spudfan

Hornby in the past would not have even considered a run as low as 500 pieces as a commission so things must have changed at Margate. I remember some years ago someone approached them to do something and the amount they were willing to work off was in the thousands. Whatever lands from this if it is not up to your standards don't buy it. I thought Marks Models would have commisioned an 00 version of their van first.

Might be dried up for next year...

Anyone at the Ploughing Championship?

From yesteryear.

That Pecolube is good stuff but sometimes you just have to get the specialised stuff from your local Ann Summers branch.....

When we moved from the Coombe to Drimnagh in the 1960's the furniture was shifted on a horse drawn cart.

"sustainable decommissioning’ of life-expired vehicles." What is the criteria for life expired vehicles where LUAS is concerned?

Don't know if there is anything new here for those who follow this stuff but this turned up in Metro Report International. IRELAND: Rail and road project agency Transport Infrastructure Ireland is drawing up plans to begin replacing Dublin’s tram fleet and procure vehicles for future Irish light rail lines. Dublin’s 44 km Luas tram network has a fleet of 81 Alstom Citadis trams ordered in four tranches in 1999-20. Luas opened in 2004 and the first 40 trams are now approaching the end of their lives, while plans to expand the network will require additional vehicles. TII is also involved in planning a tram network for the city of Cork. TII has begun market engagement for a framework contract for new trams, inviting feedback from potential suppliers ahead of an expected call for tenders in January. It plans to award a single contract potentially worth €200m to €300m which would cover both the supply of new trams and the ‘sustainable decommissioning’ of life-expired vehicles. There would be an initial firm order for trams to replace the oldest Luas vehicles. TII envisages ordering 30 m, 40 m or 50 m long trams, with options for the shorter ones to be lengthened to 40m or 50 m. Catenary-free vehicles may also be required.

Anyone going to the Ploughing Championships could check these out. Give them a good going over to see how things are placed in the engine area, ease of access for servicing etc.

Yep you read it right. Not everyday the navy buys this type of equipment. From Railway Gazette International. MEXICO: Redundant UK inter-city diesel trains and two tram-trains have been acquired by the Mexican navy, according to local sources. Three withdrawn ex-British Rail IC125 High Speed Train diesel power cars and 11 MkIII coaches were shipped from Great Yarmouth in the UK onboard the BBC Arkhangelsk on August 9; the ship called at Castellón in Spain on August 16, and in late August was crossing the Atlantic towards Corpus Christi in Texas. According to sources in Mexico, the vehicles have been acquired from UK leasing company Angel Trains by Ferrocarril del Istmo de Tehuantepec. The navy-owned company owns the trans-isthmus rail corridor linking the Pacific and Gulf of Mexico which is being rehabilitated under Tren Interoceánico programme. The operator has been seeking rolling stock for use on planned passenger services. Angel Trains told Railway Gazette International that it would not comment on a commercial matter. Meanwhile, on August 13 Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador attended the unveiling of the first freight locomotive for Tren Interoceánico project. The ex-Union Pacific SD70M was manufactured by EMD in 2001. The President said Tren Interoceánico operations would start in September. Puebla state Governor Sergio Salomón Céspedes Peregrina has told local media that the Mexican navy has expressed interest in buying the two Vossloh España Citylink diesel tram-trains from the closed Puebla Cholula Tourist Train. The 17 km tourist-oriented route operated from 2017 to 2021 when services were suspended because of continued losses. The tram-trains had originally been built for an abortive project in León in Spain before being exported to Mexico. Following the demise of the tourist service, they were transferred to the Puebla state government and stored at a railway museum.

Came across this while going through some stuff.

Well Saint Jim McGuinness is back. Expect to see him walking up the Swilly or the Foyle wearing a Donegal jersey.

Model Railways Direct have two versions of the Bachmann 08 shunter for £97.46. They are the blue Harry Needle and the orange Freightliner G and W liveries. This is the cheapest I have seen them. They also have Bachmann large logo class 37 for £159.22.

I've done this a few times myself...by accident. (5) BUFFER STOP TESTS BRADFORD - YouTube

HO & N Gear Oil Lubricant (scaletrains.com)

HO might be better for getting into smaller sheds....

110hp for €56,000 as Chinese brand aims to shake up Irish tractor market or so the headline says. 110hp for €56,000 as Chinese brand aims to shake up Irish tractor market (msn.com) Prices excluding VAT: 25hp €19,995, 40hp €23,495, 75hp €32,995, 90hp €52,995, 100hp €54,495, 110hp €55,995, 130hp €64,995. Wonder how this venture will go. Could tempt someone in the market for a second hand known brand. Quality control and parts availability will determine whether these tractors succeed here or not.

