Warbonnet

(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

Nope, one out of the three will be, the other two will arrive next year. There will be one in production form, one in handpainted decorated form and the third will be CAD renders but in tooling as we speak. Cheers! Fran

Hi Gareth, Sorry, completely missed this. Brown is indeed correct. In other news the Fert run is 75% sold on pre-order, so not many left. We're trying to get them here in time for the 3 day show, but it's touch and go. However, if you want to buy some, we recommend you get your order in online ASAP. https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/cie-bogie-fertiliser-wagon/availability_pre-order? Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Some good guesses so far, but just to clarify; all these announcements are railway related, so no buses or other vehicles. It's the only clue you are getting though! Cheers! Fran

Yes we'll be there with the Accurascale stand with IRM goodies and info! Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, The Dublin show is back! After a period away due to COVID, the biggest show on the Irish calendar is back this October Bank Holiday Weekend at St. Paul's Raheny. We're delighted to be main show sponsor once again. Lot's of layouts to see and of course we will be on hand with lots of shiny models for sale including A Class locos, wagons, buses and who knows what else. We will even have a show special bargain (serious bargain that will blow your minds!) on sale. And of course, there will be excitement too, with THREE new models being announced between now and the show (two at the show itself, one beforehand) including our next powered model! So make sure you get yourself to Raheny and find out the latest news, pick up a bargain and some lovely IRM models. See you there! Cheers! Fran

Our second of our two GETS announcements is the modern FNA-D nuclear flask wagons in OO/4mm gauge. The first engineering prototype (EP) sample has been received and is on show on our stand at the ‘Great Electric Train Show’ at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes this weekend. Pre-order yours by clicking here! Prototype History NA 11 70 9229 011-5 and 11 70 9229 025-5 Parton North Jn 15 May 2021 - Copyright Dave McAlone A total of forty of these striking vehicles were built in three batches for the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) by WH Davis in the UK between 2014 and 2019, numbered 11 70 9229 001-040. They are used for carrying spent fuel from nuclear power stations and sites undergoing decommissioning to the facility at Sellafield for reprocessing or storage. The FNA-D continues Accurascale's popular and well-regarded range of nuclear vehicles that includes the KUA bogie flask carrier and the PFA two-axle container flat. The wagons, which also carry the UIC code ‘Uas’ are a like-for-like replacement for the iconic fleet of BR and Procor-built FNA nuclear flask wagons that were built between 1976 and 1988, now all scrapped. The major updates are bodysides with exposed framing and the distinctive Barber BER22.5 ‘Easy Ride’ low track force bogies. Internally the vessel support structures are designed to carry a wider range of flask designs. Accurascale has obsessively replicated these characteristic features in the smaller scale with a composite die-cast and plastic design that includes full underframe detail and brake equipment. Despite the number of working nuclear power stations shrinking dramatically since the turn of the millennium, the FNA-D wagons can still be seen over much of the UK, usually between one and five wagons behind a pair of Direct Rail Services (DRS) locomotives. These operational sites are Hartlepool, Heysham 1 & 2, Torness and Sizewell B. However, three closed locations are undergoing the de-fuelling process and shipping irradiated fuel rods to Sellafield: Dungeness B, Hinkley Point B and Hunterston B. Meanwhile, Valley loading point, for the former Wylfa facility on Anglesey, completed this process in 2019, but still sees irregular visits by flask trains, as does Georgemas Junction, which serves the experimental reactors at Dounreay. The Model The latest addition to our very popular “Powering Britain” range of freight stock which focuses on energising a nation, the FNA also compliments our growing nuclear wagon range. They follow in the footsteps of the monster KUA wagons and the recent arrivals of the quirky low level nuclear waste PFA wagons featuring an array of interesting containers. With these growing ranges in mind, the FNA-D has been on our ‘hit list’ for a long time, as we look to continue to serve the enthusiasts and modellers of the current era railway operations with prototypically short trains. After all, short trains are perfect for those modellers with space restrictions. A model of these wagons is essential for our range. Working closely with WH Davis, the manufacturer of the real FNA-Ds, we were given extensive access to drawings as well as the opportunity to survey the real wagons in the quest to create the most accurate model of these distinctive prototypes. Once again accuracy, detail and build quality are at the top of our priorities and the FNA-D will feature a high specification including: Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius) Weight 133g Ten individually numbered wagons packaged in two-car sets Bogies include separate brakeshoes in line with wheels and brake adjuster plus rotating axleboxes RP25-110 profile OO gauge wheels with space to fit EM (18.2mm) or P4 (18.83mm) wheels Sprung buffers and dummy screw couplings are included Super fine separate plastic, metal wire and etched metal detail parts, including air pipes, brake handwheel, hood opening equipment, brake equipment, grabs, warning label holders Kinetic NEM coupler mounts at correct height with mini-tension-lock couplers Working tail light on one vehicle in each pack. This will be powered by a single CR1216 battery and controlled by magnet switch Bogies include separate brakeshoes in line with wheels and brake adjuster plus rotating axleboxes Posable and removable hood for operational interest Tooling is complete with the first samples now in hand for evaluation, having been revealed at the ‘Great Electric Train Show’ at Milton Keynes. Each twin pack is priced at £74.95 with 10% off when you buy two packs or more direct via our website. Pre-ordering is now open via local stockists and Accurascale direct, with an anticipated delivery date of Q3 2023. Grab yours on pre-order right now by clicking here! View the full article

