Barl

I'm not sure if the builder of this layout is on the forum but it's an excellent piece of work and nice to see it being covered in the media also.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=959309198171753

Hopefully the link works I couldn't find the article on the Journal itself.

3 hours ago, StevieB said:

I wonder if that’s due to COVID-19 or was it just not working?

Stephen

https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ireland/end-of-the-line-for-ireland-s-luxury-sleeper-train-1.4488644

Sounds like Covid is the main reason.

There's an interesting article on the opening and closure of the WCR if anyone hasn't seen it;

https://www.echolive.ie/nostalgia/arid-40253438.html

10 minutes ago, enniscorthyman said:

Just wondering who is on this site was on  the old MSM model railway site back around 2007-10.

I was on as enniscorthyman as well.

I was on it as Barl also - wish I'd picked a better name now! 

1 hour ago, skinner75 said:

I can't stand this releasing of news on Facebook - why is there nothing on murphymodels.com about this?

From their website 'In the works' section:

"As of September 2020 we have no plans for future models now that the Class 121 is on sale"

Facebook is rot

I'm pretty sure the Facebook post is from Marks Models page and not Murphy Models. I imagine the retailers were the first ones to be told and it was Marks who released the news on Facebook, where it can be seen instantly by anyone who follows their page. 

As far as I know PM is a one-man band so I'm sure he will update the website when he gets a chance.

Similar to others who have posted, steam was well before my time but personally I still think there is something different and nostalgic about steam models - this is coming from someone who thinks 2600 'Arrow' railcars are nostalgic!

The video Accurascale have on their website - with Hornby Magazine - is a very good watch and shows the level of work requred to produce a steam model! It also shows the draw of steam models with the Manor class emerging from a cloud of it's own smoke making for a beautiful sight

As much as I'd love an 800 class, realistically I wouldn't see myself buying more than one in preserved livery for an RPSI special. On the other hand, I would probably buy more than one J15 for example as they crossed such a long period of time and have appeared in so many variations, even fictitious ones for filming (I think?) and as preserved.

Maybe IRM could reintroduce the smoke effects on steam models like they used to have years ago! 

1 hour ago, Georgeconna said:

 

If you are every in Fermoy pop into the Blackwater Makers, Some Smashing stuff for sale. I got this for my 50th last August, Best of both Worlds!

I note the Artist did not go through the torture of the Lozenge Camo Pattern , Did that on a RC D.VII some years back only for it to collide mid air with a Pup. I blame me dad!

 

 

My wife's aunt has a nice photo of this actually, I took a quick pic of it a while ago. Always thought it would make an interesting scene to model! 

A bit more modern but I think the scrapped MK3 coaches at Punchestown(?) feature in the Barry Keoghan movie 'Calm with Horses'.

I also remember seeing a random music video featuring an 071 but can't remember the name of it...

I got a chance to take my 121's out of their boxes and it looks like I've been one of the lucky ones with the only damage I can see being a slightly bent, but not broken, vacuum pipe on 124. 3 of these are from IRM and 2 were collected from Marks. 

I haven't run any of them yet but hopefully they will be ok! 

I purchased 134 in IE and 131 in B&T on Wednesday in Marks. Have to say both of these liveries make them look even more stunning than the yellow and grey, can't wait to be able to run them.

Out of curiosity, does anyone have a head on (cab face) picture of 125 or 131? I'm not sure if the printing is slightly skewed on mine or my eyes are gone wonky from the lack of sleep a 2-week old baby brings with it! 

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

There's also a model shop in Kildare Town. If you draw a line from Cork to Belfast, is there a single model shop west of it?

I never knew there was a model shop in Kildare town, and I'm from Kildare! 

Does anyone know if the Model Shop in Capel Street in Dublin is still open? I know they mostly focused on RC but they did stock railway items too. 

This is an interesting topic as it can be very confusing for people to transition to DCC. In my experience DCC isn't complicated and, as the lads have said above once all the track is connected to as wire 'bus' then insulfrog points shouldn't be an issue. All of my points are insulfrog.

One point that I don't think is mentioned is that it's worth having a short section of track isolated -either in a fiddle yard or siding - that can be used as a programming track for loco's etc., rather than having to connect to a separate piece of track each time.

On 8/30/2020 at 8:09 PM, Dhu Varren said:

The Bachmann BR Mk1 BG Brake coach is not suitable to convert to a weed spray coach as it scales at 57ft length. The weed spray coach is 63ft length. A better option is to use a Brake 2nd BSK coach, which is what the weed spray coach originated from having been a GSV which was a BSK before conversion. The length is spot on, and what windows are left are in the exact same position as a BSK. The one exception is the small window almost in the centre of the coach. 

Thanks for the helpful replies. Would you know if the Bachmann BSK is the only one that is the correct length or would the Mainline version be an option also? 

Is the Hornby version a re-released Lima model? 

Rather than hijacking the thread on the release of the weedsprayer wagons, I said I'd ask the question here.

What is the best option for modelling the Mk1 Weedsprayer Coach? 

I know about the Silverfox model and I'm assuming Glendergs overlays are no longer available? Are the Mousa overlays a good option? 

If so is the Bachmann Mk1 the best option to convert? I have used this method previously for a GSV but there doesn't seem to be many available on eBay or elsewhere at the moment.

There's an Irish Times article on it incase anyone hasn't seen it.

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/heritage/railway-revival-steam-trains-set-to-return-to-connemara-almost-a-century-on-1.4311951?mode=amp

On 7/17/2020 at 12:17 PM, Mayner said:

There are a number of photos of the 15 March 1959 Baltinglass Fair Special in the O'Dea Collection in the National Library, this appears to have been the final revenue working on the Tullow Branch.

