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Glover

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Everything posted by Glover

  1. As many of you will know, Leslie McAlister of Provincial Wagons lives in a house called Pettigo Fair. It would only seem right then that my model of Pettigo station on the Bundoran branch would include a cattle special. Remember that I stretched history and have assumed that the line stayed open through the summer of 1963 and hence Leslies CIE cattle vans can feature. I managed to get to the exhibition in Blackrock last October and bought five of the vans. These plus three GNR vans and two modified Mainline LMS vans complete the train. Others have done a better job of assembling the kits but they gave me great pleasure. One improvement I made was to tighten up somewhat on the gap between wagons. I’m lucky enough to have curves of around twenty six inches plus. A couple of snaps. Glover
  2. It’s been so long since I updated these notes that I could not initially find the thread. Anyway, here we are now. I did update the Irish Railway Modellers forum yesterday and update that community. There is of course overlap between the two fora but I thought it best to bring my news over here. Headlines are that I ran into health problems around June/July last year which resulted in a diagnosis of throat cancer. I underwent chemo and radiation threatment and by early 2020 was declared clean. However, you never get 100% clearance and hence it’s no real surprise that the cancer has now returned and that no more can be done, except provide palliative care. Having been a smoker for fifty years, I can hardly cry foul and must accept that I will pass on at the relatively young age of 68. Can I just say a few words of thanks for all of the kind comments and support which this little community has offered to this ‘lone-wolf’ modeller. I’ll do a separate note on the last project but for now Pettigo signal box is closing. Sincerest thanks to you all. Glover
  3. They have a note on their Facebook page to say that they are working on the issue. Hopefully, it will be back up soon. Cheers, Glover
  4. Can I throw in a few Irish coaches to this thread, partly as a 'thank you' to Mike Trice for his technique and also perhaps as an encouragement to others to have a go? It's actually easier than painting a normal livery! The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) painted their coaches in a varnished wood livery. The company, which had been taken over by the Governments of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland in the early 1950s ceased to exist in 1958 and was divided between the two jurisdictions. However, the livery lived on in Northern Ireland until the early 1960s; there are many colour photos of such coaches in Ulster Transport Authority service. These coaches are a mix of scratchbuilt and Worsley Works parts. Cheers and thanks again to Mike Trice, Glover
  5. You can do plenty with the Ratio GWR 4-wheel coaches, including making bogie coaches. The plastic used by Ratio is easier to work with, compared to Hornby. This is an Irish bogie non-corridor brake third and a 6-wheel luggage van, both from the Ratio kits. Cheers, Glover
  6. It took me the best part of 50 years to follow Terry Gough's series of articles in the Railway Modeller to model Irish railway coaches of that era, although these particular coaches were longer (60') and of course wider. To modellers of a certain age, the idea that Hormby might upgrade them to modern standard would be regarded with a little suspicion. Where's the fun if there is nothing left to improve?! Glover
  7. This is a bi-annual subscription magazine covering the modelling of Irish railways. Some of the content will be familiar to readers of this forum or the Irish Railway Modeller forum but other material is new, certainly to me. This includes a German gentleman modelling Kilkenny, in 21mm gauge. Ballyglunin (better known as 'Castletown' in the Quiet Man movie) is the subject of the Station Survey. Plans of the station building are included as an insert. The series of Great Southern steam loco drawings have moved on to some of the early railcars, specifically the Sential and Clayton versions. A drawing of the Turf Burner is also included; why can't we let that contraption just go?! All in all, a good and useful issue. Glover
  8. To avoid any embarrassment, can I take it that this late gentleman is he who wrote a quite inspiring series of articles on converting Hornby GWR clerestories to Southern Railway coaches, in the Railway Modeller in the mid 1960s? Many thanks, Glover
  9. And I believe the aroma was very much part of the atmosphere; take up pipe smoking! Cheers, Glover
  10. To Simon's suggestion to work to circa 3mm scale on 16.5mm track, I have thought about that at various times in the past but it always struck me as being at least capable of becoming a problem to solve a problem! In more recent times, I might consider it as an option if I were to build something very specific: say a bit of the Sligo Leitrim or the Waterford-Tramore. Ultimatly I just have to accept that people like John are much more skilled than I in some areas of the hobby and that I should admire and applaud their work. I'll get back to "plastic engineering"! Cheers, Glover
