josefstadt

Stephen, I'd have to echo Heirflick's comments. Even though I'm currently 'between' layouts and when I finally do get goining again I'm likely to be modelling Austrian railways I find this site marvellous for all the reasons already mentioned. Well done on an excellent site!

The Irish Railway Record Society (IRRS) have arranged a diesel Railtour on Saturday 20th July 2013 using the RPSI Cravens set and a GM 071 class locomotive (subject to availability). The scheduled route is Dublin Heuston - Cork - Cobh - Cork - Midleton - Cork - Dublin Heuston. The tour will depart from Heuston at 10:05 (approx.) and arrive back to Heuston at 19:45 (approx.) For more details and the booking form, please see the IRRS website at the following link:http://www.irrs.ie/ IRRS Programme Organiser

An application (File No. 1335599) for a new concourse / entrance buildng at Kent Station and changes to the adjacent road network was submitted to Cork City Council on 22 April. The development description reads: 'A new entrance building 310m2 with dual entrance and vertical access to a subsurface link 100m2 connected to the southern end of stations existing under pass. The entrance building will incorporate customer information systems, public address, ticket vending,seating, commercial advertising, provision for potential future retail vending. New bi-directional road linking Railway Street/Alfred Street and Horgans Quay serving the new entrance building which will include partial demolition of existing protected perimeter stone wall to form junction with Horgans Quay. New road will incorporate traffic lights, traffic calming features, pavements, bus stops with shelders, cycle parking with shelders. Street lighting,bollards,storm water drainage and perimeter railings. Carpark with 140 spaces with 'Pay & Display' and set-down area accessed from Horgans Quay. Repairs to the rear (Horgans Quay)side of station include demolition of the existing boiler room, removal of existing metal chimneys and redundant cables. Repairs to brickwork and repointing where necessary. Repairs to the Goods Depot's eastern and northern facade include removal of vegetation, removal of single storey outbuildings, removal of loading platforms, hacking of loose plaster and making good where necessary. Kent Station and the Goods Depot are protected structures'. http://planenquiry.corkcity.ie/planningenquiry/MainFrames.aspx and enter the above reference no in the appropriate box.

Lovely models. Always liked the look of the F40PH - it harks back to the days of the E and earlier F units. The coaches are 8-wheelers (two 2-axle trucks) and all appear to be Lounge or Café cars - only 7 windows, whereas the Coach cars have 9 windows.

If only the 45a would have half as good a service!

Congratulations Noel. It's been a year of amazing progress at Tara Junction, a fantastic layout. I'm sure we're wondering what developments will be revealed over the next 12 months!

The guy on the right is saying: 'It's Irish Rail grey master. If we paint a 12-digit number in small characters under the cab window it will scare the sh*t out of the Americans'!

Excellent layout and lovely models in 0-gauge. Thanks Anthony.

Thanks Gareth. Obviously the Google aerial photo was taken before the new bridge was put in. Your route makes the walk from the station much more attractive. I'll drop in the next time I'm in Belfast.

Bangs head off desk!

Fantastic set up Wiggy.

Gareth, not being familiar with the Adelaide area what is the best route from Adelaide halt to the shop. Google maps shows it as being via Tates Ave, a distance of about 1.4 miles. You also mentioned that there is a bus stop outside the door. Which route and from where in the city centre? Thanks.

Certainly captures the look of the original. Excellent work.

I presume that your car already has a European registration plate - i.e. the one with the country code on it. I'm not sure what the situation regarding n.g. lines and railways such as Downpatrick will be as neither are physically connected to the main line public railway network. As for your cups and saucers, if you want to put EVNs on them then feel free to do so!

It was used for insulation. I believe it was to be found in the walls and roof between the inside and oudside panelling and possibly also in the floor.

In addition to the above, IÉ would seem to have omitted to include the country of registration of the vehicle and the 'Vehicle Keeper Marking (VKM), which in the case of IÉ stock would be written IRL-CIÉ. In addition to locomotives, the full VKN + EVN will have to be applied to all items of rolling stock - coaches, freight wagons, on track machines and even heritage stock. Fortunately, in the case of heritage stock (according to the RSC stock used 'for strictly heritage or touristic purposes' the EVN need not be displayed on the side or front of the vehicle but should be included inside the cab and on the solebar. So we won't see the RPSI's 461 with a 12-digit number painted on its smokebox door! For coaches the EVN can be put on the solebar with the normal 4-digit numbers in their normal positions beside the doors in their current sizes. Incidently the RPSI will (I assume) have vehicles registered in two juristictions. The Cravens set will probably be registered in the Republic so would carry the VKN IRL-RPSI, whereas the MkII set would be registered in the north so would have UK-RPSI. It remains to be seen where the loco fleet is registered.

The application of the European Vehicle Numbering (EVN) while seemingly stupid is mandatory under European law. Technically, while it is 'unlikely' that an IÉ locomotive will suddenly end up in Belgium, the company does operate international services and I suppose that in the eyes of the bureaucrats in Brussels those services operate into a country that has direct a physical connection to the European mainland - i.e. the U.K. So I suppose their attitude is why give Ireland a derogation. What makes absolutely no sense is IÉ's application of the EVN. The guidance note issued by the Railway Safety Commission states that the full EVN should be applied to the body side of the vehicle, not more than 2 metres above rail level. So for an 071 locomotive the full EVN could be put in the centre of the loco under the catwalk. There is nothing to say that the three digit fleet no. could not also be applied under the cab side windows in its traditional position. Only digits 5 - 11 need be displayed on the cab front - i.e. omitting the first four numbers and the check digit, not as IÉ have applied them. So for the 071s the digits could be applied in black on the yellow panel with the three digit fleet number in larger characters than the other four digits (as was done on some of the railcars I think). This would make identifying the loco much easier, especially in emergency situations.

Had a quick look in at the Bray Wheelers event this afternoon. Thanks to Walter (Kinvara-Train) for obtaining and supplying a Faller backscene that I wanted. Also of interest on his stand were and automatic system for fiddle yards and the 'Streetsystem' model roadway. Both looked impressive.

Hi Dave. Welcome on to the site. If you want reasonably contemporary layouts, the Quail Map Co published two editions of its book of Irish track diagrams in 1995 (1st ed) and 2004 (2nd ed). For historic diagrams you could try the Ordnance Survey online map viewer (http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,599997,749998,0,10) Select the 'Historic 25"' option and then zoom in to the full extent on your desired location you will get details of the track layout at that station. I'm not sure of the exact date but it's around the late 1800s / early 1900s. For example if you follow this link http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,519569,763768,7,9 you will get Ballinrobe in Co Mayo. The Irish Railway Record Society (Heuston Station, Dublin 8) has copies of signal cabin diagrams for most of the Irish stations but you would probably have to visit there to consult them. Also they only cover the parts of the stations etc worked from a cabin, not areas with hand points.

Waits with bated breath!

What about Waterford? (1) Rosslare Strand; (2) New Ross; (3) Kilkenny; (4) Limerick Jct; (5) Mallow. If you include the Tramore line then its six.

Beannachtaí na Lá Féile Pádraig oraibh. Isn't it good to see that after all his great work wit the Bo-Bos, Cravens, 071s, 201s etc that Paddy Murphy has a special day in his honour!

Looking superb! Well done.

Fantastic work.