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It’s been a slog! It’s been a faff! It’s been a pain! But at last, there’s good news about our IRM CIE Park Royal coaches! First, let’s take a closer look at our latest samples of these wide and splendid coaches, which are set to establish a new benchmark in Irish outline models. After overcoming serious challenges in achieving the highest possible fit and finish as well as paint finish—and ensuring these coaches are the true show-stoppers they deserve to be—we’re delighted to confirm that our Park Royals are now on the production line, with completion drawing ever closer. With production in full swing, the factory has advised that these complex coaches are scheduled for completion at the end of November, with delivery to our warehouse expected in January 2026, at which point we’ll begin dispatching to customers. We sincerely apologise for the delay to the Park Royals, and we fully understand that the extended wait for these coaches—and the ICRs (more news to come in the weeks leading up to the Dublin show, so stay tuned!)—has tested confidence in our ability to deliver models promptly. However, we will never compromise on quality. From day one, our ethos has been to produce the very best models possible, and that remains unchanged. We’re confident the wait will be worth it. Both the Park Royals and the ICRs will set new standards for Irish outline model railways. Thankfully, our NIR Hunslet and 800 Class locomotives remain on schedule, with the Hunslets now in their final stages of production—proof that we’ve learned some hard lessons! A limited number of Park Royals are still available to order, so be sure to reserve yours as soon as possible to avoid disappointment. With a fully diecast chassis, a wealth of interior and exterior detail, beautifully subtle interior lighting, diagram-specific detail differences, and smooth free-running bogies, these coaches will set a new standard for 00 gauge models on both sides of the Irish Sea. Pre-order yours directly today using the link below—no deposit required and no hidden charges upon delivery to your doorstep in Ireland or the UK! Pre-Order Your Park Royal Coaches Here! View the full article

Some shots of my Murphy Models - Cravens Interiors were painted, along with adding passengers. Weathering has been kept to a minimum, with the bogies and ends carrying most of the grime.

The morning local, ten years apart; 1960 and 1970. Todd Andrews has retired now, but strangely he overlooked the Castletown West to Dugort Harbour branch, despite it only seeing twenty or so passengers per day, except fair days. Nothing, of course, to do with who the local TD is……

Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties today. SLNC 1929-09-20 Sligo 'Blacklion' ex GNRI 118 HCC Glass 6324 Cas25007. SLNC 1950-05-18 Enniskillen 'Fermanagh' oou HCC72983 Cas25081. SLNC 1929-09-19 Manorhamilton ' Lough Gill '' HCC Glass 6322 Cas25005. SLNC 1929-09-19 Manorhamilton Coach No12 ,Asbbury 1899. HCC Glass 6320 Cas25010

Dugort Branch back in the day - tank loco 472 heads “up to town” in July 1956, and A30 pulls into the goods yard in 1959. The branch train awaits at the platform behind it. A wheezing Crossley “C” will do the honours today.

From a 1947 Meccano magazine. The first of these useful engines had entered traffic the year before, and the last of them in 1950, well into UTA times. The last few would become Ireland’s last operational company-service steam engines in 1970, with the very last one not officially withdrawn until 1971.

Hi folks, Been a long time coming (we know!) but we will FINALLY have some positive and exciting news on our Park Royal coaches next week, with news on the ICRs to follow in a couple of weeks time. We really appreciate the patience you have all shown regarding these projects, and they have challenged us for different reasons. More to be revealed next week. Cheers! Fran

A couple of interesting workings through Haltwhistle today, a welcome change from the usual diet of 156, 158 DMU's & Class 66 Locos. Sir Nigel Gresley & Royal Scots Grey. They were working to Newcastle Heaton Depot which is having an Open Weekend on the 20/21 September. as part of the Railways 200 years Celebrations. No need to go now ! I've seen the 2 that I might have gone to see. Last weekend I went to the Tanfield Railway which is actually celebrating its 300 years and says its is the World oldest as it still operates over part of the original trackbed (wooden wagonway then.)

