dave182

I was looking at some images of the traversers at Inchicore Works, specifically the longer one at the carriage shops, and that got me wondering if Inchicore had anything like a small roadrailer or locotractor for moving coaches and locos in and out of the sheds onto the traverser? Specifically in the 80s and 90s time period. Anyone can shed some light on this? On another thread on this forum, member @Niles mentions there is a Zephir LOK 1400 at Inchicore. This might be a more recent addition.

As asked originally by Patrick early on in this thread, and again by Mayner, are any viable freight flows identified for this line? Much as I want this line to be successful, I'm struggling to find viable flows. Ore was the original one being mentioned, but with all that has happened with the price of zinc and Bolidon/Tara Mines this past couple or years I can't see that happening. Is biomass a consideration? To Edenderry maybe? Like the Drax in the UK? Imported wood pellets from Canada. The cement industry has been mentioned too, but what from where would need to go through Foynes Port? And the renewables industry keeps getting mentioned. But what rail flows could this actively support? Containers then... I don't believe there is enough import export to the US/South America to support this. My own opinions. If anyone has other reasonable ideas, suggestions or information I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Hi @murphaph Here is a close up of the bogies. Plastic cast, no rotating bearings. There are plastic brake shoes(?) moulded in the correct position up close to each individual wheel, which might foul a 21mm wheelset. However, they are not visibile through the bogie so I don't think they'd be missed if you were to remove them. I've no first hand experience with 21mm conversions, but I think there is plenty of space within the frame for 21mm wheelsets. Edit: bogies rotate independent of couplers

Here are the IR versions I picked up today (I posted these images on facebook earlier, but might be good to post them here also.)

That's a real shame. I got a set of the IR ones today and I'm pretty happy with them. I really wanted this run of models to be correct, both for Paddy Murphy and for the Irish modelling scene in general. Interesting to see the feedback over the next few days.

Hi All. Re: Painting a dark model white I've picked up 3 cheap Eddie Stobart curtainside trailers, in the original dark green livery. The plastic itself is moulded green. I want to model them as white. Any tips on how to build up to a strong white finish? I'll remove the eddie stobart decals first, but wondering what colour undercoat to start with?

20'/22' flat wagons for me please!!

sorry deleting post

With potentially just a few weeks of Tara Mines trains running, it reminds me that there is precious little video footage of trains shunting and loading from within the mine complex in Navan. Is there anyone in the community that would have the connections (on behalf of all of us in the IRM community) to try and get some footage, in the spirit of recording our industrial railway heritage. Think of how valuable the little footage we have of Ballinacourty is! Do Boliden have a historian/PR person within their vast empire that might support a request like this? Any thoughts?

@jhb171achill Correct... I'm working on a sector plate set up of some sort at one end that will allow me shunt between lines

@Mayner I often pondered a 'Central' Dublin Station spanning the Liffey further down the river, I guess where the Convention Centre is located now. So East Wall, around to the Convention Centre, cross the liffey and joining back up with the DSER at Grand Canal Dock, with a freight spur down to the South Docks.

Finally for now, the whole thing is very loosely based on the wagon shed in North Wall. The shed is scratch built and still needs work. The gantry crane is a 3D print by Owen O'Neill of this parish. I've modified it to fit the location. I found it very hard to work with the print material used on this particular item, but that was mostly my impatience and is no reflection on the kit!

I've been wrecking my head for weeks trying to think of something to put behind the yard as low relief. Specifically, something that would at least be a nod to the East Wall location. I've left a strip of 14cm along the back for this. I was thinking low relief houses, or East Wall Church. The church idea would be kinda cool, but might dominate the whole thing. Whilst playing around this evening I placed some containers, and it actually looks well, and is a simple enough solution. On on the right hand side I'm playing around with the idea of a concrete mix plant. I remember the orange Readymix trucks and plant on the East Wall road beside the fire station, it used to be terrifying trying to cross the footpath across the front entrance! So I'll build that up and see how it fits.

