Warbonnet

It's been suggested on Twitter that it is an old Douglas Tugmaster, and going off the script on the front grille I reckon they are correct. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, The Oxford Diecast Scania Iziar Coach is now complete, and our stock is currently in transit from our wholesaler to us. We expect the first batch to arrive in stock with us mid next week. Orders will then be processed by time and date order. We have had a huge amount of pre-orders for these so dispatch will take a number of days to complete. Thank you for your patience! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Just a quick note to say that we're delighted to be able to sponsor the Wexford show for the first time and we'll be there with wares for sale and by then we should have an all working ICR sample too! We may even have an small announcement for the show, but we shall see nearer the time! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, We're delighted with the reaction to these so far. They really went down well at the show and it seems on here too. At the show we had a resin print of the cab which we blew up to 8mm ft (I believe!) and painted it up. This acts as a guide for us to ensure the cab curves and contours are correct on the model, and it looks cool too! In other news sales sailed past the 10% mark for the total envisaged run by Saturday night and have been steady ever since. Thank you to everyone who has ordered so far! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Just a short note to say a sincere thank you to everyone who came to see us during the show over the weekend. We are slowly recovering (my voice is still gone a bit!) and apologies if we didn't get to talk to you for too long as we were quite mobbed during parts of the weekend. Also a sincere thanks to the MRSI and the organising team. It's the first Dublin show in three years, and it was missed by all of us, both traders and hobbyists alike. I think the additional attendance is reflective of the growth in the hobby, and indeed in our chats with Paddy Murphy we can see from our own POV that the market has grown. On the flip side, I talked to representatives of a number of clubs and they all reported that membership is down since the pandemic. Some seem to have lost more members than others, but there have been big hits in some cases. It is the clubs who organise and run these shows, on a complete voluntary basis for our enjoyment and as a fundraiser to sustain themselves. I think the job they do, particularly in these strange post-COVID times (less people to help out) has to be commended. As a trader I was there for set up on Friday and clear up on Monday eve, and (I really hope nobody gets offended by this) I saw a lot of weary souls, one or two of them old enough to be my grandfather (and I aint no spring chicken myself). They worked their backsides off, building layouts all year, taking them apart, carrying them up and down stairs, loading vans, transporting them to the venue, setting them up, operating them, taking them apart, then bringing them home. In between that they manned the doors, cleaned up and looked after us traders, exhibitors and the public. I found their efforts hugely inspiring. They do an amazing job and sadly I have seen a couple of people put the boot into them elsewhere (not here!) which must be hugely dispiriting. I think if these shows are to continue (and improve, always room for improvement and constructive criticism) we need our clubs to flourish. No clubs, no shows after all. So, if you can, get involved. I've always found both Dublin and Wexford clubs most welcoming and fun places to be on club nights, where I have had patient members teach me new skills and spread their knowledge. It's also a place to run your trains if you havent a layout at home. It will be the best way to drive the shows forward by getting involved. Cheers! Fran

Hi Kevin, Sincerest apologies, I took a couple of days off after the show, working 15 days on the bounce can be tiring... As we are offering sound fitted models we do not plan to sell sound decoders separately at this time. The distribution of sound is to be finalised once we have a working sample. Cheers! Fran

Still, we got our revenge!

Hi everyone, Thank you to everyone who came by to the stand today to say hello and make purchases. It was incredibly busy, probably the busiest we’ve ever been at the Dublin shows (I never thought the bubble arrival would ever be topped!) but our cheap taras and announcements really went down well. I tried this evening to liberate more dicky Tara’s from the storage unit for tomorrow and Monday but due to the Bank holiday they are now closed till Tuesday. So, all the remaining stock will be on the website for the Black Friday sale. Sorry! Looking forward to seeing more of you all tomorrow! Cheers! Fran

