leslie10646

We have again made use of our model of the double beet wagon to produce another kit. Remember that the beet was built by placing two corrugated wagon bodies onto a 26xxx series container flat. The 1970s built 27xxx series was similar, except that it had no floor, but instead the skeleton underframe was visible. This has been the subject of an earlier kit. Our new kit uses that same chassis, but WITHOUT the skeleton - you won't be able to see it anyway, UNDER A CONTAINER! So, we have modelled a 1970 period Sundries Container, of which 200 were built in an endeavour to boost freight traffic. My researches suggest that the containers were built by McArdles of Dundalk around 1970. This company built several hundred containers for CIE around this period. This container had both side double doors and end doors, as can be seen above. The colour of these containers is not easy to replicate, so the builder can have some fun. I have tried both Precision Paints "CIE Brown" and a Humbrol "orange/brown" both of which give a reasonable result - probably a bit bright. There are few enough photos of the containers and, of course film colour can be deceptive; then of course, there is what we older types actually remember of the real thing! The kit will come with transfers for the flat and the container. In my illustration, I have just added the usual CIE "Broken Wheel", but the final kit will include transfers (in white) of the container number and tare details; plus a "TIR" square for the end door. Price £31 or €36.50 post paid The Euroland price is rather high due to the Royal Mail’s high charges for a “Small Parcel” to Europe; however, remember that I can post two or even threee wagons for the same cost and I will reduce the price of multiple orders accordingly. Better still, buy the kit at Blackrock in October for €35.

Hi Noel, Want to share the info you got, please? Leslie

Glad to hear that, Fletch, I'm afraid mine is still as flat a pack as the day I bought it from SSM twenty years ago - that's the trouble with being a GNR fan - you can bet that my SSM GNR(I) locos have all been built! Happy running!

It's not for me to reply for Roderick, but I am pretty sure the answer is No, No, No - oh dear! From the page on their website, I assume the loco will be offered in plain black, or plain grey. Glancing at the book on the J15s which I co-compiled with the late Irwin Pryce (based on the earlier work by Dr Flanagan, Robin Clements and others) - the lined black livery does not appear to have survived the Amalgamation, after which locos were "Grey" (which, of course became BLACK). As far as I can tell, only No.184 ever carried a version of the G&SWR lined green livery and that in CIE days, when she appears to have been repainted for a meeting of the Institution of Locomotive Engineers which was held in Dublin in 1958. The livery is well illustrated by the late John Dewing's photo on Page 98 of the book. The lined liveries carried by the two preserved 101s were, of course, only for filming purposes, but the RPSI was in no hurry to repaint them black! Anyway, Goods Engines should be black!!! Leslie

Or maybe sooner? See - http://www.ooworks.co.uk/products Just the thing to pull my corrugated opens, H van etc. My next offerings planned to suit the newly available motive power! I'll have flyers at the SDMRC Exhibition in October, but you steam men will all have your order in by then? Leslie

Friends I have raised this query in other places, but realise that I won't "hit" everyone in just a few places. I am all set to produce a LMS NCC Brown van as a kit for launch later this year. I have been asked by lots of folk in past, but is there really a demand? The well-informed among you will know that there were two varieties - V7, built by the NCC and V12 built by the successor UTA (on under frames built by Harland and Wolf) - the intent would be to do both. you may be assured of the quality we have tried to maintain with an accurate chassis, brake gear and decent level of detail. But, I ask myself, is there a demand? I ask because my modeller, fine upstanding chap as he is, commented "We don't want another Loco Coal wagon" - it sold under fifty items to date, so you will understand that I am reticent to waste My Man's time on a van, if he could be working on a different sure-fire success - and I have two of those lined up. So, if you want a Brown van (or MORE, if you have scratch built one) - NOW IS THE TIME TO TELL ME! Please e-mail me on - lesliemcallister@aol.com an indication of how many would help! Thanks. Leslie

Well, she goes and how! Well beyond my expectations Ok, here goes. This repeats my input to another site - but it's more likely to raise a bit of interest here! Straight out of the box, it ran smoothly - did a full circuit of my 21 x 17 layout, minimum radius 2ft, without a falter. Tried pulling five coaches (with very old, poor-running bogies) tender-first, out of the Portadown loop, to place so I could place her at the front, but she slipped quite a bit - especially as she was going straight onto a 2ft curve. NO WORRIES - try her with three coaches. Flew with three - no slips, perfect. Now four - same again - no problems. Back to five coaches, we've been chimney first throughout all of this - she slipped a bit starting, but ran fine on straight, but curves had her slipping coming out of them, with the train all on 2ft! Now - embarrassing to relate- my VS slips furiously on five of these coaches (a Hornby Schools chassis), so she's doing really well for a handmade engine. I'll try and video it for you - at the very least I'll post a sunshine photo to compare with Patrick's indoor shot - yeah - we get sun in Surrey! Also, I'll try her with more modern coaches and report back. She's one of my 70th birthday presents - makes you want to be 70 again!!!! BETTER than any loco I've had handmade for me - end of ...... A truly wonderful piece of work, so well done Roderick, Rebecca and whoever helps you guys - a masterpiece! If you want a proper Irish steam loco - get your order in! Can't say more than that Leslie

Alan Congratulations. Having drooled over the loco in brass, at Warley, all I can say is that it full livery it is simply superb. Mac would have been full of glowing praise, if he had seen it. I must work out a way to get photos to Frank Dunlop, who worked on them as a young man at Coleraine. Leslie

Alan produced this work of art from his bag, when he called at the IRRS stand at Warley last November. EVERYTHING stopped, while we all drooled - customers were ignored - there are more important things in life! It looks even better now as the lovely NCC livery is applied. great stuff! Leslie

Sorry not to have seen this earlier. The book which you need, Douglas, is "Monorails of the 19th Century" by Adrian S Garner, published by Lightmoor Press in 2011. ISBN13: 978 1899889 57 0. This is a massive tome on these railways, including the famous hanging railway (still in daily use) in Wuppertal. The L&B gets over thirty pages with the usual Lawrence photos printed just beautifully - the earlier books had poor prints of these glass negative photos. And many more. As for drawings - there are drawings of the trackwork, level crossings, locos (including detail of the working bits), several coaches and good stock. Price is £24.99 for close on 300 pages on these remarkable railways. For those of you who don't know Lightmoor as a publisher, they produce books to White Swan standards. Leslie