StevieB

I've been going to the Warley MRE for more years than I can remember and I'd be interested to hear what people thought of it this year. Staged in one of the halls at the NEC, it is more a show than an exhibition, whatever that means! Stephen

C-rail now produce three Bell Line containers, 20', 20' reefer and 40'. What would have been a typical consist of the Waterford to Heuston, North Wall, Limerick and Cork Bell Line trains, please? Stephen

It was very sad the way that things turned out - full of promise but unable to deliver - no doubt some will say that IR/IE played a part by the rundown of the Athenry-Claremorris line - when Tuam ceased to be a block post, that had the effect of denying Westrail access to the network or have I got it all wrong? Stephen

Give me a 121 any day over a 201. Stephen

That's music to my ears Leslie - I'm in waiting mode already. Stephen

You should have gone direct to Silver Fox models - John is a very decent guy to deal with. Stephen

How about this then http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=lima+201. Surely he has no chance of getting this price. Stephen

So that's where Bredon went to. Stephen

The cabins/compartments are worth a second look - we travelled across Canada by rail and it was the sleeping arrangements that let it down - the fact that the accommodation changed from day use to night use and bak again meant it was very creaky whereas what appears here is more like a hole room. Await developments. Stephen

You've obviously got the space to run reasonable length trains - lucky guy. Stephen

It's a BIG show, rather pricey and no discounts for those over a particular age! Stephen

Agreed. Stephen

Technically, Waterford had six lines serving it but, as we all know, the WTR was not connected to the rest of the system. Stephen

What's also interesting about the current track layout is that there is but a single line alongside platform 4 but two tracks alongside platform 3, or has the old up main just not been lifted yet! Stephen

The Cravens were steam heated and, therefore, they ran with BGSV's not EGV - nonetheless, it could do with a modicum of TLC. Stephen

It does make you wonder if Glenderg's source has got his facts right about the mk3's. Stephen

I came across this interesting piece - - nice shots at the end of the revised track layout at Waterford!Stepehen

Interesting comments by Glenderg on the structural integrity of the Mk3's - never heard that one before and they have been involved in some major incidents over the years e.g. Great Heck when a love struck idiot drove off the road and onto the track - no problem found with the coaches but a major programme of road improvements involving crash barriers at the approach to road over rail bridges - necessary but so unsightly. Stephen

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Murphy-Models-MM5609-Irish-Mk2-Generator-Van-Coach-IR-Intercity-/161457207228?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item25979977bc Stephen

I believe that there is an HO gauge drawing in one of the back issues of New Irish lines - I can see a nice little conversion of one of the IFM Park Royals. Stephen

Irish Railways Traction & Travel 1987 has a photo with the caption - 001 Class No 018 passed through Waterford station en route to Limerick with a bag cement train. Given that the only freight east of Waterford was limited to Bell Liners trains, New Ross fertilizer trains and beet trains from Wellington Bridge, this train has presumably reversed in Waterford station. Stephen

My need for 201's is limited, nice as the models are, so I shall wait patiently for MM to produce 121's - gives me time to save up! Stephen

It's my experience that railway promoters tended to be very ambitious. The result was that most railways were over-engineered in the sense that they had more facilities than were ever used e.g. long platforms which is the very opposite to the point being made by snapper above. Either would inject an additional degree of realism into railway modelling. Stephen

One of the bugbears that we all have to put up with is a lack of space which invariably means running unrealistically short trains, both passenger and freight. Ofcourse, a good many of Ireland's passenger trains out in the sticks are made up of only 1/2 carriages plus BGSV, but mainline passenger trains tend to be just a bit longer. Now if you search for Bradfield Gloucester Square on youtube you will find an extremely realistic model with workings based on Bradford Forster Square and where the mainline passenger trains are but five carriages long. That seems to work. Translated to Ireland, that would mean that a passenger train made up of Mk2's would use the five carriage types produced by Murphy Models. Dunno about Mk3's since they tend to be so much longer anyway. With regard to freight trains, one trick is to use 4w wagons rather than bogie ones where possible. Stephen

I think that you will find that movements at Waterford are now controlled from Waterford West signal box and that the only passenger line is the old platform 5 - platforms 3/4 are for freight to Belview. Even the Emerald Isle Express didn't actually use these platforms, it only stood there for photographic purposes! Stephen