(All photographs copyright of The Wanderer. Do Not Use Without Prior Permission) In 2003, with commuter traffic into Dublin increasing rapidly on the roads and the growth of the intercity commuter sector on the rail network, it was clear that the existing fleet of locomotive hauled Mk2 and Mk3 coach stock in operation with Iarnród Éireann at that point would be unable to provide the capacity for growth, or to provide additional services, and so Iarnród Éireann looked to replace this rolling stock with either Diesel, or Diesel Electric, multiple units. Under the National Development Plan, funding was available under the transport sector, or Transport 21 and Iarnród Éireann’s business case called for an anticipated total of 120 vehicles; to serve routes into Dublin from Limerick, Waterford, Tralee, Galway and Westport. An invitation to tender was processed in 2004, with six companies meeting the criteria and in December that year, the contract was awarded to Mitsui & Co. of Japan, with Hyundai Rotem of Korea designing, constructing and assembling the vehicles which, by the time of delivery, had risen to 234 vehicles over four separate orders. Initially, the Class 22000 Inter City Railcar (ICR) was supplied in four distinct set variants: Units 22001-22006 as 3-car Standard Class, equipped for Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operations. Units 22007-22030 and 22046-22063 as 3-car Standard Class. Units 22031-22040 as 6-car Premier Class (with catering vehicle). Units 22041-22045 as 6-car Standard Class (high density seating). Emphasis was placed on passenger comfort and so the 2+2 seats were designed in ‘airline style’ and were matched to window bays, with a completely revised InterCity silver and green livery marking the stock as vastly different from the preceding Orange and Black era. Disabled and limited mobility access was given priority, along with toilet facilities, and space was given over to wheelchairs, bicycles and limited parcels carriage. Traction was supplied via MTU units. Delivery into Ireland commenced from March 2007, initially into Dublin for loading onto the Alexandra Road railhead and then from early 2008 at Waterford’s deep water port, due to disruption caused by unloading at Dublin. Once unloaded, vehicles were formed into trains and moved to Limerick Works for commissioning and testing by Hyundai and Iarnród Éireann teams, followed by final acceptance trials at Inchicore, with sets typically taking 12 weeks from unloading to entry into passenger service. The only major glitch in the supply chain came during the summer of 2007, when 3-car sets 10 and 11 were found to be riddled through with electrolyte corrosion of the piping and electrical systems, probably due to exposure to phosphorous gas in transit, and were rejected by Iarnród Éireann’s engineers and returned to Korea for replacement. Deliveries of the 234 vehicles was fully completed by 2012; the first units having entered service in December 2007 on the Sligo line and initially the sets were each covering over 200,000km per annum, with reliability exceeding anything on the UK network at that time. As traffic patterns changed, from 2013 over half the fleet were reformed into 4-car and 5-car sets to better match passenger demand on some routes, with cars being removed from some 6-car sets and added to some of the 3-car sets. These transfers were marked by a renumbering programme to the UIC format (although some vehicles still retain their original numbers) and typically, the transferred vehicles carry numbers in the 228xx range. In 2019, an additional 41 vehicles were ordered to increase capacity at peak periods and the first of these new B2 MSO vehicles have now been delivered, arriving on September 7 2022. These new MSOs are intended to be integrated into new 6-car sets, with fleet formations changing again to consist of 21 x 3-car, 20 x 4-car and 22 6-car sets, against the current formations of 3-car, 4-car, 6-car or 7-car sets. The key routes set to benefit from the new sets, due to enter service in the first half of 2023, will be those trains into Dublin from Kildare, Maynooth/M3 Parkway and Dundalk/Drogheda, as well as the longer haul Intercity services. The ICR fleet, being so new at introduction in 2007, required a purpose built maintenance facility and the new €69.5 million state-of-the-art Traincare Depot was constructed at Portlaoise, opening on July 25, 2008. As well as the purpose-built servicing and maintenance roads, fuelling depots and train cleaning facilities, the Depot also houses its own wheel-turning lathe, with vehicles being positioned in the lathe by a remotely controlled battery locomotive. An integral part of the wheel lathe equipment supplied by Sculfort, the company has created the RBL-020-400 Locotractor to position the train above the underfloor wheel lathes; operated from a control panel next to the lathe or from a mobile remote-control set. Portlaoise’s Sculfort RBL-020-400 remote controlled battery locotractor is one of two units supplied by the company, the other being in place at SouthEastern’s Traincare Depot in the United Kingdom at Ashford, in Kent. With a top speed of just 3mph, the Locotractors are ideal vehicles for accurately positioning rolling stock and Portlaoise’s example is named after Tom Lynam, a former driver based at Portlaoise and carries the number 621, a tribute to the former G-Class locomotives that were used for shunting. FACTFILE There are four vehicle types currently available within the 22000 Class: A1 Driving Cars in the 221xx range (designated as DRBFO), with 36 First Class seats, Buffet Counter and Accessibility toilet. A2 Driving Cars in the 222xx range (designated as DMSO), with 66 Standard Class seats and standard toilet. A3 Driving Cars in the 223xx range (designated as DMSO), with 52 Standard Class seats and Accessibility toilet (The A3 DMSO is the only one of the three driving cars to be present in all sets formed). B/B1 Intermediate Cars in the 224xx/225xx/226xx/227xx/228xx range (designated as MSO), with 72 Standard Class seats and standard toilets. The new B2 Intermediate Cars (MSO) have 60 Standard Class seats, with an additional 8 Priority seats and 9 flip-up seats in the cycle storage area, but will lack any toilet facilities. View the full article

