Fiacra

Not at all Phil - grateful for all input on the matter! I think there are two main issues putting me off going the 21 mm route, despite the layout being solely Irish outline - pointwork and re-gauging rolling stock. The planned layout will have around 18 points in total (including the fiddle yard), and building all that from scratch seems quite daunting - not just the actually construction, but doing it to a standard that ensures reliable running. With EM or P4, there are ready-to-lay or easily assembled turnout kits available on the market. On the re-gauging side of things, my understanding is that converting to EM is, usually, fairly straight forward. Sometimes it's possible to re-space wheels on their existing axel, but failing that, drop-in wheel sets are readily available - perhaps needing only a slight sanding of the inner side of the bogie to create sufficient space. With P4 and 21 mm gauges, considerably more re-building of bogies is required to accommodate the wider wheel sets. I know this is not an issue with the Murphy Models and IRM locos, which were designed to accept 21 mm wheel sets, but that doesn't seem to be the case for the MM MkIID and Cravens that I've procured. That being said, if the new run of MkIID will have wider bogies ready to accept 21 mm wheel sets, that could have an influence on the matter. Similarly, if IRM have any new coaching stock announcements coming up, that might also help sway my opinion

Thank you all for your input. It seems that A or E get the most votes, which was probably to be expected. 'A' is Peco EM gauge code 75 bullhead flexitrack (available from EMGS) while 'E' is code 75 bullhead rail threaded on to Exactoscale FastTrack P4 bases. 'B' is SMP Scaleway 00 gauge code 75 bullhead flexitrack, 'C' is Peco code 75 bullhead flexitrack, and 'D' is code 75 bullhead rail threaded on to Exactoscale FastTrack 00 bases. I didn't include any 21 mm gauge as I've already ruled this out as an option - whereas EM and P4 are well catered for in terms of ready to lay (or almost ready to lay) plain track and pointwork, 21 mm would require everything to be built from scratch, and that feels like a step too far for me. Personally, I quite like the sleepers (spacing and thickness) on the Scaleway track ('B'). Having spent much of my youth hanging around the disused sidings of Liffey Junction during the 1980's (out of an interest in all things railway, not for any nefarious purposes - honest guv!), the Scaleway sleepers just look 'right' to me. I know some posters on the EMGS forum have pointed out that the Scaleway sleeper spacing is actually too close for prototypical British outline modelling, but perhaps there is/was a difference in sleeper spacing between Ireland and Britain? Scaleway also do an EM version of their flexitrack, and I think this is what I will go with. As David Holman pointed out above, the difference in gauge can be subtle, and a lot depends on the angle at which the track is being viewed, but I'm thinking EM is probably the best compromise for my purposes. Which leads to my next question; is there anybody out there modelling Irish railways in EM? Thanks again to all.

Hi folks, I came back to the hobby a couple of years ago after a 30 year absence (yikes - where did the time go?!) and I've finally started exploring ideas for a new layout. For me, a layout is all about capturing an atmosphere rather than aiming for prototypical perfection, so I'm not necessarily hung up on the finest of details. However, I think trackwork can have a huge influence on atmosphere, and I do want to spend some time on this aspect of things. The layout will be set in the early 1990's, so I can just about get away with using bullhead track - which I find the most visually pleasing. So, code 75, bullhead is what I plan to go with. The next matter is gauge. Obviously, the further one diverges from 16.5 mm, the better the track can look, but the whole thing becomes more technically challenging. So, my goal is to find the sweet spot between appearance and convenience. To that end, I've laid five pieces of track from assorted finescale suppliers and quickly ballasted them - photos attached. I would be very grateful for any opinions that board members might wish to offer as to which looks the most (or least) prototypical (again, stressing that atmosphere is my main objective). For now, all I'll say is that there is more than one gauge on display, and the sleepers come from more than one supplier. Also, I've painted all of the sleepers with the same flat brown, so as to remove colour from the equation. Thanks in advance for any input!

Brilliant - thanks a million!!

Thanks Galteemore - do you have a current email address for them?

