Warbonnet

Merry Christmas from the IRM team! It's been another exciting year for us (which we will detail in our review of the year next week) and we hope you are all settling down to have an excellent and relaxing festive season with your family, friends, and of course playing trains too! However, we couldn't let Christmas pass without bringing some more cheer, so we are offering a first look at decorated samples of our lovely IR and IE Mark 2C coaches. These beauties were announced at the Dublin show in October and decorated samples arrived with us last week for inspection. As you can see, they're shaping up very nicely indeed. With an amazing spec of highly detailed interiors, interior lighting, correctly gauged bogies, a wealth of separately applied parts, realistic close coupling and more, these will be the perfect passenger stock for your layout. They have also been hugely popular on pre-order, so if you fancy some, make sure you get your order in soon. Delivery is slated for Q3 2023 and you can pre-order right here! View the full article

Commodious. Comfortable. Quirky and quintessentially Irish, the Park Royal coaches represent the maximum use of our generous loading gauge and an iconic piece of Irish coaching stock. It was about time it was represented faithfully in OO/4mm. A project that has been in-hand for a while now, we're delighted to bring you the news of the IRM CIE Park Royal coaches, representing these icons from the 1950s which served CIE and later Irish Rail well into the 1990s. Check out our extensive history of these unique coaches over a tipple below... HISTORY On July 1, 1948 the Irish Government asked Sir James Milne, last General Manager of the United Kingdom’s Great Western Railway, to investigate the state of internal transport in Ireland and his report, published later that year, suggested that diesel traction alone would not be the answer to Córas Iompair Éireann’s problems. Deemed inadequate to meet the needs of the population, Milne’s report highlighted that the average age of CIÉ’s coaching stock was 47 years old, with 155 vehicles being over 60 years old and that a large proportion of the vehicles had not had a general repair for over 10 years, with some not being overhauled since 1929. Milne noted that, as at January 1, 1948, coaching stock (exclusive of the Drumm Battery trains), amounted to 1325 vehicles and of these, 1251 were broad gauge, with 369 bogie passenger carriages and 394 non-bogie passenger carriages, while other coaching vehicles amounted to 29 bogie vehicles and 459 non-bogie vehicles. Six-wheel stock was prevalent and of the 763 passenger vehicles, 155 still had no heating, and two even had no form of artificial lighting. There were only 34 coaches of what could be considered as modern design and all these vehicles were at least 11 years old. Something needed to change. On January 1, 1950, Córas Iompair Éireann was nationalised and within a couple of years the board of CIÉ had approved a capital expenditure programme of almost £1 million on new coaching stock under the direction of Oliver Bulleid. In September 1949 Bulleid had retired from his role as Chief Mechanical Engineer of British Railways Southern Region and was well placed to assist with the CIÉ’s move towards modernisation, having been one of three further technical assessors to Sir James Milne during his reporting phase. Bullied became a consulting mechanical engineer to CIÉ at the invitation of T. C. Courtney, the new chairman of CIE, and succeeded to the post of Chief Mechanical Engineer in February 1950, becoming the architect of the major construction programme that saw almost 500 new coaching stock vehicles entering service over the following 14 year period. The bulk of these new vehicles were constructed of a steel-clad, wooden framed body, mounted on a steel underframe, but there were notable exceptions to this method of construction; the first of these being two sets of coaches that were supplied by Park Royal during 1955 and 1956, in which the timber framing of the body was replaced by a metal frame, and was mounted on an all-welded triangulated 61’ 6” underframe, running on Commonwealth bogies. These underframes were made in the United Kingdom, by the Wolverhampton firm of John Thompson Pressings Ltd. Supplied in component form, the use of prefabricated components supplied by Park Royal allowed for volume construction using a semi-skilled workforce and a single bodyshell type was used for both suburban and main line use, to diagrams 176 and 177 respectively, but with different interior layouts. The body was built integral with the frame and bus pillars (unsurprisingly, given Park Royals coach building credentials) gave support, with the roof being carried on closely spaced hoopsticks, three to a bay. The bodyside was only as thick as it needed to be to carry the window frames and was sealed inside, before plywood lining panels were fitted direct to the frames. Lateral support came from two channel sectioned, externally fitted waist rails on each side, giving the Park Royals their distinctive external appearance. The coaches made full use of the Irish loading gauge, being 61’ 6” inches long and 10’ 2” wide, this width reducing by 8” at each end, necessary to maintain gauging on curves. Due to their aluminium and steel construction, they only weighed 26 tons tare for the D176 suburban and 27¼ tons tare for the D177 main line type. Initially, two seating layouts were offered; the D176 suburban seating 82 passengers in a 2+3 arrangement, with 6 seats in each vestibule area, and the D177 main line seating 70 passengers in a similar 2+3 arrangement, but with toilet facilities at each vestibule end. Initially both diagrams were supplied with inward opening ‘bus’ type doors, however these proved unpopular and confusing to the passengers and so the coaches were fitted with conventional outside opening doors as they next passed through Inchicore, the door window position being lowered in the process. This work was carried out by 1958 and there were no more changes to the coaches until the Train Lighting conversions during 1972, the Park Royal’s lighting initially being generated on-board via dynamo and battery. There were, eventually, several variants in service, with two main conversions giving rise to ‘Snack Cars’, and then Brake Standards. Six main line vehicles were converted to ‘Snack Cars’ in 1968, with one vestibule end incorporating a small counter and serving area and the seating reduced to 56, before being either reconverted to main line standards or Brake Standards in 1984. In all, eight vehicles were converted to Brake Standards at this time, being drawn from Snack Car, suburban and Ambulance vehicles; the latter conversions being the creation of two Ambulance vehicles from existing suburban coaches, to convey invalided pilgrims to Knock Shrine in County Mayo. Two suburban vehicles also found use on the Waterford & Tramore Railway, one having bus seating installed to act as a 93 seat trailer, the other (No. 1408), being converted for use as a Driving Vehicle Trailer on the branch until 1960. During the 1980s, appearances began to change, and the distinction between suburban and main line versions became blurred in some instances. Many of the coaches lost the circular window at the vestibule ends, with the remaining windows sometimes being reduced in size. On other vehicles, the water pipes on toilet equipped coaches were sometimes arranged in different configurations as pipes were renewed, and passenger communication gear was adapted, or removed entirely from the vehicle ends. The Park Royal coaches continued in service until the early-1990s, before being barred from certain routes due to their construction, with the last few Park Royal carriages being withdrawn following the delivery of the first Japanese 2600 Class DMUs in 1994. During their period in traffic, Bulleid’s coaches carried a full gamut of liveries; the 40 D176 suburbans carrying the lighter standard overall mid-green livery, with the thinner eau-de-nil stripe carried below the windows, on the waist channelling. Vehicle ends were observed as being the same colour but were prone to extreme discolouration by weathering, and so it is difficult to ascertain whether, in the later years of mid-green application, the body ends were green, repainted black, or just merely filthy. The ten D177 mainline vehicles initially appeared in unpainted Aluminium, with red class designations and running numbers between 1955 and 1958, before this impractical arrangement was covered with the application of mid-green, with lined Eau-de-Nil class designations. In 1962 the mid-green scheme was replaced with black upper panels, roof and body ends, and deep orange (or golden brown/tan) lower panels with a 6” white band between the windows and the roof. In 1987, under Iarnród Éireann, the 6” band was dropped and replaced with two 3” white bands, either side of the black panel, although it was possible that some Park Royals carried a single white band, reduced to 3”. The Model This first run of Park Royal coaches concentrates on the D.176 suburban variants throughout their service life, but also includes a couple of ex-D.177 Snack Car vehicles. We will, in time, also add the D.177 mainline versions to the range, along with BSO conversions and the two Knock Ambulance cars; AM14 and AM15. With an unrivalled specification list such as a wealth of separately applied parts, both plastic and etched metal, with also fully detailed Irish commonwealth bogies for the first time in ready-to-run format, detail variations, wire handrails, bespoke detailed interiors depending on coach type, full interior lighting with stay alive powerpack for flicker free lighting and a die cast underframe to ensure smooth running, they offer unbeatable value at just €69.99 per coach, with our usual 10% off when you buy two coaches or more! We are delighted to time the announcement of these beautiful coaches with the Wexford Model Railway Show this weekend, where we will have a 3D print of the final CAD on view. In the meantime, you can place your pre-order with no money down now via our website for a delivery date of Q2 2024. Expect to see a fully finished sample over the summer too! Pre-order here below: PRE-ORDER YOUR PARK ROYAL COACHES HERE (Despite their widespread service, and longevity of service, good clear photographs of individual Park Royal coaches are rare, and so Irish Railway Models are grateful for the photographic contributions from the Irish Rail Record Society, Jonathan Allen, Colin ‘Ernie’ Brack, Neil Smith and Noel Dodd. Thanks must also go to John Beaumont for his valuable knowledge on livery issues, as well as Peter Rigney, but the final mention must go to Robert Gardiner and the volunteers at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, who accommodated us on several survey visits.) Key Statistics Highly-detailed 00 gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track Scale length of 246mm over body, width of 40.67mm across body Operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track) Die-cast metal chassis with plastic body. Accurate CIÉ Commonwealth bogies, with separate detailing where appropriate, that allows for the option of re-gauging to Irish Broad Gauge (21mm). Brake blocks aligned with wheels, allowing for the option of moving outwards for Irish Broad Gauge. 12mm wheels are blackened RP25-110 profile for 00 gauge, set on 2mm axles, 28mm over pin-points and with 14.4mm back-to-back measurement. NEM standard coupling sockets, with mini-tension lock couplers with a kinematic close-coupling system. Scale width wire handrails, water pipes, passenger communication gear. Headstock pipes and cabling included in accessory polybag for customer fitting, along with Kosan Gas Tank for the Snack Car. Fully detailed die-cast underframe with vacuum cylinders, battery boxes, dynamo and piping applied separately. Accurate interior layouts, with detailed seating and decorated where appropriate. Full guard’s compartment and kitchen/snack bar area detailing where appropriate, including use of etched metal detailing. Prism free flush glazing. Interior coach lighting with stay-alive capacitor, pick up from both bogies and a reed switch to control on/off via magnetic wand. Separate roof vent types, set in correct locations. View the full article

