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Driving, methinks!  

Travel Update

Inspired by enthusiast pics that appear on FaceBook every so often of an odd yellow thing motoring around the network, I recently made an impulse e-Buy of a Bachmann Amtrak-liveried Plasser EM80 (HO), intended as a track cleaner from the fitting underneath that looks intended to hold some kind of pad. After a certain amount of surgery - notably removing the cowcatchers and the roof detail and filling in the rooftop headlights, plating over the lower nose(s) and adding the arrays above the cabs (plastic card and strip), new front light panels (white lights got little adhesive jewels from Hobbycraft) and the exhaust(?) channels on the sides. I also added the flat panel on one nose, plasticard buffers and the different-sized rectangular boxes under the buffer beams. So she emerged as TRV EM50 No.700. The ghastly blue glazing unit was removed and replaced with tinted acetate - strips either side and separate windows for the cab front. Some fettling of the mech was needed to improve running, including soldering back a detached wire. Getting the thing on the rails is a headache as there are three sets of tiny 4-wheel trucks that swivel when you want them straight, plus four larger fixed-axle wheels. The internal light bulb that used to illuminate the filled-in headlights (via a clear plastic channel which I removed) now just flickers intermittently.  To do, add some figures in hi-vis vests to the interior and apply any suitable decals I can find. And some wipers. I haven't bothered with the streetview-like camera array currently fitted to one end on a prominent frame, as pics show this seems to have been an addition in recent years. One has to draw the line somewhere... TRV 700 at GMRC 30 Sep 26.mp4

Looks a little better with the wipers adjusted to be parallel not converging and some slight tweaks to the cabfront paintwork.    

I'd love to do the Tralee diesel trip but I've already booked to be in Dublin the following weekend for the model railway exhibition and IRRS events including the steam trip to Thurles. My life is too busy to go to Ireland twice in a month, and my fond memories of diesel traction to Tralee are this shape (my pic): I sometimes stay at the Marine Hotel in Sutton, which is good and can be cheap out of season. The DART station may be a bit of a trek for you but the buses stop closer. Or if I want to be close to Heuston, Phoenix Park hotel can be a good option.  I've ended up in a couple of terrible, overpriced dives in Dublin in the past. It's not a cheap place to visit!