Horsetan

Incidentally, the original DVDs have no anti-copying features, so are easily ripped onto other media.

That would actually be an excellent idea

Of all the many photos of the CDR, we don't see many of the lifting of the lines in 1960, so these will no doubt be a useful addition to the knowledge. Always thought it was a shame that logistics meant that the Letterkenny line was lifted into Letterkenny, rather than the other way around into Lifford / Strabane as that might have increased the chances of Erne surviving rather than being isolated.

Sure yer man could tap the Healy-Raes for a few quid

@GSR 800 has produced a 3D printed Class 800 body and tender

That's probably why IFM doesn't make coaches anymore. Not enough demand, not even for the kits.

I think Irish Freight Models also produced Laminates for a while. They were resin-bodied, and included Commonwealth bogies. IFM don't do these anymore.

Could there possibly be a kit or two on this theme from SSM in future?

The Continental HO makers still do this, particularly for German-outline tender engines. It looks bizarre to see a tender being able to move by itself!

Wonder when the next batch of spare B4 bogies will be?

Guess the D16 didn't appeal quite enough?

It's up there with Father Ted looking for landmarks in Ireland's largest lingerie department.

I have the same questions...

Is the chassis the same as that used under the E421s? I wasn't quite clear on this.

I see what you did there.

Continental HO modellers have been paying that type of price level or above for years now, and we never hear a word of complaint.

CSB doesn't work well if one axle is rigid. You might as well use traditional beam compensation instead. Having no rods is technically more demanding, because you're relying on the drivetrain to provide the link, instead of coupling rods. Have you seen the Penbits range of sprung diesel bogies, to see how Ian Penberth gets round the problem?

Are you planning around High Level standard hornblocks, or their spacesaver (thin, in other words) ones?

I got a broadly similar result on the spreadsheet, so it looks like you're on target. NWSL make a lot of stuff to order now, rather than holding stock of every single part, so it's a matter of ordering and waiting, especially given average international postal times these days.

It will work if you make your drivetrain articulated, in other words the gear positioning is allowed to swivel, and thus not interfere with the vertical movement of the axleboxes. The QuadDriver is a start, and if you look at the High Level gearboxes, some have an articulated section to the final drive, and there's also a DriveStretcher option to cope with more awkward layouts. If High Level don't have exactly what you're after, do have a look at NWSL. USA-based, but they have a bewildering range of gears, from 0.2 to 0.75 MOD, and loads of other things that may be adapted. They even do bevels and a multi-start worm which is effectively a cross-helical, which is brilliant if you want a low-resistance non-locking drive.

Shouldn't be too difficult to convert back to the correct gauge.

I'm wondering if this might be a suitable place for a modern version of Rivarossi's S-drive system?

If the etch can be built as a "421", I'm in for a 21mm gauge version. Subject to what I wrote about providing half-etch lines for the HL hornguides, I can work out my own fulcrum points for the CSB spring beams. I'm only really interested in trying to build preserved stuff, because the option exists to actually go and see it.

High Level gears are not a particularly fine pitch; they are likely to be around MOD 0.5 to make them easier to mesh. They are available individually as spares, so you could buy a set and experiment with the permutations. Ultrascale also have Apple-based gear calculators that help you set centre distances, etc. There are CSB calculation spreadsheets available for download - to get the best out of them, you need to have some idea of how much your model will weigh, and where you think the overall centre of balance will be. The one I have linked to has tabs for 4, 6, 8 or 10-coupled chassis.

Example here As far as Irish coach etching lists are concerned, you have to register with the Mousa Models site before you are allowed to download, but I don't think you're missing much if my downloaded copy is anything to go by. Mousa-Models-Etch-List-Coaches-Pre-Grouping-Irish.pdf