Robert Shrives

Good work on the livery images- a many hours work I would think. Hope they transfer to models as well. I would think the Class 80 railcar gets nearer as I have just taken delivery of some more etches ! Robert

Hi Thanks for publishing a working link - not sure what I got wrong , but looks like Mr Dempsey will be happy soon ! Robert

Slightly OT but having 3 part built 80 s , 2 XCastle/450 / A and C class in various states plus a resin 121 and a donor 141 then I would think these will a be RTR within a decade or so given my finishing rate.... Agreed it will be fun with the 121 when it comes - I might just have to have two and use my resin one on a push pull set with the loco as a dummy ! Robert

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MURPHY-MODELS-MM023-IE-RIVERCLEAR-IN-ALL-THEIR-GLORY-RUN-IN-ONLY might of interest Robert also this might be of value https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MURPHY-MODELS-215-229-IE-INTERCITY-IN-ALL-THEIR-GLORY-RUN-IN-ONLY Robert

Well to report last week built a 60` length of 21mm track - bullhead using wood sleeper strip, solvent and plastic chairs, track gauges made by washering out P4 gauges. Once dry rail still slides in chairs so able to move sleepers about , track robust and flexible. I have been given some EM pointwork on copper clad sleepers might make a basis for 21mm pointwork? Robert

Same thought exercised my mind as well. Not having seen any news with pictures then I do wonder if I live another 30 years that the truth will come out. My thoughts was a "credible" SAM threat and Drone makes good cover story, despite official information - just become a cynic over the years. I really hope not and some "nice but dims" get it in the neck for 5 years but luckily for many holiday insurance will cover as it is not been sold as terrorist activity - not lucky for airlines, crews , passengers and their families all who will pay a hidden cost. Robert

And Festive greetings to all at the IRM Towers complex. Hopefully a few days rest will be good before the trails and tribulations of Chinese new year... Robert

On the last layer on club layout brown powder paint was added to the water mix so the layer was impregnated as was subsequent filler layers pre coloured. A good hard shell was the result and light as well. Great work here so looking forward to updates , thanks. Robert

Good for you gents well deserved and hopefully future batches in forthcoming years will keep the cash flow going - need a large bogie wagon to keep it in I guess .. Hopefully if you can catch breath between locos for UK and IRE markets you will enjoy the festive season. I guess the heat still on the 42foot flats and Ferts to keep you busy. This is quite a "monster" you have created .... Thanks from this three thumbed modeller ! Robert

News on 21mm conversion is good news and will have to see how easy it is. Robert

Hi Thanks for that - one thing I could not find on a quick internet search last night was a drawing of a 201 to compare and my MM201 is over 100 miles away ! So thanks for comments on my work. I too have remotored and wheeled a Lima 47145 with a vi trains chassis and added lazer glazing. My initial premise had been the family likeness of the 59 and 201 in real and model form would give a cheap quick upgrade without having to reach for a saw and the like, but not to be. Yes a simple wheel change will upgrade. I recall an article about resuing Lima gear bonded to Romford wheelset - something else for the next rainy night ! thanks Robert

Looking good and down the pub gents - to celebrate and feed those tired arms- unpacking the bulks and repacking outgoing boxes all day must have been knackering... I look forward to a delivery bouncing over the fence shortly. Robert

Well to update the rash comments of above. I conclude that there are too many differences. Bogie sideframes, - sand pots and overall length prevent a swap between chassis bogie wheelbases differ - I suspect the 59 is better than the 201 - which has equidistant axles on the Lima model.- might well be based on an HO power bogie as it is shorter Power bogies and trailing bogie mounts differ preventing a easy 59 - 201 swap Overall length of 59 to 201 8mm longer prevents a quick chassis swap Underframe details differ too much from 201 to 59 - albeit the 59 tank looks much better than Lima one. Where there is a good match is body fixings 4 of the 59 and 201 match. In principle working features for cablights and weights match . The main win is the PCB 8 pin mount on the updated 59 model with can motor, not really a win for the lima pancake motor. - you would hardwire a 4 function chip anyway - the 59 chassis has two lamps for the double headlamp and no tail lamps. If there was not the later MM version then with a bit of surgery then this would give a better motored version of the simplified body. Messing around scraps a serviceable 59 for not a lot of benefit . The 201 I have infornt of me is one of several available and i runs as well as can be expected - albeit with pizza wheels ! - Even a wheel swap not possible of how motor bogie works. So the idea is stillborn - anybody want a 59206 in DB traffic red?

Leslie, Hence why my Irish diesel book radar did not see the book at the NEC ! Good to know at least 5 folk spotted a good book and like diesels - A book reproduced this well is something rare among the current "picture books" from Ian Allen/ Crecy publishing. They could learn from it. The current batch of not better than half page thumbnails on poor paper poorly printed in an A5 size do not cut the mustard, compared to earlier A4 limpback publications. Robert

Thanks, knew an expert would comeforth ! and now looks like another DVD to buy ! Robert

Hi Hope this not duplicating anything elsewhere, but I was in Ian Allen in Birmingham - spied and bought " Irish Railway memories 1984 - 1994 by Paul Haywood , the ISBN :9781840338195, cost all of £10.95. Fifty page limpback, landscape format tomb, great quality colour pics of all our fav engines and railcars! A good resource for formations and weathering during a most interesting period - fully recommended after a bit more than a flick through. Robert

I think this was one of the prototype high cacpacity beet wagons, cannot find it in books to hand so it might have got a mention in a video or magazine , pretty certain it was a one off but no idea of number. IIRC also built on a container flat.

In an attempt to overcome the above view, this year a commercial decision was made to have a "Kid for a quid" for accompanied by paying adult , this along with the the TV exposure saw an increase on families both days and certainly Sunday as a family day hit the mark. Along with step stools and periscopes on offer from Stand A much fun was seen to be had - hopefully the second TV series and a widening of approaches to the public will see a worthwhile uplift at shows - Some times too much is expected of shows but a communal get together - like a club open day to the public can create more active interest, even if only a few friend traders on hand. Warley club opendays attact around 200 for a 4 hour show and then we sign up for taster nights and recruit well. I love small shows as they offer much more of an personal feel, but Big bang shows work as well, the UK is well swapped with shows of many kinds - we need more weekends !! Big regional shows - Glasgow, Ally Pally ,York, Peterborough, Manchester and Warley (to name a few that quickly come to mind "others available" ) Do the trader thing - showcasing , specialist and "box shifter" with big name layouts. Small shows often show what can be achieved with out NASA budgets and what is on your doorstep - often very inspiring. I guess horses for courses and the like spring to mind . Well roll on late November 2019 to do it all again!

Hi, David thanks for comments - yes a hard day as one of the organising time shown as "Facilities manager" in the show guide it was 06.30 in hall and almost last man standing for 3 days, hall empty by 22.30 on Sunday with a sea of rubbish left for am cleaners today. Show certainly busy and certainly TV and radio shows and advertising helped- Hornby reported all Christmas train set production sold from warehouses already. Traffic management again an NEC weakness - staff retention and brain power seems a limiting factor at shows and on a Sunday night real management enforcing staffing behaviour or even attendance is slim. at door 5.4 one Warley volunteer and one NEC staff at 18.00 - there had been 4 more before 18.00 at which point they just vanished. 5.7 Owen and a couple of staff at 19.00 as others just melted away into the darkness - it is on the agenda for round up with NEC. - As it is every year. It is hard with three shows on and Saturday was worse with concert arrivals as the shows turned out. It is not a job I would relish given how folk believe that rules and barriers are for everyone else and most certainly not themselves once in personal tin box tank. Looking forward to 2019. IRM / Accurscale stand very bright and well laid out and with the ramp accessible, a creditable design. The build did give me a bit of hassle with having to cordon off worksite as show changed from a worksite to an open( non paying) showsite. But it is now done and I guess used again for a couple more shows. It was fun as part of the global village that that one of the builders was Polish and spoke with a soft Irish accent but in a clipped second language English. It just showed that despite what a few think we are really all the same species ! The launch of the Deltic went down well, looking forward to the C class or class 80 next year - there were more of these classes than a niche diesel like the Deltic ! ( Off to get my coat!) Thanks to all on here who got to the show. As ever I say Sunday morning is best if huge crowds are not your thing.

Well a good day at Warley- busy all day with a large number of early entry at 09.45, last out by 18.15 and hall empty by 19.30- I was the last out bar night security. Yes the layouts good and great to see engines available for Courtmacsherry - a great simple layout . The IRM boys will be losing their voices given crowds on stand - UK wagons reported as selling well. The new product firmly aimed at East Coast mainline as a Deltic. The print on display and also a cab detail 3D print shows work well along. Bachamann might just wonder what is happening with locos being undated like this - leaving them with expensive dated tooling while "new boys" snap at their heels. The Tara wagons noted as being about a week away ! Now to survive Sunday and breakdown. Robert

A good looking stand two gents spent all day hand crafting much of it and the lads had the pleasure of adding some lovely models - Tara wagon samples are brilliant. A telling empty case and LED TV to tempt for lunch time I guess. A good weekend for Accurscale and IRM . No obvious IRM branding but given market understandable . FWIW I have filled a shelf on A2 with models and kits - head in shame not any room for IRM but given cases on stand a lot can be seen of current and past kits and RTR with some 3D prints and beets ..... Robert

Well we do try ! Show layout meeting see us make all sorts of linkages - most we get right ... yes B31A - note ref to "A" there looks good. Robert

Very effective , looking at many 1990s and earlier vids on line and on old VHS it looks like roof is not far off but others looked much cleaner. Certainly better than on BR at the time with dirty stock and peeling roof paint. I wondered if it was due to the seemingly cleaner exhausts - very few clag shots compared to 31 - 50s on tapes. I guess we want the past to be a clean memeory- hot summers etc and so we imagine trains to be cleaner , on time and locohauled... Model wise muted colours on a roof look better given our normal look down view, a bit of grime in joins and around hatches helps, - I like the comment on dayglo bats ! Robert

Hi I had not spotted the catch hiding behind the pole - sorry ! I think you ,might be right with the bank - but that is looking at the pink foam - if it was grey and with overgrowing grass and bushes it might look the right thing , but I did wonder as you have . If it was as long as the wagons shown then perhaps more shunting or allow a wagon to be unloaded at ground level. but I thought a bit of a sloping bank out of which the loading dock grows might be better and allow more front edge low level scenery. good to read of progress and hope new job is working out . - Are you tempted with the IRM A class? Robert

Great film and a look at futures past ! The picture of A39r in the sun is great too. I did wonder about the practicality of the OLE, the bain of so many pics !! Looking forward to Warley show and hope to say hello Robert