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Warbonnet

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Everything posted by Warbonnet

  1. Just note on these; they're an Accurascale accessory so do not come with the cages for the wagons like the IRM loads! Cheers! Fran
  2. Hi everyone, We have just received the balance of these from the factory and were informed that this is the very last of the stock. So, if you want one, now's your last chance to bag one from IRM! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/vehicles/products/adl-enviro400-dublin-bus-191-d-44403 Cheers! Fran
  3. Thanks! A lot of work goes into the models of course, but also all the other areas such as financials, web systems and our PR and marketing. It's a full time effort and all hands on deck but we all work well together like a well oiled machine We prefer the less waiting time too, so typically when a sample is shown the model will be typically arriving in 12 months from that point. We think that works best all round as you guys can see it exists, plan out saving and not have to wait too long! Cheers! Fran
  4. No pressure really, we enjoy what we do. It is why all new models are announced with a sample, like these coaches so we we can cut down on waiting times for you guys. We wont be going back to the glacial pace of the 42ft flats and the As ever again as it left you all waiting way longer than we wanted. We learnt our lesson there. Cheers! Fran
  5. Conversely there are many NIR 111s and 201s, not to mention silver fox and MIR kits of Hunslets with little to nothing to haul. It's always a case of "grab these now or regret it later" and so far sales have been positive. With the backlog at the factories the way we are the production run of these will be smaller than recent things we've made, so worth keeping that in mind too. Cheers! Fran
  6. Dont forget the two NIR 201s for the later livery, IR and Supertrain locos and of course the Hunslets!
  7. That will require some modelling to take them out. But the space is all there! Cheers! Fran
  8. Good guess! To be honest it would be great to do the other half, but it is entirely dependant on how these go. NIR is a niche within a niche, so to do an NIR powered model will hinge on sales of these coaches. It's a bit of a gamble but hopefully rewarded! Cheers! Fran Meanwhile in Foynes.... Don't forget, these travelled extensively across the country. Not just on Enterprise workings!
  9. Exactly! And Maroon and Blue only ran with Hunslets.....
  10. We are very proud to reveal the latest addition to our well-received range of rolling stock, the Mk.2b series of coaches! The Mark 2b is one of several 'missing link' sub classes that has never been produced in high quality form in 4mm scale and we are delighted to be able to rectify this glaring hole in iconic BR era rolling stock in 4mm/OO gauge model form. History Built at Litchurch Lane, Derby, during 1969, 111 vehicles were built for British Rail to three designs; Tourist Second Open (TSO), Corridor First (FK) and Brake Corridor First (BFK). A further eight examples were constructed for Northern Ireland Railways for its new 'Enterprise' service between Belfast and Dublin, this landmark service featuring a range of bespoke vehicles that were quite unlike anything then in operation on BR. The Mk.2b was the third iteration of the Swindon-designed 'integrally constructed' Mk.2 and it saw a number of design changes that resulted in a much more modern appearance over the earlier variants. While the underframe was basically unchanged, the body was lengthened by several inches to provide additional space for planned air-condition upgrades. However, the major spotting feature was the wider wrap-around doors at each corner - with characteristic sausage shaped bumpers - and the removal of the centre passenger access doors. The interior was heavily influenced by the XP64 coaches with greater use of glass reinforced plastic (GRP) in the vestibules and toilets - the former finished in a now iconic deep reddish orange colour that will be forever etched into the minds of enthusiasts from that era. Also new were folding end gangway doors, also finished in the same red. The toilets themselves were repositioned, being moved either end of the passenger compartment on the same side, resulting in two very different looking bodysides. Operationally they matched the previous Mk.2a coaches with air brakes and dual electric and steam heating. They were also delivered in the same classic BR blue/grey livery, still without Inter-City logos - those came a few years later - and complete with region prefixes to the numbers. Most also gained square destination board holders, although these were removed by the end of the 1970s. The vast majority of the fleet was initially deployed to the Western Region, mixing it with Mk.2a coaches and Mk.1 catering cars on 'Western' and Class 47-hauled services between London Paddington and South Wales. A small number of FK were also allocated to ECML Inter-City services out of King's Cross, being commonly associated with 'Brush 4s' and the Deltics on trains to Yorkshire, the North East and Scotland. The introduction of air-conditioned Mk.2 variants on to the WR just a few years later saw the Mk.2b coaches bumped to trains between Paddington, Penzance and other South West destinations, while the ER FKs were cascaded to secondary and inter-regional workings. Around the same time the first Class 50s appeared on the WR, beginning the long association of the later EE Type 4s with Mk.2b coaches. With new HSTs coming on stream from 