Mol_PMB

While they are dispatching pre-ordered stock, IRM/AS usually set all the models of that batch to show 'sold out'. There will probably be some that become available again once dispatch is complete. They may not have been sold out in the first place, and/or some people may not pay for their pre-order and those models then become available to others. So you still have a chance - just keep an eye on the website. It is likely that there will be a run of the toilet-fitted main line variants in the future.

Neil Smith has some nice 1980s photos of Park Royals on Flickr, including this interior view of the main saloon: 1425TL here had been originally built as a 'main line' vehicle with 2 toilets, but by 1988 there's no sign of toilet filler pipes on the ends, and I can see seat backs in the vestibules, so its 1980s rebuild may have converted it into a suburban type: 1384TL was built as an 82-seat suburban, but in the 1980s it had a toilet fitted at one end reducing its seating capacity to 79. My notes say that the toilet was fitted in 1988, after this photo dated 1984: 1409TL was built as an 82-seat suburban and remained that way. It was stripped of asbestos in 1981 but seems to have never had any toilets: In contrast, 1942 had a very complex history. Built as suburban 1408, it was then converted in 1957 to become the Waterford&Tramore driving trailer. After closure of the W&T it stood out of use for some years and was then rebuilt again to ambulance coach AM15 in 1966 until the early 1980s. Its asbestos was removed in 1983, and it was rebuilt again into brake standard 1942 as seen here. Note the unusual roof vents, the two plain windows, and evidence of the position of the double doors in the middle of the side for loading stretchers:

Nearly half the variants were sold out before they reached the UK, but hopefully there are a few left for you.

They are stunning, and I wasn't intending to complain, more to illustrate how I backdated mine. Apart from regauging (which thankfully was relatively easy), the vestibule seat backs were the only physical modification I felt was necessary. I entirely understand that the biggest part of the market for these is the 1980s/1990s era, and the detail references have to be based on the survivors which are no longer quite the same as when they were first built.

As built, photos indicate that all the suburbans had the higher seat backs (the main line ones didn't have seats there, but had a toilet compartment). After the 1980s total rebuilds, anything is possible. Most photos I have seen still show the high seat backs, but some may have been different. I posted a link to a Neil Smith image of two post-rebuild vehicles with the high seat backs in the vestibules. They had lost their portholes in the rebuild. Originally the Park Royals had 10 pairs of roof vents and lots of small roof panels. The 1980s repanelling included re-skinning the roofs with larger panels, changing the number and position of the panel joints, and perhaps altering the vent arrangement. I'd be amazed if they all ended up the same. The IRM model may well be accurately based on one of the survivors.

It's a very complex story! As built there were 2 variants, suburban with 82 seats (12 of which were in the vestibules) and main line with 70 seats (toilets in both vestibules, no seats there). Then... Two were converted by 1957 for the W&T, one with 97 high-density bus seats, the other was a driving trailer, with a large van area for prams. Two were converted to ambulance coaches in 1966, one of these had been the driving trailer. In 1968 six were converted to snack cars. In the 1980s, there was a comprehensive rebuilding programme including asbestos removal, which involved stripping them right back to a shell and some re-panelling. As part of this programme, the ambulance coaches and snack cars were converted back to 'normal' vehicles although in some cases their origins could be detected. However, this rebuilding programme did not produce a 'standardised' fleet as there were many variations: Some retained the original suburban layout, 82 seats. Some acquired a toilet in one vestibule but not the other, with 76 seats. Others had a different toilet arrangement, with 3 seats opposite the toilet. These had 79 seats. Some which had previously been fitted with toilets had them removed. Some were fitted with a small guard's compartment in one vestibule. Some of these are listed with 76 seats, others with only 60 seats, suggesting that there were two variants. So it's very complex, and any present-day survivors have been through a major rebuild at some stage.

I'll be visiting the north again in August and was wondering whether I could fit in a trip on this line, which I have never travelled on. After a few minutes Googling I have followed several broken links and failed to find any official website. I'm wary of what's on this webpage because the links are broken so it may well be out of date: Giants Causeway and Bushmills Railway There seems to be a facebook page, but not updated since last year. I'm not on facebook myself. Is the railway still operational, and is there any published information on days and times of operation?

Agreed. It could make a nice cameo appearance on my 7mm Manchester Ship Canal layout

I like yours and I was considering doing the same in 4mm scale. Then I thought it would be easier to do a fresh etch for the cab, and I need a chassis, and then I realised that some new mainframes would be a good idea, and so it would be better just to start afresh with designing a whole new etch! And then the job became too big and ended up on the round tuit pile. Such is the fate of many of my projects I’m afraid.

That looks quite neat. Mike must have done some additions and modifications to the etches to better represent the G611. Is there space between the frames for 21mm gauge wheelsets? (~25mm) For the Irish ones I have only found basic diagrams, but I have better drawings for continental examples. Those are 1435mm gauge of course, so there might be some width differences, but I’m sure a lot of the parts were standardised.