Announced at the 2022 Dublin show in Raheny, we're delighted to bring you the first tooled samples of our all new Rotem ICR 22000 Intercity Railcars at the 2023 show at Blackrock College this October Bank Holiday weekend! There is some improvements to be made to the tooling, such as fit and finish, particularly the removable roof sections. We are also looking at the fine tuning of the underframe equipment and improving the car-to-car connections. However, pictures tell a story of a thousand words, so feast your eyes below! As well as the ICR tooling, we also have the first samples of the Sculfort shunting tractor. This little loco is un-powered and comes free with each ICR 6 car pack, based of the shunting tractor in Portlaoise Depot. Our ICRs are on course for delivery in Summer of 2024! As you can see, the first high quality ready-to-run model of an Irish railcar that is prototypically accurate is shaping up rather well indeed! Due to the size of the sets, production is limited, so we advise any of you thinking of placing an order to do so very soon to avoid disappointment. Browse the range of 3, 4 and 6 car sets via the link below, and place your preorder, either no money down until they arrive in stock, or spread the payments over 6 months via our partial.ly service at no extra cost! Pre-Order Your 22000 ICR Here! View the full article

We've reached the end of 2022, and what a year it has been! While there has been all sorts of crazy things happening domestically and internationally, it's been our busiest year to date. This year saw us return to the big shows on the exhibition calendar, the arrival of some lovely wagons and some exciting announcements too! So, prepare that turkey sandwich, and that cup of tea and join us as we review IRM's 2022! NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS CIE Magnesite Wagons We kicked off 2022 with a wagon that was likely to shock many. It was certainly a wagon many modellers thought they would never see in RTR format. However, we had the chassis, so we said "why not?" The magnesite wagons are certainly the most interesting an unusual wagon we have done to date, and one that packs detail. A winner with Cork and south east modellers, not to mention collectors, we even went mad and did a single wagon pack to commemorate the last train in 1982. We still have a limited supply in stock, so make sure you don't miss out! ORDER YOUR MAGNESITE WAGONS HERE Coastal Tours Bus We have become known for our commissions of Britbus Irish themed buses in recent years and our fourth commission was a duo in the attractive cream and green "coastal tours" livery which adorned two Dublin Bus Volvo Olympians in the late 1990s. We have more bus commissions planned for 2023 and would love to hear what liveries you would love to see us do! ORDER COASTAL TOURS BUS HERE RPSI Mark 2 Coach Pack Our railway heritage would be nothing without preservation societies and groups. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) was formed in 1964 to preserve Irish steam locomotives, carriages and rolling stock and to operate them on the Irish railway network for everyone to see, appreciate, enjoy and travel on. Due to COVID19 restrictions, the vital revenue resource of rail tours was cut off from the organisation following two years of postponed trips on the mainline. However in recent years, the RPSI has also received funding from a series of limited edition models which have provided a vital income stream. We have now teamed up with the RPSI to produce our first model in conjunction with them which will be a three car pack of their Mark 2 railtour rake of coaches. Sales since launch back in February were blistering and we soon sold out. Delivery will be in Q2 of 2023! CIE Forklift Pack Accessories have been hugely popular among modellers since we started IRM, as they looked to detail their layouts and yard scenes. We added a new accessory pack, the CIE forklift pack back in the summer, which made a cheap and simple addition to any yard or depot scene. They proved very popular indeed, and have since sold out. Would you like to see another production run? Perhaps in different colours or branding? Let us know! Return of the Ferts 2022 saw the return of some old favourites to the range, including one wagon we never made enough of in its first run. Our fertiliser wagons sold out in rapid fashion when first announced a couple of years ago, so it was time we brought these go anywhere stalwarts back into the range. Arriving in November, they have since sold out completely again! We guess the reduced price of €89.95 per twin pack saw to that! Yer Only Man - The Return of The Keg Liners Another much missed return to the range was our keg liner wagons. Arriving at the same time as the ferts, they were also not produced in enough numbers first time round, so we done another run. Thankfully we have managed to keep some of these in stock, but they have been massively popular with their reduced price too. ORDER YOUR KEG WAGONS HERE Quali-tea Liners Returned The final rerun of 2022 was our container wagons coming back for another run, featuring CIE containers marked out for Harp Larger trains and Lyons Tea twin packs, as well as another triple pack of empty wagons to add your existing containers to. Just like the first run of container liner wagons, these proved hugely popular and sold out almost instantly. We still have the CIE 20ft container packs for sale, which make a great item for yards and lorry loads, as well as for your IRM flats. ORDER YOUR CIE CONTAINERS HERE IR And IE Mark 2 Coaches Part one of our Dublin show mega announcement extravaganza was the unveiling of our Mark 2 coaches in IR and IE liveries. These coaches are based on our latest Mark 2C tooling and are available to pre-order in packs of four coaches. We recently received decorated samples which we revealed on Christmas Eve! With an amazing spec of highly detailed interiors, interior lighting, correctly gauged bogies, a wealth of separately applied parts, realistic close coupling and more, these will be the perfect passenger stock for your layout. They have also been hugely popular on pre-order, so if you fancy some, make sure you get your order in soon. Delivery is slated for Q3 2023! PRE-ORDER IRISH RAIL MARK 2 COACHES HERE The 22000 Intercity Railcars It had been a whole 12 months since our lovely A Class locomotives arrived in stock, and as we know, they sold out rapidly. So, it was about time we announced another powered model. It's our most ambitious announcement ever, but it was about time there was a proper, accurate Irish railcar offered to the model buying public and the ICRs are a massive gap. We have been working on the ICRs for almost a year before we announced, and tooling is underway. We expect to see samples ahead of the Bangor and Wexford shows in April/May 2023, so keep an eye out at those shows! Doing a railcar was a massive gamble, and a much bigger capital investment than any locomotive due to their multiple cars and complex nature, but the reaction and pre-orders have been very strong. So, thank you so much for supporting us so far. Oh, and don't forget the little Sculfort rail tractor from Portlaoise depot, free with every 6 car pack! PRE-ORDER YOUR ICRS HERE PROGRESS UPDATE Enterprise Mark 2s We announced our Mark 2Bs to an amazing reception in late August of 2021, with the models of all variations already tooled in both Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) BR and guise for our sister brand, Accurascale. While overall they looked very impressive, we were unhappy with several areas, mainly around the bogies and some aspects where tooling could be improved. We then completed this work, but getting it spot on took longer than we liked. Delivery of the Mark 2B coaches will now be in Q2 2023, with Chinese New Year close down impacting on our delivery timeline. We apologise for this delay, but we want these coaches to operate and function correctly, as well as looking the very best they can. We're confident that they will set a whole new standard when it comes to Mark 2 coaches in model form. We are fully sold out on pre-order, but some stock should free up when they arrive with us due to cancellations, so keep an eye on the website if you fancy some! 2022 Shows Bangor 2022 After a long COVID layoff, the exhibitions came back with a vengeance in 2022 and we were back in our favourite haunts! First up was Bangor in April, where we took the rather apt opportunity to debut the decorated samples of our NIR Enterprise coaches. They went down rather well! Inchicore Works Open Day In May we took our place alongside our good friends at the Model Railway Society of Ireland for the historic Inchicore Open Day, a very rare opening of the gates of the most historic site in Irish railways to the public. We were there with a display of our models, including our A Classes which were stabled and re-engineered on the site, along with our wagons which were designed and built there too! It was also pretty awesome to see the exhibits positioned into place ahead of opening. The even itself was a huge success and we hope that it will be repeated some time again in the future. Licking the locos is certainly not a good idea though! (Don't worry, he didn't actually lick the loco!) MRSI Dublin Show The biggest show of the year returned in October with the annual three day show taking place in Dublin. The show was hosted this year at the St. Paul's, Raheny as hosted by the Model Railway Society of Ireland. The show was clearly missed as the crowds were unbelievable. It was the setting for us to announce our ICRs and Mark 2 coaches, but it also lead to mass queues as we sold off our "Dicky Taras"; the reject wagons sitting in the corner of a storage unit for many, many years. They sold out rather rapidly and we saw further sales of them during Black Friday, when they were put on our website. Sponsorship Raising Money To Save Ballast Wagons Together During the month of August we asked you all to dig deep to help us raise funds for the Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway to save some ballast hoppers and a plough van. These vehicles obviously have a special place in our hearts, being where it all began for us here at IRM. However, they are the perfect vehicles to help the DCDR gang to maintain their infrastructure and will work for a living for many years to come. We pledged to donate €10 from every sale of ballast hopper and magnesite wagon for the month of August to the cause to cover transportation costs. You guys dug deep, and raised €2000 for the cause. Above is our Gareth with Mike Beckett of the DCDR after the wagons safely arrived in Co Down! Tailte Tours - We Sponsor Our First Railtour In August the newly formed Tailte Tours operated its first railtour and broke some historic ground! It saw a 201 and Mark 4 set operate from Connolly to Killarney and Tralee and back and we were delighted to both be on board and support this event through sponsorship including IRM goodies for the on board raffle. We enjoyed the day out immensely with proceeds going to various Irish preservation causes across the country. Another railtour is to operate in 2023, so keep an eye out for news on that one and we hope to see you on board it again! And Finally... A massive, sincere and special thank you to you, the Irish railway modellers across the globe, for supporting us with purchases, pre-orders and well wishes as well as constructive feedback this year. Our goal is to push the hobby forward in finesse, features, accuracy and innovations for a reasonable price, but none of that is possible without your support. You all make this possible, so thank you! 2022 was a quiet year for us in some respects as we recovered from the impact of COVID on our plans and production, but as you can see above, we still achieved a lot. With all this firmly behind us now though, you can expect A LOT more. 2023 is going to be our biggest ever, with some seriously impressive and tasty new items to be revealed. We're going to make your wallets howl in pain. Keep an eye on our website, our newsletter, our social media and the pages of magazines and of course the IRM forum to keep up to date on all the news as it comes. In the meantime we hope you have had a very Merry Christmas, have enjoyed playing with some IRM toys during 2022 and now have a peaceful and safe New Year, and we will see you again in 2023! View the full article