1975 the Mk.2b coaches further spread their wings becoming a common sight on Paddington-Oxford/West Midlands/Liverpool diagrams as well as inter-regional and North East-South West diagrams between Cardiff, Poole, Paignton, Plymouth and Swansea to Bradford, Edinburgh, Leeds and Newcastle. From 1978 further HST incursions onto traditional Mk.2 territory resulted in large numbers of vehicles being sent to the South Western main line - 'The Mule - between London Waterloo and Exeter St Davids, with other Southern Region destinations also being served. By the mid 1980s the fleet was spread across all five regions. The majority were employed on trains out of Paddington and Waterloo - and rapidly gaining the colourful Network SouthEast livery - but significant numbers were allocated to InterCity, Provincial and ScotRail services. Some also gained Trans-Pennine livery for working between Liverpool/North Wales and Cleethorpes/Newcastle/Scarborough. A pair of FKs even joined the Derby RTC fleet in 1987, ADB 977528 and ADB 977529 being used as brake force runners with a wide variety of different test coaches all over the country. The same period also saw a number of changes to the fleet. The final Mk.2b BFK was taken out of service, joining three others that had been converted as Royal Train support coaches over the previous decade. The other five of the original nine built had already been sold to Northern Ireland Railways in 1980. Meanwhile the majority of first class coaches allocated to non-NSE activities were also considered obsolete, and were downgraded to second class with the new designation SK. Initially used on ECML relief trains the SKs were later transferred to Wolverhampton Oxley for use on cross-country turns between East Anglia and the Midlands and North West, which included the short-lived ‘The Rhinelander’ boat train between Harwich and Manchester Piccadilly. The 'Sprinterisation' of the late 1980s and 1990s was responsible for the gradual retrenchment of the Mk.2b coaches until only the Waterloo-Exeter, Paddington semi-fasts and a handful allocated to Regional Railways remained. The new Networker 'Turbos' from 1992 and the Class 159s from 1993 brought about the end of NSE loco-hauled, while the last surviving RR TSOs followed shortly after, replaced by ex-NSE Mk.2a coaches! Fortunately there was a reprieve of sorts just a few years later as the shadow South Wales & West franchise hired in a handful of coaches for various diagrams between Birmingham/Manchester, Cardiff/Bristol and Westbury/Weymouth using EWS Class 37s which ran from 1996 to 1999, with the coaches later being picked up again by Wales & Borders for Rhymney-Cardiff-Fishguard services from 2001-2004, again usually with EWS Type 3 power. Several of these transferred to the West Coast Railways railtour fleet and remain main line registered. Meanwhile, the four heavily rebuilt Royal Train BFKs still see regular use, although two were sold in the early 2000s, joining Network Rail and Riviera Trains. The Model The comprehensive range that makes up the first run of Accurascale Mk.2b coaches represents a significant investment in this vehicle family, long considered one of the 'missing links' of classic BR corporate era rolling stock. The lack of Mk.2b has long been a significant impediment to the accurate modelling of Western Region and London & South Western loco-passenger trains, with the 'Westerns' in their latter years and Class 50s being particularly synonymous with these coaches. The Accurascale Mk.2b have been lovingly researched and designed based on surveys of numerous surviving vehicles around the UK along with works drawings and even a partial 3D scan to ensure that the characteristic tumblehome and shape of the ends is as accurate as possible. The survey extended to the interiors with particular attention being paid to the iconic winged headrests - each a separate part - that are such a feature of the first and second class seating throughout the early Mk.2s. A variety of running numbers in both BR blue/grey, Network Southeast and Provincial liveries will make up the first run. Of course, you want to see them in action, right? Check out this video from the smashing chaps at Hornby Magazine to learn more about them! Specification 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 and B5 bogies ever produced, with provision for re-gauging to EM or P4 (British 18.83mm) 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 Full lighting package, including magnet 'wand' controlled interior lighting with 'Stay-Alive' capacitor in all coaches and directional lighting with DC or DCC control (Driving Trailer only) Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd Radius Set-track) Correct height NEM standard coupling sockets with mini tension lock couplers and kinematic close-coupling Each Mark 2B coach will be sold separately at a price of £59.95 each and are available to order direct via Accurascale or via your local stockist. A 10% discount is available should you order two or more coaches together direct from Accurascale. As you can see with the samples above, tooling is complete and the first pre-production samples have been delivered and the project is well advanced. However, there are corrections being made based on the samples which are now being undertaken by the factory. Overall there is a wealth of detail, crispness and they capture the essence of the Mark 2b very well indeed. Delivery is slated for Q3 2022. However, with the current global difficulties in production and shipping following the COVID19 pandemic and Suez issues (shipping companies estimating FOUR YEARS until sea traffic returns to normal!) this may extend to Q4 2022. Browse the range and place your pre-orders direct by clicking here. View the full article
