Robert Shrives

I recall a Western being weathered for a gala so perhaps RSPI can be encouraged to weather it in a few years for a season. The class 50 gang on the SVR have painted locos several times in past years to suit sponsors or specific publicity events. So hopefully the 121 will get the chance to rotate colours over the years.

Good to know Eoin you get multiple requests - and this will be a tip of the iceberg . While some might cough at the price many will not - Bachmann in UK have whacked up prices and stuff still sells. When folk will pay £3 for cup of average coffee or £200 for sweatshop designer trainers, that sort of price for a model is good value. It is how to get the likes of the good lads at IRM towers to invest in effectively 3 locos worth of work at the same time - it would surely push back other projects as no money tree to hand. At least not the massive variations as seen in the 121 over the years so one set of tooling and one livery so it would only be painted numbers to offer market choice for multiple sets. The newly released Bachamann 117 at around £270 might be seen as a bench mark. But with tooling and development costs £150K plus is a big ask... Robert

ICR 3 car most likely as that is what is seen, the 071/201 container train good as well - need crane and liftable containers for play value as add site. Equally a 201 and Mk4s as an express train might give a wow factor. Gauge wise to maixmise sales I think 16.5 will be the only way to go - IRM have shown easy to make convertable so it is not a real problem. - Having stocks of 21mm wheelsets for drop in replacements - I wonder on minimum order 10,000 axles? Should have added - most likely wireless radio controlled and on board battery to simplify the get up and go play time would align to current electronics and wifi fever. Also of course idea for parents with no practical skills of wiring so no embarrassment on Christmas day 2022?....

George , Might be lucky and find IPA or t-cut will clean off the panels . The bubble has just had a waft of grey -so perhaps basis for more work with powders, lets not make it too attractive as too many will bid... Robert

Mike true! But once in the swing of things economy of scale drops into place - soldering brake wheels becomes automatic and doing a few more allows choice of the best. Just been folding the container cleats on a second SSM 42foot flat but now cross eyed ! Added brake wheels to the two tara mine ex shale wagons - will give a variation in the IRM rake - found a pic of a six wagon move - which matches my fleet size. Daft fact of he day Flikr has 18000 Irish rail pictures loaded. - one is a broad side of the wagon I was after .. good job the search function is pretty good. Handbrakes on cement bogies as well due to quick delivery from Wizzard models. Mind you three green locos looks like a production line to me !

Well a few days off work has seen some leaps and bounds on the box of wagons: Ammonia tanks got bogies and ride height adjusted, lots more too do , SSM flat soldered up and gone green for barrier Resin bogie cement of ebay with Stenson models air tank , A1 etched walkway from TTA detail kit, plus decking plate, new top hatches from Wizzard models . Lanarkshire models drawhook . Sperry container from 3D print , body join could be better - just need to buy in another 47foot flat from Shapeways . Airfix and SSM marriage to get fuel tanks - soldering on the gussets for five wagons was a days fun!

If I may here are a pic or two of my efforts this week on the loco front.

Brilliant move and bound to sell well - I will place an order once that is in place. It will good to see the real loco in the future. And no doubt it be kept a lot cleaner than some locos in the past . Robert

Mike , They look brilliant and will ensure rtr models advertised shortly ! About an hour ago I added the etched frames to my MV / C class found in a box with a engine shed full of other part built resin, cast whitemetal offerings - I have 2 silver Fox A class and a white metal one. couple of Hunslet diesels - one now maroon. a resin 121 now in orange and a MIR 111 with broken handrails ... your efforts put mine to shame you have finished a two locos and the Sulzer B is coming on well- but looks like a lot of glazing to fit. Robert

Railtec now do lovely set of bodyside transfers which saves spraying the blue - stripes with or without white stripes as well. This a no number version but others available. Robert

Well mine landed today, great work by all involved . I look forward to future models - even if my account might not be so keen. I recall seeing comments on keg and pallets as an accessory pack will this be soonish? Also what chance packs of bogies ? Thanks Robert

Yes , sorry , must try harder ! Hopefully in a few years a class 80 might rub shoulders with the 205 .. Robert

A real rolling advert for IRM, just missing a ballast or three! Thanks for showing. Robert

Good to see these looks so well , my two packs seem caught in a postal time warp/ black hole having now had three differing emails from PO, and getting delivery to my local PO for today nothing came except another no- reply email saying at Sorting office - which is only doing redelivery and saying I can pick it up !! go figure . Hopefully tomorrow... Robert