Hi folks, Just wondering if anybody knows a way to order from Marcway Models other than by phone? Their website is rather basic and there are no obvious online ordering links (that I can see). Many thanks!

John, your trackwork is simply sublime - possibly the best I've ever seen on any layout. Any chance that you might find the time to post some instructional videos or tutorials explaining how you do it?

I never noticed that the windscreen is actually just a side window. Now that you've pointed it out, I can't unsee it, and you're right, it makes them look like a strange beast indeed!

Absolute perfection!

Ahhh, I see. Still, it's a beaut!

Many years ago, I had a go at converting a Royal Scot to Maedb, but it didn't turn out anywhere near as good as this. Stunning job!

Wow, what an absolutely stunning layout!!

Fantastic layout - really captures the atmosphere of the Irish countryside!

Wow, looks great! This is making me seriously consider 21mm for a future layout.

Jaysus, this is mind-blowing news! No more hunting on eBay for tippex mk2ds or, indeed, mk3s! I had long given up on ever finding a tippex mk2d EGV.

Lots of interesting and informative responses - fascinating stuff!

Perhaps, but I'm guessing they would also have been more expensive once delivery costs were factored in. And, this being Ireland we're talking about, finances would surely have been limited. A number of small and large diesels that BR introduced in the 60's went on to live long, productive lives on their network, so it's not as if they were incapable of producing reliable locos. Or, perhaps I'm wrong about the costs - maybe the GM locos worked out less expensive, even with the delivery costs?

I've always been curious as to why CIE decided to order locos from GM. When the cost of transport from North America is factored in, surely they would have ended up being far more expensive than buying from a manufacturer in Britain? Perhaps the unreliable nature of the original A class engines cast a shadow over British-built locos, but by the time the GMs were ordered in the 60's and then again in the 70's, there were a number of comparable (in terms of power) tried and tested diesels running in Britain. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm very glad they did go with the GMs as they're such iconic locos; I'm just curious as to the thinking/finances behind the decision to order from GM rather than a manufacturer closer to Ireland.

IR Mk2D's - yes please! I would certainly take a rake of them.

There's a blast from the past! I came across this place by accident, probably in the late 80's, at a time when I thought I knew all the model shops around Dublin. I seem to remember they didn't have a huge amount of railway stuff, but they did have some impressive looking radio controlled airplanes. Speaking of model shops in post offices. What ever happened to the model shop that could be found in the back of the post office on Berkeley Street (again, way back in the 80's)?

Indeed, I should have mentioned that I've picked up a rake of Craven's. It's the intercity stock that I'm on the lookout for now.

That's wonderful news!

Hi folks, For people like myself who are getting back into railway modelling after a prolonged absence, it's amazing to see the range and quality of diesel locos that are available on the market or soon to be released. I have my orders in for the 001, 121, and I've managed to pick up a couple of 071's and 141's. Unfortunately, for my planned mid-90's layout, there's a dearth of RTR Irish carriages on the market. The MM supertrain liveried Mk2D's look great, but are the wrong era for me. The photos I've seen of previously released MM Mk2D's in IR and IE liveries also look fantastic, but seem very hard to come by these days. So, I'm wondering if MM might have any plans to do another run of Mk2D's in IR or IE livery, or if perhaps IRM have plans to release Irish Mk2's or Mk3's? I know that repainting BR carriages in my preferred Irish livery is an option, but to be honest, I don't think I would be able to do the job to the necessary standard that would be required for them to sit alongside the MM and IRM locos. Judging by the rate at which the supertrain Mk2's seem to have sold, I'm guessing there's still a decent demand out there for passenger rolling stock?

Great - thanks very much!

Hi folks, I'm sure this question has been asked and answered many time here, but I've searched the forum without success. If anybody can help me out with the following, or direct me to a comprehensive source of info on the matter, I'd be extremely grateful....... 1. When was the IE 3-pin plug livery introduced? 2. I've seen plenty of photos in which some locos sport the IE 3-pin plug logo and others sport the IR point logo, so presumably there was an extended period of transition from one to the other. My question is, by when would the IR logo have been completely phased out? 3. Lastly, when were the dayglo panels first added to locos? Many thanks!