While watching the Women's Rugby World Cup (Hard Luck Ireland), time for some weathering and transfers to progress the NIR 80 Sandite. Only 3 car for now while modifications on a MK2 to make 4th car(Yellow or Blue/Grey i havent decided). Anyways, progress the 3 I have: Weathered and transfers started. Numbered and looking well. Will be on MK2 dummy chassis until I can get appropriate power unit. Interiors and lights will be added, and the 2x replacement buffers.

Preparations as almost complete for our upcoming show - list of exhibitors and traders attending will be shared shortly - this will be our biggest show to date. Looking forward to celebrating 50 years since the founding of the club during the weekend!

Work is progressing ahead of Barracks streets first exhibition. The list of things to do is growing less and less. Here are a few of the buildings in their final stages of painting before being place on the layout

I'm off to the Ffestiniog Gala on Thursday for 5 days so, as Madame has gone off to Beamish with our youngest daughter and year old twin grandchildren today; and I have done my chores, I will upload some more Casserley negs from 1955. I am supposed to be plastering in the kitchen however as it was ca 1978 the last time I got plastered I seem to have lost the knack! Claremorris to Ballina. CIE 1955-04-19 Claremorris 229 RMC26113 RMC 83480. CIE 1955-04-20 Ballyvary 599. RMC26101 RMC83488a. CIE 1955-04-20 Foxford RMC83487 Cas25180. CIE 1955-04-19 Ballina. RMC26106 RMC83484.

Hi First, let me introduce myself to this forum. I am from England but I have recently developed an interest in Irish railways having visited the west of Ireland on holiday. I mainly model European N gauge, but I also OO gauge including purchasing the excellent, if delicate, Accurascale models. My main interest is building and converting rolling stock. I decided that modelling Irish HO using EM gauge track would be an interesting challenge, allowing accurate scale 5'3" gauge. The well known Lima and Rivarossi HO (or near HO) items provide a good basis for this, so not everything would need to be built from scratch. I am also developing a micro layout so they will have something to run on. This will be a terminus where the scenic break is at the main line end of the station, with a station roof hiding part of the fiddle yard. This means that I will not need full length rakes, allowing me to run main line services such as a Mk2 Supertrain with just two coaches. With careful design, I think this deception will work okay. I do not (and probably will never have) room to create an EM gauge continuous run layout due to the shallow curves that such a layout would need. I have a number of other modelling interests, so progress has been a bit sporadic. I expect to post further updates in due course. To start with, this is progress on my 141 class. The first photo shows the transparent cast cabs, both painted and unpainted. The master was made from plasticard with the aid of my Silhouette cutter. The lower fairings and cabside windows are in plasticard and microstrip. The second photo shows the parts laid out. The bogie sideframes are made using my cutter and slide on to the Tenshodo bogie sideframe holders. The bogies are wired together. The slow running is good, but should be better once some weight is added. This was not the cheapest motorising option, but I knew it would work and be compatible with the solid cab castings so there was a low risk of me wasting my money! I plan to create a "float" of bogies to service this and any future 141/181/121 models in case of failure. The third picture shows the current progress. It is nearly finished, but there are still details like the fuel tanks and tablet catchers etc to add on. It will be in 1970s/early 1980s condition. The decals are nearly ready for printing on my inkjet printer. Next up are the two coaches. The Mk2 coach has new sides cut on my Silhouette cutter. The Lima sides were cut vertically along the inner side of the doors. The sides between the doors were then remounted slightly inside and the window areas cut out. The sides were then glued on to be flush with the doors. Apart from the glazing on the doors and decals and the odd minor detail, it is complete. The Mk1 gen car is almost complete. The main thing left to do is the exhaust on the roof. Next to it is a replacement bogie. The frames were cut on the Silhouette and the detail added from chopped up bits of the original bogie and some U channel microstrip. The bogies in real life are wider than the British Rail versions, so the longer EM gauge axles are no problem. The damper in the middle is a bit too short but I can live with that. The H van is scratchbuilt using Silhouette-cut parts. The rivets are also created by the cut scoring small circles, which works for the small rivets found on these vans. The underframe is from a Ratio Iron Mink with heavily altered brake gear. A Lima wagon chassis would not have been suitable as the brake lever is completely different. The container was converted with a conventional non-computer assisted method in plasticard and microstrip. The CIE tan is the classic Tamiya orange with a dash of brown mix which I discovered when lurking on this forum. Thanks!