  11. I can only envy your skills John; this to me is engineering in miniature. Like the great majority of modellers of Irish railways, I use 16.5mm gauge. I am prepared to accept this very large compromise but I do have a difficulty with steam locos. Most Irish engines were relatively small. This, to me, creates the impression of the boiler sitting between the wheels rather than over them. You can I think just about get away with it on tank locos such as the NCC 'Jeeps'. I have even wondered about trying to represent something like a J15 on 16.5mm track by distorting scale, building the boiler to 3mm scale. But when I sober up, I realise that is getting very silly! Yes, to model typical Irish steam engines, 21mm gauge is a must. Cheers, Glover
  12. Can I ask about that signal box in your most recent photos? Can't say I recognise it from any Irish companies but maybe that's just advertising my lack of knowledge ! Cheers, Glover
  13. You've been (suspiciously) quiet Kirley...... That's some project. In my limited experience, changing an existing layout is much more difficult; the pre-planning needs to be very exact and there is always the danger of collateral damage. Best of luck with it. Glover
  14. Thanks for all that info Lambeg. I had a look at the location on Google Earth last night; it certainly does provide a stage for a passing parade of interesting stock. Cheers, Glover
  15. This is a bit good! So many points of interest already: the signals, the BUT set and that lever frame. Tell us more. The setting and time period also allow for a great variety of stock, including CIE freight. I also now understand how your 'one-sided' coaches will work out. Cheers, Glover
  16. Clog away Lambeg! I've no problems with more GNR material in my thread but you would actually be better starting your own. It creates a home for your own work and a useful record for yourself of work done. Cheers, Glover
  17. Very many thanks for your kind words Lambeg. Your idea about 'doing' just one side of each coach is interesting; it strikes me as the way a theatre person might approach railway modelling. And, no harm in that. I suspect you are working in or about the same era as myself: early 1960s. I'm sure we'd all love to see some photos. Modellers of Irish railways are a small community here but I like to think that we do produce some fine models. Or, in the case of Kirley, hundreds of them!! Cheers, Glover
  18. Many thanks for that update Lambeg. I'll dig through my books when I get home. Cheers, Glover
  19. Nice work Kirley on that GNR van. I hadn't realised that Leslie had introduced this. I'm also interested in Lambeg Man's comment that some lasted until the early 1970s. Indeed, that one was repainted into CIE green. Any thoughts on what might be suitable to run through Pettigo on my imagined life extension , to 1963, of the Bundoran branch, operated as a joint CIE/UTA line? Cheers, Glover
  20. On sale in Easons, O'Connell St, Dublin this morning. Photos look fine to me. Two layouts featured:. 'Black Lion Crossing' by Geoff Kent and Stephen Williams 'Faringdon'. Both feature beautiful models of ordinary, everyday buildings. See pages' 116 & 117 (when your copy arrives....). Cheers, Glover
  21. The key reason why this build was more difficult than anticipated was a failure to undertake proper strategic planning. The Objectives were imprecise and therefore the Strategy was confused which of course meant that the Planning was all over the shop! For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a political comment........ Some years ago, I replicated a rather clever conversion, based on an article in the twice annual newsletter, New Irish Lines. In essence, take one of the old Hornby LMS Stanier coaches, cut it in half , turn one end round and glue it to the middle of the other half. You also need to source and add a new door end. The idea was to update and refurbish but decided that achieving the correct length (61'6"/ 246mm) was just too involved. So, bin that one. Glover ps I've no idea why I painted the roof light grey.
  22. The newly nationalised railway in the Rep of Ireland, CIE, built 101 new bogie coaches in the period between 1951 and 1956. They were built to what could be termed a 'boxy' side profile ; a turnunder but straight thereafter to the roof. They are easily identified in typical trains of the 1950/60s, with their 'square shoulders' standing out from other coaches. The intention was to run them as trailers/intermediates in the then recently introduced AEC railcars; the 2600 series. For those who want further details, might I refer you to my workbench on the www.irishrailwaymodeller.com website. The coach is scratchbuilt, from plastic. But, it was far from straightforward.......I'll do a few additional notes on why that was so. Glover
  23. I too have used the Mike Trice method, on my scratch built Great Northern Railway (Ireland) coaches. Its actually much easier than applying a more conventional livery. Below are the basic ingredients and a finished coach. Go for it! Glover
  24. This is real modelling. It's not just the craftsmanship but also what I would call the 'art direction'. That is, the overall vision and the clear focus on what to include and, perhaps more importantly , what to exclude. To use that hackneyed old phrase, "less is more" but you are showing how to really achieve it. I have no knowledge of the railways of Finland (apart from them being broad gauge but Ireland is wider at 1600mm!) but the actual prototype is irrelevant when it comes to recognising great modelling. Looking forward to the city side. Cheers, Glover
  25. A lot of hard work there Kirley; looking forward to seeing the 'new improved' version. Cheers, Glover
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