Well then, who could've predicted that? Our second powered model for IRM is an everyday sight, stalwart of the passenger services across the country for the last 15 years and our very first railcar model. It is of course, the 220000 Class Rotem ICR railcars! The ICRs have reached all corners of the rail network in Ireland, and also operated on cross-border 'Enterprise' duties to Belfast in their 15 years on our network to date. Originally delivered in 3 and 6 car formats, there has been numerous reshufflings of the fleet since then, with 3, 4, 5 and 6 car sets common sights. Additional cars are even being delivered currently, with the fleet proving to be totally reliable and completely dependable. Check out our history file here to learn more about the interesting lives the ICRs have lived to date. The Model Following on from the success of our A Class, we have been looking to make a pretty big statement in our second powered model. While locomotives, especially diesels, have become well served on the Irish scene, railcars have been a poor relation. So, we felt it was time to take up the mantle and provide a model of the most numerous train which can be seen around the country today. Doing the Rotems justice requires doing it 'the IRM Way', so a wonderful mix of the variations, formation lengths and high quality detail and finish has been built into the models which will find their homes on your layout. As you can see from these images, the detail itself is going to be exquisite. Our friends in Irish Rail have played a pivotal part in this model, giving us access to the fleet at their HQ at Portlaoise Traincare Depot on a number of occasions as we measured up an surveyed the real deals. This has allowed us to create probably the most detailed ever railcar model in OO gauge, with a whole host of features, including: Detail Highly detailed 3, 4 and 6 car railcar sets depicting the life to date of the 220000 class railcars The Driving Cars (DRBFO and DMSO) are supplied with optional extended magnetic front mounted Voith couplings, to allow for authentic multiple set working. The Driving Cars (DRBFO and DMSO) are fitted with poseable front fairings at the front. Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, battery boxes, cabinets and piping applied separately Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) roof detail, handrails, door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents and louvres Prism free flush glazing Fully directional lighting, with full range of lighting options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations. Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors, pick up from one bogie and a reed switch to control on/off via a magnetic wand Separate cab lighting configurations Close coupled gangways, that will be maintained over curves via kinetic couplings Performance Driven car will feature 5-pole skew wound motor with twin flywheels for optimum performance while also maintaining passenger saloon detail, with no blocking of windows by unsightly motor enclosure. Die-cast metal chassis with plastic body. Target weight of 650g for the motorised driving car Wheelbase of 209.97mm, for all vehicles, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track) Metal helical gears fitted for maximum performance and slow speed running. Gearing arranged so drive car can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 100 mph (161 kmh), as a 6-car unit. DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power. Un-motored (or dummy) cars, but retain full lighting features, being DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power. Fully directional lighting, with full range of lighting options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations. Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors, pick up from one bogie and a reed switch to control on/off via a magnetic wand. Separate cab lighting configurations. Operable Central Door Locking (CDL) lights on bodyside. DCC factory fitted sound option available on all variants with ESU Loksound 5 sound decoder Permanently fitted speakers mounted in both types of DMSO and DRBFO. All sounds recorded exclusively for Irish Model Railways by our in-house sound engineer. Delivery and Payment Options So, we know these are going to be a bit special, and laden with features and detail to really give it that 'wow' factor. A model in Irish outline that would be the envy of any continental modeller. The big questions now are; when and how much? Well, one helps with the other. As you can see, we have published CAD renders for the launch. This means that all the CAD design is complete and now tooling is under way. We expect first samples by the Bangor and Wexford shows in April/May 2023, decorated samples this time next year, and modellers will take delivery of these railcars in Q2 2024. We also are aware that the costs of living has gone up in recent times, so we have fought to keep the prices as keen as possible. Remember, this is a price for a complete train, basically a high specification locomotive and some coaches. DC/DCC Ready Sound 3 Car - £299.99 4 Car - £379.99 6 Car - £397.99 DCC Factory Fitted Sound Models 3 Car - £399.99 4 Car - £479.99 6 Car - £599.99 Six car packs also get a free bonus model of the Sculfort locotractor used to shunt the real ICRs around the Portlaoise works (unmotorised). It was cute, so we decided to tool that up too! So, plenty of time to plan our your purchases and it also allows you to make use of our partial.ly and clearpay options, that allow you to spread the cost over easier monthly payments at no extra cost! Just simply add the models to your cart, click on the cart and you will see the options to either spread the cost over 6 months, pay a deposit with the balance when the models came into stock, or up front now to get it out of the way. The partial.ly system can be used on any model that is 6 months or more away from arrival, so perfect for the ICRs. Railcars can be costly, but they are also complete trains bought in one go. So, you need not buy more rolling stock to build a train, they're the full train in one go. To keep the models cost effective, we are unable to offer these to trade as their margin increases the price. Therefore, they will only be available to buy direct via IRM. They will also be made in extremely limited quantities (must less than the A Class) so early ordering is advised. Click here to pre-order your ICR today! View the full article

