dave182

It is great to see such interest in the show, and I do believe the hobby is alive and well. I am glad to see it acknowledged by the organisers that the show has possibly outgrown the venue. Don't get me wrong- the college has served the hobby fantastically well over the years (how many years anyone?!) and the show has always been an enjoyable event. Regardless of the location, well done to the organisers as always, great to hear it was deemed a success.

Mk2d's look super also! Kinda been lost in the mix with all the announcements today! What a weekend for Irish Modelling. I need to sit down and make a list of what I want vs what I actually need vs what I can afford!

Thanks Galteemore! That would indicate then that the 8 containers they purchased were specifically for use in Ireland so

@Mayner, if they made it to the Peco range, would that indicate that they were exported across the Irish Sea to the UK? Was Lyons a popular brand in the UK in the 70's?

I am a firm believer that freight has a place and a future on the railway lines of this island. However, it worries me that they can't even fill the Waterford liner at the moment. It will take a huge effort and shift of attitudes to justify 300 or so new wagons earning their keep. (putting aside say 90 for PW duties and repair rotations) Cement and Biomass would be 2 quick wins in my opinion. The development of the Western Rail Corridor I think is the only way Waterford and Foynes would stand a chance of growing rail based freight flows. And much as I'd love to see it, folk need to stop talking about a rail link to Rosslare Port. To carry what exactly and to where? But here's hoping this tender for 400 wagons is serious, insofar as it might be a part of a genuine effort to get freight back on the rails again. Which then opens the discussion about our locomotive fleet...

Hmmm. Nobody guessed 20' or 22.5' skeletal 2 axle wagons. That would be my preference. Powered... C class would make sense I guess. A good Mk 3 would also be amazing

Well @murphaph and @Blaine, as advised, postman arrived this morning. That is a big vote of confidence for Hattons from me! Very impressed. Also picked up some nice trucks at the Wexford show yesterday. So all in all a good haul. Thanks again for help and suggestions

Thanks Blaine

All sorted. Took the advise from @murphaphand ordered 4 from Hattons. Postage listed at around £8. We'll see what happens!

@Blaine Yes, I've had the same conversation, and I was actually surprised at that answer. I thought there would be more demand. I think vehicle placement and accuracy is important on a layout too

Hi @MOGUL. Yes lots available on the UK websites and Ebay, but I'm trying to keep it local first. and also to avoid delivery and customs charges. Upcycling, the environment and all that! Something might turn up at the Wexford show on Sunday

Hi All I'm looking to get my hands on 3 or 4 Oxford Diecast 1/76 scale tipper trailers. Any scale, with or without tractor unit. Anyone on the island of Ireland looking to part with some? Image attached for reference (credit: Oxford Diecast)

Not really my era but had to pick up a pack from Marks Models on Wednesday. And as always these wagons do not disappoint. As a 90's modeller they will spend there time being shunted from one scrap siding to the next! But I do remember some of them in the sidings at Enniscorthy for a long while during the 90s so thats good enough for me!

A recent trip from Gothenberg to Copenhagen in June '22. Just grabbed a couple of shots out the window that might be of inspiration or reference for modellers

Exploring this hypothetical freight flow further, what wagons did NIR have available to them at that time? Were the 2 axle spoil wagons still in existance? Would they have been suitable to hauling lignite?

I'm not a photographer but you can do am awful lot with a good camera phone these days, and there are plenty of good youtube videos to get you started. Lighting is key, and a steady camera is a must for macro, close up shots. Again, there are many cheap phone accessories available such as tripods, flashes and remote controls. The remote controls are great! Of course then the next step up is a camera. Composure is also so important. It is a simple thing, but cropping the picture correctly or zooming in a bit can improve a picture so much.

Apologies All. After checking the IRM website, this is indeed how they are presented. Serious attention to detail so!

Just a quick question... I'm only getting round to opening my gypsums. Pack IRM006 A. Is this a printing error (the word 'gypsum' on white background) or is it true to the prototype? Not a criticism, just wondering. Same on both sides

I missed the boat on these and am gutted. However I note from JM Designs website that he is hoping to have them available as a kit later this year. That got me thinking... would it be possible to licence the 'print' to a 3D printing company here on the island of Ireland? Cut out the postage.

By coincidence, I've just got home and the postman has been today! I only placed this order with Arran at C-rail on Saturday evening! Well done Sir! It really is pot luck with the UK at the moment. Anyways, wanted to do a 90's liner and this is a good start!

Also a subject of interest to me as a fan of the toothpaste livery era! My favourite reference point is this classic video from 1993 which pretty much covers all liners radiating out of Dublin, with the exception of the Northern line. It's the little details you can pick out that can in turn add operational detail to your layout if you are so inclined. Many Bell liners to Waterford always seem to have one or 2 green or brown containers through the mix. The 90s were very brown! Or shades thereof! Brownish orange, brownish white, brownish green. 40 shades of brown! The Galway liner was interesting as it used the 61' bogies. A number of shorter formations are seen to, I guess to places like Longford or Mallow or as extras maybe? Guinness and 2-axle wagons always placed on the rear of the train. The only line not featured is the Northern line, which often had liners with interesting mixes of wagons, and containers not seen on the rest of the network. I know for a time there was a dispute between Sealink(?) And Dublin Port(?) or similar parties, that resulted in containers being shipped via Belfast for some reason. These liners often had Freightliner containers in the mix. Finally, you don't see many B&I Lines containers recorded on a rail. I do remember them being quite a regular feature on Northern line liners in the 80s.

Hmmm. Biggest clue yet! 2 axle wagons of some sort. Music to my ears, but not to ever take from your wonderful wagons Leslie, of which I have many!

PM sent

Before I go looking abroad, just thought I'd ask if anyone has surplus C-rail BELL containers they might want to offload? I'm looking for 5 of 40's, 6 of 20's and one or two 30' BELL Bulks. Thanks for looking! Regards Dave

So an update on my adventures with Das Clay. I've no patience is probably the biggest lesson here! I should have practiced on a small area first. All the preventable things thst could have happened, happened. So lessons learned... 1.Apply a layer of pva glue on the surface you are sticking the Das Clay to. 2. Work with small amounts of clay at a time, and build it up. A little water helps 3. Allow it to dry out gradually. My shelf layout is in a very warm room, and the clay drying quickly makes it want to warp up and crack, and shrink 4. It is actually a very forgiving medium to work with. You can re-wet it and you can work it some more. 6. Use a level clean surface if possible. I was recycling a piece of mdf board, and the drying clay had the effect of lifting a layer of the mdf where it may have been damaged from previous use So after a couple of days drying this was the sorry state my 'concrete' slab was in... Not deterred I sanded the whole thing down earlier today and wet the surface in a cool room, and this evening I took out the clay again and filled in all of the cracks and levelled the surface. It looks a whole lot better now. I'll leave it to dry again and sand it some more and see how it looks in a couple of days. I also ran a blade inside the rails in preparation for cutting out the channels for the wheels to run in.