  11. Thanks everyone, you can read all the info on them here! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/blogs/announcements/irm-gets-enterprising-with-nir-mark-2-coaches
  12. Hi everyone, As you may have read elsewhere, we have an all new tooling announcement today at midday. We have one for IRM, and one for sister brand, Accurascale. It will be premiered on the Hornby Magazine YouTube channel at high noon with full samples demonstrated on their layout. You can watch here, and in the meantime feel free to wildly speculate! Cheers! Fran
  13. Hi everyone, Great news! Our Taras are now complete and due to leave the factory next week! They will travel by sea but will arrive as per our estimate of Q4, likely October. Over 40% are already presold, so make sure you get your order in soon! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines Cheers, Fran
  14. Hi Tony, Sadly not. The Crossley engine is proving to be elusive for us at the moment with everything that's been going on in the world, but we are still determined to get it. Hopefully soon. Cheers! Fran
  15. Hi everyone, Not sure if this was shared previously, but Andy York of BRM magazine has taken a look at the As and given his verdict on how they perform. Check out his video here. Cheers! Fran
  16. Hi everyone, Great News! Our A Classes are now well into their journey from the factory towards our warehouse for final delivery. With the numerous issues around shipping in recent months we felt it was fitting to deliver our first locomotive by rail! The locos are currently travelling the 7.500 mile rail journey across China, Russia and Europe where they will then transfer to ship for the final leg to Ireland. They will land with us in the first week of September and arrive with modellers in mid September, smooth travelling permitting! With four running numbers already sold out on pre-order and others not far behind they are not going to hang around too long. Order yours today: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive Cheers! Fran
  17. Hi @Ironroad, 1. A rerun is a new announcement, as is a bus. So we have made new announcements this year already. 2. There is still one third of 2021 one left, and there will be announcements (including announcements of all new tooling) within the one third of the year left. We now announce things when they are ready to be announced. That's when the "raising of the curtain" will occur. As Murphaph states above, a lot has been happening in 2021 which has hindered all model making companies. All the major UK manufacturers have announced delays which demonstrate this. Despite this, our lovely shiny new A Classes are almost there, as are Taras. There's a lot to be excited about from IRM in the coming weeks and there will be more frothiness thereafter too. Cheers! Fran
  18. Nope, nothing has changed since the last update of end of August for arrival. Once we have news you guys are always the first to know..
  19. Hi everyone, We've unearthed a carton of our pack A spoil wagons, meaning that our bundle deal on these beauties is available once again! With a great saving on 8 wagons you can build a full rake of these modern era wagons for your layout. The spoil skips just clip free too, making them great for repurposing as container liner or keg liner wagons if you have the appropriate loads! Stock is limited, so make sure you grab them before they go! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/ie-spoil-wagons/products/cie-ir-42-flat-spoil-wagons-bundle Cheers! Fran
  20. Hi Gareth, The cutout should handle radius two curves as it's a kinematic coupling. Hi Patrick, They will be shipped with one coupling fitted as per photos with the second in the accessory pack for you to install if desired. They just clip into the NEM pocket. Cheers! Fran
  21. Hi everyone, Last, but by no means least, is 048 in IR livery! Order your 048 today: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/availability_pre-order? Cheers! Fran
  22. Hi everyone, 027 in Supertrain is today's treat. No loco wore Supertrain better than the As in my humble opinion! Order yours right here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/027-a-class-locomotive Cheers! Fran
  23. Hi everyone, One delight we have yet to show off is our special edition class leader; A1. We decided to make this one a bit special, with limited edition certificate, 250 pieces and a wooden presentation box. It represents the loco in as delivered condition in 1955 complete with sandboxes. Check it out. Remember, this locomotive is only available via IRM direct and strictly limited to 250 pieces. As we all know, Irish locos tend to appreciate in value, so this represents a great investment opportunity as much as something very special. Reserve yours today: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/a-class-locomotive/products/a1-a-class-locomotive Cheers! Fran
  24. Hi Eamonn, Sure, we were going to do something like that when we did the launch for project 42, but it snowed and we had to cancel! We can certainly look into it again when things are better than they are now, whether it be an event on its own, or part of a show. Cheers! Fran
  25. Hi everyone, No luck so far on the leaderboard but can confirm that the entire A Class run is over 70% sold out now. So, make sure you get your orders in soon! Cheers! Fran
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