GMK035 CIE 1961-04-xx Inchicore Up Home signal with square Board S4. GMK022 CIE 1961-04-xx Inchicore 'Sambo' L28. GMK010 CIE 1961-04-xx Inchicore TD112.

Manulla Junction in April 1955, nowadays 2 points but at least its still there. CIE 1955-04-20 Manulla Junction RMC26103 RMC83490. CIE 1955-04-19 Manulla Junction 655 1.30 Westport - Athlone. RMC26114 RMS 83481. CIE 1955-04-19 Manulla Junction, 542, 11.25 Athlone - Westport. RMC26115 RMC83482.

I heard today that David Parks passed away.He was a member here as "Derailed".I got to know him a number of years ago and loved his recollections of Irish Railways.I have included two of his photos that are my favourite.First one is the last ever train over the North Kerry line on 23rd May 1984 at Lixnaw,with the weed killer train.The second photo is of the weed killer train on Ballyvoyle viaduct near Dungarvan in 1985 I think. Condolences to his family and friends. RIP David.

Ex Midland & Great Western Railway at Broadstone today. 3 somewhat poor negatives and one copyright print where the negative has been destroyed. CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y001. CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y015. CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y002. CIE 1958-07-06 Broadstone shed B2a 401 coprint25j+067b

After consultation with the Household Authority in view of the weather forecast for this weekend the trip to the Ffestiniog Gala was called off and cancelled at 2am on Tuesday. An exciting alternative was then proposed that one should plaster up some holes in the living room wall where a radiator was removed a couple of years ago. However how about uploading a few more images!. These are from the early / mid 1960's. CIE 1967 CA Killarney 25j+092. CIE 1967 CA Killarney 25j+088. CIE 1967 ca Waterford 25j+077. CIE 1967 ca Mallow 25j+096.

A few photos from the show today, no prizes for photographic excellence for me, I tend to get distracted when I am chatting to exhibitors and then forget to take the photo that I intended.....but that's part of the fun! A big thanks to @meathdane, @Metrovik, @LNERW1 and another gentleman whose name I omitted to get! It was great to see all three layouts, each very different but all inspirational, particularly nice to see the public and in particular family groups getting to see model railways, I'm sure many of the attendees would never have been to a dedicated model railway show so it gave the hobby great exposure in a local community event, well done, you are all great ambassadors for our hobby. I also enjoyed getting the chance to put names and faces to folks from this forum and discovering that a few other forum members live very close by! .

GNRI 1950-05-17 Clones 57 HCC 72973 Cas25053. GNRI 1950-05-17 Clones 164 HCC 72972 Cas25052. GNRI 1950-05-17 Clones 203 HCC 72975 Cas25055.

Great Northern steam superpower. Aesthetically pleasing from any angle.

The trio of IRCH vans are now complete, here they are: Roof view, with an IRM H van and the E class for context: A selection of wagons in older liveries (early CIE with eau-de-nil snail and numbers, and inherited GNR freshly rebranded): Here including a comparison with a CIE 'green van' alongside the older GNR goods van fitted for working in passenger trains:

The good news is we have already raised enough to transport the bubble to Downpatrick, thank you to everyone who has donated so far (including a substantial sum pledged from the good folk at IRM/Accurascale, once again demonstrating their commitment to supporting the preservation movement). That being said, if anyone would still like to contribute it won't go to waste as we'll still need to spend a bit of money in readying the vehicle for display (let's be honest, there isn't a vehicle in preservation that doesn't need money ). https://www.downrail.co.uk/donate/