Can you believe that we have not announced an all-new wagon tooling at all during 2022? With us all caught up on our wagons ranges (just the last of the MGR wagons and MHAs to deliver, and they're now in transit from the factory) we have completely caught up on our outstanding wagon projects. So, for GETS 2022 we have decided to announce two more all new wagon projects that we have had bubbling away for a while... First up, the Southern Railway Diagram D1478 and D1479 Banana Vans in OO/4mm scale. We've been asked time and again for more "Big Four" rolling stock, and well, it's about time we went bananas! Pre-Order Your Vans By Clicking Here! History Now a commonplace sight in grocers and supermarkets across the nation, in 2020, the importation of Bananas amounted to trade worth $582M, making the United Kingdom the 7th largest importer of Bananas in the world, with imports coming primarily from Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador and Belize. Once considered a luxury, by the 1930s the importation of the fruit from the Caribbean had become huge business, necessitating a new approach to transporting this fragile and perishable fruit. Bananas were first imported in quantity into Britain by Edward Fyffe in 1901, being picked while still green and unripe, before being transported by sea in ships with insulated and refrigerated holds in shipments of around 4000 bunches. A bunch could contain anything between 40 and 100 bananas and the bunches of most varieties had to be straw packed in returnable wooden crates, although the tougher varieties from Jamaica could be carried loose. The infrastructure for handling the import of banana traffic was extensive and the ports at Avonmouth, Hull, Garston, Barry Docks, Preston and Southampton invested heavily in facilities for handling the fruit, including the facilities for onward transport by rail to the ripening sheds inland. Specialised vans for the transport of bananas were operated by the Great Western Railway, the London & North Eastern Railway and the London, Midland, Scottish Railway, as the fruit required special handling, heating and ventilating conditions during its transport and so the wagons were insulated, fitted with steam heating pipes and, in some cases, equipped with adjustable ventilation to allow the ripening process to continue en-route. Southampton had handled banana traffic since pre-grouping days, using London & South Western Railway stock, but when Elders & Fyffes moved their handling operations from Hull to Southampton in 1933, the Southern Railway needed to increase their fleet of vans substantially. By 1935 the SR had built its own fleet of 200 vans to Diagram 1478, the first to use the new Rail Clearing House 10’ wheelbase underframe and combined with the hired in LNER vehicles, the new fleet met the demands placed upon it. When fire destroyed a number of the LNER’s fleet and Fyffes moved their operation to the Royal Albert Docks, leading to the LNER having to recall their remaining vehicles, the SR needed to expand the fleet again and this was achieved by amending an existing order for D1458 ordinary covered vans; the bodies being modified and fitted to the same 10’ underframes as the existing stock and in total, 125 vehicles were built in this manner, the SR issuing a new diagram number of 1479 for these new Banana Vans. Both types entered traffic in the SR’s Stone livery with Venetian red lettering, albeit with a slight difference in that the D1478 vehicles carried large SR lettering until 1936, before the SR switched to small lettered branding, which is how the D1479 vehicles entered traffic. In November 1940 the British banana trade was suspended, the Ministry of Food prioritising the movement and importation of citrus fruits and so many of the SR’s Banana Vans were re-purposed for the transportation of meat and branded accordingly, however there must have been some transportation of bananas, as in March 1941 an amendment of the painting diagram showed a wartime livery of Red Oxide, with Lemon lettering and a 1’ 6" green band added to each corner, specifically to indicate use for banana traffic. Post-war, and under nationalisation as British Railways, the vans were re-liveried in BR Bauxite and as banana traffic continued into the 1950s, branded gummed labels for Fyffes and Geest became ever more prevalent, fixed to the sides of the vans. It was during this period that imports from the Windward Islands increased, and with the islands of Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia and St. Vincent being closer to the UK than Jamaica, the nature of banana imports began to change with conditions necessitating a change in how the fruit was transported. Ripening the fruit became less of an issue, which