I know this has been in the news as of late but this paragraph from Mr Ryan caught my eye. .Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment & Communications Eamon Ryan commented that ’in the 1920s, Ireland had one of the best rail networks in the world. We’re reviving that network with new lines for people and freight, half-hourly frequencies, higher speeds, electrification and an all island approach.’ Here's the full article. EUROPE: The draft All-Island Strategic Rail Review has been published, making 30 recommendations for development of the railways in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These include expanding the total network from 2 300 to 2 950 km, along with electrification, higher speeds and more frequent services. In 2021 the Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland jointly commissioned engineering firm Arup to produce the review. This was intended to inform the development of the island’s railway system to 2050, in line with Net Zero emissions commitments in both jurisdictions. The report makes 30 recommendations. EUROPE: The draft All-Island Strategic Rail Review has been published, making 30 recommendations for development of the railways in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. These include expanding the total network from 2 300 to 2 950 km, along with electrification, higher speeds and more frequent services. In 2021 the Department of Transport in Ireland and the Department for Infrastructure in Northern Ireland jointly commissioned engineering firm Arup to produce the review. This was intended to inform the development of the island’s railway system to 2050, in line with Net Zero emissions commitments in both jurisdictions. The report makes 30 recommendations. 1. Develop and implement an All-Island Rail Decarbonisation Strategy. The proposals include AC electrification of inter-city routes, with battery or hydrogen trains on slower or shorter journeys. 2. Develop plans to invest in skills, supply chains and rolling stock to deliver decarbonisation. 3. Procure hybrid and electric rolling stock in the medium term. Inter-city recommendations 4. Enhance the cross-country rail network to double-track, with four-track sections in places, and increase service frequencies. 5. Upgrade the core inter-city network for 200 km/h operation; the review concluded that the benefits of a fully segregated 300km/h high speed rail ‘would be significantly outweighed by the costs’. 6. Develop short sections of new alignment on congested corridors. 7. Develop an east-west tunnel across Dublin to connect the Dublin – Belfast corridor with Heuston station. Regional and rural recommendations 4. Enhance the cross-country rail network to double-track, with four-track sections in places, and increase service frequencies. 5. Upgrade the core inter-city network for 200 km/h operation; the review concluded that the benefits of a fully segregated 300km/h high speed rail ‘would be significantly outweighed by the costs’. 6. Develop short sections of new alignment on congested corridors. 7. Develop an east-west tunnel across Dublin to connect the Dublin – Belfast corridor with Heuston station. Regional and rural recommendations 15. Develop the railway to boost connectivity in the North Midlands: reinstating the railway between Portadown, Cavan, Mullingar, and Athlone would address several regional connectivity gaps. Building a new link between Maynooth and Adamstown and double-tracking the railway to Mullingar would also add capacity to support services to this region 16. Integrate bus and train timetables to connect communities where direct rail access proves to be unviable, in places such as Donegal, Enniskillen, Cookstown and Downpatrick. Sustainable cities recommendations 17. Connect Dublin, Belfast International, and Shannon airports to the railway and improve existing rail-air connections. 18. Double-tracking between Antrim and Monkstown to enable more frequent local services to the north and east of Belfast. 19. Segregate long-distance and faster trains from stopping services. 20. Explore the case for developing new stations in the Belfast, Cork, Derry~Londonderry (including a spur to Limavady), and Limerick-Shannon city regions. Freight recommendations 21. Develop sustainable first and last-mile rail access for Dublin port , as ‘without this connection, there are limited options for growing rail freight’. 22. Reduce track access charges for freight, which are ‘very high’ compared to other European railways. 23. Strengthen rail connectivity to the busiest ports including Foynes for Limerick, Waterford, Marino Point for Cork and Rosslare Europort. 24. Develop a network of inland terminals close to major cities on the rail network; potential locations include the Upper Bann area for Northern Ireland, Limerick Junction, a location north of Cork, Athenry for Galway, Sligo and west of Dublin. Customer experience recommendations 5. Continue to invest in initiatives that deliver a seamless customer journey, such as improved information provision and catering. 26. Continue to benchmark and monitor service quality and deliver continuous improvement. 27. Ensure future rolling stock specifications are aligned to the infrastructure-led interventions, including increasing the size and/or speed of the fleet. 28. Improve integration within rail and between rail and other transport options. 29. Clock-face timetabling. 30. Develop structures to improve the effectiveness of cross-border infrastructure and rail service planning. Next steps The last date to submit feedback is September 29 2023. It is anticipated that the final review will then be published around the end of the year. Each of the proposed projects would be subject to feasibility, option and environmental assessments. The implementation timelines involve three periods: short-term interventions to be completed by 2030, medium-term between 2030 and 2040, and long-term between 2040 and 2050. The capital cost of full implementation in Ireland is estimated at €27·6bn at 2023 prices, and £7·7bn in Northern Ireland. Responses Ireland’s Minister for Transport, Climate, Environment & Communications Eamon Ryan commented that ’in the 1920s, Ireland had one of the best rail networks in the world. We’re reviving that network with new lines for people and freight, half-hourly frequencies, higher speeds, electrification and an all island approach.’ Irish national railway Iarnród Éireann said the review ‘is hugely welcome, both in setting a strategic framework for the future development of our rail network and services, and in illustrating how central rail will be to Ireland’s sustainable transport network’. It ‘builds on our existing investment programme, which is seeing record investment in both passenger and freight, at a hugely exciting time for all’. Rail Users Ireland said the proposals would ‘go a long way to address many of the shortcomings and gaps in the current network and passenger experience’. However, it said ‘little from the previous 2003 review was done and there are reports going back to 1975 still pending’, and so ‘the challenge is to convert the theory into investment and to make this real. This is not government policy nor is any element funded.’

Cleaned out the car after the Mrs has been using it.

HoW de YiH NO if DeH spilll ChEKKKeR iS WURKinG ON DIh LuPTiP?

Came across this unusual item Though to HO it would look well on any layout. It's gas cylinder bottles in cages. HO Cargo gas bottles | HO gauge (modellbahnunion.com)

You mean to say that you are not all young, single, good looking females here? I thought we were communicating in code. My day is ruined now. Whoever heard of grown men talking about model trains on the internet?

"Brake sparks when braking hard." is listed in the specs. Wonder how they do that. Probably more noticeable in the dark....fire extinguisher to hand! 2

If you nothing better to do you can compare the specs on this HO gauge class 77 (the European class 66) and the forth coming Accurascale ex Hattons 00 gauge class 66. diesel loco Class 77 MEG DC/AC Digital Sound | HO gauge (modellbahnunion.com)

This is part of an interview with Jim Meade the Chief Executive of Iaranrod Eiteann. It is a very wide ranging interview. Hope you can read this. It runs to six pages in the latest issue of Railway Gazette International.