Robert Shrives

Taken along time to update but work back in the way, well it never went away... A recent leap forward for the western corridor Foynes - Ballina coal and oil train has been a rake of 10 IFM coal containers on Provincial models 20 chassis. A simple loop and in coupler between most vehicles and Kaydee 19s on ends. In the end a box of athern grab rails struck as a good starting point for the dropper and a small split pin soldered to a plate and screwed to bottom of floor give a reliably produced loop. Aet just ahead of buffers and will push round 15" hornby setrack reverse curves. A couple of pics with containers - modelled empty upon naked chassis concludes last couple of hours modelling. All 10 shown for fun. The chassis all currently need the vac cylinder piston and crank drive adding to the cross shaft but if you gloss over it being unfitted then they are done. Just one with a rock to sort out but others are happily 4 wheels in contact. The question outstanding does anybody have examples of wagons on a train and any images of the containers, my searches on line, videos and books do well on the locos and wagons take second fiddle. I guess wagons were in the 27301-27791 series but open to education..every day is a school day after all.

Agreed with all the comments above a great slice of the world in miniature. Certainly worthy of being a public treasure showing how Dublin has developed and of museum quality - may be in time to be preserved for future generations. The ghostly DART shows work in progress and a rare model. Taken by the single railcar - It would be good to know about its build? Thanks for sharing the developments, and the shed is certainly thought provoking for myself. ( lottery win required!) Robert

Powered froth maker perhaps? ...

Sad to read but keep up the good work and I am sure these will sell very quickly. Robert

The Bratchell range also allows enough parts to make for a 450 class unit - I have bits part done but nothing to this standard. Time to dig it out and work on it a bit more. Robert

Great model of BR prototype goes along with Rapido Apt -e new livery options. IRM on Face book advise Q5 delivery in a train pack with the every man coach model from this time last year. Good work gents !

This is great work and I am sure bound to get the good gents and IRM towers to create an rtr version which will be announced as yours leave the paint shop.... I really look forward to seeing updates as these are icons of the Northern scene. Robert

Technical 201 question - what is the bogie wheelbase please? thanks Robert

I recall the line " Nothing official until officially denied." But like the idea of boxes of boxes in Containers just waiting .. 141 after the Hunslet and 80class.... Robert

Agree re rtr ..! ( anybody at IRM towers tuned in..)

Love the two Dutch vans - I guess bought as that, I have been cutting a steam van into the EGV version and now need to sort roof vents and genny exhaust. The road vehicles look interesting.. Have to say I have lined my booth with newspapers to help with clear up. Robert

Dane, Interesting ideas, my mind jumped to Westport shed if you wanted to create a diorama sort of board. However your second plan indicates a desire to expand. Having some linked dioramas could be the way to go if space tight. Many find having the loco stabling point ideal for showcasing locos and then have a set of sidings as a almost static terminal or perhaps a ingle nook shunting layout Perhaps a Waterford/ Sallypark with the viewer standing in the river might offer a possibility. with trains in passenger station and sallypark for standing wagons and the odd loco - stabled and shunting. The large overbridge being both the senic break and the linking feature - made to disguise the 90% bend. Robert

Cheers, I guess we are spoilt now as the MIR resin model is "basic" compared to bells and whistle of detail levels but I now wonder if I should have got out some 5 thou shim/ plasticard to make bonnet doors, I thought a dose of grime might hide but expect 134 will now kept to a medical grade of cleanness... Indeed the grey does sit well, but it is a short lived livery so the model will capture a moment in time. It did occur that I can get an 071 tranfer for a grey livery and mess with numbers to get a 121 version- with care. Steve has a colour RPSI crest for the gen vehicle so a white one should be possible. cheers Robert

Hi No pic but a quick thought will Steve be doing the orange/ red/yellow panels as part of this ? I have an older MIR resin kit to play with and was just being lazy !! Robert

Much later .. the 121 has gone UP "gray" as 134 and another 101 on the way. I have emailed Steve at Railtech to see if the eruo long number and RSPI crest possible in white. Chassis will be a motor bogie and coach bogie with 3D print sideframes in stock. Sorry a biz fuzzy but shows third 101 with black roof as 102 in faded blue. last pic a bit of camera shake but shows handrails added and sitting on new weathered chassis ex ebay for £60, but at least ride hights the same on all three. I glued a piece of PCB 5mm up from body edge to make a level foot for chassis to sit on andwith a little sanding of chassis so the resin tanks just rub on chassis fuel tanks the chassis is a friction fit - a spot of evostick later to avoid chassis dropping out seems the way to go. Kaydee 19s fit well, Detailed one end ready for PP stock from IRM! Next is to do ends with grab irons and transfers. worst job looks to be cutting glazing out of thick clear acyrlic - but the chocs were good ambassador! Also across bench after comments the other week has been a the dutch electric van to have grills fitted roof vents and exhaust to be added. and the weed killer got glazed and some transfers added. Robert

