raymurph

Here are the Anyrail track plans, above is staging, about half built so far. Above is the main level at 100cm, the top wall is the most finished scenically, with the camper van next to the river. The trains climb around the room twice to reach here on the right hand wall behind the through station, then go all around the room to reach the station. Then cross the river a second time and climb a shorter steeper hidden gradient to the Highline. Above is the Highline, trains enter bottom left, cross the swing gate for the umpteenth time, go behind the main level station and then cross the high metal girder bridge over the river, pass the mine on the top wall and enter the main industrial area and terminus station on the left wall. I've made a video of a train traveling this route and will upload it once I get a chance to annotate it.

How out of place would this RTR cement tanker be on an Irish themed layout? Could there have been a Welch family owned transport company somewhere in Ireland? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/297575201142?_skw=1%3A76+cement+truck&itmmeta=01KGMHK658PNBZA0XYW55CGST7&hash=item4548dd3976:g:NW4AAeSwriBosfpY&itmprp=enc%3AAQALAAAA0O7PUuNWmJ%2B%2BUShgI9tQz%2FozLZVYxVIqRtVJccI7Ru%2BybzZYTaVmNYYq5DdI8O%2BLaEnKCds369g7uJeJHv8EzacsL0Hem0DOH145kN3sE2gKoLOymLaJicvsVYyJScHw2axrrXGUPDw%2FVV2LkDvr7nOCwf1rYKiCdaw5TzzGyHqYNjpQneKLFUWp97fKDHIcSRpF0cXzxjZTMX2KbR63ItCLry0WJhI6ET8oute4QDbZMvcIAXdJVTRC9TzpzdrZHZ7hV7mvwNnEouhIWJwyOmg%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR_bizJGFZw

Thanks Mol, and does that 4 axle have a donkey engine built in somewhere?

Thanks Lads, invaluable. So from your info Mayner I guess my simplest modelling solution would be to place a 2 axle rigid with a donkey compressor onboard next to the bubble on a siding. Getting a shorter one with the donkey at the end would be the problem. A more accurate and only slightly space hungry solution would be a small silo with a 4 axle rigid powder tanker being loaded beneath it. I could swap out the truck when other wagons are on the siding like grain etc. I could also place a tank on the siding with some trailing hoses and unload various tankers there as well.

I picked up 6 bubbles from IRM's latest run and am wondering how to use them on my currently still under construction layout. I've read that they could be unloaded at purpose built facilities but I won't be able to allocate so much layout space to a single cement industry. I've also read that cement bubbles 'can be delivered at a simple siding – see the example at Waterside, page 66 in Ulster Transport in Colour by Derek Young.' And that the bubbles were unloaded into ' road-hauled trailers fitted with the necessary air blowers' from the IRM website. These simple siding unloadings I could fit on my layout, the one siding could be used for a variety of wagon unloadings to trucks/trailers, like a Teamtrack on US railroads. Does anyone have any photos of these simple siding cement bubbles unloading to trailers? Or even just photos of the trailers / road tankers? Thanks.

Superb modelling as always. Inspirational.

Great news!

Hi All, I started this layout about 2 years ago and have decided to start sharing photos of it's progress going forward. I hope people will enjoy it. I run both CIE/IR and US trains but will only post Irish trains here. The layout is not an accurate representation of any one specific time or place. My aim is that the scenery and urban areas can reasonably pass as somewhere in Ireland when a CIE train runs through it . The layout is of a dead end branch line. My barna or shed measures about 4.5m by 2.5m internally. Minimum radius is 30 inches on the mainline. Lowest level is staging at 65cm off the floor. Trains follow a 1.7% gradient 2.5 times around the room to reach the main sceniced layout level at 100cm. Trains travel once around the room to reach the first station and yard. Then they climb a shorter gradient to reach the high line at 115cm where the mine and final terminus station and main industrial area are located. Locos must then perform a run around and retrace their steps back down to main level and staging. The barna is not wide enough to accommodate any return loops. My next steps will be to plant lots of trees around the river area. And also to start work on the first station and retaininging walls.

Thanks Mol, much appreciated coming from a modeller as accomplished as yourself.

Brake van finally finished. It's been great fun building and painting but I now have a new found appreciation for all the time and effort a RTR model saves me. They don't seem quite so expensive now! I needed to wedge a wire into the battery holster to keep the batteries from slipping out, works well now. 20260115_194637.mp4

Started weathering the brake van, not finished yet. Still haven't gotten around to fixing the light, the batteries appear to be loose in the metal battery holder

Great idea Mol, I'll do that

More progress on the SSM brake van. The roof was tricky to get on. Transfers and weathering next. The IRM red tail lamp was working a few days ago but won't light up today, hopefully I left it on overnight and drained the battery. Otherwise I may have broken it somehow.

Yes the instructions say to use the chassis wheels and couplers from a Dapol C043 twin silo cement wagon.

Finally got a chance to do some more soldering to the SSM brake van. Ready for paint now

Looks amazing Patrick. Beautiful loco and slow running so smoothly. The sound matching the speed really well too. I fear I may be eventually called over to the Dark Side of DCC from my current DC only world.

Amazing layout, superb work Darius!

Looks very impressive. I shouldn't get one but I am more and more tempted by the 3 car set. I know this model will excel on DCC but if possible could the video show some of the functionality when it's run on DC only?

Gorgeous work Mol, can't wait to see it progressing.

Mine arrived today as well, a lovely quirky little wagon, great detailing. Couldn't wait to get them on the layout, smooth runners as well. Thanks IRM for doing another run of these. I'd buy more container flats and ballast and gypsum ore wagons as well 20251022_215536.mp4

Thanks Signal, that's a really detailed how to video, just what I was looking for.

Thanks Paul, I like your answer best cause it's the easiest to model! So I might try to model: no lights in side lamps and one red tail light at rear, on left or right. I have some of the IRM tail lights which would work well even though they are a mite too large. Or if I understood west cork properly even those newer tail lights were sometimes used on brake vans.

Thanks @Westcorkrailway. I know the tail lamps were there but were there usually 1 or 2 tail lamps used? If the train was reversing would they change from red to white? Did the side lamps mirror the colour of the tail lamps? Were side or tail lamps more commonly used?

Hello all, I'm looking for info on the placement and usage of tail lamps on cie brake vans. I'm making SSM's lovely brass kit and considering adding working lamps, tail or side lamps. I might either use IRMs wand operated lamp kit( a bit too large for a brake van probably) for tails or if I'm feeling more ambitious try to make my own from leds, resistor and capacitator. On that note if anyone knows any useful threads online for adding led lights to any brake van that could be a great help too. Here is my effort so far next to CK prints lovely RTR version.