After a period of locomotives, coaches and railcars, we are going back to our roots and will now bring you a whole new range of beautifully detailed, uniquely Irish wagons. We have been famed with making use of common chassis for wagon ranges since our inception, and it is a number of years since our last mammoth wagon project, the hugely successful "Project 42". So, where do we go this time? Well, we wanted a range of wagons that would be widely useful to modellers, widespread across the network and eras, and uniquely Irish. So, we decided there was only one place to go, the Bulleid triangulated chassis, starting with the CIE corrugated open wagons. History In 1950 the board of Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) appointed Oliver Bulleid as its Chief Mechanical Engineer. Bulleid, renowned as designer of the distinctive Merchant Navy and Light Pacific locomotives during his tenure with the Southern Railway in England, did not have an opportunity to pursue his legendary innovativeness to the same extent in Ireland, but his arrival nonetheless heralded a period of modernisation and standardisation. Apart from implementing the complete transition to diesel motive power, he also set about standardising CIÉ’s fleet of rolling stock with his patented triangulated underframe providing the basis. Perhaps the most recognisable of the goods vehicles was the humble open wagon with its galvanised pressed metal body. More than 2,500 were constructed at Inchicore between 1956 and 1969, with up to twelve being outshopped each week at the height of production. They quickly replaced older wooden-built equivalents, many of which had entered service with CIÉ’s predecessor, the Great Southern Railways, or its constituent companies. The welded construction of the underframe provided excellent strength despite being relatively light and the pressed metal panels used to create the bodywork were both durable and easily replaceable, resulting in a hard-wearing wagon which could cope with rough treatment in unfitted trains and less-than-careful handling during loading and unloading. The wagons were a common sight across the entire CIÉ network, from major yards in Dublin and Cork to the most rural of branch lines, carrying a wide variety of loads ranging from peat briquettes to gypsum, pre-ISO shipping containers and farm machinery. However, their most famous duty was the conveyance of sugar beet during the annual autumn-winter harvest season, when trainloads of the crop would be transferred from loading points across the country to plants at Carlow, Mallow, Thurles and Tuam. Even as more modern continuously-braked goods stock was introduced in the 1970s, rakes of these open wagons were retained for beet season, persevering in traffic until replaced by vacuum-braked wagons in the 1980s. Wagons were initially outshopped with ‘Flying Snail’ totems before giving way to the CIE ‘Broken Wheel’ logo during the 1960s. Typically for Irish Rail, the wagons were rarely, if ever, repainted, with many of the wagons ending their careers with the earlier Flying Snail logos in the 1980s! The Model With an abundance of recent locomotive releases, particularly in the CIE era of the 1950s-1980s timeframe in recent years, we felt it necessary to provide the most numerous and important wagons from this golden era to help the modeller to build accurate trains. The Bulleid triangulated underframe was a standard unit that gave birth to a whole host of wagons, which will be reflected in our range in the months and years to come. We kicked off this adventure with the Bulleid open, oft our most requested wagon model for IRM and one that reached every corner of the network from the mid 1950s all the way to the 1980s when they made up the now legendary sugar beet trains. An essential wagon for any Irish modeller with Silver, green, grey, black, black and tan and supertrain locos, these are a must and the first step in our CIE unfitted wagon range, which will feature other wagons yet to be announced. We took a trip to Dunsandle over the summer of 2021 to survey their excellent open wagon undergoing restoration. A big thanks to Maurice Mitchell at Dunsandle for facilitating our visit and survey. The open wagon may seem like a fairly simple wagon to produce, and for the most part it is. However, there is one tricky piece to the puzzle, and something that is essential to capture the essence of these characterful wagons; the interior. Due to their corrugated construction, the inside of the wagon required extra tooling to capture the distinctive ribbing inside. Our factory came to the rescue here, with intelligent toolmaking to ensure this was achieved. We also wanted to get some weight into the wagon, but not compromise with a false floor to spoil the look of the wagon interior, so we have a fully diecast floor as part of the underframe structure. A wealth of separate plastic detail consisting of all the braking and underframe gear, door bangers, sprung buffers and brass bearing cups to allow the smoothest of running complete the make up of these beautifully detailed wagons as you come to expect from IRM. Available in our typical triple packs, our first production run covers a variety of eras, from original flying snail, to CIE roundel and then both beet and permanent way packs. Priced at €89.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two packs or more, they are due to arrive in stock in Q3 of 2024. Click the link below to place your pre-order. Pre-ordering early is recommended to avoid disappointment as production slots will be limited. Pre-Order Your Bulleid Open Wagons Here! View the full article

Our latest Britbus Irish bus commission takes a break from the Olympian tooling and looks at a rather attractive liveried alternative in the funky (well, for the 1980s!) MCW Metrorider. This time we focus on the only Metrorider ever to work for Bus Éireann, MB8. Former Dublin Bus MCW Metrorider MB8 was the only such bus to enter the Bus Éireann fleet. After beginning its life as a Dublin Bus "Local Link" bus, it transferred to Bus Éireann in the mid 1990s. It first operated a "Hotel Shuttle" service in Galway, before moving to Cork and operating the Cork City "Shuttle Service" before being withdrawn and sold onto private operator Barry's of Cork and finally leaving the road in 2005. Our model represents it in both Galway and Cork condition. Our model recreates the specific branding as worn in Cork and Galway, and includes flush glazing, diecast construction with a fully detailed interior and a wealth of separately applied plastic detail. Working from photographs of the real bus, we were able to include unique details such as the use of euro and original registration plates on each end of the bus, and the various lettering panels from the real thing. Scaled at 1/76, it is the perfect size for OO layouts, and belongs in any Irish model bus collection. Each model comes in special presentation packaging, with mounted display case and a limited edition certificate. Two options are available, the "Hotel Shuttle" for Galway and the "Shuttle Bus" for Cork, both limited to just 252 pieces each with limited edition certificates. If there are any left we will have some for sale at the Wexford Model Railway Show this weekend. And no, this is not the Wexford show announcement, that comes on Sunday! See you there. Priced at just €39.95 each, these buses are now in stock and we can be ordered for immediate dispatch by clicking the link below: ORDER YOUR BUS RIGHT HERE! (We would like to thank Derek Farrelly and Darren Hall for their invaluable assistance in the making of this model) View the full article

The good news keeps coming in waves here at IRM, and hot on the tail of the Mark 2 coaches and ICR, our Park Royal coaches are also progressing nicely. Announced at the Wexford Model Railway show over the May Bank Holiday, we have just received the first tooling samples which we can now share with you all. As you can see, they look very tasty indeed. We've been on a mission to do these distinctive coaches justice, and are delighted to report that these samples only need minimal tweaking before we proceed to decorated samples ahead of production. Therefore, they're on track for our envisaged delivery date of Q2 2024. Revisions include tweaking the interior lighting and some fit and finish, which is completely normal at this stage. Anyway, enough words, more pictures! The Park Royals have been extremely popular on pre-order, and it's easy to see why. The real coaches were eye-catching and iconic from the golden age of CIE, and the models are shaping up nicely to catch the essence of these carriages as they were in service. Limited numbers are remaining and we are unlikely to be able to increase production volume at this late stage, so pre-ordering is advised to avoid disappointment. Browse the range via the link below, and place your preorder, either no money down until they arrive in stock, or spread the payments over 6 months via our partial.ly service at no extra cost! Pre-Order Your Park Royal Coaches Here! View the full article

