murphaph

Any background to it at all Billycan? It doesn't look "official" to me. If it was I would expect both company names to appear in full, not just IE's. But I'm probably completely wrong and it's part of a pair of something.

This one is a cracker:

Lol I asked the same question last week btb. It's in the questions and answers forum.

The 121 packaging looked good in theory but locos were to free to actually move about. I also had a loco sitting back at an angle. The standard IRM sandwich packaging has done well for me so far.

I think a few folk are trying to offload their Lima mk3s at the moment. They'll be far less desirable once MM releases the updated ones.

I'm watching that one out of morbid curiosity. I'm not sure the high prices being paid for diesels at the moment is going to translate to even higher prices for rarer steam models. It sounds logical but most modellers of Irish outline are modelling diesel, certainly the RTR modellers anyway. The guys who model steam are probably used to building kits for half the price of the reserve, so can't see anybody hitting the buy it now button at over a grand in €.

Cheers Warb, yeah it's deffo Athy I reckon, protecting the crossover from the loop to the mainline in the DOWN direction. Useful info for me. Thx

Is that a concrete post? It almost looks concrete anyway.

Can the 201's 710 engine fit inside an 071 without major surgery? It can't be that much bigger, they are both 12 cylinder engines. I'd prefer to see the 071s soldier on in that was a viable option. Though the way those EMD engines are built, the engine block is really just a frame for holding the wear parts, which can be replaced individually, so not even sure there is any point in such a donation programme.

Interesting thoughts John. I did not know that Asahi used two different "nasty chemicals" which were transported by rail. Perhaps the different tanks contained the different chemicals? Probably unlikely as they are not coupled together. I think the simpler explanation that the original fleet became insufficient as production increased makes sense. I wonder does anyone have a photograph of the later type. I've only ever seen ones of the first variant. At 3.07 the taller type can be seen more clearly in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BM6kiSeddFg&ab_channel=GerryConmy I know that Foynes-Claremorris traffic was diverted via Portarlington in the 1992 WT. I have no other WTs to consult unfortunately (if anyone is selling a 1995 one I'd be interested by the way). Do you think the fuel oil would have come in to North Wall instead of Foynes or would it have travelled to North Wall from Foynes, to be added to the Asahi Liner? From the oil tanker positioning in the middle of the rake it would seem it left North Wall like this, rather than being added at Kildare, would that seem reasonable? Were the containers also going to Asahi specifically or was this general goods traffic to Ballina freight yard? In the cab ride video in the other direction also on Gerry Comny's youtube channel, there appears to be a similar catch point on the UP side between Kildare and Monasterevan somewhere. Edit: Looking at the above video it seems there were two "new variants"! The 2nd and last tanks are both different to each other and different to the "originals"!

I'm afraid I only know it from afar Jonathan. My mother is also a Kildare woman but from further along in the UP direction, hailing from Newbridge. Glad you enjoyed the photographs The cattle market was on what was called the showgrounds. It appears that it was not connected to the station, just abutting it. The cattle loading pens for the station itself were located on the DOWN platform side, about 100 yds south of the platform. I'm assuming cattle were driven over the bridge to be loaded onto trains.

There was definitely another variant I wasn't aware of, but I'm guessing somebody was? I've found two of them in this cab ride video and they are sandwiched between the common type with the "heavy" bolsters. The variants are markedly taller: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-5w7_6Ie2E&ab_channel=GerryConmy Around 1:53:00 By the way, does anybody know what the rake of dark brown or black looking tanktainers are before the acrylonitrile wagons are?? Oil to Asahi in 1994 still? That's a great looking train to model. A pair of 121s hauling 10x 40 foot containers, followed by a rake of those dark tanktainers, followed by the barrier wagon and a good rake of the acrylonitrile wagons making up the rear.

This is the "common" variant of the tanktainer that I've seen before I guess. The one in the video at 8 mins (last tanktainer before container barrier wagon) is the one I'm curious about. It looks newer and more generic but has the same colour scheme I think. @Noel I think trailing sprung points like that are common enough, sometimes called "train-operated points"?

Rather than open a new thread I'll reopen this old one. I was looking at this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86a2iPdx82w&ab_channel=GerryConmy At exactly 8:00 the last of the "well known" Asahi tanks passes by, followed by what looks like it might have been a different variant. But maybe it was just another tanktainer from another firm in the liner? Any ideas?

I found some great old photos of Athy station and approaches here: http://www.athyphotos.gallery/railway-station.html There's a decent shot of GN cement hopper wagons crossing the Barrow to or from the Asbestos Factory. I believe the factory was served from Boyne Road Cement Works at one stage, before supply witched to Castlemungret. The collection shows other stuff for example aerial photos of the cattle market directly adjacent to the station off the Dublin road: http://www.athyphotos.gallery/dublin-road.html Might be of interest to someone.

Along with the O gauge B&I ferry no doubt!!

There's no point in worrying about "marketing" locos that don't exist to North American modellers. That would just lead to frustration and abandonment of the idea by them. There is no need to "lobby" IRM or MM to create a particular model either. They know well enough their business. The trick would be to see if posts targeted at North America could get a percentage of them interested in what is currently available. Deviating from 00 to H0 for the American market is a complete non-starter. The established Irish and UK market will remain the heart of any expanded market and for better or worse for historical reasons we're stuck with 00 now. I doubt anyone here would buy a H0 scale Irish model now. That ship sailed 20 years ago and I wouldn't criticise the decision to stay 00 back then either. It was risky enough in 00.

The comparison with NZ is interesting. Would you say the hobby is actually more popular there or just better organised John? Thinking about that for a minute I wonder would Bumble bee's efforts not perhaps be better spent (or differently spent to put it more diplomatically) by trying to increase the profile of the MRSI on social media? http://www.modelrailways.ie/

The Irish diaspora in North America especially seems like it might be a market for Irish railway stuff, particularly given the "GM connection". Something like ten times the population of Ireland consider themselves Irish American. Model railroading in North America is, I suspect even in percentage terms, far more popular a hobby than model railways are in Ireland. If I was hoping to attract more people into our small corner of the hobby I'd be looking there. Bachmann clearly thought there was merit in the idea when it brought out that trainset for the US market. I watch too many American "layout tour" videos for my own good. Often the guy has a basement empire of American prototype but up on the walls might have a collection of foreign stuff on display. Nobody needs to be convinced to go "all in" for it to make a difference. So bumble Bee I humbly or should I say bumbly suggest that you use your FB page to target North America

It's not at all obvious to returnees or newcomers. This may sound crazy to the more established members here, but I'd never heard of IRM this time last year. I found this forum through the shop which I found through googling after finding a few IRM items on the Mark's Models website.

Any FB pages to promote the Irish aspects of the hobby are good as long as they look the part and preferably encourage people who come across them to sign up here. I would love to know how many new or returning Irish modellers just grab the first GB outline yoke on the shelves and go from there. I almost only found out by accident that Irish stuff even existed. I was very close to modelling US outline. I'd have really kicked myself if I hadn't dug a bit deeper.

I reckon here in Germany the appearance of the parcel is the biggest factor. Commercial parcels with everything printed on sticky labels: highly likely to be stopped. Handwritten address and customs declaration, even if well over the threshold: likely to have a green sticker from customs freeing the parcel from a closer inspection and instructing the post office to just deliver it. I honestly think the parcels are just whizzing by on a conveyor belt giving customs officers a few seconds to make a call on which parcels to look more closely and which ones should be waved through. The one hand written parcel I had that got stopped was a cardboard tube thing from the S4 society and I reckon the unusual look of it just drew their attention to it. I also reckon that customs know that the likes of DPD is much more likely to be transporting commercial parcels than private ones.

Surely if they're margins were so big, somebody else would just buy a machine and start offering the same service at less margin. I mean there is no monopoly on these machines and we can safely rule out a global cartel, so I guess the true costs aren't that far from what is being charged. It's all the costs any business has, especially fixed costs like rent, wages, insurance etc. The times the machine is idle have to be paid for too. All that adds to the unit cost, and then the business has to make a profit or there's no point in going to all the bother and risk of setting up shop.

Good stuff. I like the clean graphics. Page liked

You're welcome K801. The video is from The Irish Mainline and he told me he has more mid 90s videos to post up so check his channel out. I really like it. You may see more clips of your late uncle.