DJ Dangerous

29 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

Maybe if you get the shame shovel the Silverfox A's got a belt with, otherwose the nose is a long way off

What do you suggest instead?

17 minutes ago, murphaph said:

The pantographs might be a problem 

I'm sure they can be broken off pretty easily.

Just saw this in the news, GWR Class 800's are falling apart...

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-57036247

Got me thinking, though, that they look very very similar to the 22000's.

Some nice side-views here:

https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=253

I wonder if they would make passable repaints?

Does anybody have a similar 22000 schematic for comparison?

Do I recall correctly, that Tara Junction holds a hidden Enterprise set somewhere?

Does the 2600 run?

22 minutes ago, Dempsey said:

I just don't have the same nostalgia towards them as many on here. While i have a 121 and it is a extremely detailed model and have an A class on order the 071 is for me what those youve mentioned are to others. I dont want to buy locomotives I'll get no nostalgic feeling out of and take away from the pool of those that do on a chance that someone might trade

I guess it's a bit of a gamble, but since the €25 IRM Local Link buses are already for sale at €65, with no honesty regarding paintwork finish, Irish stuff being in demand is a surety for the next few years at least.

Even Hattons are now gouging, with second-hand SuperTrain Mk2D's priced at £65 STG each... And selling out in a few hours at that price.

Just now, Dempsey said:

Yeah and they're quickly approaching my budget. 

You'd be better off spending your cash on a few extra A's or 121's, then swapping them for what you want in a year or two, when they themselves go for extortionate prices.

You'll save €€€€€ if you're prepared to do it that way and wait.

1 hour ago, RobertRoche said:

Some IR/IE 071s on eBay at the moment:

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Murphy-Models-Class-071-number-080-orange-and-black-tippex-with-small-IR-logo-/124712522011?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/Murphy-Models-Class-071-number-078-orange-and-black-tippex-with-small-IE-logo-/124712515053?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276

I saw those two this morning. Not as terribly priced as some! But, the bidding will inflate the prices to silly levels.

When you guys relocate manufacturing to the Canarias for the low wages, relative proximity to Ireland, multilingual employees and nice weather when doing your plant visits, I know a guy who'd be great at product testing...

Just now, StevieB said:

It’s that stuff called rain, which falls but occasionally in the Canaries, but when it does, it does.

Stephen

But staying on the ground after falling defies the laws of physics. It should evaporate straight away, apart from the odd exceptional occasion.

2 hours ago, murphaph said:

Slightly off topic but does anyone know why most model buses and other road vehicles tend to be diecast metal whereas most railway stock has plastic bodies, at least in 1/76 scale?

Probably so that when kids bash each others heads in with them, the buses survive.

Metal-bodied railway stock would probably lead to the trains weighing too much for the locos.

17 hours ago, DiveController said:

Agree with all of what you have said, and I’d need that much track also. I have yet to see someone make that much from scratch in 21mm, yet many replies intimating that anything is possible and some modelers are just lazy. Some modelers may just have real jobs and that’s the whole reason for needing something rtr in volume.

I'm in that boat, day job plus voluntary work at nigh.

3D printing, manually soldering fifty million solder balls or whatever, I wouldn't dream of inside the next twenty or thirty years.

To tempt me, it would have to be RTR / PNP. I wouldn't expect a huge range, just the basics to be able to run some trains.

Why is the ground wet?

I think that a far more important question is:

When will we have IRM 47' Flats?????

26 minutes ago, Billycan said:

DJ, The image of the liner is from the IFM website and I take it that it has the red oxide bogies.  Should I have used a different image from the website?  JB mentions that the black bogies are more recent.  Do I need another row in the chart and if so what liveries would apply?

You have the correct red-oxide bogies in the image. The black are only ten or fifteen years old (thanks to JHB for that info elsewhere), so wouldn't have run with the A Class.

I think that where models are concerned, only the IRM spoils have black bogies, but I'm open to correction.

I mentioned it in case you wanted to add a note in the text box in the centre, saying "red bogies only" or something to that effect.

1 hour ago, Noel said:

It would be great to see how Park Royals, Laminates, Bredin's, and Mk3 stock fitted into that useful diagram as well as the different era GSVs.

As per warbonnet's post, the A Class didn't haul the Mk3's.

We don't yet have any of those coaches RTR so they may just clutter the graphic rather than adding utility.

1 hour ago, Billycan said:

Thanks to DJ Dangerous for listing the passenger & freight stock and to Blaine for listing the liveries I've been able put together a page that helps me to relate the A-Class locos to rolling stock.  Some modellers on here might find it helpful too.  Not sure if I've got everything right, so if anyone wants to suggest correction edits I'm happy to make them.

A-Class Liveries.pdf 1.17 MB · 9 downloads

Awesome sauce!

I think that the container liners would only have been the red-oxide-bogie ones, not the black-bogie ones.

Not sure if that's worth noting.

The casting at the front looks a bit rough, and the painted window frames are a little funky, but at that price, you'd be mad not to pick up a handful!

They can easily be angled to show their better features, or sat in the background.

Excellent to accompany those IR livery A Class locos, I imagine?

Thank you for offering them to us!

19 minutes ago, ttc0169 said:

Not a chance....!!!!

Shapeways 201 with a few Mk3 repaints would look awesome!

