murphaph

I'm not sure if it's been mentioned but the Athy Brickworks had a 400 yard siding which I presume was private, even if built by the railway. It's mentioned in this article: https://www.kildare.ie/ehistory/index.php/athy-newspaper-article-on-the-industries-in-athy-in-1898/ The siding would have crossed the road into the factory about here I suppose: https://goo.gl/maps/2KMeAG31Mic46Sbu9

Yeah I have a load of them in a box and two will end up as the buffets. The regular mk2c conversions will mostly be just turned around so you can't see the incorrect toilet windows. I may try to do one with the sealed window style "for fun". The rest will end up in NIR livery some day.

Do you know what the hatch in the roof was actually cut out for? The original use in the mk2c was for AC plant that was in the end never installed in BR mk2c's. Was only 4402 cut into like this to add the hatch? The hatch is at the opposite end to the buffet itself, so I guess it's not directly related to that. IR really went out of their way to make them look like 2c's with the external roof and internal ceiling modifications lol. The only thing left about this coach that suggests 2b is the toilet window. For comparison the first three pics on this site appear to be a mk2c FK: https://citytransport.info/Compartment.htm For modelling purposes I guess it's easyish to add the "2c" hatch detail to the roof. The other mods "just" involve blanking windows mostly I guess. I am thinking of having a go at some of these "lightly modified" mk2's to practice my modelling skills before tackling something like a mk1 GSV conversion.

Looking more closely at 4401 and 4402 I'm not sure these aren't actually mk2c's. The exterior shots show a roof hatch which I believe the b's didn't have. This was to gain access to planned but never installed AC equipment. Likewise the internal shots show the lowered, flattened ceiling in the passenger compartment (interestingly stripped back in the buffet area). This lower false ceiling contained AC ducting (again never used in practice). The toilet windows are of the vent type like the b's but AFAIK some early mk2c's had these toilet windows rather than the later sealed AC type. I guess to the modeller trying to recreate these vehicles it makes little difference but the roof hatch should be included. The Lima mk2b correctly doesn't have this.

I'll take those Rob

After a coat of white and reverse masking the tippex stripes the bodies have received a coat of black along the the windows and coach ends.

Ah sure if it wasn't for IRM I'd be modelling US outline now. The A classes are a lifesaver.

If I was returning to the hobby now instead of less than a year ago I'd quickly surmise that Irish outline was going to be a no go financially. I wonder how many would be Irish outline returnees choose another outline based on price alone.

Lol you know me too well. I do see them again from time to time but I did buy quite a few I must admit!

A first for me but seemingly a well worn path...preparing Lima mk2b coaches for respraying. I'm removing the raised and obviously not prototypical paint moulding from these and filing out the windows to receive south eastern finecast flush glazing. They were stripped in brake fluid which seems to do no harm to the plastic on this type of model. I am trying rattle cans first and depending on the results I may or may not try an example with my as yet unused air brush!

This is really cool. The footbridge looked great already from the 3D printer but a modular factory finished version of Robert's design will do it even more justice no doubt. Fair play to all concerned.

As well as the Bells the UBC and if I'm not mistaken the IFF ones also ran/run on Irish rail.

The pantographs might be a problem

That's crazy carry on. The touting of the localink is about as cheeky as it gets. 150% markup and as you say no word of the poor finish despite knowing about it. @Warbonnet are they your copyright images in that ad by any chance?

Slightly off topic but does anyone know why most model buses and other road vehicles tend to be diecast metal whereas most railway stock has plastic bodies, at least in 1/76 scale?

I understand how the window frames work in say a mk3 with Lazerglaze as glazing fitted but how do the mk2b/c window etches work? I take it you file out the pressure vent glazing bars completely, leaving a rectangle, slightly smaller than the etch. The etch is then presumably glued around this opening but how do you glaze these? I'm not going to do it, I'm going to use the SE Finecast stuff which is good enough for my rake of Limas but I'd like to know how the Shawplan stuff is supposed to work for these coaches. I have found a few pics on RMweb of stuff in progress but nothing complete.

That's really very good.

Oh that's great news. Fingers crossed they can buy their stuff back as cheaply as possible.

Yes we also travelled on it in 2017 it was. A lovely setting and I'm sure a big loss to the wider area. It was definitely a tourist attraction for the town.

Very impressed with this. I love the grungy 161 the most. Any chance of weathering up the ballast wagons too?

I prefer to wait a bit longer than be disappointed with the quality Given the shipping container shortages it seems to make perfect sense to use the "bought time" to rectify any issues rather than approve the shipment only for it to sit in China waiting for a container anyway.

That looks the business Ken.

Some day I hope to be able to have a go at this kit so this thread will be bookmarked! The detailed step by step pictures are totally invaluable to someone like me.

Same here. Not using a sniper only helps drive the price up for eBay and the seller. If everyone used a sniper stuff would be cheaper.