Hi gang, Well having now got three locos on the way I was wondering on any in cab photos so I can make a stab at a cab interior? Many thanks Robert

Good old " new tech" hope all works out in the end with the website, I feel your pain . IT is knowingly oversold and almost always under achieves it is the way of the instant world we have become , well until Putin has other ideas anyway! Robert

Hi thanks for that, it did occur to me as I posted the coach is a Mk2a with narrow doors and thus not part of the suite of coaches IRM is doing. so my "bad" but still a WT will be good ! Robert

https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/rpsi-collection/44/460-mk2-brake Will the brake get a look in as well ? Robert

Deed done and set ordered . I hope this might just mean a link up for a WT sooner than later... I guess the dutch van in both forms is too much to ask ... I will finish my SF kit conversion if that helps the rtr version. Robert

I guess it is good to dream of an rtr version, I now have 3 working to completion , maroon, blue small logo NIR and blue yellow ends black roof, large logo NIR. These all on Bachmann class 20 chassis so quiet and powerful - unlike the real things. Hopefully as a missing link in NIR evolution along with MK2B coaches in blue and Maroon they will find favour at IRM Towers. Robert

Not the only ones I suggest.

Having not enough grey cells left to master much I find the "black magic" of creating 3D CAD and getting things printed is far beyond my grasp... Thus I have only bought 3D models - Shapeways and from friends on Facebook and RM Web plus from the experts on here. I have displayed models in 2 to G1 at Warley show to encourage others but I do add the caution that when all factors applied there will be little difference to ready to plonk or ready to run. However the big difference is that small run or unique models can be created and often the "shrink to fit ray gun" can be used to change scales. Currently in 3mm scale resin prints to the quality of the gas bottles and chairs are being produced in the cottage industry sector with bodies around the £60 and a twin bogie all wheels powered chassis around £100. When all painted not much change from £175, which is the same price of a Kato 800 IEP in N gauge or a smaller 4mm steam loco. So not cheap but different. Those with the time, skills and the "gear" can now with a resin printer outstrip Shapeways best efforts in every way. With several design share forums around for a fee quite a lot can be had. I look forward to the Trekie time when your dinner can be generated... Even now sugars with long strings of molecules can be printed and I have seen some amazing icing decorations printed. Along with metal carrying filaments so a metal item can be printed we have come along way but for the rough and tumble of rtr/ real commercial world where models are let out into the wild and some poor ones have a hard life with all the knocks that can mean. Printed production models are on the cusp, perhaps a few years down the road, but clearly piracy of products will be a problem for the industry and legal profession to deal with.. I guess one biggest benefit is the repeatability of printing over hand produced items if a plastic moulding is not going to happen - 3D Irish concrete sleeper units perhaps for near ready to lay flexible track. Robert

I suspect the De Detrich stock was readily available as a current design with aircon, accessible spaces for users with physical disabilities and power doors for the folk who cannot swing big doors. The EU funding of the coaches to upgrade the service was very welcome but I guess timescale prevented any UK design as by then not much in the way of loco hauled designs available in the UK as a new build ( still the same today!) The ICR sort of fleet still in the young designers minds for an IC dmu operation so loco haul won out - even with the higher costs involved. The Mk 2 fleet with wrap round doors have been reasonably passenger friendly - the large door good but heavy and not power operated and with an added on door lock system and no internal door handle might seem good but 30 years of service showed the lack of strength in the ends, leaky roof domes and roof water tank along with no strong corner member all make for an end date with the gas axe. From usual sources 1999 does seem to have been the last year. For 1969 introduced vehicles that is a good innings given all that happened to them over the years. Robert

A number of traders offer classes in DCC and of course U tube can be a good place to enjoy information. Certainly a club if available will help. Sound is a marmite thing for locos but background ambient sounds work better along with fadeable sounds and mute is always good option. Loco speaks despite all the good words will give an effect but whether it is "real" is much in the ear of the beholder! Tiny speakers to me cannot replicate the base rumble of big engines, steam engines need to be driven with a full suite of sounds and timing. Seeing a loco moving loco on 4 wagons approaching a crossover sounding like a 9F with 1000tons uphill misses the effect required by a country mile, but layouts not big enough to allow human intervention with sound and driving loco, know doubt all programmable in future versions but I find life too short. I suspect DCC and on board power with RC will develop in the smaller scales but I think ( enter Luddite mode!) that part of the fun of the hobby is building stuff and not plug and play of the modern iteration of the hobby I see developing. I am sure others find such gear an technical breath of fresh air and improving the hobby and I am more than happy to be left behind !! Robert