Our next all new model due to arrive in stock is our massive Mark 2 coach project, beginning with the NIR and RPSI coach packs, and finishing with our IR and IE orange and black Mark 2c coach packs. We reported recently that the NIR coaches are complete and are winging their way to us. We had previously reported that we had hoped to have them in hand a few weeks ago. The NIR Mark 2 production completion has coincided with the busiest shipping period of the year, with the demand for shipping from China to Europe at its zenith. Therefore, it took longer than expected to secure their passage to our warehouse. They are well on the way now and will land with us at the end of December, and will be dispatched to customers from early January. These coach packs are currently sold out on pre-order, but keep an eye on our website when they stock arrives as some will likely be made available for sale once again. IR/IE Mark 2b and 2c Coach Packs Hot on the heels of our NIR Mark 2 coaches will be our quad packs of IR and IE Mark 2c coaches (with the odd Mark 2b thrown in for good measure!) As you can see below, they're currently at the printing stage at the factory, and heading towards final assembly. Our factory has confirmed with us that these coaches will be complete ahead of Chinese New Year in late January 2024, and will arrive in stock with us in March 2024. We still have a limited supply of these available for sale on the website, so if you fancy them, we recommend you get your name down ASAP to ensure you get your hands on them. PRE-ORDER YOUR IRM MARK 2 COACHES HERE View the full article

Great news! Hot on the heels of our Dublin Show announcement of the Bulleid Open wagons, our next wagon on the iconic triangulated underframe is the LB flat wagons, and the Permanent Way Department variants! We have some exciting updates coming on the Bulleid opens before Christmas, but for now let's turn our attentions to the second wagon on this platform. LB Flats As Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) continued its programme of rolling stock renewal under the tenure of Oliver Bulleid as its Chief Mechanical Engineer, Inchicore Works turned its attention to the construction of a humble but useful flat wagon with a 12-ton capacity. Utilising a version of Bulleid’s patented triangulated chassis developed as the basis for a variety of CIÉ wagons, a total of 79 were turned out between March and April 1958. Given the designation ‘LB’, these diminutive vehicles soon found their way into mixed goods trains the length and breadth of the Irish railway network. Featuring removable stanchions and anchor points for tethering chains, the wagons could be quickly adapted to carry a variety of large single-unit loads, and they were commonly spotted at yards and goods sheds with items such as cars, tractors and pre-ISO containers on board. They were also pressed into service on permanent way trains to carry equipment and even small amounts of ballast and spoil. The winding-down of wagonload goods traffic in favour of more lucrative and efficient trainload ‘liner’ operations in the 1970s meant that the LB flat wagons became a rare sight as the decade wore on, but they could still occasionally be found in maintenance trains until the early 1980s. PWD Flats The last development in the series of two-axle wagons produced by Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) to feature Oliver Bulleid’s triangulated underframe design is one the company’s then Chief Mechanical Engineer likely did not envisage while overseeing design and production of ‘H Vans’ during the 1950s. The rise of continuously-braked ‘liner’ trains in the 1970s heralded the demise of the quaint and old-fashioned wagonload approach and CIÉ found itself with hundreds of redundant wagons. The scale of this transition necessitated the establishment of a scrapping facility at the old Midland Great Western Railway permanent way yard in Mullingar, where most of these vehicles were broken up. However, an opportunity was recognised to repurpose the chassis of some H Vans which were at that time awaiting their fate. By simply removing the wooden body and retaining portions of the brackets at either end to act as stanchions, CIÉ’s Permanent Way Department took charge of a small number of flat wagons to supplement and replace older types. Quite likely a stop-gap measure until funding for fleet upgrades could be secured, these wagons remained in service for a further decade and found use carrying machinery, ballast and spoil in maintenance trains around the network. The Model A fully diecast floor makes up part of the underframe structure to allow the wagon to get some much needed weight in and assist with delivering excellent running characteristics. A wealth of separate plastic detail consisting of all the braking and underframe gear, stanchions, sprung buffers and brass bearing cups to allow the smoothest of running complete the make up of these beautifully detailed wagons. Available in our typical triple packs, our first production run covers both the LB and PWD flats, Priced at €89.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two packs or more, they are due to arrive in stock in Q3 of 2024. Click the link below to place your pre-order. Pre-ordering early is recommended to avoid disappointment as production slots will be limited. PRE-ORDER YOUR FLATS HERE! View the full article

When it comes to newly announced models, you read delivery dates and sometimes take them with a pinch of salt. So often are the anticipated delivery dates missed it can be disappointing. Indeed, we have been guilty of it in the past. However, how about a new model arriving in stock AHEAD of schedule? Well, that's what our Bulleid open wagons are about to do, as production is now complete on these models, and very nice they look too! Check out the production models below, which we also showed at the recent Model Rail Scotland show last month. Originally launched at the last Dublin show back in October 2023, we had envisaged a delivery date of Q3 of 2024. However, progress has been swift and efficient, that they will now land in Q2 of 2024, likely late May. Fancy some? Make sure you get your order in by clicking the link below! riced at €89.95 per triple pack, and 10% off when you buy two packs or more and free postage and packaging in Ireland, the quintessential CIE open wagon is superb value for money too. PRE-ORDER YOU BULLEID OPEN WAGONS HERE View the full article

Following on from the news about the completed production of our Bulleid corrugated open wagons yesterday, we can now unveil he decorated samples of our flat wagons! Based around the same chassis as the corrugated opens, it's the second on a series of wagons which we will produce that featured this innovate style of triangulated chassis arrangement. As you can see, we have received samples of both the purpose built flats, and the Permanent Way Department (PWD) flat which was converted from redundant H Vans. These wagons are now in production and will follow the open wagons into stock, arriving on time in Q3 2024 as per our launch announcement. Priced at just €89.95 per triple pack, and with our usual great value of 10% off when you order two or more packs, and free postage and packaging around Ireland and 3% cashback with our loyalty points, they make perfect sense for your authentic mixed coupled goods trains of the CIE golden era. Place your pre-order below! Pre-Order Bulleid Flat Wagons View the full article

Irish outline announcements have been coming thick and fast in recent months, and instead of slowing the pace down, we've decided to add another one to the pile with our latest all-new wagon announcement; the CIE fuel oil tanker on the Bulleid triangulated chassis. Prototype History With Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) rolling out a series of freight stock throughout the 1950s-1960s based on a standardised triangulated underframe developed by its then-Chief Mechanical Engineer, Oliver Bulleid, attention turned to transportation requirements for the company’s own diesel fuel oil supplies. A total of 21 tank wagons were constructed at Inchicore during 1956 to augment and replace older types then in use. These tankers, with an 11-ton capacity, were a common sight throughout the network, conveying diesel from the importation point at Dublin Port to locomotive depots of all sizes, as well as occupying sidings at stations to supply CIE’s fleet of road vehicles in those localities. The wagons were frequently transported to and from these locations within mixed goods trains of the time. These tank wagons provided the backbone for this traffic across three decades, but the move to continuously-braked goods trains and the associated improvement they offered to the safe handling of flammable liquids resulted in them being displaced by vacuum-braked tankers towards the end of the 1970s. It was not quite the end of their story, however, with the tank bodies and main underframe sections going on to find further use installed upon newer vacuum-braked wagons to convey water as part of the CIÉ/Irish Rail weedspray train, remaining in use until the early 2020s. The Model Tooled as part of our Bulleid triangulated underframe project, our CIE fuel oil tanker wagon is the third model of our latest wagon series and an essential part of both mixed goods trains of the 50s, 60s and 70s. Perfect for both mixed goods trains, fuel transfer trains and also any Irish locomotive depot or CIE bus or road haulage depot sidings, our high quality tooling features a wealth of etched metal and high quality injection moulded plastic construction. Easily convertible into 21mm gauge and complete with separate brake gear, intricate fuel filler cap detail, brass bearing cups for excellent running capabilities and sprung buffers, these wagons will be some of our most detailed wagons to date. Priced at €89.95 for a single triple pack, production delivery is slated for Q3 of 2024 with decorated samples due in the coming months. Production quantities will be limited, so make sure you get your pre-order in soon to avoid disappointment. Pre-order via the link below. Pre-Order Your CIE Fuel Oil Triple Pack By Clicking Here! View the full article