Is there anything more iconic on Ireland's railways than passenger coaches in orange and black livery? We certainly struggle to think of one, so it was high time we offer a model in such a condition. After much demand, here is our beautiful Mark 2B coaches in orange and black, with IR and IE liveries offered and say hello to our Mark 2C too, following on from our Accurascale BR and NIR Mark 2 line of coaches. History (All prototype photos copyright Mark Hodge. Do not use without express prior permission) Desperate for additional coaching stock, Irish Rail made a deal with scrapper Vic Berry of Leicester in 1990 to swap a number of withdrawn C 201 Class locomotives for ex-British Rail Mk.2s. While CIÉ had famously acquired BREL-built air-conditioned and vacuum-braked Mk.2d vehicles in the early 1970s, the 16 secondhand coaches were a mix of open vehicles and corridor stock and were taken from the earlier batches that were pressure ventilated, while all but the earliest BR-specification coaches were air-brake only. They also operated to a different electrical voltage to the rest of the IR roster, which made them completely incompatible and required the use of three specially modified ‘Dutch’ generator vans, Nos. 4601-4603. Nine members of the fleet were put into service with little modification other than a repaint, including a single Mk.2 SO, three Mk.2a SO and five declassified Mk.2c SO (ex-FO). A further five declassified Corridor Seconds vehicles (ex-FK), two Mk.2a, a Mk.2b and two Mk.2c, were rebuilt at Inchicore Works as Open Seconds (SO) with 2+2 seating, while another pair of Mk.2b SK were even more heavily modified as Buffet Open Seconds. The former were numbered 4101-4114 and the mini-buffets as 4401/4402. They were usually formed in two rakes of between five and eight coaches and could only work with air-braked locomotives, which meant GM Classes 071, 121, 141, 181 and 201. They were initially repainted Intercity livery with orange roofs and put into service on secondary services to Drogheda, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Westport and Waterford. They could also be found deputising on cross-border workings between Dublin and Belfast, sometimes even with NIR motive power. By the late 1990s the classic points logo had been replaced with the later IE branding on each of the four corner doors, while further tweaks included black roofs and the overpainting of the aluminium finish window frames in black as well. Retirement eventually came in the early 2000s as new 29000 Class railcars were delivered. Six vehicles initially made it into preservation, but only four grounded bodies now remain: Nos. 4108, 4110 and 4402 at Moyasta Junction and No. 4106 at Kilmeadean. The Model Building on the tooling platform we first developed for our NIR Mark 2 Enterprise coaches and our BR Mark 2B coaches, the new IRM Mark 2 models imitate reality in repurposing ex BR stock for Irish operations. Naturally, our gauge correct wider B4 bogies will be employed, along with full interior lighting, fully detailed interiors, a wealth of separately applied detail, sprung buffers and bespoke tooling for mini buffets 4401 and 4402. Common Features: Highly-detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 Scale Models on 16.5mm track Extremely fine exterior rivet detail on roof and coach ends Separately-applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic parts, including handrails, brake/steam heat pipes, ETH cabling and sockets, footsteps, dummy drophead knuckle coupler, and roof vents Prism Free Glazing Pre-painted/printed Western Region destination boards and holders plus water filler covers provided for customer to install Fully-detailed underframe with numerous separate parts, pipe runs and accurate differences between versions The most accurate B4 bogie ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (British 18.83mm or Irish 21mm) gauges Blackened RP25.110 profile wheel-sets with 14.4mm back-to-back measurements, and 26mm over pinpoints Different buffers for retracted and non-retracted positions Accurate interiors with characteristic 'winged' headrests, separate metal interior handrails on the brake and corridor vehicles and fully-detailed guard's compartment Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling Easy conversion to Kadee-compatiable knuckle couplers Full lighting package, including; magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches directional lighting with DC or DCC control (Driving Trailer only) Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Coach Length: 269mm Price And Delivery As can be seen, these coaches are already tooled up and have been part of our plans from the outset of our Mark II coach project. With delivery of the NIR coaches due later this year (and completely sold out on pre-order!) it is time to implement the first phase of run 2 with these coaches. A total of eight coaches will be offered in IR livery and eight in later IE livery, sold in sets of four coach "rake builder" packs allowing us to give you greater value per coach. Each pack will be priced at €269.99 each. Delivery is slated for Q4 2023 and as ever, demand is expected to be high! So, plenty of time to plan our your purchases and it also allows you to make use of our partial.ly and clearpay options, that allow you to spread the cost over easier monthly payments at no extra cost! Just simply add the models to your cart, click on the cart and you will see the options to either spread the cost over 6 months, pay a deposit with the balance when the models came into stock, or up front now to get it out of the way. The partial.ly system can be used on any model that is 6 months or more away from arrival, so perfect for the Mark 2s. Pre-order yours by clicking here! View the full article