Two more modules assembled and installed. Cheers Darius

Thanks to a generous preservationist, Downpatrick and County Down Railway has been presented with the opportunity to preserve the last surviving CIÉ cement ‘bubble’ wagon, but we need your help. As you can imagine, transporting a rail vehicle, even a small one, is not cheap, with £1700-1800 being the ballpark figure we need to raise for transport alone. Some of our volunteers have already pledged donations, but we need YOUR help to get us over the line and make this happen. These wagons are particularly popular with enthusiasts, in no small part thanks to the high-quality OO gauge models of them produced by IRM. Apart from the major cost of moving the vehicle, we will also need to spend money prepping this wagon for display – when the time comes, heavy-duty cleaning supplies, paint, and decals will likely not be cheap. This opportunity won’t present itself again, and any donation, small or large, will be very much appreciated. If successful, we would envisage that the wagon will go on display at Downpatrick, and, hopefully, will take part in demonstration freight trains for special events (our ballast hoppers have already proved quite popular at our diesel days). This is the ONLY chance to ensure the preservation of this historically important, iconic wagon – if we miss it, it’s gone forever. Please support our appeal and help us ensure that this bubble doesn’t end up burst. You can donate online at the following link, and make a note in the comments/notes section stating that you would like it to go towards the cement wagon: https://www.downrail.co.uk/donate/ Many thanks for your support. A bubble at Gorey, from the DCDR collection Our very own 039 with a rake of bubbles, courtesy of Sean Devaney

Spoil loading dock constructed using 2mm card stock. The dock structure has now been coated with diluted pva prior to painting. Cheers Darius

A BUSY MOMENT AT CLOGHERHEAD Had this station ever actually existed, I don’t believe that this level of activity would have been too commonplace…… It was at times like this that the top brass at Amiens Street must have regretted closing the signal box at Clogherhead in 1950. It’s a summer Saturday in June 1955, and there are three steam locomotives creating a lot of noise on the county Louth coast. No. 205 ‘Down’ will be the first to depart, with the empty stock of an excursion that she has just brought across from Castleblayney and other stations to Dundalk: the carriages are going to Drogheda for cleaning before returning to bring their excursionists back to the Irish North. No. 147 will follow with an unusually heavy morning goods train for Dublin before number 64 will round off the trio of departures with a train of (mostly) empty coal wagons headed to Dundalk. It’s not often that the continuous cackle of the Clogherhead seagulls is surpassed, but it certainly was on this occasion.

Modified another OD Land Rover. Cheers Darius

Team, Just want to make you aware of a Peter Cusimano selling Irish models in various Irish FB groups I tried to purchase 3 models from him and at first the cash would not go through as it was been flagged as a possible bogus account The more I asked about the Mk2's, he called them genuine Irish Airfix and not IRM lol Anyway, after a bit of digging, he has 5 Venmo accounts with 5 different names beware of buying off FB

First running Cheers Darius

Double track circuit completed. o Cheers Darius

Track laying commenced. Point control by wire in tube. Cheers Darius

A couple shots I got... A poor attempt at airbrushing out the (real) window: A much nicer shot of the genesis coaches under the roof: A shot slightly to the left of that, with a different train present: And left again, with yet another train and a huge giant fiddling with something near the end of the platform: I think you'll all agree the layout's looking stunning. Can't wait to operate it next weekend.

“Bet ya two shillings he’ll be late in. Never tries to make up time! And he’s got twenty with the “C” class…” ”Well, we’re stuck here till he does….”

Some progress on painting and lettering the IRCH vans. These are intended to represent the period around 1960. The one lettered GN will have CIE stencils applied as well, but after I have done a bit of weathering so that they look fresher than the original lettering. All these have been lettered with a complete mish-mash of decals from different sources, but hopefully a bit of weathering will make them look a bit more consistent! Before anyone says I can't put a snail on a red-brown van, I have seen photos showing both 4166N and 2057N in this scheme in the early 1960s. Perhaps they were overhauled at Dundalk and came out in GN colours with CIE logos?

My first SL wagon in many years. Scratch build from 1920s Manorhamilton drawings. Tiny compared to an H van ! Bit more weathering due when the enamels on the metalwork set. This one hasn’t too many miles left in it I think, and will soon be destined for the wagon scrapyard at Manorhamilton.