Sometimes, things just don’t work out as well as we had hoped! When we first announced the ICR 22000 models back in October 2022, with eight variations covering 3-car, 4-car and 6-car sets from their initial delivery, to their most recent livery updates, we had very high hopes for the project; hopes that were backed up by the high initial sales. Emboldened by this, we moved through the project at good pace, with tooling underway by April 2023 and 25% of the anticipated run sold. By October we were proudly showing off the engineering samples and looking forward to getting the samples comprehensively tested and the complex electronic design finalised as we entered into 2024. And this is where things started to get complicated, on two fronts. At the beginning of February, Project Manager Paul Isles and Sound Engineer Jamie Goodman spent several days working on obtaining the audio recordings for the ICR project, with Iarnród Éireann Irish Rail kindly working closely with us to facilitate sound recording, both at the Portlaoise depot and during two test train diagrams between Heuston and Mallow. With such a range of awesome audio recorded, and standards in lighting design moving forward exponentially, it exceeded the scope of the electrical design created for the project back in 2022/23, and a rethink by the project team was required. We learned that the existing electrical design would require a DCC decoder in each car, and a significant increase of components in the DC/DCC Ready models. This would come at a huge cost to our customers. We have since worked with our friends at ESU to overcome this hurdle, and can now confirm that we will lead the way in functionality but only needing one decoder. This did mean that we would have to retool part of the model for new connectors and circuitry. At the same time, we were seeing some concerning sales trends emerging across the range of SKUs, and while certain variants were selling close to their potential, others were slowing down and, in some cases, were static. As a multi-vehicle railcar model, even without a huge degree of variation between prototypes (compared to other models), the tooling costs are huge and while we had taken every step we could to keep costs under control, to achieve the RRPs we have put in place we need to meet stringent Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) across the range of models offered. And, to be bluntly honest, four of the variations offered are not meeting the necessary sales figures to be commercially viable, by quite some margin. This means that the project has slowed. Behind the scenes, the project team, along with ESU and the factory technicians in China have been working on solving the complex electrical and audio demands. This has been made slightly easier in that the ICR project is being manufactured at the same factory (and by the same project team) that is producing a new high specification UK Multiple Unit project, and so the lessons learned with each project are being applied across both projects in tandem. And, if we’re honest, we’d hoped that with the extra time being spent on the project behind the scenes, the delay would allow ICR sales to meet the MOQ needed to keep the complete range financially viable. Unfortunately, that has not been the case. We’ve noted the growing number of requests for an ICR project update, and with the Dublin show at the weekend, we knew that we would have to take a decision as to how we are are to proceed and so we’ve decided to take some drastic action to keep the ICR project viable and move it towards production. Firstly, we will be cancelling the following running numbers in both DC/DCC ready and DCC sound fitted variants due to lack of interest; DC/DCC Ready IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 3-car in post-2013 IR livery, RTE Music Week vinyls IRM1177 IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 4-car in post-2013 IR livery IRM1181 IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 6-car in original 'Intercity' livery IRM1179 DCC Sound Fitted IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 3-car in post-2013 IR livery, RTE Music Week vinyls - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1185 IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 4-car in post-2013 IR livery - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1189-DCC IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 6-car in original 'Intercity' livery - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1187-DCC If you have ordered these models we will automatically transfer your order to the following 3, 4 and 6 car unit: DC/DCC Ready IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 3-car in original 'Intercity' branded livery IRM1175 IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 4-car in 2020 IR livery, with blue doors/cycle graphic IRM1182 IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 6-car in post-2013 IR livery IRM1180 DCC Sound Fitted IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 3-car in original 'Intercity' branded livery - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1183-DCC IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 4-car in 2020 IR livery, with blue doors/cycle graphic - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1190-DCC IE 22000 Class 'ICR' - 6-car in post-2013 IR livery - DCC Sound Fitted IRM1188-DCC If you wish to have an alternative ICR instead, or wish to cancel, please email us with your order number and we will sort you out! Updated Pricing As we have to face increased costings for the new electrical componentry, and as we have to dramatically cut the production run, we are forced to increase the RRP for these models. Now, before you panic; IF YOU HAVE AN EXISTING PREORDER FOR AN ICR WITH US, THEN WE WILL HONOUR THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE! However, the new purchase prices for each model are detailed below; DC/DCC Ready 3 Car - €439.99 4 Car - €549.99 6 Car - €799.99 DCC Sound Fitted 3 Car - €559.99 4 Car - €669.99 6 car - €919.99 These new prices are now in place on the website for pre-ordering. While the increase is regrettable, there is simply nothing we can do due to demand drying up on these units resulting in a cutting of production numbers. However, when compared to most UK or continental models, they still represent excellent value for money considering the technology that has been built into these units and the niche market that is Irish outline model railways. With the sound project, lighting options, operational functionality and finesse, our ICRs will absolutely be next level units. We are currently awaiting the tooling modifications to be completed by the factory for the new electronics system. Then we will receive a full decorated sample to sign off. Should the numbers of sold units improve we will be able to kick off production. So, if you really want to see the ultimate Irish unit on your layout, we encourage you to place an order today to support this model. Until then, we cannot give a firm date for delivery of the models, but we know it will be at least mid-late 2025. We will have a proper and full update on this before Christmas as the decorated development sample arrives. In the meantime we had the first painted bodyshell (above) and the first decorated sample of the sculfort shunter from Portlaoise Depot that is included in every 6 car pack! Finally, we would like to thank each and every one of you who has ordered one of our ICRs and supported this project to date. We fully understand the disappointment around the delays to date. We will endeavour to make it up to you with a first class model for the original price point to reward your support with us, and continue to bring more great Irish outline models to the market in the coming years. Pre-Order Your ICR Here! View the full article

Another long overdue project update is finally here, and thankfully it's much more positive as we get to reveal decorated samples of our hotly anticipated Park Royal coaches! Firstly, we shall let the images do the talking, as a splash of colour adorns these splendid vehicles. Arriving just in time for the MRSI October Bank Holiday Weekend show in Dublin, we have received decorated samples in green with silver underframe, CIE classic "Black and Tan" livery of orange and black, and IR Orange and Black livery of post 1987 with white pin stripes, the final livery they wore in squadron service with Irish rail. We are delighted to see colour on these models, so we can get a real feel for the coaches and the progression of the coaches. We still have work to do though! When the first engineering samples arrived, we noted that the bogies had been incorrectly moulded in the wrong type of plastic, which would cause significant operational issues and a high failure rate as it is difficult to glue. Thankfully, this has now been sorted, and the iconic commonwealth bogies, a signature of so many Irish coaches from this period, look and perform superbly. Paint coverage needs to be and will be improved and some of the colours will be tweaked before production, along with a general improvement in build quality, but that is typical of samples at this stage. Once this issues are resolved we will progress to production. The revised delivery date of these models is now mid-2025. Drop by our stand this weekend and take a closer look at these beauties. If you have experienced our Mark 2 coaches, then you know how special these are going to be! We still have a limited supply of Park Royals available for pre-order. To add some to your collection, place your pre-order below! Pre-Order Your Park Royal Coaches Here! View the full article

With our Bulleid Open wagons on the high seas, and the very recent news that our Bulleid flats are about to depart the factory too, it's time to announce our next star of "Project Bulleid" for IRM; The grain wagons! Under the tenure of Oliver Bulleid as the company’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) embarked on a programme of rolling stock renewal beginning in the early 1950s, centred around Bulleid’s patented triangulated underframe construction. Goods vehicles of several types were based on a standard two-axle chassis with a 10ft wheelbase and an intensive production programme commenced at Inchicore Works, with up to 12 wagons being outshopped every week. Among the more distinctive wagon types to appear was a series of bulk grain hoppers developed from the H Van design, which was also being constructed during this time. These vehicles had a 12 ton capacity and augmented a fleet of earlier hopper wagons which had been constructed by the Great Southern Railways (GSR) in the 1930s and could be spotted in mixed goods trains throughout the country in the course of conveying grain from collection points such as Ardee, Ballina, Ferns, Monaghan and Wicklow to mills which included Polloxfens at Ballysodare, and the Ranks plants at Clara and Limerick. Distinguished from standard H Vans by the presence of walkways and manholes on the roof, along with bodyside access ladders and an unloading chute on the underside, 56 of these wagons were produced by Inchicore in 1955. However, the level of traffic called for several standard H Vans to be converted to bulk grain wagons over the coming years, with 29 being reconstructed in 1961 and a further 20 following in 1964. These vehicles remained in service for two decades, eventually being withdrawn when grain traffic ceased in the mid-1970s, with a number of the wagons being observed awaiting disposal at Drogheda towards the end of the decade. Some wagon bodies were then offered for sale, mostly to farmers who used them for storage and animal housing. As you can see above, this is a model we have been working on for some time as part of our "Project Bulleid" range, with the engineering sample wagon in hand for many months now. Following on from the opens, flats and tankers, this is the fourth of many wagons that sit on this chassis, and also give a preview to a future release... We're offering three different triple packs over two liveries for these wagons, with a price of €89.95 per pack, with our famed 10% discount when you buy two or more packs. Delivery will be in Q4 of 2024. Pre-order for no money down below! Pre-Order Your CIE Grain Wagon Here View the full article

We certainly alluded that the humble H Van was in our future in our launch of the Grain Wagons, and now we can reveal our model of the standard CIE goods van, here in fitted form! History The programme of rolling stock production undertaken by Oliver Bulleid during his time as Chief Mechanical Engineer at Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) in the 1950s contained a number of now-iconic vehicles, among them being the humble H Van. With a 10ft wheelbase and 12-ton capacity, these unassuming vans became CIÉ’s standard covered wagon and they found their way to every point of the Irish railway network during their time in service, present in long rakes or mixed trains in larger yards and in smaller groups or singly in sidings and goods sheds right across the island. In addition to over 1,300 H Vans constructed with hand brakes only, in 1953 Inchicore Works outshopped 219 wagons with vacuum brakes, with a further 99 H Vans being retro-fitted with vacuum braking between 1961 and 192. These wagons were distinguishable by the presence of brake wheels rather than the usual levers found on unfitted stock, and in most cases by the presence of “Vac Brake” wording on the body sides. While commonly found running in unfitted trains with standard H vans and other wagons, where the vacuum equipment was not utilised, these vehicles could also be attached to passenger and mail trains to convey mailbags, parcels and other time-sensitive loads. As with most other stock aimed at wagonload operations, these vehicles continued to ply their trade with CIÉ until the latter half of the 1970s, when more modern bogie stock was introduced and the network was optimised for trainload liner operations. Many of these vehicles were transported to CIÉ’s scrapyard at Mullingar upon withdrawal, where they were subsequently disposed of. The Model Probably the least surprising addition to our "Project Bulleid" programme of wagon launches around the famous triangulated chassis, the H Van is the must have wagon for anyone modelling mixed goods trains during the heyday of CIE freight operations. Seen in long mixed trains alongside their counterparts the corrugated opens, the flats, grain wagons and more, they were a staple diet in the Autumn of steam operations along with the diesel dawn. Modelled accurately in high quality ready to run format for the first time, the accurate proportions and quality materials and details used does these humble vans justice in OO scale. With brass bearings to ensure the smoothness of running characteristics, high quality die cast chassis for weight, a wealth of separately applied details including fine plastic and metal brake rigging, museum quality injection moulding as well as crisp tampo printing and paint application, our Bulleid wagons set a new standard for IRM rolling stock and this will be demonstrated with the H Vans. At home in a mixed goods, passenger mixed train or even a mail train, the fitted vans offer great flexibility for modellers and the unfitted variants will follow in a future production run. These wagons are due to arrive in stock in Q4 2024 and are priced at our unbeatable price for authentic Irish scale models of €89.95 for each triple pack, with 10% off when you order two more more sets. Pre-order yours below and benefit from free shipping around Ireland and 3% cash back in the way of loyalty points off future purchases. Pre-Order Your H Vans Here View the full article