Well then, who could've predicted that? Our second powered model for IRM is an everyday sight, stalwart of the passenger services across the country for the last 15 years and our very first railcar model. It is of course, the 220000 Class Rotem ICR railcars! Prototype History The ICRs have reached all corners of the rail network in Ireland, and also operated on cross-border 'Enterprise' duties to Belfast in their 15 years on our network to date. Originally delivered in 3 and 6 car formats, there has been numerous reshufflings of the fleet since then, with 3, 4, 5 and 6 car sets common sights. Additional cars are even being delivered currently, with the fleet proving to be totally reliable and completely dependable. Check out our history file here to learn more about the interesting lives the ICRs have lived to date. The Model Following on from the success of our A Class, we have been looking to make a pretty big statement in our second powered model. While locomotives, especially diesels, have become well served on the Irish scene, railcars have been a poor relation. So, we felt it was time to take up the mantle and provide a model of the most numerous train which can be seen around the country today. Doing the Rotems justice requires doing it 'the IRM Way', so a wonderful mix of the variations, formation lengths and high quality detail and finish has been built into the models which will find their homes on your layout. As you can see from these images, the detail itself is going to be exquisite. Our friends in Irish Rail have played a pivotal part in this model, giving us access to the fleet at their HQ at Portlaoise Traincare Depot on a number of occasions as we measured up an surveyed the real deals. This has allowed us to create probably the most detailed ever railcar model in OO gauge, with a whole host of features, including: Detail Highly detailed 3, 4 and 6 car railcar sets depicting the life to date of the 220000 class railcars The Driving Cars (DRBFO and DMSO) are supplied with optional extended magnetic front mounted Voith couplings, to allow for authentic multiple set working. The Driving Cars (DRBFO and DMSO) are fitted with poseable front fairings at the front. Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, battery boxes, cabinets and piping applied separately Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) roof detail, handrails, door handles, lamp brackets, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, vents and louvres Prism free flush glazing Fully directional lighting, with full range of lighting options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations. Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors, pick up from one bogie and a reed switch to control on/off via a magnetic wand Separate cab lighting configurations Close coupled gangways, that will be maintained over curves via kinetic couplings Performance Driven car will feature 5-pole skew wound motor with twin flywheels for optimum performance while also maintaining passenger saloon detail, with no blocking of windows by unsightly motor enclosure. Die-cast metal chassis with plastic body. Target weight of 650g for the motorised driving car Wheelbase of 209.97mm, for all vehicles, allowing operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track) Metal helical gears fitted for maximum performance and slow speed running. Gearing arranged so drive car can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 100 mph (161 kmh), as a 6-car unit. DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power. Un-motored (or dummy) cars, but retain full lighting features, being DCC ready with PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power. Fully directional lighting, with full range of lighting options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations. Full passenger interior lighting in all vehicles, set at correct colour temperature, with hidden stay-alive capacitors, pick up from one bogie and a reed switch to control on/off via a magnetic wand. Separate cab lighting configurations. Operable Central Door Locking (CDL) lights on bodyside. DCC factory fitted sound option available on all variants with ESU Loksound 5 sound decoder Permanently fitted speakers mounted in both types of DMSO and DRBFO. All sounds recorded exclusively for Irish Model Railways by our in-house sound engineer. Delivery and Payment Options So, we know these are going to be a bit special, and laden with features and detail to really give it that 'wow' factor. A model in Irish outline that would be the envy of any continental modeller. The big questions now are; when and how much? Well, one helps with the other. As you can see, we have published CAD renders for the launch. This means that all the CAD design is complete and now tooling is under way. We expect first samples by the Bangor and Wexford shows in April/May 2023, decorated samples this time next year, and modellers will take delivery of these railcars in Q2 2024. We also are aware that the costs of living has gone up in recent times, so we have fought to keep the prices as keen as possible. Remember, this is a price for a complete train, basically a high specification locomotive and some coaches. DC/DCC Ready Sound 3 Car - €349.99 4 Car - €429.99 6 Car - €579.99 DCC Factory Fitted Sound Models 3 Car - €472.99 4 Car - €552.99 6 Car - €702.99 Six car packs also get a free bonus model of the Sculfort locotractor used to shunt the real ICRs around the Portlaoise works (unmotorised). It was cute, so we decided to tool that up too! So, plenty of time to plan our your purchases and it also allows you to make use of our partial.ly and clearpay options, that allow you to spread the cost over easier monthly payments at no extra cost! Just simply add the models to your cart, click on the cart and you will see the options to either spread the cost over 6 months, pay a deposit with the balance when the models came into stock, or up front now to get it out of the way. The partial.ly system can be used on any model that is 6 months or more away from arrival, so perfect for the ICRs. Railcars can be costly, but they are also complete trains bought in one go. So, you need not buy more rolling stock to build a train, they're the full train in one go. To keep the models cost effective, we are unable to offer these to trade as their margin increases the price. Therefore, they will only be available to buy direct via IRM. They will also be made in extremely limited quantities (must less than the A Class) so early ordering is advised. Click here to place your pre-order today View the full article

Is there anything more iconic on Ireland's railways than passenger coaches in orange and black livery? We certainly struggle to think of one, so it was high time we offer a model in such a condition. After much demand, here is our beautiful Mark 2B coaches in orange and black, with IR and IE liveries offered and say hello to our Mark 2C too, following on from our Accurascale BR and NIR Mark 2 line of coaches. History (All prototype photos copyright Mark Hodge. Do not use without express prior permission) Desperate for additional coaching stock, Irish Rail made a deal with scrapper Vic Berry of Leicester in 1990 to swap a number of withdrawn C 201 Class locomotives for ex-British Rail Mk.2s. While CIÉ had famously acquired BREL-built air-conditioned and vacuum-braked Mk.2d vehicles in the early 1970s, the 16 secondhand coaches were a mix of open vehicles and corridor stock and were taken from the earlier batches that were pressure ventilated, while all but the earliest BR-specification coaches were air-brake only. They also operated to a different electrical voltage to the rest of the IR roster, which made them completely incompatible and required the use of three specially modified ‘Dutch’ generator vans, Nos. 4601-4603. Nine members of the fleet were put into service with little modification other than a repaint, including a single Mk.2 SO, three Mk.2a SO and five declassified Mk.2c SO (ex-FO). A further five declassified Corridor Seconds vehicles (ex-FK), two Mk.2a, a Mk.2b and two Mk.2c, were rebuilt at Inchicore Works as Open Seconds (SO) with 2+2 seating, while another pair of Mk.2b SK were even more heavily modified as Buffet Open Seconds. The former were numbered 4101-4114 and the mini-buffets as 4401/4402. They were usually formed in two rakes of between five and eight coaches and could only work with air-braked locomotives, which meant GM Classes 071, 121, 141, 181 and 201. They were initially repainted Intercity livery with orange roofs and put into service on secondary services to Drogheda, Galway, Limerick, Tralee, Westport and Waterford. They could also be found deputising on cross-border workings between Dublin and Belfast, sometimes even with NIR motive power. By the late 1990s the classic points logo had been replaced with the later IE branding on each of the four corner doors, while further tweaks included black roofs and the overpainting of the aluminium finish window frames in black as well. Retirement eventually came in the early 2000s as new 29000 Class railcars were delivered. Six vehicles initially made it into preservation, but only four grounded bodies now remain: Nos. 4108, 4110 and 4402 at Moyasta Junction and No. 4106 at Kilmeadean. The Model Building on the tooling platform we first developed for our NIR Mark 2 Enterprise coaches and our BR Mark 2B coaches, the new IRM Mark 2 models imitate reality in repurposing ex BR stock for Irish operations. Naturally, our gauge correct wider B4 bogies will be employed, along with full interior lighting, fully detailed interiors, a wealth of separately applied detail, sprung buffers and bespoke tooling for mini buffets 4401 and 4402. Common Features: Highly-detailed OO Gauge / 1:76.2 Scale Models on 16.5mm track Extremely fine exterior rivet detail on roof and coach ends Separately-applied etched metal and high-fidelity plastic parts, including handrails, brake/steam heat pipes, ETH cabling and sockets, footsteps, dummy drophead knuckle coupler, and roof vents Prism Free Glazing Pre-painted/printed Western Region destination boards and holders plus water filler covers provided for customer to install Fully-detailed underframe with numerous separate parts, pipe runs and accurate differences between versions The most accurate B4 bogie ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (British 18.83mm or Irish 21mm) gauges Blackened RP25.110 profile wheel-sets with 14.4mm back-to-back measurements, and 26mm over pinpoints Different buffers for retracted and non-retracted positions Accurate interiors with characteristic 'winged' headrests, separate metal interior handrails on the brake and corridor vehicles and fully-detailed guard's compartment Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling Easy conversion to Kadee-compatiable knuckle couplers Full lighting package, including; magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches directional lighting with DC or DCC control (Driving Trailer only) Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Coach Length: 269mm Price And Delivery As can be seen, these coaches are already tooled up and have been part of our plans from the outset of our Mark II coach project. With delivery of the NIR coaches due later this year (and completely sold out on pre-order!) it is time to implement the first phase of run 2 with these coaches. A total of eight coaches will be offered in IR livery and eight in later IE livery, sold in sets of four coach "rake builder" packs allowing us to give you greater value per coach. Each pack will be priced at €269.99 each. Delivery is slated for Q4 2023 and as ever, demand is expected to be high! So, plenty of time to plan our your purchases and it also allows you to make use of our partial.ly and clearpay options, that allow you to spread the cost over easier monthly payments at no extra cost! Just simply add the models to your cart, click on the cart and you will see the options to either spread the cost over 6 months, pay a deposit with the balance when the models came into stock, or up front now to get it out of the way. The partial.ly system can be used on any model that is 6 months or more away from arrival, so perfect for the Mark 2s. Pre-order yours by clicking here! View the full article

