LNERW1

Here we are: Full network as of 6 Dec 2025, with suburban services in Limerick and Cork and trams in Limerick, as well as Intercity from Cork (Youghal) to Limerick: Dublin with incomplete network and intercity lines emanating: Cork area (infrastructure): Cork city (services): Note the Melbourne-style tunnels around the city centre to allow the city to have a metro-type network as well as a grade-seperated access between the West Cork lines and main network. I'm very fond and proud of this feature. The two suburban lines are Mallow-Athnowen (west of Ballincollig on the Macroom line) and Cobh-Ringaskiddy (via Airport). The idea is that the tunnels can easily run under the motorways using cut-and-cover construction and tunnel boring under the city centre. I'm very dedicated to giving Cork a network that could allow it to grow and function far better and begin to rival Dublin. Cork Area (services): Limerick (infrastructure): Limerick (services): Dublin Airport station complex (Metrolink and Clongriffin-Drumree line intersecting): I think I'm approaching 200 hours on this game- I can never say it wasn't worth the price. I'm excited to see more services running and intersecting with each other on this bigger network.

It’s addictive once you get going. I’m out volunteering as I type this but I’ll grab a photo of my current network (the fifth, I think, iteration) when I’m home. Once you get the hang of it it’s great fun to build networks. Have you the “show existing railways” mod? Absolutely priceless for recreating networks. I’d also recommend “Openrailwaymap platforms” and “Openrailwaymap abandoned and disused railways” for some stuff the existing railways mod is patchy on. Also plenty of good track mods, theres a good 1600mm mod and you can use metre gauge track to recreate 3ft gauge- close enough as makes no difference to the eye when playing. Other great stuff like tram track with higher speed limits, 200km/h track if you want to make a future Cork or Belfast line, no end to the stuff you can get. Brave of you to start in Dublin, I usually kick off with smaller cities to make it more manageable. But good luck with it!

I wish I was surprised. Never any winning here. DART+ pushed back, Luas Finglas pushed back, Metrolink delayed, 2:1 cut. For a country that has no significant large companies (such as car companies in the US and Germany, Shell in the Netherlands etc) to lobby against public transport, we seem to be doing an incredible job of ruining any hopes of competent public transport. Nothing but despair and fury from me over this.

Late? What do you mean late? The Heretic’s outings at Blackrock: On Adrian Clapa’s Vesper Road: On Herbert Alexander’s Over The Hill: On @Dempsey’s Barrack Street Yard: On Dougal McFarlane’s Morceaux Ville: IMG_1679.mov I thought I already posted these, but clearly I was wrong. Thanks to the brilliant and friendly layout owners who let me Hereticise their layout. Sorry for forgetting to post these.

Platform 1 at Portlaoise: (Blue Circle) IMG_1839.mov (Red Circle) And here’s the locations of the two: Note I’m not sure the blue circle is completely correct, could be a couple metres off either side as it’s hard to make out whats what on the sh***y Google Earth imagery.

I find zooming in all the way on my phone produces a similar blurred effect, but it is better for grainy looking photos. I did post a photo on RMweb I believe, but that, a grayscale or noir filter, and a little fiddling with the sliders in the editing menu can produce some seriously good miniature photography. Low angles also help a lot.

What's hilarious is that a review can't do anything to stop what they're complaining about- it only checks whether the process of granting permission was fair, not anything to do with the plan itself. NIMBYism seems to be a sport intellectually on par to beating each other to death with rocks while grunting furiously.

DuckDuckGo over Google any day! I’ve found it works a lot like Google about 5 years ago, so much reduced AI search results, plus much better privacy. 60E1 is 60kg/m isn’t it? About 120lb/yd again if my maths is right.

There are countless, all for different purposes (rural, industrial, main line, finescale), and it should be noted that the two scales are separate as far as FREMO are concerned- the organisation is very concerned with accuracy, the main attraction is that you can run trains for realistic distances, build stations to scale etc so mixing scales would be pretty counterproductive to that. I’d direct you to the official website for any standard you may wish to use: https://www.fremo-net.eu/en/modulsysteme (it will probably be set to German, the language selector is at the top left of the site). As I’ve said, I’m using the HO scale Hauptbahn double-track standard, for maximum compatibility, but please note if anyone’s interested in building compatible modules, it will be functionally 00 gauge, with Peco code 100 track and, until I can hard wire all my old stock to DCC, will probably have to be DC 12V, but if someone wants a DCC compatible layout I can try that and just use my modern locos with chips (although I would also have to fit them first )

A combination of price, more track geometry generally being available, and the need for FREMO to be super compatible, and allow for as much stock as possible. The first I think is pretty important, code 75 being a little more expensive is all well and good on a 4ft long layout, but if it's a 2km (yes, real kilometres) long FREMO layout that adds up to a huge extra expenditure. Code 100 looks fine anyway, and in my opinion actually looks better for modern image. A lot of the rail at Stradbally, where I volunteer, came from CIÉ (not new though) in the early 70s and are 74lb. Most rail on the IÉ network now is around 104lb. Taking into account width, it's a pretty close increase, but that's assuming code 75 is a good representation of 74lb rail or around that. But suffice to say code 100 is actually fine and a better solution in this case. But I see why people go for code 75 when they can.