Working now on the Ballycastle Railway's 'Countess of Antrim' - specifically preparing the superb 3D print from @J-Mo Arts for painting. I have decided to remove the moulded handrails and replace them with separate fittings, and there will also be etched nameplates added to finish off the locomotive. The chimney has also been filed out. The resin is quite brittle but files off easily. A spray of Halford's grey primer shows up areas that require further attention. As always, continued thanks to Alan @Tullygrainey for his ongoing assistance!

Our "Project Bulleid" has seen us deliver a plethora of humble wagon types which, while resembling their British counterparts, were uniquely Irish in both style and design. Perfect for your A, C, 121, 141, and 181 class locomotives, they recreate the iconic Irish goods trains of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and into the 80s. Now, we are delighted to reveal the final wagon in this line-up: the Bulleid Palvans! History The triangulated underframe design pioneered by Oliver Bulleid and his draughtsman Lionel Lynes, while serving as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Southern Railway in England, provided the basis for an entire generation of passenger and freight rolling stock later utilised by Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) after Bulleid took up the post of CME at Inchicore in 1950. Bulleid adapted the short, two-axle version of the underframe to create a standardised fleet of goods wagons—open wagons, fuel oil tanks, bulk grain wagons, and van variants. While most entered service in the early 1950s, the final iteration appeared only in 1963, five years after Bulleid’s retirement. As palletised shipments became increasingly common, CIÉ required wagons capable of handling this new type of freight. While bogie wagons suitable for sundries, bagged cement, and other traffic were already on the drawing board, an interim solution was needed. The result was the 12-ton Pallet Van, based on the standard triangulated wagon chassis. This development of the traditional van wagon featured offset sliding doors wide enough for pallet loading by forklift. The Pallet Vans quickly spread throughout the network. Often seen alongside H Vans, they carried both traditional hand-loaded freight and palletised goods. They were also used to transport tools and machinery from Inchicore to depots around the network for on-site repairs, and some were even assigned to short-distance mail workings between Dún Laoghaire and Connolly Station. In service, they frequently appeared in mixed goods trains on both main and branch lines, becoming a familiar sight in sidings and yards across the country. However, as a stop-gap measure, their working lives were destined to be relatively short. Within 10 years, block trains of continuously-braked bogie wagons began to displace them. A dwindling number soldiered on into the late 1970s and early 1980s, when CIÉ finally ceased operating unfitted goods trains. The Model Built on the Bulleid triangulated platform first introduced with our Bulleid Opens, the Palvan shares the same underframe as the prototype. We’ve also replicated detail differences—including variations in door and end designs—reflecting the material shortages faced during the original builds. With 499 Palvans constructed in reality, we have created six different packs that capture these variations, available in both grey and red oxide liveries. These vans are now in production and due in stock in Q1 2026. Priced at £109.95/€129.95, with our famous discount bundles available for multiple packs, they represent excellent value for money while delivering prototypical, accurate Irish design. Pre-order yours today, direct from the Accurascale website below! Pre-Order Your Palvans Here! View the full article

It’s 68 years ago today that the Irish North and Sligo Leitrim closed. A few pics in silent tribute

County Donegal Railways at Strabane today. CDRJC 1957 Strabane 14 with Phoenix adding wagons to its Letterkenny service. PFF372. CDRJC 1957 Strabane No 6 'Columbkille'. PFF293. CDRJC 1957 Strabane No 5 on Finn Vally goods. PFF298. CDRJC 1957 Strabane long goods arriving from Letterkenny. PFF287. CDRJC 1957 Strabane Booking Office. PFF295. CDRJC 1957 Strabane 18 + 20 in Letterkenny platform. PFF325.

The Stone Yard had an outing to the Erne Model Railway Club's annual exhibition in Enniskillen on 20 September. Many thanks to the EMRC for an enjoyable show and to Kieran Lagan as always for help and for this photo. An angle not often seen.

