangor recently; and the huge and remarkable Burtisland. Well worth the money for once? Leslie

Steve at Railtec has been burning the midnight oil to create the transfer set for this wagon. The kit will include spare transfer of each piece of lettering. Sorry about my very rusty painting and transferring skills - not practised since the 1970s! Good supplies available for the Blackrock exhibition this weekend. I hope to see some of you there. Leslie

Just to say that I have a reasonable stock of this kit available for Blackrock, but to be sure of getting yours, or indeed any of my kits, just send an e-mail to the address on my website - http://www.provincialwagons.com As I haven't been able to source the transfers which I require for the container (no problem with the flat), the kit price will be €34 at the exhibition. You will still get a quartet of "broken wheels" for the container, which may be quite enough for some of you? When the full set of transfers is ready, you can get them from me by post, at cost (a Euro plus postage should cover it), or over the counter at Bangor (the next time i'll be in ireland). I look forward to seeing some of you there. Leslie