This is the book and the rest of the text about CSE usage:

I have a WW etch, but it didn’t come with any chassis parts. Having compared it to drawings, it’s moderately close but some of the proportions are a bit out. I think it was designed from photos and a few measurements. In some ways it is a mix of the G601 and G611 designs. G611 windows but G601 handrails. G611 footplate but G601 lights (or lack thereof). The mainframes are very simplified. If IRM don’t get there first I might have a go, probably starting with a G601. But I’ve got too many projects in the queue already.

It’s from one of the later edition ITG stockbooks. Let me check tomorrow and see what else I have on their use with CSE - there’s an IRRS journal article on the Gs as well, which I have a copy of.

Is there one?

I’d have a few too, but I think my bank account would be more comprehensively drained by C class or AEC railcars.

No doubt @jhb171achill will explain what’s up with the livery on this Woolwich: https://ebay.io/m/b0jq0M

HOW much? https://ebay.io/m/q2GIWS This is not the supertrain A class you’re looking for… https://ebay.io/m/lnDKbv I used to have one of these decades ago, but mine went in the bin. At least it’s cheap! But this one is more like it! https://ebay.io/m/CW7Egs

Lovely!

On the IRM photos of these models I'd been thinking that something didn't look quite right, and it took me a while to realise that you could see right through the vestibule area. IRM have modelled the longitudinal seats in the vestibule, but have fitted shorter seat backs (compared to those in the saloon) so they don't block the windows. But they should block the windows! Photo from Ernie here, when new: And from Neil Smith, in the late 1980s: It's odd that IRM have gone to the effort of fitting some absolutely beautiful luggage racks above the windows in a position where they are almost impossible to see from any angle, and yet have omitted the vestibule seat backs. Fortunately it's easy to shape and paint some bits of plasticard to resolve the issue. I stuck them inside the bodyshell to ensure the positioning was correct relative to the window openings - make sure they don't foul the top of the moulded seats. This is a cruel close-up but shows my first attempt: Here's a comparison of a modified coach and an unmodified one: One thing I have not addressed on this model is the roof detailing. I might correct that on one of the green ones where I will need to repaint the roof. I have also not yet tried to remove any of the glazing, and looking at the quantity and placing of the glue I think this will be impossible without breakage. It will require some tedious masking for the coach I plan to repaint entirely.

I've got the bogies all back together and the paint touched up. It's not perfect but it will do. First step with the brake gear was to drill a 0.25mm dia hole into the top of the inner brake hangers, and glue in some fine wire: Then drill similar holes in the bogie frame spigots, and glue the brake hangers into their new place. The single moulding that makes up the rest of the brake gear (apart from whatever fell off when dismantling) then needs to be cut in half lengthwise. The two halves can then be glued onto the top of the bogie frame spigots, with the appropriate lateral spacing for the new gauge: From the underneath it looks like this: Then I got some steel wire and cut it to lengths to fit between the brake blocks. Using superglue and spring clips I used this to re-connect and reinforce the brake cross-beams, first the inner ones: And then the outer ones: Finally I stuck back on any brake blocks which had been a casualty of the process. A coat of matt black paint and this horrendous bodgery disappears into the shadows quite nicely! Hopefully, now I know how to do it, I can break slightly fewer bits when I come to do a silver pair.

I had planned that the first Park Royal I would attack would be a green one, but IRM have delivered all the BnT ones first, so I have tackled the early BnT livery variant first. Applied from September 1961 for a few months, the early BnT livery had a shallower orange band with the numbers on a black background above it. Class designations were also in use at this time. I have dealt with those changes using custom transfers. Also I did a transfer for the red-painted dimension plate on the ends. Inside, I re-upholstered the seats in dark red (correct for the era) and added taller seat backs to the longitudinal seats in the vestibules. These make a difference to the external appearance too. And I've populated the seats with some passengers - one side look like they're off for a day at the seaside while the other side is mostly bored commuters. Additionally I have regauged the bogies to 21mm gauge, and fitted Kadee couplers. In due course I will apply some light weathering, but I want this one to look almost fresh out of works among the grubby silver and green stock:

Fresh out of the paintshops in autumn 1961, here is 1403 in early BnT livery:

Spot the differences! One fresh out of the box, the other one now no longer eligible for its lifetime warranty:

That's an interesting point. Did any of the G611s work at CSE Mallow? I know there were several at Thurles, and I think one each at Carlow and Tuam. Mallow I think mostly used Rustons and the Sugar Puffs. There must have been odd occasions when they passed through Mallow en route to Banteer and Tralee. I do plan to model one for Quartertown Mill eventually, but I have no evidence they actually worked that branch.

I think that in the late 1950s and early 1960s, Tralee had two 'small' pilots, which included a J26 (usually 560) and G602. Between them they worked the goods yards and carriage shunts, as well as the Castleisland and Fenit branches. There are several photos of G602, 560 and 559 at Fenit and at Tralee. There were also some C class shedded at Tralee, mainly for the trains to Cork (and Valentia prior to closure), which could also take a turn on either freight branch if the traffic justified it. The Dublin and North Kerry passenger services were normally railcars at this time. However, I have never seen a photo of a G601 class at Mallow in that time period. G601 was allocated to Banteer-Kanturk-Newmarket at the time, and there are plenty of photos of it on the branch but not elsewhere. Maybe it was stabled on the branch. If anyone does have photos of G class in service at Mallow (not GSRPS era) then I would be very interested to see them!