(All photographs copyright of The Wanderer. Do Not Use Without Prior Permission) In 2003, with commuter traffic into Dublin increasing rapidly on the roads and the growth of the intercity commuter sector on the rail network, it was clear that the existing fleet of locomotive hauled Mk2 and Mk3 coach stock in operation with Iarnród Éireann at that point would be unable to provide the capacity for growth, or to provide additional services, and so Iarnród Éireann looked to replace this rolling stock with either Diesel, or Diesel Electric, multiple units. Under the National Development Plan, funding was available under the transport sector, or Transport 21 and Iarnród Éireann’s business case called for an anticipated total of 120 vehicles; to serve routes into Dublin from Limerick, Waterford, Tralee, Galway and Westport. An invitation to tender was processed in 2004, with six companies meeting the criteria and in December that year, the contract was awarded to Mitsui & Co. of Japan, with Hyundai Rotem of Korea designing, constructing and assembling the vehicles which, by the time of delivery, had risen to 234 vehicles over four separate orders. Initially, the Class 22000 Inter City Railcar (ICR) was supplied in four distinct set variants: Units 22001-22006 as 3-car Standard Class, equipped for Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) operations. Units 22007-22030 and 22046-22063 as 3-car Standard Class. Units 22031-22040 as 6-car Premier Class (with catering vehicle). Units 22041-22045 as 6-car Standard Class (high density seating). Emphasis was placed on passenger comfort and so the 2+2 seats were designed in ‘airline style’ and were matched to window bays, with a completely revised InterCity silver and green livery marking the stock as vastly different from the preceding Orange and Black era. Disabled and limited mobility access was given priority, along with toilet facilities, and space was given over to wheelchairs, bicycles and limited parcels carriage. Traction was supplied via MTU units. Delivery into Ireland commenced from March 2007, initially into Dublin for loading onto the Alexandra Road railhead and then from early 2008 at Waterford’s deep water port, due to disruption caused by unloading at Dublin. Once unloaded, vehicles were formed into trains and moved to Limerick Works for commissioning and testing by Hyundai and Iarnród Éireann teams, followed by final acceptance trials at Inchicore, with sets typically taking 12 weeks from unloading to entry into passenger service. The only major glitch in the supply chain came during the summer of 2007, when 3-car sets 10 and 11 were found to be riddled through with electrolyte corrosion of the piping and electrical systems, probably due to exposure to phosphorous gas in transit, and were rejected by Iarnród Éireann’s engineers and returned to Korea for replacement. Deliveries of the 234 vehicles was fully completed by 2012; the first units having entered service in December 2007 on the Sligo line and initially the sets were each covering over 200,000km per annum, with reliability exceeding anything on the UK network at that time. As traffic patterns changed, from 2013 over half the fleet were reformed into 4-car and 5-car sets to better match passenger demand on some routes, with cars being removed from some 6-car sets and added to some of the 3-car sets. These transfers were marked by a renumbering programme to the UIC format (although some vehicles still retain their original numbers) and typically, the transferred vehicles carry numbers in the 228xx range. In 2019, an additional 41 vehicles were ordered to increase capacity at peak periods and the first of these new B2 MSO vehicles have now been delivered, arriving on September 7 2022. These new MSOs are intended to be integrated into new 6-car sets, with fleet formations changing again to consist of 21 x 3-car, 20 x 4-car and 22 6-car sets, against the current formations of 3-car, 4-car, 6-car or 7-car sets. The key routes set to benefit from the new sets, due to enter service in the first half of 2023, will be those trains into Dublin from Kildare, Maynooth/M3 Parkway and Dundalk/Drogheda, as well as the longer haul Intercity services. The ICR fleet, being so new at introduction in 2007, required a purpose built maintenance facility and the new €69.5 million state-of-the-art Traincare Depot was constructed at Portlaoise, opening on July 25, 2008. As well as the purpose-built servicing and maintenance roads, fuelling depots and train cleaning facilities, the Depot also houses its own wheel-turning lathe, with vehicles being positioned in the lathe by a remotely controlled battery locomotive. An integral part of the wheel lathe equipment supplied by Sculfort, the company has created the RBL-020-400 Locotractor to position the train above the underfloor wheel lathes; operated from a control panel next to the lathe or from a mobile remote-control set. Portlaoise’s Sculfort RBL-020-400 remote controlled battery locotractor is one of two units supplied by the company, the other being in place at SouthEastern’s Traincare Depot in the United Kingdom at Ashford, in Kent. With a top speed of just 3mph, the Locotractors are ideal vehicles for accurately positioning rolling stock and Portlaoise’s example is named after Tom Lynam, a former driver based at Portlaoise and carries the number 621, a tribute to the former G-Class locomotives that were used for shunting. FACTFILE There are four vehicle types currently available within the 22000 Class: A1 Driving Cars in the 221xx range (designated as DRBFO), with 36 First Class seats, Buffet Counter and Accessibility toilet. A2 Driving Cars in the 222xx range (designated as DMSO), with 66 Standard Class seats and standard toilet. A3 Driving Cars in the 223xx range (designated as DMSO), with 52 Standard Class seats and Accessibility toilet (The A3 DMSO is the only one of the three driving cars to be present in all sets formed). B/B1 Intermediate Cars in the 224xx/225xx/226xx/227xx/228xx range (designated as MSO), with 72 Standard Class seats and standard toilets. The new B2 Intermediate Cars (MSO) have 60 Standard Class seats, with an additional 8 Priority seats and 9 flip-up seats in the cycle storage area, but will lack any toilet facilities. View the full article