I think it is time to release the first draft into the community. CIE_Carriage_Stock_Register_Draft1_19-09-2025.xlsx I hope this is of use. Any comments, corrections or additional information would be most welcome. Areas already identified for improvement, but awaiting more time and/or data, are as follows: Hyperlinks to connect the entries where vehicles have been rebuilt/renumbered More links or references to published photos of each carriage More information on inherited GNR carriages (weight, body, underframe, bogies and withdrawal dates) Review of consistency where vehicles have been reclassified without being renumbered More detail on the list of references Paul

LET'S SAVE THE LAST BUBBLE! Hi everyone, Our friends at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway have been offered the unique chance to save the last remaining cement bubble wagon, a true icon of Irish rail freight, and we want to help them! To save it they need to raise cash quickly to pay for its transportation to Downpatrick and begin its restoration. This is where we can come together and work to preserve this unique piece of Irish transport history. We pledge to donate £5 from every pack of cement bubble wagons we sell between now at the end of this month to the preservation effort. So, you get a wonderful pack of bubbles (due in stock next month!) AND play your part in saving this special wagon for future generations. Pre-order your pack here to get saving this slice of Irish built railway history. Time is running out for her: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/irish-cement-bubbles Cheers! Fran

Almost there with Ormond Castle. Two chimney caps and ground cover on the base board and it's done. The real thing has the ruins of the original medieval castle behind it but I'm not modelling that. My next build will be Myrtle Grove in Youghal. Also a Tudor house, dating from the 1550s. Its most famous resident was Walter Raleigh who lived there from 1588 to 1589. Legend has it that the first potatoes in Ireland were planted in the garden. It is privately owned and still a family home. A remarkable survivor, 475 years old and still standing.

Well that was fun - a day on NPQ at Aldershot. A few annoyances - the SG2 keeps shorting out, and there were one or two stock issues which I trace to dodgy back to backs or stray pickups. The PP, on examination at home, has a pickup now bent at a strange angle, which explains at least one derailment….The GN coach needs more finishing work, and the magnetic couplings, highly effective though they are, will get some tweaking, not least camouflage. What an enormously fun day it was all round though. Great company and what an absorbing layout to run. To please Leslie we even ran a through portion of the Bundoran Express! Unless I’m greatly mistaken, I think this is the first appearance of corridor stock on NPQ. The coach is also about a foot and a half long ! I also achieved two personal goals. One was to operate the traverser in turntable mode. This is quite a responsible task, given that the deck is loaded with Mr Holman’s years of effort and dedication and a false move on my part could send it floorwards… The second one was to have a train of my own stock occupying a fiddle yard road and working a full part of the NPQ roster. Lurganboy, which has lurked in her box for months after disgracing herself at Uckfield and Tolworth, ran as sweet as a nut, and hauled my coach 4 and H van quite happily. The van is vacuum braked of course…. Willing suspension of disbelief and all that…. splendid day and always a joy to spend time with David H. Lots of advice, help and general chat in the margins. Very pleasing to see Leslie and companion too!

Apologies for the brief interruption. We now resume normal programming. The engine shed was damaged during the flood, so we weren't allowed to access it or the locos inside. Work on repairing it is progressing fast, and last week we were able to remove 90 from the shed and moved to the workshop at the other side of the yard. Yesterday we had about a dozen volunteers working on the loco at one time, so we were able to do a huge amount of work in just one day: Cab front removed Cladding and lagging removed Boiler fittings removed We're now in contact with boiler contractors and are working on a fundraiser for 90's overhaul. Our volunteers come from across the island – from Dublin, Belfast, Kildare, Meath, and even Derry~Londonderry. If you want to learn new skills, meet new people, and play your part in preserving our shared industrial heritage, please send me a message to ask about getting involved.

In an alternate timeline, A39 gets ready to depart with the Downpatrick-Platin cement empties.

Cement Bubble 25199 safely touched down on DCDR rails this morning, and has already been reunited with 124. A big thank you to everyone who donated to make it happen. Full report will follow on the DCDR website in due course.

A visit to Bala, Wales exhibition last weekend showed many nice layouts and good trade support: