Robert Shrives

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

But as shown here quite vital to keeping order.

Hi gang ! Thanks to the tip on 51 with dayglo panel just ordered and the B set of Bell containers - that is Crimbo paid for ! Hope the lads find funds useful for progressing works. Just sit back now and relax .. Cheers ! Robert

Lovely piece of work and the chassis is icing on cake.. Now if I work on my resin model as well do you think the model gods will smile on us again with the MM121 ? thanks for showing the finished works! Robert

Crikey sounds serious hope you ok and plans for developments around the corner . If not prying into personal reasons it would be good to know and perhaps share problems with many forum friends (or fiends perhaps! as I first keyed.) regards Robert

Well, gents caps off to IRM for taking this commercial risk by the horns and giving it a good shake. With 18 variations on a theme pretty well all bases covered for day to day operation . The oil launcher and smoke belcher versions look to the future of DCC control but would be fun at times - along with random failures built into the chip to force rescue by modeller operators.. As one the "its A classic" moment in several posts a personal thanks and no pressure intended. looking to order two in CIE and an IR version so off to pay deposits now Rest easy and thanks for renders from CADs - look fine to me will have to leave the micro tweaks to real experts on here . Now off to work on resin model. ....

Wow , thanks lads bang goes the food for a couple of months ! Plan to order both Bell packs on Saturday as well! Hopefully traction to follow .... - working on resin one to ensure A class is announced in the future, you know you want to.. Lets hope all the other Taras and Ploughs make it some time soonish . Robert

Patrick, Good to read and see progress. The beet bank looks fine on the front and as you say offers protection from arms etc! Hopefully the DCC conversion process not too painful and you are enjoying the "freedom" offered. One thought did you dump the broken point to be used as a catch point on the beet siding? Robert

Thanks for the updates, and with the seaborne travel options offered on here looks like me might be in luck... Models come when they come - it is part of life and it is a hobby - so I am told !! I look forward to announcement whatever it may be , I am (predictably) sure it will be "A" classic moment... Hopefully the gang can sort the gen spray brake as the first coach venture and offer a EGV option - just musing! Robert

The brass/ NS ones have great underframe details - are they sitting on Comet chassis or perhaps an recent RTR affair? Robert

Hi A couple of thoughts The Bchmann bogies will convert to 21mm as have thin bogie side mouldings allowing re-wheeling. The coaches are of a type used on just a couple of rakes - if not one only. but have seen preserved use with RPSI stock in a green -albeit perhaps dark compared to CIE greens. Lima on the other hand do an older moulding of the MK2b which are cheap for resprays but bogies are more of a problem to change and have thicksides without flush glazing. These coach types were used by NIR for its 1970s Enterprise stock . The air con stock - Murphy models do all the right models and being based on Bachmann principles would be easier to change but are at a higher price due to limited run and popularity. The Airfix/ Hornby 2D air con stock is a good model and with current models having flush glazing are quite cheap so could respray as if CIE green ruled over orange and black - but you do not get the range - with only a first, second and secondopen brake available . These models make the basis for the Gatwick stock used by NIR in 90s. But have detail differences - perhaps the yet to be released Bachmann MK2e stock will be better. - but given price increase these will be possibly over £40 a coach. With a rule one layout and amended backstory of CIE development perhaps the NIR coaches could have prompted earlier demise of older stock and a later introduction of black and tan could explain a green CIE MK2b behind a silver A class.. Robert

and very nice they are too. Just need to see you start on "A "locomotive project - but perhaps after the weedkiller/EGV coach finishes exercising the collective..

Good news - an 8113 body would be good and any other body plus a pair of 071 bogies and 071 handrails. Thanks for all your efforts - I know what sorting stores is like ! Robert

Great, "A" class(ic) option then . !