Tolka Sidings is set in Dublin in a corner of East Wall, and depicts a small yard as it was in the 90s, primarily used for wagon inspection and light repairs. It also occasionally acts as overflow for the North Wall yards, and for stabling PWD equipment at weekends. As I love all things DSER, the back story is that this elevated yard was originally built by the DSER shortly after the Liffey Loop Line was completed, and was their only venture across to the Northside. Thus it is served by a sharp single line siding that heads off East after the wash plant at Connolly Station, crossing over the curves down from the Northern Line. A second track also connects to the Drumcondra line at Ossery Road. That's the theory anyways! I've made some progress this weekend finally. I've got most of the hardstand in place, and made a start on the ballasting. The layout will be shunted using a sector plate

Thank you all for the input and pictures. I'm sure I think that's enough reason to get one!

I see Hattons have confirmed the arrival of the Hornby Ruston & Hornsby DS88 in June/July. Is this a reasonably close model of the Irish Sugar locomotives?

Hi All I'm a big fan of plasticard and it's various uses. I try to buy local where I can, but Marks doesn't always have stock, due to his minimum order size, shipping times etc. Anyone can suggest reliable alternative hobby stores, preferable EU based? Besides the Evergreen Styrene range, any other sources or suppliers I should be looking at? Or indeed other materials? Thanks in advance as always. Dave

@Galteemore of course! V for vacuum makes sense!

Just reviving this post as I do a bit of research. Can anyone confirm when 2-axle box vans, like the ones in the pictures at the start of this thread, were finally officially taken out of service? I'm thinking bagged cement must have been their final freight flow? Maybe some departmental PWD use into the 80's? And again, any further clarification on the markings? X, scrap C, I believe Cement is more likely, as we have B on the Beets and D on the diesel tanks V and V with strike-through? Trying to establish if any flows made it into the 80's with these vans

With Iarnrod Eireanns 2040 freight plan recently published, and the reconnection of the Port of Foynes back to the network, rail freight is quite topical at the moment. Is there anything stopping an operator like DB Cargo or GBRf taking on one of the new freight flows such as ore to Foynes? I'd like to see an operator like Finlands Fenniarail operating on this island. They would be suited to the smaller volume flows and short distances. I don't believe that privatisation os the way forward. I think it's imlortant that the state through IE maintains ownership of the network and infrastructure. I also don't think that the passanger services should be privatised as the population is too small. But I do think that some healthy competition in the freight sector would help to grow railfreight. But this would have to be supported by all, and be promoted as a real long-term solution to traffic and climate and so on. Anyways, just interested to hear your thoughts, for or against private railfreight operators entering the market! Who wouldn't like to see a Czech built DR18 co-co diesel rolling into Foynes?!?

Just revisiting this topic, as I've recently got my hands on IRRS Journal 198 thanks to Iarnrod of this parish. The article on Private Sidings by Ciarán Cooney features some great photos of bitumen wagons at Lixnaw, Quartertown and ColdChon Sligo and Galway. I'm looking for information about the unloading of bitumen at the Sligo Cold Chon depot at the end of Deepwater Quay. Did the line run into the Cold Chon premises, or was there some way of unloading the bitumen on the quayside? I've reviewed historical maps but they are very inconclusive. The Cahir Abbey siding is interesting too. Again, any information on the white building pictured would be very helpful. Did it have bitumen tanks inside and heating equipment? How was the rail tank unloaded, and how were the council trucks loaded?

Thanks Popeye and Eoin. Alclad looks the right job alright

I am looking to finish some Walthers Tank Kits (as in for storing liquids) in a stainless steel finish. Think milk-tankers or some of the American passanger coaches. Kind of a flat shine. Any tips or examples on the type of paint to use etc.? As always, thanks in advance!

I am looking to finish some Walthers Tank Kits (as in for storing liquids) in a stainless steel finish. Think milk-tankers or some of the American passanger coaches. Kind of a flat shine. Any tips or examples on the type of paint to use etc.? As always, thanks in advance!

Pm sent