At least one UK signalling centre is built into an equally uninspiring block house but is in a blast proof windowless bunker room within . Yet New st station concrete block of a signal box is now a grade 2 listed building to celebrate brutalist design, this new suggested horror for Dublin might match the rest of the redeveloped city so in 50 years time when most has been rebuilt again this will be seen as a gem... or an eyesore to remind others of the stupidity of "designers" of the era. To me it has neither form or function in good light and if like Derby ROC a dead head white elephant as a carbuncle by an old friend but time will tell. Hope funds allow an out of city emergency control centre with ability to function when this is a target. Such blatant target information is a risk to all who there and the network and thus the country as a whole. Robert

Big joke would seem to be staff parking on picture if it is 5 floors . Recent developments in slashing public transport have shown the issue of getting staff to work - most live so far away from work that cars is the go to safe easy alternative. I am sure that there are measures in place but putting all eggs in one basket in such a over seen place strikes me as fool hardy. York ROC came within inches of flooding after it was built on the flood plain in York, the river kindly showed the supidity... if lost nothing Doncaster - Durham signalling wise and no comms Kings Cross - Berwick on Tweed, So no ECML... I recall 3 mile island ... It is just cost efficient when it works well but degraded and incident operation falls over and network becomes a laughing stock. I am sorry to see Ireland will see network suffer at what to some seems a great leap forward - at believing their own press releases! Robert

Thanks, I will slide back under my rock !! I now have 6 N bubbles with pipe work glued on just to fit tail to the large outlet pipe on platform. With heavy weathering no need for decals ! The 111 now is 49 356 Fantasy loco. Robert

Hi Did the Lima N have any connection with Rivarossi in the first instance ? My tiny mind is trying to tell me it did but you will know better than me ! Robert

Yes Lima N has origins with Wrenn N and this was merrily overscale to allow motors to fit but had under length trainset coaches , some wagon mouldings were very good in details but oversize. The UK class 31 diesel could with care, razor saw and a little prayer be converted to a near scale model. Albeit needing a brand new chassis . The Deltic was a laugh being too short but way to wide and high with tiny bogies. It also ran poorly. There was a german V60 given the UK class 17 makeover and a dock shunter that was based on a USA Plymouth switcher IIRC. The 3F was like the Deltic in many ways. All worth collecting to show how times and tech has changed but for anything else well each to their own. Wheels were great for cutting food ! Track was code 80 and utter rubbish. Robert

Now you have said that I guess in short order somebody will try! Lovely photos thanks for showing Robert

Hi Some of the shapeways designs showing age but in latest materials possible better , I got an 071 but lines on bonnet sides to hard to sand , it has ended up as a class 49 BR large blue fantasy livery. The 6 cement bubbles I got at same time are on parkside dundas N soc chassis kits and added etched details cobbled from leftovers and some signal ladders and plastic rod for pipeworks - all still works in progress and getting there slowly. N gauge Mk3s can be repainted from dapol but doors wrong of course and Adam Warr did some vinyls as well. Mk2s from same artwork source but on your own for steam genbrakes . A dutch steam van on Shapeways. Also 201 IIRC for a dapol 66 as easiest to cut about having plastic chassis parts. Given gauge at 9mm is narrow to better 10.5 its all impressionist art really. Robert

Lovely work and as said clean soldering does improve - as does regular cleaning. The thought processes in making up bits and trying before final fixing is really necessary .On one job I did we worked out as much coffee drunk as gallons of diesel purchased - we pointed out coffee was cheaper than diesel - it is all in the planning that money can be saved ! FWIW DCC supplies have stocks of Archers rivets and currently dispatch twice a week ( Mon and Thurs) https://www.dccsupplies.com/cat-583/rivets-and-fixings.htm Will get in the right part of the website. Robert

https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/155370-nir-bogie-hoppers/ Good thread of a wagon build Robert

A friends dad had his job change at Westinghouse when on a Friday an order for castings dating back 40 odd years came in for a level crossing pedestal (IIRC) he could have left it to Monday but went to the stores to discover the pattern going into a skip - he stopped it and then complained to the suits now in charge. I think the Level crossing had been involved in an incident in NI. in the late 1970s - but that might wide of the mark so many years later. As suits had decreed any pattern not used in x years was scrap it was to go as an asset strip accountancy exercise. He kindly noted that items for LT underground had castings as a basis from the 1930s - standardisation at its best and throwing patterns away would cost the business contracts and thus profits if the supply was to fail. he ended up been the pattern keeper archivist and go to guy as a result. All as the result of diligence. Bang went the Industry , I believe now only offices in Chippenham such is the state of the signalling industry. Funnily said suit in chief was my General manager on the Ffestiniog Railway in the late 1980s. Not a person person it has to be said but adept at getting the best out of the accounts- "difficult decisions" as noted above costing friends their jobs.

Adam at Electra Graphics is to produce overlays and templates to convert MK3s to a suitable base for overlays to go with the Lads Class 89 project with Rails of Sheffield. I have asked if IR versions possible.. time will tell. https://www.facebook.com/Electra-Rail-108205092546125/ Robert