Hot on the heels of our opens, flats, and now our tank wagons (Which are not far away at all from delivery!),we can now report that our grain wagons are progressing very nicely indeed, with decorated samples arriving in recent weeks. As you can see, they look rather well! More photos below! We have signed off on these samples and production is now in full swing, with a delivery date of later in Q3 being advised. Priced at €89.95 per triple pack, and with 10% off when you purchase two or more packs, these wagons will make for a wonderful addition to your mixed traffic fleet. Pick yours up below with free postage and packaging around Ireland to boot! PRE ORDER YOUR IRM GRAIN WAGONS HERE! View the full article

It's that time of year again; where the Dublin show rolls around for the October Bank Holiday weekend and we announce our next big project for the Irish railway scene. Many will have guessed it considering our recent delivery of NIR Enterprise Mark 2 stock, but perhaps few would really believe it. Finally, after many, many years of neglect, the iconic NIR Hunslet locomotives get the full-fat Accurascale/IRM treatment! History Having undertaken a programme of station refurbishment, improved its ticketing arrangements and introduced new on-track plant and shunting locomotives, in 1969 the still embryonic Northern Ireland Railways set out to improve the Dublin-Belfast ‘Enterprise’ service, by replacing the existing diesel railcar sets with a locomotive hauled service. Intended to reduce the time for the 180 km journey to just two hours, the NIR Class 101 (DL) locomotives were designed to run in a push/pull configuration, with a 270 ton 8-car set of BR Mk.2b stock, at a maximum speed of 80mph. When Mrs Joan Humphreys, wife of Northern Ireland Railways’ chairman Myles Humphreys, unveiled the nameplate of 101 Eagle on May 8, 1970, it was an astounding triumph for the Hunslet Engine Company of Leeds; having beaten off stern competition from the likes of General Motors in the United States for the contract, with the event marking the remarkable culmination of a ten-month delivery programme. The pace of the delivery programme was dictated by NIR’s lack of diesel-electric stock to haul the Enterprise to the new timings; the British United Traction 700/900 Class and UTA Class 70 railcars not being up to the task in hand and while Hunslet had secured the order, the company’s workshops were already full, being committed to other orders. For Hunslet, the answer was to sub-contract out the manufacturing work, so having designed the superstructure and bogies, fabrication of the superstructure, along with the final assembly, testing and painting were contracted out to British Rail Engineering Limited at their Doncaster site. Traction was trusted to English Electric/AEI Traction, who designed the English Electric 8CSVT Mk II design prime mover for the project, which essentially was an updated version of the Class 20's prime mover, fitted with an additional intercooler. Linked to a Bo-Bo bogie arrangement, this unit provided 1,350 hp (1,010 kW), of which 350hp was required for the Mk2’s heating system! Completed on schedule, 101 Eagle was handed over to NIR on May 8, 1970, with 102 Falcon following on May 22 and 103 Merlin on June 8 and all three locomotives (on temporary bogies) were subsequently shipped to Belfast on the Ferry from Preston (probably on the MV Ionic Ferry) and on arrival were moved to Queens Road for the fitting of the 5’ 3" gauge wheelsets. The Press Launch/Test Train took place on July 3, 1970, with 102 Falcon leading out to Dublin from Belfast’s Great Victoria station and 101 Eagle trailing, and aside from a few comments regarding ‘hunting’ due to the push locomotive, all went well. The three locomotives alternated on the Enterprise and continued to do so until they were succeeded by the General Motors’ NIR Class 111 fleet in 1983. When not required for Enterprise services, the 101s would run as single engines on locomotive hauled services such as the Saturday Excursion traffic to Portrush. This period also coincided with NIR being awarded the contract for the haulage of spoil from Magheramorne, to the Oil Terminal construction site at Cloghan Point (near Kilroot Power Station). Between October 7, 1974, and August 22, 1975 these spoil trains were generally headed by one of the NIR 101 fleet, hauling the Cravens built wagons from the steam hauled spoil contract of the late 1960s. Their ability to haul significant loads led to each locomotive being fitted with Multiple Unit cabling for Push/Pull working and after their replacement on the Enterprise, the three locomotives were moved to secondary services, such as to Derry and between Bangor and Portadown, along with working diagrams that included haulage of the CIÉ weed control train, freight turns with 42’ Fertiliser Flats and 40T Ballast Hoppers, as well as general shunting duties in Adelaide Yard. All three locomotives were gradually withdrawn from service as mechanical woes set in, with 103 Merlin being first in 1989 and 102 Falcon last in 1998, although after having spent four years out of service Falcon was briefly re-instated as a working locomotive in 2002, before being placed back into storage at Whitehead. 103 Merlin was scrapped in 1997, but 101 Eagle and 102 Falcon remained at Whitehead for some time until being offered by Translink for sale. Both locomotives were purchased by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) in 2005, with Falcon being selected for full restoration, utilising parts from Eagle where possible. Unfortunately, despite getting tantalisingly close to restoration back into working order, the task proved too much, and 102 Falcon was sold to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum at Cultra in 2011, where it now resides. 101 Eagle had become no more than a bare shell, as parts had been stripped from it and when no buyer for it could be found the remains succumbed to the cutter’s torch the previous year, in January 2010. So, what of changes to the initial design, was there much variation in the designs of the three Class 101s? The answer, given their short working lives, is unsurprisingly not, but there are some subtle variations for modellers to be aware of. As built, 101 Eagle, 102 Falcon and 103 Merlin were all identical, but somewhere between late 1974 and early 1975, small sections were removed from the headstocks, with each locomotive’s being slightly differently shaped, indicating an ad-hoc modification (a useful identification guide in the absence of visible numbering). Around this time, the roof aerial clusters also changed from the original housing to the more familiar GSM ‘shark-fin’ type at each end. The next visible change came with the addition of Time Division Multiplex (TDM) cabling, allowing the transfer of multiple working data between locomotives and Driving Trailers. At some point in 1988, 101 Eagle obtained a second GSM aerial at No.1 End, but the greatest change in appearance belonged to 102 Falcon, with the removal of the buffing gear at both ends and the vacuum pipe being elevated and centralised at No.2 end. The Class 101s wore all their liveries well, with four distinct livery periods for the trio. As delivered in 1970, all three locomotives were painted in a deep maroon over the body, a light grey roof, with an arced golden yellow panel at each end and a small NIR logo amidships in golden yellow. From 1974 all three locos had the front panel revised to a ‘V’ shaped arced panel, with the locomotive number appearing on the front end for the first time. In mid-1979, the NIR mid-blue livery appeared, with the ‘V’ arc being represented in luminous red and a slightly larger NIR logo in white featuring amidships. As a body livery, the mid-blue did not wear very well, fading unevenly, and during 1988 the paint scheme was refreshed with new large NIR logos amidships, but this time with a luminous red chevron replacing the more elegant arc pattern which, again, faded badly and quite quickly. Of the three, only 102 Falcon received the revised darker NIR blue, sometime in 1996, with small yellow panel, black roof and ‘Zorro’ mask across the cab windows, again with large NIR logo. In preservation, this locomotive is now presented at the Museum at Cultra in a representation of its original maroon livery. The Model Following on from the success of our Mark 2 Enterprise coaches, we asked the question "Well, what will pull them?". While we knew of models of the 111 and 201s, we thought about these NIR icons. With a bucket of charisma and such unique looks, we felt the Hunslets would make for a cracking model. However, it's not all positive. Despite running to Dublin daily for so long, there were only 3 of these locomotives and they felt a bit niche. Buoyed by the sales of our Mark 2s, we decided to press on and make them in a strictly limited run. That's right folks, though we might be proven wrong bit massive demand, we envisage that this might just be a one-off run. With the real loco scanned and research progressing at a rapid rate, we have been able to get the Hunslets designed and tooled in record time and have been testing these samples for several months now. With just a trio of locomotives and a small pool to choose from for variations, we have decided to cover all major liveries for everyone in this first (and possibly only) production run. So, what is the cost for this charismatic, yet quite niche locomotive? Well, with a truly unrivalled spec and museum quality model including a comprehensive lighting package including cab lighting, day and night configurations, a wealth of detail, prism free glazing, operating roof fan, ESU loksound five and large speaker set up on sound fitted models, hefty diecast chassis, era detail differences, and more, they come in for a very reasonable £219.99 DC/DCC Ready and £319.99 DCC sound fitted, or €259.95 DC/DCC Ready and €379.95 DCC Sound Fitted. Delivery is slated for Q4 2025, with decorated samples due with Accurascale/IRM engineering team before Christmas. Tempted? You will be! You do not want to miss out on these beauties. Pre-order yours today for no money down via the IRM or Accurascale websites! As ever, the assistance of trusted stakeholders is vital to the development stages of any model, and we are pleased to acknowledge the outstanding co-operation and contribution of Clare Ablett and the team at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum, Cultra, who allowed us to descend on them with our 3D scanning associates to map 102 Falcon to the finest detail. And just as important in the grand scheme of the project, we are indebted to Andrew Ross of the Hunslet Engine Company for supplying the original works’ drawings, as well as the benefit of his experience, which was instrumental in converting the project from a ‘what if’ to a ‘let’s crack on’! Click Here to Pre-Order Your Hunslet! MODEL SPECIFICATION: • Die-cast metal chassis, with ABS plastic body. Weight (without decoder) 406g. • Centrally mounted, twin flywheel 5-pole motor, driving both sets of axles, with all-wheel pickup. • Helical gear box for maximum performance and slow speed running. • Gearing arranged so locomotive can achieve a scale maximum top speed of 80 mph (128.75 km/h), with a load of 1.1kg • Supplied as DCC Sound Ready, or DCC Sound fitted. • Scale length of 180.71mm over buffers. • Bogie wheelbase of 30.71mm (93.781mm between bogie centres), allowing operation over a minimum radius of 438mm (2nd radius set-track). • Single style of 13.33mm solid locomotive wheel, correctly profiled both on the inside and outside to RP25-110 standard, set in blackened brass bearings or contact strips and chemically blackened, and conforming to Accurascale standards of 14.4mm back-to-back on 2mm diameter axles, over 28mm pinpoints (to allow for potential re-gauging to 21mm finescale standards). • Brake blocks fitted and aligned with wheel centres for 00 gauge. • Fully detailed die-cast underframe with all cylinders, battery boxes, cabinets and piping applied separately. • NEM pockets at both ends, fitted via full kinetic couplings. • Eroded metal, plastic and wire detail parts, including (but not limited to) roof details, handrails, door handles, kick plates, lamp brackets, nameplates, brake gear, brake discs, draw gear, bogie chains, vents and louvres. • Prism free flush glazing. • Easily removable roof section, to allow access to PCB for speaker and decoder fitting. • Fitted stay alive arrangement. • Designed to work with the ESU LOKSOUND V5 21-PIN Decoder with easy access via removable roof panel. Blanking plate to carry switches for limited DC lighting options. • Fully directional lighting, with full range of light options for day/night running and shunting/yard configurations. • Separate cab lighting configurations. • Working DCC operated roof fans (single fixed speed on DC). • Supplied DCC Sound Ready, with fitted ESU 22mm x 42mm x 8.0mm rectangular 4Ω speaker and Passive Radiator. View the full article

