Irishrailwaymodeller

Some more fun with mirrors! I have developed an overhead line at one end of Diesel Depot to provide an interesting break point with infinity perspectives:

Thank you. I use 3 mm thick mirrors available at DIY stores in several sizes e.g. 15 cm X 15 cm and are generally inexpensive. I use a local double-glazing firm who can cut these for me as well as custom mirrors with cut-outs as used on the fiddle-yard end of Diesel Depot mirror (they charge only €5). I have used mirrors on my previous layouts successfully - see my RMWeb threads on my other layouts: Llangollen, Cynwyd, Llanuwchllyn (all N gauge) and Shunters Yard (OO gauge).

The brickies have been in and completed an array of open and filled arches at the back of Diesel Depot:

Diesel Depot receives my trade-mark mirrors at each end to provide a continuity/infinity perspective:

As Mrs Claus says to Santa "I hope it won't rain dear". Ok, Ok, I'll get me coat...

Does the Z21 system enable setting up Consists of locos and for setting Routes for points?

Does the current version (1.0.6) of the App not allow the background photo to be used? I have purchased a Z21 Black box but the instructions given show different screenshots to those appearing on my tablet? The current version provides point-work templates but they are difficult to form into track-work such as cross-overs/routes etc. Thanks for any help.

Thank you. The 121 body was by Model Irish Railways which unfortunately has ceased trading. A DCC-ready Athearn SW1500 chassis was used with directional double-bulb lighting at each end. I made one of each five liveries from these kits. The Murphy Models 121s are eagerly anticipated for Easter 2019!

Additional work being completed with an outline of the brick arch backdrop with open and closed arches and tunnel access to the fiddle-yard in development:

Llanuwchllyn in N is booked to appear at the Belfast Model Railway Exhibition on August 25th and 26th 2018:

Very nice. Are you planning to exhibit the layout?

The main DCC bus-bar is in place using custom dropper boards designed by Dave McCabe of Wexford MRC. The wiring has been colour-coded and labelled etc in line with best practice. The two-road fiddle yard can be used as a Programming Track at the flick of a switch...

The track for Diesel Depot is now laid out with connecting electrical droppers soldered under the track ready for wiring to the DCC bus-bar. Note the single track through to the fiddle-yard with a point allowing two storage roads one of which will double as a DCC programming track by use of a double-pole/double-throw switch. End mirrors and additional scenery will be added along with details to fill out the scene over the next few months...

A couple of shots showing two inspection pits and Kadee under-track magnets fitted to the board. Also shown is an outline of the track plan. Note the use of a double-slip as a space-saving device allowing locomotives to trundle between 6 sections of track - all with DCC sound!

Hi John, It was a good exhibition all round. I hope to show my Cynwyd layout there next year. Next up I am showing Llanuwchllyn in Belfast in August. How is progress on Llangollen in OO? I'll be back in Llangollen again in Sept and will give you a shout then. Gerry

Great back-story! The guys who printed up the Llanuwchllyn signs for me also did a few Byrne signs so I included them on the layout for a bit of a joke to see if anyone noticed! Byrne is a Wicklow name which is a county known for rebel activity particularly in the bloody uprising of 1798.

Further progress to report on the baseboard and fiddle-yard with cutting, painting and fitting backscene completed. The cut-outs are for inspection pits inside the engine shed.

Thanks for your interest Chris. I am developing my 6th layout at present: Diesel Depot. My previous ones are Ballybeg (OO Irish), Llangollen (N UK/BR preservation), Shunters Yard (OO UK/GWR), Cynwyd (N UK/BR) and Llanuwchllyn of course. I plan to show Llanuwchllyn at Belfast in August. I have commenced plans also for an O gauge layout "Buffers Lock" GWR outline. Regards, Gerry

Resistance in railway modelling is useless

My 6th layout is designed to be a compact/shelfie exhibition standard layout to show off mainly UK or Irish outline locomotives of a variety of liveries. It will be sufficiently versatile to allow diesels locomotives of CIE, Supertrain, IR, IE or UK/BR liveries to be shown. The size will be my usual 4.5 feet by 9 inch dimensions with a 2 foot fiddle-yard at one end which easily and accurately attaches/detaches with snap toggles. It will be controlled by DCC with sound in most locos. It will fit neatly into the boot of my car for easy transportation to exhibitions. I intend to allow for shunting of oil wagons. The track-work will incorporate a double-slip as a space-saver. I have already built the base-boards using techniques trialled by Wexford Model Railway Club for their innovative new O gauge layout.This involves accurately cut 6 mm X 100 mm high-quality birch ply-wood sections (available from www.woodworkers.ie). The appropriate lengths of ply are hot-glued to the base-board and 15 mm sections used for face pieces. This provides a dead-flat warp-free surface yet the unit is light enough to carry easily. Metal connecting dowels are hammered into the face pieces to align the fiddle-yard. Lengths of fibre-glass webbing are glued in place with PVA at each interface of the ply-wood elements beneath the board. Sections of wood are also glued/screwed in place to support the back-scene and side-boards. A couple of pictures:

What do people feel about offering awards at exhibitions? These often take the form of Best in Show, Best Layout, Best Scenic Layout, Best X Gauge Layout etc. In many cases an expert but discreet number of judges are tasked with looking over all the layouts and making a selection. In some cases the winners may be announced publicly, in others, only to the individual winners. Sometimes a plaque and/or trophy is offered, sometimes a certificate. On the pro side, this could be seen to offer incentive to layout builders to strive for best effects and results. It can be seen to give prestige to an event and incentivise the best layouts to enter. On the con side, perhaps as all entrants have made a big effort it is discouraging for particular layouts to be singled out. What do people think about this issue?

Great show at Bala on the end-May Bank Holiday weekend.

Currently getting Llanuwchllyn in N ready for its Exhibition Debut at Bala Model Railway Exhibition, North Wales at end May:

Mike, see above fiddle-yard now added allowing engine to be turned by hand off-stage etc. rgds, Gerry

I have recently developed a simple 2-way "Tuning fork" fiddle-yard for this display to better allow shunting and bringing rail-cars and auto-coach on and off scene. The top of the fiddle-yard may be removed to allow operation from the front or replaced to allow exhibition working from behind the layout: