murphaph

Cheers. I'm guessing then if the logic for the drive hold etc. is actually fully self contained within the respective "FT feature sound slot", then an alternative method would be to keep the 201 (etc.) file as is, then just add the FT sound slots, drive hold, run8, brake, coast? I assumed (obviously incorrectly) that the actual drive sound needs to be "FT compatible" but if the logic for drive hold isn't in the drive sound, then virtually any diesel loco can be given the FT features I guess? I must say I have been wondering why several ESU files are not marked FT and are missing the drive hold slot, but DO have the other FT features. In the description it always says for these files "this is a normal idle project". I assumed because of this that the drive hold feature was not simply an additional sound slot, but required modification to the actual drive sound, hence the lack of "FT" in these files descriptors.

Thx for responding. Appreciate it. Do you also delete the donor horn sounds and replace with the 201 horns?

Sure. I ordered a few relays but somehow managed to order ones too large for this job so they'll go in the spares box and I'll order smaller ones.

They're only worth what someone is willing to pay for them. Rather optimistic on the seller's part I think. They've been up a while. Many sellers put stuff up at exorbitant prices and just keep relisting until some fool is prepared to part with his money.

It's just a pity so much of the network had/has TSRs that mean hardly has a train accelerated to 100 it is braking again for the next restriction. Nowhere on the network has a line speed over 100. I honestly think the amount of money the 201 shape saved in fuel economy could be counted on one hand but that's a gut feeling and I absolutely stand to be corrected! Perhaps the intention was there however. Unfortunately Irish Rail made a number of senseless decisions along the way, the needless scrapping of the mkIIIs a few years after buying all those locos being the most obvious. Still plenty of push pull and loco hauled trains here in Germany, despite the advent of the multiple unit.

I wouldn't think it plays a significant role at the fairly sedate pace most Irish trains run at but maybe it was more a cosmetic decision.

Appetite sufficiently whetted. 4 or 5 IRM announcements would be great stuff.

Yeah ok but the 66, has a similar engine to the 201 got a body style very similar to the 59. That was really my point, if made in an unclear manner. I always wondered why the 201 received the different front rather than just using what they already had.

Why did they create a new body shape, rather than use the class 59 one?

Yeah that one I know about lol!

I was thinking the same about the shipping costs. Can't have actually been much in it as you have those fixed port costs in either case. Did they ship the locos via the Great lakes or by land to an East coast port or how was it handled?

Dead locos? I wouldn't say so. The drivetrain is surely made of generic parts or parts you can substitute. The PCB is a simple passive affair that you could bridge should anything really bad happen. Handrails can be replicated. I'd say the only thing that will cause a MM loco to be retired is a smashed bodyshell.

Piko here in Germany also has different ranges with differing levels of detail and price (eg Hobby, Expert).

What modifications, if any, do the Heljan wagons need to run in an Irish context? Did these wagons go to Limerick for maintenance at all?

Still the most recognised brand name in model railway stuff in the UK and Ireland though, and in several other former parts of the empire. Kader Holdings deliberately retained the names of the companies they took over, closed down the less profitable stuff and moved manufacturing to China. But it was a bit tongue in cheek I'll grant you.

I'll have to check the manual. The ESU download page isn't specific.

The MM ESU file for the 201 has a fan function (I think F5). Is that the resistor bank cooling fan noise?

Great stuff so I don't need to consider any of the dynamic brakes sounds stuff at all.

I have looked through Wikipedia and for everything up to the 201 it seems clear enough that these locos had no dynamic brakes. The 201 wiki mentions "27LAV blended brakes, not used". What does this mean exactly? They have dynamic brakes but never use them?

I'd never heard of it. A quick Google reveals it's a h0 scale range so the platforms could be repurposed I suppose.

Good shout on CRH John. When I was taking delivery of pallets of paving stones recently from a company down the road from me in Germany I was pleasantly surprised to see the words (in English) "EHL - a CRH company" on the plastic wrapping. EHL was a long established and relatively large local manufacturer, bought out by CRH at some stage. Could we see "Hornby - an Accurascale company" in the model shop of the future?! Why not!

More shelf space for Accurascale and IRM products

I am trying this out now with the original (converted to v5 of course) 201 Class, being given the FT features from the above mentioned EMD 12-710G3A LATE EXH T project but to me it looks like all the complicated logic to do with the FT features are in the donor 710G3A sound slot 1 and these need to be retained, with the 201 Class sound slot one getting its contents deleted. Am I missing or misunderstanding something here?

The picture is really fuzzy. Does anyone have a clearer one?

If it wasn't for MM & IRM I would be modelling a different country. I don't have enough hours left in my life to kit build the amount of rolling stock I will need for the layout I have in mind. The poster above who said that we now have 90% of a weed spray train rather than 0% yesterday is spot on. IRM needs time to prudently develop the market. In a few years they might have (primarily through AS) increased the foreign markets enough to come back and be able to safely do the van or whatever without betting the farm on it.