[Madkitten]

Hiya , Im new to this forum and would like to ask if anyone else out there has built completely different model railways - I am at present building a 7mm:1ft (0) scale model of the Listowel and Ballybunion railway thats used to run in Ireland. It was an odd and strange monorail system also known as the Lartigue system.

I was wondering if anybody else has tried or is in the process of building it. I find it is much much more interesting to build a model of something that hardly anyone else has heard of , let alone modelled I will post pictures here as i work on it.

It has acctually been completely rebuilt in Ireland now and is running - even though the locomotive was built by Alan Keef and is now a Diesel Instead!

 

[Brian Considine]

Welcome to the forum,

Look forward to seeing progress on your project, it should throw up some interesting engineering techniques !

Always nice to see something different.

 

[Al]

This ones going to be very interesting to follow. Looking forward to see how you get one.

Welcome to the forum...

 

[Madkitten]

Thankyou,

I am hoping that i will have some track together just after Christmas - but as i also do buildings for customers my own projects tend to come second!!

 

[ozwarrior]

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 7 Dec 2007, 03:54) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>- I am at present building a 7mm:1ft (0) scale model of the Listowel and Ballybunion railway thats used to run in Ireland.

Is that the one that looks like an 'A' frame?

 

[ozwarrior]

BTW welcome! It's good to have a lady member of the forum.

 

[Madkitten]

Yeah thats the one with the strange A frame track and the saddle locomotive ( an 0-3-0+0-2-0 - powered tender as well )

Isnt as complex as it looks ( after a few days of trying to work out the old drawings ) but will be to build !!

 

[neil_s_wood]

Hi Mad Kitten, welcome to the forum. Are you going to scratch build the loco or is there something rtr that you can modify? This sounds a bit interesting.

 

[Madkitten]

totally scratchbuilt - I scratch build most stuff mainly larger scales - although i have built some 009 locomotives and rolling stock - I couldnt think of anything RTR i could use at all because the locomotives were so different - interestingly enough they were designed by Fairlie ( same as the Double Fairlie Locomotives on the festiniog) and were built by Hunslett. I spent many months trying to get hold of plans and drawings and then recently a guy sent me all the information he had - which included all the drawings etc - The points were basically just turntables and the level crossings were drawbridges ( that are going to take a while to make ). But it all seems to be a challenge and thats what I like !!!

 

[neil_s_wood]

Sounds good, will be great to see it develop.

 

[Madkitten]

thanku - will keep you all posted as i get on with it!!

 

[5696Arethusa]

Hi, it's been a while since we had a lady member here.
I'd seen pictures of this railway but hadn't realised it was in Ireland.

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 6 Dec 2007, 21:35) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>But it all seems to be a challenge and thats what I like !!!

And that's what it's all about. Or at least that's what it's meant to be about

 

[pedromorgan]

hello kitten.

Fascinating. you may not be aware that you are not the first to try and tackle this railway. another modeller did it about 5 years ago. it appeared at a couple of exhibitions and i never saw it again. i love models that are that little bit different. there was an article on it in the todeller i think.

i look forward to seeing some pictures of your progress.

Peter

 

[Piermaster]

QUOTE (pedromorgan @ 7 Dec 2007, 06:34) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>hello kitten.

Fascinating. you may not be aware that you are not the first to try and tackle this railway. another modeller did it about 5 years ago. it appeared at a couple of exhibitions and i never saw it again. i love models that are that little bit different. there was an article on it in the todeller i think.

i look forward to seeing some pictures of your progress.

Peter

Hi Kitten,

Welcome aboard! I'm Piermaster, better known as Dave Carson who has Walmington Pier Tramway - a small HO scale Edwardian seaside pier tramway layout that is well known in East Anglia and the Home Counties.

As for your Lartigue project, I recall about 20 odd years ago, the late Don Boreham did a large scale version, parts of which were often shown at MRC exhibitions at Central Hall, and Royal Horticultural Halls in London. I don't know what became of it.

Dave

 

[Dinwiddy]

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 6 Dec 2007, 18:36) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thankyou,

I am hoping that i will have some track together just after Christmas - but as i also do buildings for customers my own projects tend to come second!!

I have seen 'Madkitten's models and they really are excellent! Have a look at one of her websites [email protected]

David Y.

 

[7113]

Hi Madkitten and welcome.

That's certainly an interesting prototype for a model, and one I feel sure I have some data on - I'll have to look when I have a few spare hours!

I'd be interested to see the project as it develops.

Incidentally us chaps will have to behave now we have a lady present

Regards

 

[Madkitten]

Any information is useful - I have a lot now but i guess there is probably a lot more out there as well. A lot of the engineering drawings are a little old and not to easy to read - but I have perservered and managed to draw out the basic designs. Making the track is proving to be far more complex than making the locomotives and the points and beyond complex - mainly because the original ones are not center balanced but had off centered pivot points. Also i believe that there were a couple of Lartigue systems elsewhere in the world as well - definatly in france and a couple of mining lines in south america - I havent found any infor mation on them at all except a couple of old black and white pictures. There was a small shunting locomotive known as the coffee pot which was a double upright boiler loco. I have the plans for this and one 3d drawing - i havent found anything else yet about it apart from the fact it was only used for building the Listowel and Ballybunion line then it seems to have dissapeared.

If anyone has Trainz then I suggest going to this site and downloading any Listowel and Ballybunion stock and track etc - The people who have built it are very helpful and have done an amazing job on all the Virtual models. Nearly all the rolling stock is here and also both types of locomotive. They have also made all the track and points and the Drawbridge style crossing. Have fun

http://ing4trainz.greateastern.org.uk/default.htm

 

[7113]

QUOTE (Madkitten @ 7 Dec 2007, 17:31) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Any information is useful

Still hunting but haven't given up yet!

Regards