If anyone is interested in an Irish modular, I'm using the FREMO Hauptbahn standard- PM me! I personally think it's a great solution to the difficulty of creating clubs in a country with a sparse enthusiast population. Apart from the Polish layout FREMO Ireland have, I believe the SDMRC also has the beginnings of a GWR Hauptbahn-standard layout, however I believe theirs has code 75 track whereas I plan on using code 100. @Jack_Dunboyne can correct me but I believe FREMO Ireland also use Peco code 100 on their layout.

The garden room was a significant investment, so the baseboards on top of that won’t be a huge cost comparatively. The room also needs to be available as a spare room from the start since we’re hosting family soon, so a semi permanent solution won’t work. As for running out of enthusiasm or getting distracted, I’m not particularly concerned about that. I’m going to be putting a lot of very careful thought into the track plan so it doesn’t get boring, and as far as prototype goes, I don’t really have one in mind- not even a particular country, so changing interests shouldnt be an issue. Most of it will be open main line anyway so anything Irish and most things British will look fine on it. And keep in mind, it’s FREMO. I can swap modules out easily and quickly if I want to put in a new one. I also need the space for filming something- before you say anything DJ, it’s NOT amateur porn, I have a long term film project I want to release around 2029 or 2030, but I don’t entirely trust myself to follow through and it’s not super relevant here so I’m saying nothing about it. Anyway, here’s the garden room: 78549905606__CABDA52A-C508-4D28-8059-B2B9DB442E84.MOV

I believe the room is around 4mx8m and i have not gotten through to the baseboard guy yet (dont worry its not the MRB guy)

I did, 'tis a garden room Half needs to be usable as a spare room, so I'm using the brilliant FREMO system and making it modular. Most of the time it will be a 100% railway room, but I can take down one corner in just a few minutes and it can be used as a guest room. It'll house a folded double track loop, made up of two C-shaped or L-shaped halves, connected by a helix at either end. The helixes are not portable, as the plan is to make it possible to exhibit the layout with the two halves connected on the flat. There'll also be a few junction modules (custom made with FREMO dimensions and endplates on the main line ends so as to be compatible with the rest of the layout) one to connect Ardree in to the main layout. However, there'll be one or two other small terminus layouts connected as well- but that's a story for another day!

I had to run out and film it on my (not very good) phone, in about -1 or -2 degrees, at 9pm, in November, in my jim jams. I could see my own breath better than the garden room! And it's too dark now to get anything better. I'll be back with a picture in the morning, hopefully.

WhatsApp Video 2025-11-20 at 20.44.15_9ad4a29b.mp4 New railway room!

I think at this point market saturation genuinely doesn't count when it's Accurascale because it's a given the product will be genuinely really good, fairly priced, sell out fast, and devalue other models, benefiting their buyers too. Unfortunately I don't have the disposable income to buy any RTR gronks models full stop so it's a moot point in my case... but best of luck, not that AS need it.

Something big due next Wednesday... (Shit photo for dramatical effect and mysteriosity)

I like the helix, I am planning on using two myself on my home layout. What radius track have you used, and what is the gradient?

Glad I could be of help. Hopefully it runs smoothly enough for your purpose.

Re the Abbeyleix one- I have seen many comments under that photo on FB all seeming to corroborate that is indeed an MGWR loco, probably at Athlone. However, it was a while ago so I could indeed be misremembering the specifics, other than it is probably not Abbeyleix. As a Laois man myself (and I can say that now because as of recently I’ve been here the majority of my life) it certainly would be interesting to see such an early photo though.

Don't know if it's been mentioned but Booterstown still has some plug logos kicking around, as far as I remember there's some sort of glass door or wall/divider with a plug front and centre and "Iarnróid Éireann" in the sort of stylised italic lettering. Most stations outside Dublin I'd say have something with the old logo lying around, its more a question of how prominent/accessible it is. I'm sure Portlaoise has some old(ish), possibly even pre-plug stuff around. The glass doors to the ticket office have the plug on them, like Booterstown, if I recall correctly, and there's a pre-2006 ad on the building on Platform 1 over the stairwell down to the south car park, or more accurately in it, as its stuck up inside a window. Given I don't think that building is ever used it explains how its stayed around so long. EDIT: I believe most of the bins on the northern platforms at least at Heuston still have the plug on them.

Very poetic. You should write a book! Oh, wait... But in all seriousness it's interesting as a much younger enthusiast to think back to a more human railway, that wasn't just a metal and plastic tube rocketing around, diving under motorways and through sanitised, bare stations. It's all very dull and grey now, no sign of bright CIÉ green or striking black or all-silver bullets with a thousand horsepower inside. I do envy you who has seen all these interesting, characterful railways, I wish I hadn't missed them. And I say that as someone who has every intention of working for Irish Rail and being part of that big grey machine I'm complaining about, but train travel still has much more character than driving or being driven. I have to say at least for me taking the train is still far more special than the car.