Fiacra

Was in the Galway branch yesterday and was delighted to find single copies of both RM and BRM. This was the first time I found railway magazines there in a long, long time.

It's interesting to hear that there are no issues running on Peco bullhead code 75 track. I wonder if, despite both being labelled 'code 75', there are some dimensional differences between Peco and SMP rail/chairs. I came across a post on Rmweb a while back in which a poster claimed that Peco bullhead track is not 'finescale'. This would suggest some differences - and I'm pretty sure he was not talking about the gauge, given that some OO gauge layouts are billed as finescale (handmade track etc).

Hi folks, I was under the impression that the wheels on modern RTR locos are likely to be compatible with most types of track - apart from P4 standards. However, I've tried running a MM 121 on Marcway SMP code 75 bullhead flexitrack and Exactoscale bullhead basses with the same SMP rail. In both cases, there's a very obvious 'thunk, thunk, thunk, thunk....' sound as the loco runs along the track. Evidently, the wheel flanges are hitting the chairs. Has anybody out there replaced the wheels on their IRM and MM locos with finescale alternatives, without going all the way to P4 tolerances?

In theory, this would be fantastic. However, although much of the old trackbed still exists, there are houses, gardens and other private property on top of it in places now.

I came across this chap's YouTube channel recently, and it's very informative for anybody interested in finescale modelling and scratchbuilding. He has a few videos in which he describes how to use Templot and 3D printing/laser cutting to produce bespoke trackwork, and this looks like a viable option for 21 mm track. I've never used Templot, but my understanding is that it includes 21 mm templates, so it should be straight forward to produce 21 mm track and points. Has anybody here tried this approach?

Thank you - completely missed that! Thanks Beano. I'm very new to DCC and wasn't aware that generic decoders could be used - very helpful!

Hi folks, I have been collecting Irish locos over the last couple of years, with a view to building a layout in due course. Unfortunately, at the time of buying the locos, I didn't give any consideration to DCC decoders - on the assumption that I would be able to pick them up at a later stage. Alas, not so. I've been able to find decoders for my 071 and 201, but it seems that A class and 121 decoders are out of stock everywhere. I'm assuming 141/181 decoders will be available when these locos are re-released, but does anybody know if the A class and 121 decoders are still available anywhere? Or, if they'll become available any time soon? Also, I should probably emphasise that it's only the decoders that I'm looking for, not the sound chips. Many thanks!

Lovely work! Very helpful - thanks TimO!

Thanks TimO - that is very welcome news! I only have a couple of the original MM mk2d's and have been using them as conversion guinea pigs ahead of the new batch arriving. But, if the new bogies are prototype width, that will make things a lot easier.

Thanks for this info Rich. The MJT rigid bogie frame was my first foray into brass kits, but despite my trepidation it was quite straight forward. However, CCUs look like they would require a much more delicate touch - might be a step too far for me at this stage. I'll pick one up though, and see how it goes.

Well, I'm in a position to answer the question myself now - it being 'with some difficulty'. There may be an easier way, but I ended up having to remove the body from the chassis, and even then, there was a lot of blindly poking, squeezing, and forcing the attachment jaws out of position, before the bogie came away. Clearly designed to be robust rather than for easy removal. I wonder if the new batch of mk2d's will be designed in the same way? My reason for wanting to remove the bogies in the first place is to regauge the models for EM track. I've mentioned this in a previous post, but I've opted to go EM gauge as a compromise between 00 and 21mm (the availability of track, points etc, being large part of the decision). Unfortunately, the bogies on the mk2d's are not wide enough for a simple axle swap-out. My original intention was to replace the whole bogie with an MJT brass bogie frame (using the original MM bogie sides as cosmetic attachments). Alas, it seems the MJT bogies are also strictly 00 gauge - something I only realised after constructing one and attempting to install a DCC Concepts EM gauge wheelset. That's no criticism of MJT, as they don't advertise the rigid bogie kits as anything other than 00 - I suppose I assumed there might be enough wiggle room in them to accept EM gauge axles. So, it looks like the only way forward is to cut up the MM bogies and use plasticard to rebuild them to a suitable width. That shouldn't be too difficult, but if anybody knows of another way of approaching this, I'm all ears. Many thanks!

Apologies for such a basic question, but how does one go about removing the bogies from a MM mk2d? I thought they might disconnect with a bit of force, but that starts pulling the whole chassis away from the body, so it must require a more nuanced approach. Thanks for any help!

A question for the IRM folks. Now that Mk2 delivery is on the horizon, are there plans to sell the scale-Irish-width B4 bogies as separate packs (e.g. to replace the narrower bogies on MM carriages)?

Outstanding layout! The bridge in particular is stunning - how was the stonework created?

Perfect - thank you!