Warbonnet

BUMP! Order here for immediate delivery! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/vehicles/availability_in-stock Cheers! Fran

IR hired some 80 classes to operate between Greystones and Bray during this time. They also operated out to Maynooth from Connolly and other services too. Great pic!

I think that would be a resounding no!

Hi everyone, Update on our As as they make their way, very slowly, across Europe. They are now due in our warehouse on Friday week (Oct 1st) and after checking and packing will begin shipping mid week of w/c Oct 4th. We have had a huge amount of pre-orders as you can imagine so it will take about a week to get them all posted out. We would like to thank you all for your patience regarding their slow crossing from China but with the news reports on global shipping putting everything into perspective ahead of Christmas perhaps we're lucky we're getting them at all this side of December! Cheers, Fran

Hi everyone, We have uploaded production sample images to the website so you can see each pack in the plastic! Some tasters below too. Just hit 50% pre-sold, so don't hang around for long if you want some! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines Cheers! Fran

Hi everyone, Just to confirm the Taras are now on the high seas and heading our way. They're due to dock at the end of October, with orders being dispatched into early November. Grab some before they all go! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/tara-mines Cheers! Fran

We're looking at circa another 10 days folks. The train relies on lots of connections. Think the boat is simpler and almost as fast for future reference!

We've long been overdue an update on our Class 55 Deltic, and since we revealed our decorated samples earlier this year there has been a huge effort to ensure all variants are correct before releasing them for production. We published an email and social media update in early summer confirming that the Deltics were envisaged as arriving in later Q3 of 2021 rather than early Q3 as originally hoped. The decorated samples were signed off and we sanctioned production just as Chinese new year was about to get underway. This involves a mass movement of people back from the large industrial centres back to their regional homelands. Once Chinese New Year ended, many of these workers did not return back to the cities and factories due to the pandemic restrictions. This has lead to a labour shortage across all manufacturing activities, coupled with a large amount of social distancing regulations which has further slowed production progress. Another curveball that was hurled our way is the global shortage of microchips, which are required for our PCBs. This has hit all facets of manufacturing, from game consoles to cars. Thankfully, we were able to secure a source for our locomotives, including the Deltic and Class 92 which are both in the manufacturing process currently. Undeterred by this blip, we pushed hard for production to get under way post Chinese New Year which we have achieved. However, production pace has been hampered by the lack of labour force and the pandemic restrictions. As you can see from these images of what looks like a massive pile of kit parts, the injection moulding part of production is now complete. These parts are currently being snapped from many, many thousands of sprues, cleaned up and then some basic assembly before the painting, pad printing and tampo printing processes begin. This will take into account some changes we made to the decorated samples to ensure they are accurate to the prototypes. With the injection moulding now finished the first major and time-consuming hurdle has been cleared. The factory is now confident that the rest of the production process will be turned around in a timely manner, with the printing and painting taking place by November before final assembly and testing being completed and in time for shipping from China by Chinese New Year 2022. This leaves us with a revised delivery date of Q1 2022, allowing for shipping times from the Far East to our warehouse for onward distribution. We apologise for this further delay, but the pandemic fallout has lead to delays across the entire model train industry and wider manufacturing world. The Deltic has been a massive learning curve for our young company, and mistakes were certainly made along the way, but in our quest for it "having to be right" we feel that we have made the right decisions to ensure a superb locomotive to enter the market and stay there for the next number of years. We have taken the experience and put it into our other locos to ensure that they fare differently, and with our Metrovick A Class locomotives arriving in stock with our sister brand IRM our locomotives are finally appearing on layouts and in collections. The pandemic was a painful addition to the delay we all could've really done without, but we're now in the final stage of the Deltic development and production programme. The end is now in sight! With four of our Deltics already sold out and others close to selling out they are certainly proving popular. Don't miss out, pre-order yours with a £30 deposit today by clicking here. View the full article

Hi everyone, Due to a DB strike in Germany last week the train has been a tad delayed and caught in a backlog. They're currently about to get underway again but we're about 10 days away from arrival. Hurry up DB!!! Cheers. Fran

I dont own any of them, so kinda hard to do a side by side (and poor form from a manufacturers POV to be honest) You'll just have to compare and contrast when they arrive! Cheers! Fran If anyone can provide photos of former BR Mark 2B or Mark 2C coaches they may have in their collections we would love to see them!

Hi Kevin, Thanks for clearing that up, it's a very tricky one for us but as the amount of people who have 21mm converted our stock can be counted on one hand I'm sure you can see our dilemma. Also, if people are doing 21mm they also tend to be very skilled modellers, so moving some brake shoes is usually a doddle for them compared to someone who would classify themselves as a "trainset modeller" having to set them in the 00 position. Regarding your second point, it seems I did interpret it incorrectly. I read it as though we have not been making provision for 21mm which seems not your intention so I apologise. We would happily weather any opinions but sometimes we have to set the record straight too if we feel it's misinformation which I did originally in this case, if that makes sense? All good now. Cheers! Fran

Hi Noel, It would indeed. The grille is the tricky one due to it's unique nature but the rest of the coaches can be renumbered and we did our best not to use same numbers across the different packs to give lots of variety. Cheers, Fran

Rome wasn't built in a day, so don't worry, earlier stock will come. These things just take time is all. What persisting 21 regauging issues? All our bogie stock has sufficient room, as does the As, and you can see here that we have tooled the B4 and B5 bogies for these coaches for 4ft 8 and a half and 5 ft 3 for the NIR examples to allow regauging to 21mm. Can this evolution to the unfortunate slight lack of room on the Ballast/Bubble chassis be classed as persistent? Thanks! We have previously re-run our cement bubbles, ballast hoppers and have just done the same with our Tara Mines wagons, so there is every possibility depending on how popular something is. We do not re-run same numbers with the same livery combination though, and while we hope to do the maroon and blue NIR mark 2s one day it is very difficult to say if we will rerun NIR Mark 2s in this livery again one day given their niche nature. Like everything Irish outline, it's wise to grab them while you can and if you decide later they're not for you you will get most of your money back (or even a profit) by selling them. Incorrect. Work began on these about 2 years ago with Gareth project managing this one and a smashing job he has done too. To answer your question re. Enterprise headboard; this will be in the accessory bag so user fit as you see fit. Cheers! Fran

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

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

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

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

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

Dont forget the two NIR 201s for the later livery, IR and Supertrain locos and of course the Hunslets!

That will require some modelling to take them out. But the space is all there! Cheers! Fran

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!

Exactly! And Maroon and Blue only ran with Hunslets.....

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

Thanks everyone, you can read all the info on them here! https://irishrailwaymodels.com/blogs/announcements/irm-gets-enterprising-with-nir-mark-2-coaches

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