We like to shake the market up as you know, so we have decided to review our warranty window of one year and extend it to an incredible, industry first, of a lifetime manufacturer’s warranty on all new, in stock and forthcoming IRM models! But, what about the IRM models you already own? Well, we have not forgotten about you either! So, how about this? We are EXTENDING our lifetime manufacturer’s warranty to all models ever sold new by us, or new by our retailers in the past, too! This covers; Locomotives Coaches Wagons Accessories We really believe in our models, so we will stand over them for life! Should you be considering your next model purchase, you can check out our range, safe in the knowledge that we will have you covered, for life! See all terms and conditions by clicking here Need to contact us about a warranty issue? Contact us now now by clicking the chat icon (If you purchased direct from our website, have your order number ready. If you purchased from a retailer please include either a photo of your receipt or order confirmation email in the email) View the full article

Hi everyone, We've been known to "throw the kitchen sink" into models in our range, and the term can become quite literal with our coaches. Those familiar with our Enterprise Mark 2 coaches will attest to this, and now our Park Royals can boast the same with their snack car conversions. Showing our fully decorated interiors against our integral interior lighting just sets these classic CIE coaches off a treat. Pre-ordered yours yet? Our order book is filling up fast, so we recommend you get your n pre-order in fast to avoid disappointment! PRE-ORDER NOW: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/park-royal-coaches Cheers! Fran