The train appears to have acted as a positioning run for the branch lifting train the loco continued to Tullow with the coaches and P.W.D stock after dropping the cattle wagons at Baltinglass. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=tullow&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

It looks like the photo of the Sleeping Van and pwd. stock was taken at Dunlavin (concrete station building and loop lifted)

 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=Dunlavin&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

T

 

 

Thanks for the above links, with a quick search I was able to find a photo of my grandfather working one of the cabins in Sallins (not sure which one).

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305635/MooviewerImg?mobileImage=vtls000305635_001

The Tullow branch ran right behind my Dad's home in Sallins and he has fond memories of playing on the stored open wagons after the line had closed! 

Some info on 224 in this article.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/iarnród-éireann-and-raiu-investigating-fault-found-in-passenger-train-1.4306073

They look stunning! I'm glad I have A46 and 054 ordered now

I'm not sure if this was mentioned already but there was a section on Irish railways and model railways on Nationwide on Monday night if anyone is interested. 

https://www.rte.ie/player/series/nationwide/SI0000001172?epguid=IH000367922

Job done. Good luck to IRM! 

Absolutely fantastic model with excellent examples of detail visible everywhere you look! It  really captures the atmosphere perfectly. 

On 5/18/2018 at 1:23 PM, Warbonnet said:

Just to let you lads know, we're at the 40% presold mark on the ploughs and it's pretty neck and neck in the order books. Looks like they're not going to hang around too long!  

Glad to see they're selling well. 

Just a question about ordering; is it possible to pay part with a gift card and the remainder by credit/debit card? I couldn't see the option online last time I was ordering but not sure if this has changed with the site update.

Also just noticed that there seems to be VAT added to the cost of the gift card options online i.e. a €10 card costs €13.50 etc. This may have been fixed since but just incase you hadn't noticed. 

Apologies if this is a little off topic but I want to order a set of the ploughs before they're gone

It's an excellent video of the works. This is only around the corner from my home place in Osberstown so it was very interesting to see it all come together. The only road closure was the 'canal road' but this has been closed for a while now anyway due to a truck hitting the top of the aqueduct. As far as I know the crane had to be brought in from the UK but not 100% on that.

On 3/23/2018 at 9:01 PM, leslie10646 said:

Thanks, Barl, for the explanation of the LUAS consultation and why tunnelling would be difficult in Dublin.

Can I ask a question, regarding cut and cover tunnelling in the centre?

Would it have been possible (if expensive) to have made some use of a sub surface line in the City Centre (Yes - I know that the river would get in the way!) - what I'm thinking of is that LUAS pops undergorund to avoid the busy centre city road junctions and pops above ground again further up O'Connell Street? The Strasbourg trams do something like this (albeit the tunnel is deep enough to withstand a thermo-nuclear blast).

Anthony McDonald gave a great presentation to the IRRS London on LUAS recently and included a speeded up film of the laying of some of those city centre road junctions - brilliant engineering.

I think Mayner has covered most of the issues with cut-and-cover tunnel construction very well. As he mentions the dusruption to the city centre areas would be huge, not to mention the effects of the noise from the constant thumping of the sheet piling rigs.

The sheer number of services under Dublins streets was also a factor. The sub-base for the LUAS was close to 1m deep in most places but it still required a separate contract to divert all services under the track. We still encountered huge issues with existing services including sewers, many of which are old Victorian brick arch culverts requiring rehabilitation works. Even finding space for something as small as a 150mm diameter gully connection was difficult.  

As you can imagine, cut and cover would require a greater number of sercive diversions and disruption to services when it occurred. I think the DART Underground project (whenever it happens) has some sections of cut-and-cover proposed in certain areas like St. James Gate but disruption could be minimised in these areas. 

The City Rail link example Mayner gives did cause huge disruption, as well as being an eyesore in one of the busiest streets in the city. It also made finding The Fiddler Irish pub very difficult 😂

As one of the silly, overpaid consultant "engineers" who worked on the construction phase of the LUAS Cross City, I always find it funny reading comments from armchair planners and engineers criticising the designs. Do you honestly think that every route option for the LUAS Cross City wasn't examined in detail. The project began planning not long after the red line was finished, and the final route was decided upon following public consultation and agreement between all stakeholders; including DCC, NTA, RPA (now TII) Grangegorman Development Authority etc. These projects are designed with long term thinking in mind (the new metro and other proposed lines for example) not the short term that many seem to criticise.

The chosen route serves the largest agglomeration and provides the most conveniently located stops. It is no coincidence that many large cities around the world - such as Edinburgh and Sydney - are returning to light rail as an option for public transport. As Mayner mentioned above, the grass is not always greener. Having lived in Auckland for a year it makes Dublins public transport look like a well oiled machine! 

As for the underground options, Dublin is sitting on a bed of limestone covered by boulder clay and other glacial till deposits. These make it a nightmare to tunnel through as there are many fissures and water pockets which are difficult to pick up during site investigation works. Other tunnelling projects in Dublin, such as the Port Tunnel and the Greater Dublin Drainage Scheme were far from smooth sailing and encountered many difficulties, but none that couldn't be resolved by the "clueless" designers involved. 

For the LUAS to work as intended, it requires the cooperation of other road users which, unfortunately is not always the case - how many incidents involving trams are the fault of the trams/drivers? Look at how well the trams work in cities like Amsterdam as they have priority and car usage is reduced.

Hopefully the proposed metro will resolve some of the issues with Dublins public transport but it is an old city with old, and hidden problems so it may take some time. 

On 3/5/2018 at 10:28 PM, leslie10646 said:

No need to do that, Barl, just put the wagons at the top of your wedding list?

Cheaper than Waterford glasses, tumbler dryers, microwaves .........

If only I could get away with that! 

Some 'creative accounting' is what's needed I think. 😂