8 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi @DJ Dangerous,

Interesting list! The Oxford commission idea is a good one but we're more keen to see if there's any merit in doing our own tooling. For those Oxford vehicles you pitched above it would be best to lobby Oxford direct as they are proactive in making Irish outline vehicles as we have seen in the past. 

Cheers!

Fran

As far as I'm concerned, definitely!

The buses that you've run show how well Irish vehicles will sell, and if you're looking at the possibility of mixed plastic like the Brekina's, and diecast chassis or something, the level of detail could be even higher.

Whatever you choose to run, it's likely to sell very well!

Just now, Warbonnet said:

It's an interesting one. Funnily enough after we did our Rail Link commission we were contacted by somebody who robustly communicated that we should not be doing die cast models at all, and to keep away from them. Took us by surprise we must admit but thankfully doesnt seem the consensus when we see how well our City Swift buses went and our foray into retailing vehicles from Oxford and Northcord as accessories for Irish modellers to beat the Brexit heartaches. 

Would you guys like to see us take the plunge into producing our own vehicle models from scratch? (in addition to, not to the detriment of the railway models of course!)

If so, what would you guys like to see? 

Cheers!

Fran

Yes!!!

Hell yes!

There are so many "Irish" type vehicles, from the Hino trucks to the Japanese cars to the Renault 4 vans!

One topic that I had hoped to research properly before posting, and have not yet done so, is IRM Oxford commissions.

What would the chances be of some commissions like this, with current Oxford vehicles commissioned with Irish liveries, either individual vehicles or era-appropriate multi-packs?

For example, An post, Telecom Eireann, Eircom, ESB, Bord Gais etc.

A set of eighties vehicles displaying the logos and designs of several Irish companies, a set of 1990's vehciles, a set of 2000's vehicles, a set of 2010's vehicles, a set of 2020's vehicles and so on.

Also, the Oxford Tayto truck must have another Irish application, even an Irish utilities vehicle, plus their DAF 2800's and 85's?

I haven't done proper research but since you ask, this seems the right time to make the suggestion.

I have some 1:87 Brekina Renault 4 vans but they are just too small alongside the 1:76 vehicles.

Please please please look into the possibility of some Oxford commissions, in the interim while pondering building your own range!

15 minutes ago, burnthebox said:

The “A”’s 

Well guys, I’ll start with best regards to all concerned, but with regards to the aforementioned item, the “A”’s I’ll start here, I no longer wish to hear, or read, any of the following please, please!!!!

“ an update on the A’s,“latest news on the A’s, “some more details on the A’s, “production on the A’s, “schedules for the A’s, “preorders of the A’s, “we’ll be out of lockdown before the A’s, “won’t be long before the A’s, “are they coming by boat or plane, the A’s, “ work continues on the A’s, “the liveries on the A’s, on track with the A’s, so to the powers that be, all I wish to hear or read is, “ There Here, the A’s....please, please.

BTB

You'd better stay off the forum for the next couple of months so!

See you in September.

2 hours ago, Noel said:

Personally for me it would take a 21mm track Point system as good as Peco code 75. Long, medium crossings and curved points. Making up 21mm track even from kit would be torture to get it right and reliable, and we’ve all already learned running reliability and performance matter more than appearance. Derailments went out with super 4 track in the 70s. For hand made or kit made track it would have to have sleeper chairs. Also converting stock would be a nightmare to get reliable running after.

Don't you think that maybe that's like saying fifteen years ago that one would only be tempted into Irish modelling if there were a full selection of locos, coaches and wagons available from the start?

Surely a launch with a handful of products, if such a project were ever to reach the market, would be sufficient for starters?

Flexible track, one medium LH point, one medium RH point, wheelsets for one loco model and wheelsets for IRM wagons...

Five products at launch that would allow a huge amount of modellers make a start.

I have about 60 metres of 16,5mm track that I would sell in in a heartbeat if 21mm were made easy.

One loco, say for example the A Class, and IRM's post-ballast chassis, with pop-in 21mm wheelsets and boom, we're at a level that Irish modellers could only have dreamed of!

A year later, and maybe we'd get 21mm bogies for the Mk2D's and 21mm wheelsets for another class of loco.

11 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

If that stuff was indeed available commercially, I would get some for a mini-layout. At this stage I am too far committed to 00 gauge track and models, with some 20 locos steam and diesel, once my "A"s appear, and maybe 40 - 50 wagons and a dozen carriages. However, I would get one 141 converted and a dozen wagons to do a shunting layout with.

If I was starting from scratch, I might sell the car and go full 21mm. So I suppose the answer to the original question, for me, is yes - if within my budget.

Surely if the conversion was made very easy, ie interchangeable wheelsets for the locos and wagons, and new bogies for the coaches, you'd take the dive?

I'm sure that I read somewhere on here that the MM bogies are not easy to adapt to 21mm, so they'd need plug 'n' play bogies to pop in to tempt me over to the 21mm side.

1 minute ago, jhb171achill said:

Or Doooostin d'tooorkey..........

Only the odd Dustin cameo, any more and it'd be unbearable.

1 minute ago, GSR 800 said:

Sure look, saves us all a few bob finding out which locos are useless.

What we need is a Niall Toibin type doing model Irish loco reviews, going off on occasional tangents telling stories with an aul joke at the end...what was that one about Carrauntoohil and the American..

Could we not have Zig and Zag doing them instead?