negated the need for using steam, as increased insulation was all that was needed. The former SR Banana Vans did not carry ventilators, unlike the vans from the other regions which, by 1954, were being removed or sealed, but the legend ‘steam’ was removed from the wagon sides and from 1956 the steam controls on individual vehicles began to be removed and the insulation increased, although the steam pipes were retained for the time being. Between 1961 and 1963, the increase in insulation resulted in the addition of a yellow circle to the van sides and by the end of 1963 all steam pipes had been removed permanently from the banana vans, but by now the use of rail for distribution was rapidly declining and many of the vans were taken out of traffic by 1968. Those vans that remained in service found use in BR Departmental service, mainly being used as Fitted Heads and classified as Tadpole. Most conversions dated from the 1967/68 period, as numbers of the ex-SR and early BR vans became redundant and originated mostly from the very large fleet that served the Geest Import Terminal at Barry Docks. Most were based at Llantrisant and Swansea, their main use occurring on the iron ore workings from British Steel Corporation’s Llanharry Mine and the Limestone workings from Creigiau to East Moors Steelworks in Cardiff, via Pengam. A common sight around the yard at Llantrisant, it was from there that they were added to the trains, while the Swansea vans worked out of Jersey Marine Yard by 1974 and were used on the Limestone workings from Craig-y-Nos to Llanwern and were added at Jersey Marine for the run up the South Wales Main Line. The vans started off with DS and DB suffixes and from 1974 were noted as TDS and TDB, and then by their TOPS code of RBV. A few examples never gained the D prefix, although most seemed to carry Circuit markings along with a very small branding and the last example of the ex-SR Banana Vans was withdrawn around 1978, leaving no examples preserved. This range of SR Banana vans, completely new to the RTR 00 market, mark a significant milestone in the development of the Southern’s use of the RCH 10’ chassis and the ongoing use of Lynes’ van body arrangement with its distinctive roof outline. The Models Approaching the SR Banana vans, a much missing link in ready-to-run wagons from this period, required doing things ‘The Accurascale Way’. Therefore, both diagrams D1478 and D1479 were selected with differing bodies catered for in the range, with early and late versions of both. The chassis and running gear are of a common design across both diagrams, however the bodies differ in profile and width. To ensure reliable running, a die-cast metal chassis has been implemented, giving excellent weight and sure-footedness of running. With a scale wheelbase of 40mm, operation over a minimum radius of 371mm (1st radius set-track) is easily achieved. Further differences across the range include no fewer than three different styles of wheel design catered for; split spoke, single spoke and 3-hole disc, chemically blackened and conforming to the RP25-110 standard. Axles are set in blackened brass bearings and conforming to Accurascale’s standards of 14.4mm back-to-backs, using 2mm axles over 26mm pinpoints. The detail is there too, with plenty of separate eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) separate handrails, grab handles, door handles, lamp brackets, vacuum and steam pipes, through pipes, steam heating cock and brake gear. Turned metal sprung buffers set off these beautiful little vans with small tension locks, set into small, self-centring NEM housings. Authentic livery, markings and numbers, accurately researched to the time periods modelled. With these vans lasting over a long period of SR and BR ownership, we have gone that extra mile once again and catered for authentic livery, detail and marking variants, along with numbers which are as per the wagons modelled! These wagons will come in triple packs in a variety of liveries across their careers in banana traffic and are priced at £84.95 each, with 10% off when customers order two packs or more via the Accurascale website, along with free UK and Ireland shipping. These wagons will also be available across Accurascale’s network of local stockists. Delivery is slated for Q4 2023, with decorated samples due in Spring of 2023. Browse the full range on our website by clicking here. Once again, we must thank Mike King for his help in providing photographs and insights for this project, which made the task of wading through additional drawings at Search Engine and Butterley a far less daunting task and which highlighted some important details. All prototype images on this page are copyright: Mike King. View the full article