Hi everyone, Absolutely dreadful news as I was looking forward to catching up with Chris on a personal level too. If anyone is looking for some British outline goodies we will have some Accurascale items for sale over the weekend along with our IRM fare. Cheers! Fran

Hi Flying Snail, Many thanks for pointing this out. We must remind Hattons that they are not an IRM retailer. Cheers! Fran

2 completely new tooling announcements this weekend

There will be, we're not bringing the lot to Raheny, just some. Rest go on sale on the website for Black Friday next month. Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Announcement no 2 (of 4!) Cheers! Fran

Who doesn't love a bargain? And in these times of uncertainty in the wider world we need to consider value for money. We've always worked tirelessly to bring you the very best models for the best possible value for money. However, in this case we have really gone above and beyond. Exceptional value, you might say! How about a brand new, never run model at a whopping 75% off the RRP? This is available with 5 different packs with 10 different running numbers. It's Irish outline, fully detailed, and works perfectly. Let's welcome to our 'Dicky Taras', our Tara Mines twin pack wagons for just €20 a box! "Listen, there is a catch right? That's crazy value!" you are probably muttering to yourself. Don't be so suspicious! Well, yes. A slight one. Gather around and we'll tell you a story... Okay. Fádo, fádo, we were working on our first run of Tara Mines wagons. During development it was noted that the pre-production model was incorrect. The bodyside strakes did not extend down the full length of the wagons. Now, here's what it should look like... Exquisite! What our sample looked like... Right! As you can see, they stop too short of the wagon. In other words, our first run of wagons was manufactured both correctly and incorrectly. Initially the factory used the incorrect tooling, and we ended up with a batch of Taras with the incorrect bodysides. This was then corrected with the correct tooling and customers received a truly excellent model that was spot on. Corrected and delivered, they sold out in no time. But, what about these 'dicky' Taras as we christened them? Well, they have sat in a dark corner of a warehouse for many, many years, guarded by 'Top Men'. However, it seems silly keeping them locked away, when they too could be enjoyed by modellers who are not overly bothered with this blemish. So, we will be offering them for sale, strictly 'sold as seen' at the Dublin show this weekend for a mere €20 a twin pack. That's just €10 per wagon. A highly detailed, beautifully finished wagon that is Irish outline. Yes, the strakes are not long enough, but you cant argue that it's an incredible bargain. Insane bargain, right!?! Limited stock will be available at the Dublin Show this weekend only. But, if you cant make the show and can only shop online, then don't worry! We will have them listed on our website for the same price for our Black Friday sale in November. If we have any after that they will be sold at shows and the odd flash sale only till they're gone. Each box will be stamped 'Reject' so they can not be passed off as original stock either as they have the same running number and barcode as our first run of Tara mines wagons in red oxide livery. Strike while the iron is hot this weekend and bag yours as IRM brings you the true bargain of the model railway world. View the full article

