Ironroad

????, I asked if the ship sank because supposedly they were on the high seas on Sept 4, I think in a worst case scenario ocean freight would take about 45 days from China (we are now at 85 and still not landed), so I guess it is a really really--- slow boat from China.

Did the ship sink?

Hardly, it's just another stop for the existing suburban services. That line of thought didn't deter the opening of a station on the heavily congested northern line at Clongriffin. In any event pressure on the southern line could easily be relieved by reopening the line between Mullingar and Athlone, that closure was an own goal.

How much design is involved in providing two platforms, a pillbox booking office and using the existing road bridge rather than a footbridge as in other places, it could be done in weeks, Had that line been operated by the GNR rather than the GSR a station would have been built in Ballyfermot seventy years ago (eg Harmonstown 1957)). It is a very sad reflection on the thinking within CIE and the Dept. of Transport that no one has had the vision to do this in all those decades, but it's OK in 2023 to prioritise a station in Woodbrook, that has minimal benefit, over Ballyfermot. There is no excusing this. Please forgive the rant.

Maybe I'm missing the logic but access to that station does not look convenient and hardly justifiable in context of the catchment area. It would be more logical to spend the money on a station at the junction of Landen Rd and Kylemore Rd in Ballyfermot.

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named"

Absolutely, but besides the drivers, at 6' v 5'9", the WT length was 46' 5.75" , wheelbase 37'9", & leading and trailing wheels were 37" diameter. Whereas the Fowler was 47' 2.5" long, wheelbase was 38'5", and diameter of lead an trailing wheels was 39.5". So all in all maybe not compatible enough for IRM / Accurascale to consider as a crossover model, but who knows. I acknowledge this but I'm thinking in the context of how they actually operated in normal service, not as preserved and I think what is or has been available is mostly down to Leslie. From the perspective of IRM no 461, fits the bill of something that hauled rolling stock that they already have in the pipeline.

I would love to see a RTR model of No.4 and who knows given IRM's propensity to look for ways to maximise use of their tooling, this might fit with the production of an LMS Fowler 2 6 4, and even an NCC class W mogul. However, while the similarities are there, the differences would make this a challenge, not to mention a lock of rolling stock for no 4 or the class W to haul. On the other hand no. 461 may be a good candidate, particularly since it hauled beet trains and no doubt Park Royals, it also ticks the box of being preserved.

Which came first the chicken or the egg? Snap up what's available when you can. And we already have had releases of three locos that hauled them

Perhaps, but it could be a question of diminishing returns. Very early on in I wrote to Hatton's more in hope than expectation requesting they consider producing their genesis coaches in CIE liveries, (I wasn't alone) never believing this might actually happen, and apparently with great success. But back then I think posted here a hope that they might at least, having exhausted all the liveries that might be viable, do a run of plain unpainted models. My thinking being that that would open the door for anyone wanting to have these models in Irish liveries. I was wrong the first time round in thinking there would not be enough demand for CIE liveries, and would be delighted to be wrong again in thinking there would not be enough demand for the GSR livery. But in the event that such a proposal is not considered viable, perhaps they can be persuaded to ultimately release unpainted versions. I suspect that would work well for many..

The MM versions were supplied with a smokebox wheel, it was in the bag of add on bits.

I'd certainly be interested in a few.

They had a 10' wheelbase, 17' long, and 20' over buffers. Twelve ton H vans were built on the triangulated chassis (from circa 1953), and probably Palvans (circa 1964) beyond that I'm clueless and and I'm also very interested to know what else the triangulated chassis was used for.

I find it easier to multiply the imperial measurements in feet by 4 and treat the answer as millimeters. 4mm = 1ft, equates to 1/762.

I think it is evident (even from your own postings) that the well is much deeper that you think it is and you shouldn't underestimate what might be offered. I personally find the rate of releases to be excruciatingly slow and my message to IRM etc. is;- bring it on, it will sell. Also thinking, what about new lyrics to the old Bee Gees song retitled. "How deep is your Well" (sorry couldn't resist)

I have one that I don't wish to part with. I don't remember where I picked it us, suspect it was from Brian Collins at a show. I presume you have put it on you wish list at Hattons, you just never know. The train Fair in Bray might also be worth a visit. This one is on my wish list; https://www.hattons.co.uk/117492/base_toys_ie02_leyland_comet_artic_flatbed_c_i_e_circa_1964_1985_/stockdetail

Please, I think you have posted negatively on this subject before and it's disappointing to have cold water being thrown on the possibility or in fact now the probability, that such a model will be announced in the near future. I understood IRM were to announce a steamer this year. Why would you want to deter them? , Not that I think you will.

Double beets date from 1985 on a later longer chassis. A quote from a posting by "Mayner" Feb '22:- "The 'Standard" 20' flats break down into two groups 546 steel floored flats dating from the mid 60s which were eventually re-built into Bagged Cement and Beet Double Wagons and 200 Skeletals introduced in 1970"

Another early morning for both of us so.

And starched white collars, they are in their Sunday best, don't think they are the crew, father & son on a day out?

I think B&Q sell smaller sheets, 6 x 2 and 4 x 2, check their website. As to charging for cutting, the first 5 cuts are free and it is 50c per cut thereafter.

As someone who travelled through Connolly on the DART service on a daily basis in the late '80s, I well remember seeing NIR liveried trains operating the Maynooth service from platform seven. It certainly wasn't a one off thing,. That service was operated exclusively with that equipment for a long period of time after the withdrawal of the AEC units but i cannot be specific as to dates. Obviously Maynooth was also served by through trains to Sligo and the Sligo train could be seen held up every morning just before 9am awaiting a path into Connolly.

And please remove D&M Models from the list of manufacturers while you are at it. Thank you

This might be a better solution http://www.symoba-schniering.de/supp-dateien/daten.htm

I'm not too sure about any of this either. The concept of a stop in the track bed does not exactly sit well with me. But the explanation indicated that a retractable stop was being used to hold the wagon and perhaps one of the couplings drops slightly simply because there is a bit of droop in it. Initially it seemed to me that the magnetic attraction itself was being broken but I think it would call for a very strong magnetic field to push one of the couplings upwards and pull the other downwards and the distance involved adds to the power of the field required. It would also mean that some vertical play in the couplings is needed. And at what point does the magnetic force result in up ending a wagon by pulling on the axle. I'm also reliably advised by DJD that in the case of the IRM magnetic couplings each coupling has two magnets a positive and a negative, (this gets around the need to be consistent as to which way round rolling stock is placed on the track and solves the problem if a turntable or reverse loop is used) so activating a magnetic field under the baseboard is not going to act against them.