Needs some Dublin bus goodness https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/exclusive-irm-buses/products/dublin-bus-ie-intercity-route-11

Hi everyone, 6 left of the route 11 and then they're all gone! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/vehicles/products/dublin-bus-ie-intercity-route-11 Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, UK based customers can pre-order on the Accurascale website here: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/guinness-keg-liners Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Great news! All IRM customers based in the UK can now buy all IRM models off the Accurascale website. Over the coming months we will phase out the irishrailwaymodels.co.uk website and all customer accounts will be moved to accurascale.com. So, why are we doing this, and why is it great news? Well, it brings lots of benefits for customers that we were unable to offer on the IRM UK website. We can now offer you different flexible ways for paying for your models, such as partial.ly, paypal credit and clear pay. On top of that, we can give you loyalty points, which can give you up to 3% back on future orders placed. You can also mix and match your orders with Accurascale models and benefit from free, tracked DHL next day delivery throughout the UK. What's not to like? These benefits are available to irishrailwaymodels.com customers (apart from Clear Pay and PayPal Credit, which are not available in the EU to date) so it is great that we can now offer them to IRM customers in the UK. Browse the range right here: https://www.accurascale.com/collections/irish-railway-models Cheers! Fran

A pint of plain is your only man. Never a truer word spoken! After massive demand, our keg wagons are back, featuring an all new line up with new running numbers, upgraded bogies with brass bearings for smoother (and less squeaky running) and a REDUCED price! What's not to like? While the conveyance of Guinness and other beers dates back to the days of steam, it was the emergence of ISO intermodal standards in the early 1970s which allowed breweries to maximise the potential of rail transport. Córas Iompair Éireann’s new fleet of 42ft bogie flat wagons were particularly suitable, as their capacity enabled large quantities of kegged beer to be transported efficiently. Although brands such as Harp and Heineken were also transported at various times, it is The Black Stuff which became synonymous with this traffic, with CIÉ constructing an additional batch of bogie wagons in 1978 specifically to meet the demands of transporting Guinness. The goods yard at Dublin’s Heuston Station became the focal point for this operation, with kegs being brought the short distance from the St James’s Gate brewery by road and transferred to 42ft wagons for distribution to depots located right across the CIÉ/Irish Rail and Northern Ireland Railways networks. These wagons were often mixed with other traffic, such as containers, bulk and bagged cement, and oil, but demand frequently called for dedicated trainloads, too. Initially carried in transport cages with kegs stacked two-high, trains stopped at signals in certain areas became a target for thieves, who could sneak aboard and remove kegs with relative ease. Keg trains were a common sight on the network for almost four decades. However, changes to the Irish railway environment in the mid-2000s resulted in the loss of several freight flows, with keg traffic being one of the high profile casualties, finally coming to an end in 2006. Our new run of keg wagons features all new running numbers, complimenting run one, while also catering for those who missed out. After all, run one sold out before arriving in stock. We predict a fierce thirst for these too, and with decorated samples already in hand production is now well under way. We envisage that delivery will be towards the end of this year alongside the new run of fert wagons. Priced at just €89.95 per twin pack, with 10% off when you buy two packs or more, and free postage and packaging across Ireland and the UK, they also offer unbeatable value. Hop up to the bar and get your round in, with four different packs available to pre-order right here. View the full article

Very sad that IRM cannot make it but we will be at a UK show representing Accurascale that we had already booked in for. Hopefully next year the stars align and I get back to the Sunny South East!