Mol_PMB

Super, many thanks for the memories! All we need now is a minature DCC horse. Accurascale/IRM's next project...

More progress on the containers, which have been painted, and I've completed the transfer artwork though I still need to do a final check that everything's on the right layer before placing an order for it. A group photo: Top left is a 30' dry box, shortened from a C-Rail 40' box: this will be finished in Irish Ferryways livery. Top middle a plain C-Rail 20' box, then another modified as a grain container. These two will be in CIE livery. Bottom left a pair of 20x8x8 C-Rail boxes, no modifications apart from some fork slots. These will become early MOL and BELL alloy containers. The other three on the bottom row started off the same, but have had their side detail sanded off and some ribs added, to represent early ribbed alloy containers. They all have different numbers of ribs to match the prototypes, which will be B+I (blue stripe), B+I Freightway (red stripe) and CIE Insulated. A couple more pics: And here's an image of the transfer artwork. I haven't quite decided on the shade of blue for the B+I ones, the artwork isn't always true colour for the inks used - they won't be so different in reality!

I do love these little challenges you set - now I can spend hours more poring over photos of Dundalk, Drogheda, and Connolly looking for brown vans! Incidentally there's another photo of this train by Jonathan Allen on Flickr:

The colours on that photo are rather lurid. I think the Duckhams tanks were actually yellow with a blue band and tippex Here's another Duckhams tank, in a photo by Jonathan Allen on Flickr, at Adelaide. They would make a nice and distinctive model, could potentially be based on the SSM 20' tank, or the 3D printed one made by @Past-Avenue

I haven't been on the Enterprise for some years, last time I did it was a 6-car 80 subbing for the DD which gives you an idea how long ago it was! I've almost regained some of my hearing. But the last couple of times I've tried to go from Manchester to London (nominally a direct 2-hour journey with 2 or 3 trains an hour) it has taken 4 or 5 hours and I've ended up standing all the way. I've lost all confidence in train travel, despite having to rely on it as I don't drive.

You display great confidence that those services will run at all, and with adequate capacity for you to get on board!

Whilst on my obsessive search for container photos, I have stumbled across a resemblance that might make an easy model. Perhaps something for @leslie10646 and Dapol / @Robert Shrives to look at? https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53500993248 This is a Dapol product, which has been produced in the past as special editions for certain model shops. Looks pretty close to me (the container, not the wagon, but we have IRM LB flats to put them on, or open wagons to put them in) Also visible in the background of this image from Ernie: The CIE horizontally-planked ones were less common than the alloy-sheeted ones, but they aren't available RTR.

RMweb seems full of discussion on the 16t mineral wagons having the wrong juxtaposition of sides and ends. Some people seem to be making a mountain out of a molehill. I have no personal experience of these so have stayed well away from the debate. I'm sure 95% of people won't care and 4% of people will modify them to suit their needs.

I apologise. I was trying to be helpful and I have ended up being unhelpful. Please keep up the good work!

I haven't had one yet, but then I already have an Accurascale account as well. I assume they will be merged in some way, hopefully my points will be transferred across and merged. I think the Accurascale team are having a very busy time at present; lots of recent deliveries to distribute, warehouse consolidation and some controversy on one of their UK models to deal with. Hopefully there will be some more clarifications on the process when they get a chance, in the meantime I hope they're having a relaxing weekend.

One way to fry chips is to inadvertently feed track volts into the output connections to the motor. With metal models, especially if the chassis is 'live' to one rail, there's a risk that a wire to the motor can accidentally contact live metal, if it gets trapped or the insulation becomes damaged. Over on RMweb there are ongoing arguments about whether metal models should be fully-insulated for DCC to reduce this risk.

Did you get half-way through painting a carriage, and then realise you had run out of masking tape? No problem! A Connolly-Sligo train in 1989 with the EGV in plain orange. No doubt it went back to the paintshop later to get finished off. From Colm O'Callaghan on Flickr

I've heard of the old model railway cliche of a bus on a bridge, but that takes it to a whole new level! I love the Supertrain poster too. Bus on a bridge, by IRRS: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54256771246

If IRM decide not to do the Laminates, then the underframe and bogies from the Park Royals would be an excellent starting point. Indeed, if the Park Royals weren't so lovely in their own right I'd consider buying a couple as the basis for modifying into Laminates - the roof should be suitable too? I think the 'true' laminate bogie coaches were: 7-bay Standards 1429-1443 and 1444-1448 (silver) Composites 2162-2171 (silver) 8-bay Standards 1449-1496 (green) Brake Standards 1909-1913 (green) Of those, Worsley Works have done sides for the 8-bay standards and the brake standards. The 7-bay standards would be the easiest to modify from a Park Royal as the interior layout is the same.

Not to mention the 6-wheel tourist coaches with peculiar styling and stained glass windows in the clerestories, later replaced with various bus-based vehicles which didn't quite have the same character.

That disembodied hand on the left looks like something out of a horror movie

Beautiful work! Thanks for the inspiration. As for the track gauge, I think it’s worth it. Mind you, I haven’t yet built much track. We could really do with some basic mouldings for 21mm flexitrack!

You did well then, because I can’t complete my order as England isn’t a valid destination. No great problem, I don’t really need any more, but I would have bought some wagons and a few other bits and pieces.

There were 3 or 4 different variants - the chances are that the Howth one is a different type, so we could have two...? The type at Dromod has vertical channel ribs which might be a challenge to represent in 4mm scale.

Physically, the Duckhams container is similar to the CIE tank containers, as also used on your Ammonia barrier wagon kit. It would be nice if these were available separately... I'm developing some transfer artwork for some of the early containers. I was going to get them made as a one-off by Precision Decals, but if others are interested then I'm happy to discuss options. For many of the early containers, it's hard to find a suitable moulding to use as a basis. Which is why I've been modifying some of Arran's 20x8x8 boxes. However, the smooth-sided Bell 20x8x8 is directly suitable for Arran's moulding. A nice closeup view here in the Kennelly archive, the same type is seen on the wagons behind the track gang a couple of posts above. Kennelly Archive | Two Men With A Truck Work in progress on the transfer artwork: And I've got artwork for the CIE Insulated and Bulk Freight variants prepared too. I'm working on some early B+I, both blue stripe and red stripe. For something more 3-dimensional, a model of one of the CIE pre-ISO containers would be lovely. Anyone fancy a trip to Dromod with a tape measure?

Wow! I recall that at some time in my misguided youth I badly converted my orange one into a poor representation of a Class 26, and then later it was disposed of entirely.

Ah well, I was very tempted to get a few bits as well as some wagons. I’ve had a nagging email reminding me that I’ve left things in my cart without completing the order… Never mind, I’ll save my money and points for some other treats that I’m sure IRMAS will offer us.

Blue GM https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/276836767374?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=Nz1wcKbRSDi&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=PWnBnL0RQpq&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY

Ah well, so I’d better stop aspiring to those last few wagons. If north west Wales is too far away, then Manchester will be well out of contention.

Still no-one's put that last snail pack 2 out of its misery! It's odd - pack 1 sold out before the bargain sale, pack 2 is down to the last one, and pack 3 still has 29 available. Do people just buy the lowest-numbered pack, or the pack with fewest remaining? Pack 2 was the one I bought first and voided the warranty on, and I picked up pack 1 a few weeks ago and it's still in the box. I've still got a week to watch pack 3 selling out before I have to make a decision on that! Mol