Welcome to our next 00/4mm scale steam locomotive project, one that very much fits in with our range of wagons and is a cornerstone of our "Powering Britain" range of models that fuelled a nation. It is, of course, the Hunslet 18” x 26” “Austerity” 0-6-0 saddle tank locomotives! Check out the launch video with Project Manager Steve Purves below, and read on for the history of these pocket-sized powerhouses by scrolling onwards! History (All prototype photos thanks to Derek Huntriss) The Hunslet Austerity is arguably one of the most instantly recognisable tank locomotives in the country, with around 485 built and nearly 60 surviving to preservation. Its popularity in preservation means that many enthusiasts will have encountered these simple but powerful machines in action over the last 50 years. The moniker “Austerity” can be argued as an unfortunate one, as it’s a word which was very much in vogue at the time of their construction in the early 1940s. Thought as simple, rough and almost unwanted machines built for a short term purpose, they were seen as an almost throw away locomotive. The reality couldn’t be further from the truth, with some working until the very end of UK industrial steam in the early 1980s. During the early part of the 1940s, the Ministry of Supply was on the lookout for a “heavy shunting locomotive” to complement the larger mainline types also being built. Initially the LMS 3F “jinty” was considered but it was Edgar Alcock, Chairman of Hunslet locomotive works in Leeds, that convinced them that a development of their 50550 class was the way forward. One benefit of the Hunslet product was the shorter wheelbase, which would be more forgiving on poorly laid track. Another advantage was the locomotive being a saddle tank. Although this raised the centre of gravity, it gave easier access to the inside motion for maintenance and servicing. One key requirement was that the locomotives would be able to give 2 years of intensive service, regardless of operating conditions. These punchy little tank engines were required to start a train of over 1000 tons on the level and at least 300 tons on a 1 in 50 grade. The pruning of the original 50550 specifications had resulted in quite a formidable machine, seemingly without compromising performance. The first Austerity steamed at Hunslet’s works on the 1st of January 1943. This was followed by another 149 locomotives over the next 3 years although not all were built by the Leeds based firm. Many were outsourced to builders such as Barclay’s of Kilmarnock, Bagnall’s of Stafford, Yorkshire engine company of Sheffield, Robert Stephenson and Hawthorns of Newcastle and Vulcan Foundry of Newton le Willows, who all fitted their respective builders plates to the locomotives they built to the Hunslet designs. The livery was originally a striking “desert sand” colour as specified by the Ministry but later this was changed to a dark green colour. The first were sent to Longmoor and the Shropshire and Montgomeryshire railway (these being fitted with vacuum brakes for passenger working) but they soon found themselves employed in Army depots and shunting yards the length and breadth of the allied rail network. With the cessation of Hostilities in 1945, many of these locomotives were deemed surplus and offered for sale or hire. A total of 27 were hired immediately by the Nederlandsche Spoorwegen (Dutch State Railway) who later went on to purchase them outright, a further 11 went to the Nederlandsche Staatsmijen (Dutch State Mines), two of which were returned later to the WD, the remaining nine becoming the property of the Staatsmijen. Aside from the Dutch locomotives, many simply went in to storage and eventually disappeared from recognition. There were a few taken on by French industrial railways as temporary “power” and there were 6 sold to Chemins de Fer Tunisiens (Tunisian railways) in North Africa. One of the larger acquisitions was of the 75 locomotives purchased by the LNER. Some of these were second-hand machines but many came “new” from storage and were pressed virtually straight into service, classified as J94’s. Some J94s even retained their WD livery with LNER lettering applied. These LNER locomotives would be passed to British Railways a few years later and they would survive in mainline operation until the mid-1960’s. However, the LNER wasn’t the biggest customer of the War Dept’s sales. The National Coal Board adopted the design as their “standard” shunter and despatched locomotives to every corner of its operations. From the coalfields of Kent to Scotland, not many NCB sites didn’t house an Austerity (or two). The War Dept didn’t dispose of all of their stock of Austerities and kept 90 of them on the books for working the various depots around the country, notably Longmoor who’s well known lined blue livery was soon applied to their allocation. So successful was the design, it had proved a reliable performer and simple to maintain that further locomotives were ordered direct from Hunslet for the NCB, War Dept and United steel companies (for Exton Park, although the latter were built by the Yorkshire engine company and had a different wheel centre to the earlier Hunslet built machines working at Scunthorpe.) The standardised nature of the Austerity type meant it was ripe for experimentation and a number of locomotives were fitted with different blastpipe and chimney arrangements in the pursuit of efficiency. First was the Giesl ejector multiple blast pipe arrangement, recognised by its “flat” chimney, locomotives so fitted offered a noticeable reduction in coal usage. A later development was implemented by Hunslet themselves in an attempt to overcome the production of black smoke, as outlawed by the clean air act. This involved a streamlined blast pipe and chimney as pioneered by the Argentinian engineer Livio Dante Porta. Porta had devised number of ways to make the burning of fuel more efficient. The blast nozzle, a Kylpor (Kyläla – Porta) was fitted which gave the exhaust a unique sound, almost like that of a Kylchap (Kyläla – Chapelon) as fitted to LNER A3’s and A4’s. Another feature of the Porta modified Austerities were the over-fire air holes in the sides of the firebox, this allowed additional air to aid the full combustion of firebox gasses before reaching the tubes, also fitted at the time was a mechanical underfeed stoker to enable single man operation. The last Austerity was built to this design and was rolled out of the Hunslet works in Leeds during 1964. Numbered 3890, this became the very last standard gauge steam locomotive built for use in the British Isles until Tornado was completed in 2008. The number of Austerities in regular service up to and through the 1970s proved to be a real boon to the fledgling preservation scene. Often when locomotives were withdrawn from industrial use they were picked up for scrap value in operational condition by these newly founded preserved railways resulting in nearly 60 overall being saved. They proved invaluable in providing motive power whilst the more glamourous ex-BR types were restored from Barry scrapyard wrecks. Sadly, for the seemingly unstoppable Austerities, time was called for many and one by one they fell out of use and were shunted to the back of the yards as the more glamourous mainline engines trod the boards with only a few keeping their wheels turning. In more recent years however, the increasing costs for railways, has meant it being largely uneconomical to steam a Class 8 locomotive for a 5 mile trundle with 4 Mk1’s in tow. Things have moved full circle for the Austerity, as second-hand prices have been increasing with railways seeing the true value of an engine that can shift 1000t of train on a ‘few’ buckets of coal. The Model Our Austerity takes the spirit of the real locomotive and is designed to move heavy trains with the minimum of fuss. An all-up weight of nearly 250g and a powerful coreless motor ensures that this locomotive can do just that. Backed up by an on board stay alive power bank, it gives the our Austerity the reliability to carry on, moving over imperfect track whilst keeping the sounds playing through its pre-fitted twin speakers and the flickering firebox illuminating the highly detailed cab interior. It’s not just the mechanical and electrical side that impresses. Our tooling suite is designed to do this class justice for the first time in 4mm scale. We have the capability of covering most modifications since the introduction of the type, from the LNER modifications to the bunkers and tank steps, the NCB and Hunslet draughting changes, the cut down cabs of the NCB locomotives working on the Philadelphia system in County Durham and even preservation era modifications. This makes sure that every issue of our Austerities will be able to bring something “new” to the party. A total of six locomotives will make up the main range for the first production cycle of the our Austerity, with an Accurascale Exclusive announcement model to follow later. Below is a brief history of each loco in this first, main range production cycle; ACC3099 Austerity - United Steel company - WGB2762 - 18 This attractively liveried Austerity was built in 1945 by W. G. Bagnall in Stafford and was one of the 377 locomotives built for the War Department and originally carried the number 75174. When demobbed, the locomotives was purchased by the United Steel Companies and put to work on the steelworks system at Scunthorpe. Externally a virtually standard Austerity, our model carries the heavy duty “Yorkshire” buffers that were fitted to the prototype when it was in service. ACC3100 Austerity - BR Early Emblem - HC1775 - 68025 This locomotive was one of a batch of 36 Austerities by Hudswell Clarke of Leeds. This particular one was completed in November 1944 and carried the WD number 71498. Purchased by the LNER in June 1946 the locomotive was classified as a J94 and numbered 8025. The distinctive extended bunker was fitted in November 1949 when it was renumbered 68025 and gained the early BR emblem. The locomotive was based at Darlington 51A until withdrawal in 1963. The locomotive did not survive and was cut up shortly after. The model replicates the period after 1949 and carries the extended bunker, smokebox numberplate and additional steps and handrails on the tank ACC3101 Austerity - LNER - HE3151 - 8008 The earliest built Austerity in our launch range, this one was built by the Hunslet engine company, Leeds in Feb 1944, and numbered WD 75101. Acquired by the LNER in July 1946 and classified as J94, this locomotive was one of several to retain its desert sand livery with the addition of LNER numerals. At its first shopping date it would be repainted in the standard LNER black livery of the time. The locomotive would be passed to BR and renumbered 68008 before being finally withdrawn in December 1963. Our model represents a “standard” Austerity, with no modifications fitted. ACC3106 Austerity - NCB South Wales - HE3810 - Glendower Glendower was one of the 93 locomotives completed by Hunslet in the years after the war. Works number 3810 was completed in 1954 and sold directly to the NCB. This locomotive was moved directly to the coalfields of South Wales and gained the name “Glendower”. It was withdrawn from Hafodyrynys, Crumlin in 1973. The engine was purchased from the NCB and moved to the South Devon Railway at Buckfastleigh in 1978. It returned to traffic and proved a valuable member of the working fleet until its last boiler ticket expired in 1995. It is still at Buckfastleigh, cosmetically restored in non-operational condition. Glendower recreates a typical post war Austerity in unmodified condition. ACC3107 Austerity - NCB North East - VF5300 - 59 This Austerity was another wartime product, this time from the Vulcan foundry, Newton-le-Willows. It was completed in 1945 and allocated the WD number 75310. Following war dept service, the locomotive was purchased by the NCB and allocated to number 6 area, North West Durham. Particular to this area is the cut back cabs on all locomotives for working the restricted clearance of the tunnel on the entrance to Lambton coal drops at the port of Sunderland. Another smaller feature on this locomotive was the relocation of the injectors to above the running plate ahead of the cab. Both of these features are faithfully recreated on the model ACC3108 Austerity - NCB North West - HE3823 - Warrior New to the NCB in September 1954, 3823 was allocated to the North West division, initially at Walkden Railways in Lancashire. It was fitted with a Giesl ejector and underfeed stoker sometime in 1966 before transferring to Bickerhsaw Colliery in Leigh and allocated the rather catchy number 63/000/432. Here it worked until withdrawal in 1983 although for the last couple of years carried the unofficial name of “Fred” chalked on the tank sides, along with a “locally made” squared Giesl ejector. Warrior was sold into preservation in 1984 to the Dean Forest Railway but has not run yet. Tooling has been complete for some time now, with initial testing also finished. Our Project Manager and engineering team performed tooling tweaks since these initial engineering prototypes were first delivered. This includes the wheels, the engraved detail was missing from the fronts of the tanks on all EP's and the LNER buffers have been improved. The shape of the distinctive Lambton NCB cab has also been corrected and the Gisel has also been improved. Decorated samples demonstrating these corrections are due in the new year and delivery of the finished models will be in Q2 2026. Price for the DC/DCC models is £149.95 and £249.95 for the DCC sound fitted versions. The initial launch range is now available to pre-order via your local Accurascale stockist or direct via the Accurascale website. An Accurascale Exclusives model will also be announced in early 2025 which will be available direct only via us on our website. Pre-order yours today by clicking the link below! Pre-order Your Hunslet Austerity Here! Locomotive Specification Highly detailed 0-6-0ST 00 gauge model, 1:76.2 scale on 16.5mm track Minimum Radius 438mm (2nd radius set track) RP25-110 profile 00 gauge wheels Coreless motor with flywheel geared for maximum performance and slow speed running Die-cast metal chassis and pickups to all wheels. Next18 DCC ready or ESU LokSound V5 sound fitted, slot mounted in smokebox PowerPack capacitor for uninterrupted power Two quality sugar cube speakers contained in sound capsule located for best possible sound. Small, flexible neck NEM coupler mounts set at correct height, with mini-tension-lock couplers. Brake rigging factory fitted Brake blocks aligned with wheels Scale width wire handrails and sand pipes Fully detailed cab interior with twin LED pulsing/steady Firebox glow Etched metal/plastic detail parts, including grab handles, steps, pipework, lamp irons etc. Sliding roof ventilator Etched metal pre-painted name plates and works plates. Fully sprung metal buffers, factory-installed pipework and screw/3 link couplings Magnetically removable smoke box door for DCC decoder access View the full article

The latest entry in our "Powering Britain" range comprises of the most numerous wagon built for British Railways; the 16 Ton Mineral Wagons. Announced in September last year, our first run follows the story of the unfitted Morton braked wagons, with 1/108, 1/109 and MCO rebodied versions being released in a variety of liveries and running gear combinations. Models produced in this run exhibit the following variations: • Three types of end door; fabricated and two types of pressed steel. • Three types of buffer housings, including the Dowty Hydraulic Buffer. • Welded and rivetted original bodies. • Welded rebodies. • BR standard and square axle journals. • Standard and pressed steel handbrake handles. • Morton unfitted and double unfitted independent brakes. Production is now complete and the models are on the high seas. We have reviewed and signed off on these production samples, which you can feast your eyes on below! Of course, we also cannot resist some private owner, industrial and internal user options when it comes to our wagons for additional interest, and one variant is called POO it makes it all the more fun to do! Our 16 tonner stunners are now well under way on their voyage from the factory and are due in stock with us approx December 12th 2024. We will of course endeavour to get as many parcels out to customers as we can before the Christmas break, but some may spill over into the new year. Fancy some to add to your wagon collections, or build a new train behind your latest Accurascale Class 31, 37 or even Andrew Barclay saddle tank? Pre-order yours now below, or via your local Accurascale stockist! Pre-Order Your 16 Ton Mineral Wagons Here! View the full article

Hi Colin, So you want me to produce evidence, but do not to engage further? Right. Okay. Just give up using the provocative and confrontational language, and nobody will have a problem. Talk to people as you would talk to them if you were visiting them in their home. That's all we ask. Cheers! Fran

Hi Gibbo, You referred to people as numpties in your last post (which I hid, not deleted.) In the above you call people cretins. That is not in keeping in the tone of the website and community we share here. Not to mention posts dripping with passive aggression as above. I like your modelling, but the tone needs to be a bit more friendly. If that's too much for you, then you know where the door is. Cheers! Fran

Hi folks, Can we keep this forum for all things model trains and leave the provocative language and sniping outside please? We all come here to avoid such things. Let's leave terms like woke at the door, and talk about vac braking and soldering techniques etc instead. If that's too much to ask, then please find another website. Cheers! Fran