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Wonderful stuff, very enjoyable to look at. Just wondering about the 25 ton brake van, firstly would I be correct in thinking that this is an NCC van, is this also the type that featured (sometimes) on the spoil trains to Magheramorne? Secondly is this from a kit or scratch built?

Stunning work Alan, just stunning.

Hi @jhb171achill, email sent

Just read this now, it's a wonderful story and great credit to Callum for his perseverance in getting No.50 completed and running and for sharing this account of it with us. The idea of a talk to the IRRS is an excellent one which I am sure many of us would look forward to. Welcome to the forum Callum.

Fabulous scene, the flicker from the fire makes me want to go inside with a hot beverage...

Thanks @Patrick Davey, clearly Mr. Flanagan is an expert at his craft.

That dusk/blizzard photo almost had me reaching for my warm coat. Methinks we'll be admiring a flickering amber glow from inside the station building before long......It's a stunning diorama, but I never realised that Knockloughrim was mid-way between Brookhall Mill and Clogher Head...... Now that would be quite something! I love your "Dunseverick Castle" btw, a truly stunning loco, I think that UTA livery is most attractive, I was passing Mark's Models in Cork some time ago and saw a Jinty (Marks/Hornby) on display in the window and I was smitten, it's not what I'm modelling at all but....re-writing history a little bit I thought what if the RPSI had been formed a year earlier, they might have been able to pick up a Jinty for little more than it's scrap value and relatively cheap to run too. You've probably guessed by now but I am very pleased with my UTA No.19!, in spite of it not being DCC ready it was a very easy conversion and with a stay-alive fitted it is a stunning low speed performer, didn't see many comments on here about it, which is a shame as Mark's should be commended for commissioning it. Anyhow I digress, was the U-class a kit built model or scratch built?

What a simple and clever idea, well done Accurascale.

Thanks @leslie10646, order placed! I wouldn't have known about these otherwise, there were a few of them that I had mulled over getting originally but by the time I had made my mind up they were gone.....No such delay this time though.

Well that's good news (the bit that you're coming over, not that its your last Dublin show!). You were greatly missed at the NEC show last November, the IRRS stand seemed to be a great magnet for any of the us visiting the Warley (NEC) shows, I know that you introduced me to quite a few people there and I always enjoyed meeting yourself and Richard for a chat.

Hopefully you're thinking of coming over....it wouldn't be the same without you (and Richard)

Ah! Wood Quay... Fr F.X. Martin (if I recall correctly)......? He fought the good fight, still I suppose we needed some civic offices (in the style of 1950s East German bunkers) with underground parking rather more than some irreplaceable viking heritage???

Ah, that brings back happy memories, visited the Chinnor and Princes Risborough line for a Thomas The Tank Engine day when my son was small (must be almost 20 years ago!), he was so excited and a great day out was had by all. Unlike yourself @leslie10646 we had lovely summer weather......

At the risk of being accused of topic drift, I came across this video of Youghal turntable a while ago, it shows quite a lot of the construction details of the turntable which I consider quite useful to anyone modelling a similar Irish turntable. I know many on here would already have this knowledge but it was quite revealing to me. Once again apologies if I am going off topic here as it is not actually the Limerick turntable....

Saw this video pop up on my youtube feed on Christmas Eve, I knew it was going to be good before I even looked at it, it was....superb. The tracks of the bus in the snow just look perfect with the musical accompaniment. Seasons greeting to yourself Patrick and all on here, hope to see some of you at the various model railway shows throughout 2025.

Fascinating photos, thanks for posting the link. Interesting to see the wheelsets detached from the grain wagon, looks more like "workbench" thread from this forum!

Thanks John, That's great info. Having looked at the photos on this thread that was the impression that I had come up with, but your answer takes the guess work out of it, the info about the modified bracing is particularly useful, my main period of modelling is the 1970s but I also have some stock for other periods also. Thanks again for your informative reply.

Roughly what time period would wagons in this livery have been used from? I see in some of the earlier photos on this thread that these wagons seem to have carried ESSO plates mounted on lugs when they first arrived, then later on without the plates (but with the lugs still present on the tanks) and finally with the lugs removed as per this model, just wondering when did they lose the plates and lugs or was it a very gradual process over the long lifetime of the wagons?

Just came across this video on YouTube about Ballymungret Loco Depot...

Will enjoy watching another of Alan's masterpieces take shape.

I've a feeling that @jhb171achill will be along shortly with an explanation for that...........!

This short video popped up on YouTube, I'm sure that many on here will enjoy it. A great portrayal of the wonderful work being done by our friends at the DCDR in Downpatrick and a reminder of the extreme adversity that they have to work with. Let's hope we have a drier winter this year.

Ah! the fog clears! That makes sense. Thanks @BosKonay so much for taking the trouble to clarify this especially at this late hour of the evening, it was nice meeting with your colleagues at the show today, the Hunslets look super and were a very pleasant surprise, I for one hadn't expected to see them for a very long time...

Thanks @BosKonay for the very quick response, so just to clarify when I look at my account (logged in) it shows recent order (for H-Vans) order number IRM-xxxx(numbers not shown here for obvious reasons), if I now go to the shop and order Hunslets, they will show in my cart and then I place the order, does my "recent orders" now show IRM-xxxx (the H vans) and IRM-yyyy (the Hunslets) or do the Hunslets get added to the IRM-xxxx (ie an order with H-vans and Hunslets). I suppose what I am asking (in a roundabout way) is if I wish to order items from two different lines tonight then if I place the items from one line in the cart and submit it, then go to a second line, add them to cart and submit the order, does this generate two separate (ie not mixed) orders?

Perhaps @BosKonay might be able to clear up a bit of confusion in my mind regarding pre-orders using the account login (i.e. where loyalty points are awarded).... I have a pre-order in for H-Vans and I wish to order some Hunslets, from what I have read above it appears that if I order the Hunslets (via the account) it would appear that the H-Van order gets cancelled? This seems strange to say the least or am I reading it wrong? Any clarification would be much appreciated.