Announcement one is now live: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/blogs/announcements/quali-tea-liners-our-container-flats-are-back-with-new-liveries Cheers! Fran

We're gearing up for the first three day Dublin show since 2019, and here is the first of several(!) IRM announcements this week! It is, of course, the return of our container liners in loaded and unloaded form. PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDER BY CLICKING HERE! Our first run of container lines spearheaded the release of our "Project 42" range, and famously sold out completely on pre-order before the wagons actually arrived in stock. We have now returned them to the range, with both twin packs loaded with our CIE 20ft containers in CIE livery, faded CIE livery with Harp Larger lettering, and the iconic Lyons Tea liveries. Also in the range is a triple pack of empty flats in CIE/IR livery, with spigots included so you can put on either one 40 ft container, or two 20ft containers per wagon. We will also have CIE containers available separately once again or they will also work with CRail containers. Leading our own charge against the cost of living crisis, we have held the price on these wagons, with the twin packs with containers at €99.95 each, and the triple unladen pack also is €99.95. Our usual bundle discount of 10% when you buy two packs or more also applies as well as free postage and packaging to Ireland and the UK. The twin container accessory packs are priced at €12.95 each. These wagons are complete and already on their way from China. We hope to have a small quantity available at the 3 day show this weekend, but it is likely that they will arrive in stock next week instead. These have been made in very limited quantities so early pre-ordering is advised. Make sure you don't miss out, place your pre-order here. View the full article

Oh the stories we could tell about this whole saga! It's been bubbling along for over 5 years now. There will be a good book in it one day...

Hi everyone, 1st announcement of the week is tomorrow at high noon! It could be the first of FOUR announcements this week, but certainly 3! The fourth is something we're looking to include and its value in particular will blow you guys away. Anyway, roll on tomorrow! Cheers! Fran

Everyone is talking about our Class 37s as they get closer and closer to delivery. They have been far and away the biggest project we have embarked upon to date, covering a myriad of variations and detail differences and offering modellers plenty of Type 3s previously unavailable in model form. You have followed us on our journey through development, delayed by COVID and the fall outs it has created in global supply chain issues. You have also seen delivery of our lovely Deltics earlier this year and the popularity they endured, selling out in record time from delivery. With so much tech and value packed into our locos, it's easy to understand why they are so popular when coupled to our competitive pricing. We even took part in some last-minute cosmetic enhancement, spurred on the constructive feedback from modellers on the position and size of our Scottish 'car' headlight on our decorated samples, we have resized and repositioned it to its correct spot and size as per below. With lessons learned from the Deltic (oh the chains, the chains of it all!) we have improved the design of these on our tractors (and will be improved on the next run of 55s) and incorporated other tweaks based on customer feedback from our first Accura loco. We have also pushed boundaries forwards, including new features into the design of our 37s to drive standards even further into the future. For instance, the 37s will be the first UK outline OO gauge locomotive to have hall sensors, triggering flange squeal on DCC sound fitted locomotives automatically when entering a curve (which can be turned off completely via DCC should one wish to do so!) They also have a mindboggling amount of lighting configurations, from the early days of BR diesels with headcode boxes, through to plated over headcodes, car headlights and wipacs on our Class 37/6s, each with their own functional configuration and features such as day, night and depot models where appropriate, all controllable via DCC. With features like this, our Class 37 will be the most technically advanced locomotive on the OO market to date. Driving these features requires the use of integrated chips (IC) which are still feeling the effects of global shortage. Recently global brands such as Apple, Volkswagen and Toyota have all reported production issues relating to lack of supply of ICs. Unfortunately, it is something that has hampered us too. Our Class 37 was developed at a time before a world of IC shortages. However, we were unable to foresee the turmoil in the electrical component market and have had to bid against some very large blue chip companies to secure our supply. It was also too far into development to leave such components out. However, there is good news! We have secured all the ICs we need for the Class 37 production run, from modern Class 37/4 and Scottish car headlight, all the way through the Class 37/6 and the original five production variants in green and blue, covering our first run entirely. So, our full production run of new Class 37 locomotives will be the most advanced, impressive locomotives on the market, all for that realistic price. The securing of the chips has taken longer than anticipated, with originally a one week waiting time for the quantities we required becoming one year almost overnight. Thankfully we able to source the required ICs via alternate means but the delay has impacted our envisaged delivery times and halted production. This has come at an increased cost to us in production but it is a cost we simply refuse to pass onto our customers. These alternate chips required further testing to ensure they would work correctly which has further eaten into our production time. We are delighted to say that this work is complete and the PCBs are offering the market leading functions we wish it to. Our current production status for our Class 37s is run one is at printing stage ahead of final assembly, with the ICs currently being flashed with the required software. To accelerate production, we have requested the factory operate a night shift to speed up this process. We had hoped to deliver this batch of locomotives this month, but as you can gather, that is now unrealistic. We have now an updated delivery date for all three batches that are as follows; Batch One: January 2023 Batch Two: March 2023 Batch Three: April 2023 We apologise for this delay, but we are sure you appreciate that it is something we have tried to mitigate as much as possible and as a small brand in a land of global giants and household names we have fought hard to secure the supply we need to fulfill our Class 37s and ensure that they will be the very best, realistic model at a realistic price. The further good news is that we have secured sufficient supply for run 2 too, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime check out your local Accurascale stockist to pre-order your Accurascale Class 37 today. Very limited stocks remaining! View the full article