Shinkansen

On the ball... thanks for that. Will go check those websites out. Cheers, Tom

Tasty looking Loco... dropped or not Warbonnet! Where do you source your American locos/stock from might I ask? eHattons range is pretty limited as are the local suppliers. Could you point me in the right direction please... thinking of maybe turning to 'the Dark Side' (a little) when funds allow Cheers Tom.

Hey Riversuir, excellent work on the Taras. Must say you're a brave/patient man taking on a full scratch build of a rake of rolling stock. One in isolation is do-able alright. But repeating the build and getting consistency is another story. That said, hats off to ya...something to be proud of Best of luck with the Mk3s. Another great project to look forward to. Keep us posted. Tom.

Very nice looking models dude.... well wear Nice subtle weathering sets them off well. Top stuff.

Cheers, I knew SSM did the 'IWT' 215 decals alright, wasn't 100% sure if they had decals for renumbering other 201s. Nice one, another project for the 'to do' list. Cheers, Tom

Hi Josefstadt, Thanks for the info, gives it a bit more of a historical context. I guess at the time it appeared to be the way forward. But for me looking back (and I'm no expert) it looks like they went crazy splashing the cash and didnt mind under utilizing/throwing away what good things they had already (201 locos & Mk3 stock). There definitley was some ropy stuff still on the network in the not too distant past, so at least there is some progress to be greatful for. Cheers, Tom

Excellent Pics Riversuir. Good to see the 'old' Enterprise livery is still in existence. And still cropping up on freight duties. Nice models by the way... were did you go for the renumbering decals for the 201's. As a Waterford man I should look into renumbering my own 222 to something more closer to home Cheers

Big fan of the 22Ks, would love to have one on the layout (which still doesnt exist yet). I am a fan of what you can see on the rails here and now rather than what was. Park Royals and Steam traction are lost on me I'm afraid! More into diesels and rail cars. I would like to see a model of the 22K some day, whether ready to run or kit based. Had thoughts of creating my own. Especially after seeing Kirleys good work on his workbench. Not to mention the rather excellent layout from the model railway show in Wexford town (see pictures) Picked up a Virgin Voyager second hand to use as a donor. But starting to think a class 170 might make a better base. Any thoughts gentlemen???

The Graffiti you could excuse as that it would require IE to spend money/allocate resources to put right. Leaveing the windows open to the elements on the corridors however is a different story. What a waste...

I would tend to agree with this. It did appear to be quiet short sighted pulling the Mk3s half way through their lifespan only to end up parked up in marshalling yards up and down the country. I have no problem with the 22Ks, the business case for DMU's on commuter and intercity routes is pretty water tight, less staff needed to operate a service, quick turnaround between services etc... Plus, for someone from Waterford, the 22K's are heaps better than the antiquated stock that used to operate the Dublin route. What I dont get is the CAF Cork train? Well apart from the ugly coulour scheme... wouldnt Mk3's operating exclusively on this route (freed up by DMU's on other routes) be able to offer the clockface time table that IE moved to? Was there not enough of them to cover the schedule? Was a cost benifit analysis of refurbished Mk3's + DVTs versus brand spanking new CAFs ever undertaken? It seems such a waste especially when you see these still in everyday service in the UK. Mk3 First Capital Connect Service at London Paddington Spring 2009 Any one have any thoughts on this? Im sure its been covered before at great length over the years on other forums. But I am new to the Rail scene and would be interested to find out. Never got to travel on the Mk3's in Ireland, pass the rake parked in Waterford West every so often and it makes a sad sight Speaking of which, has anyone tried modelling a 'withdrawn' Mk3? Withdrawn Mk3 Stock at Waterford West, Summer 2012 Cheers, Tom

Looking like the foundations of a bloody nice layout there. Looking forward to seeing how it turns out after trackworks, scenics, etc... takes place. I like what you've done with that space. It's a quiet similar in area to my own one layout space (currently very much a work in progress!). Lovin the multiple levels. Class work Dave Tom.

Tasty work as always lad. The Ammonia rake and A-class look the 'bees knees', well done

They are a smashing looking model, brings up the Dapol base kit 'big time' once combined with Weshtys detailing parts. Have to have a crack at this myself sometime too. By the way, nice to see an A-class providing traction. Kinda rare to see them out of late, especially with all this lovely fresh metal from Murphy Models:tumbsup: Tom

Excellent scienic work Kirley. Lovin the stonework and the multiple running levels. Adds real depth to the layout which I have to say Im a big fan of. Do you have any trouble with trains pulling up that incline shown in the first picture? Would like a similar 'crossover' rail bridge on my layout to add interest but have limited space. I do reckon a gentle gradient may be possible. Looking good as always Tom. Forgot to say, the CAF looks pretty sweet

Nice scratch building work on the timber wagons. Looking good. I have to get the finger out and do a rake of my own sometime soon. Really looking forward to seeing the finished article. Good thing about these is you could build a prototypicle length train without breaking the bank (errr too much). Nice work on the flats too, It really does lift it above the Hornby Railroad original. Reminds me of another project on my 'to do' list Tom.

I have to say hats off to Stephen for the website. It's a fantastic resource and has opened up the hobby for me in a way RM web could never do (plus alot easier to navigate too!!!). Some fantastic contributors, inspiring workmanship, friendly advice, and tonnes of encouragement for all of us starting out. Quality work on the webdesign too by the way. Had no idea it required such an investment of time and Euros. You have to be applauded for your work. Top stuff. Tom

My thoughts exactly. Definitley a thumbs up for kits from me

Thanks for all the positive comments lads. They finally came together. The weathering was an interesting experience, in that the dirtier I made the Taras... the more pleased I was. Have 2 more to weather. Would love to have a few more built up, a rake of 8 would be ideal, not too big, not too small. So might be building another 3, will see what happens :-) Will probably weather up those wheel sets too Dave, wasn't sure how noticable it would be until I reassembled the bogies/wheelsets. Tis kinda noticable up close. Cheers and thanks again. Tom

Tha Tara project has been on a bit of a hiatus for the last few weeks. But I'm back on it again I have also had a go at weathering for the first time. Been experimenting with Humbrol decal fix and ground up pastels to make up washes and dry brushing mixes. Pleased with my efforts so far but surely there's a quicker, less tedious way of doing it? Seems a long time ago since I chopped up those Dapols! I'm well chuffed with the graffiti decals. Going for that well worn 'used-n-abused' look! Tom.

Nice one Leslie, wishing you well with your venture. If you can deliver models at those sort of accesible prices then I will definitly be purchasing a few. My vote would be for Container flats, especially as there quiet a nice range of intermodal 45', 40' and 20' containers on the market. But as yet, nothing reasonably priced to run them in an Irish context. The Cement Bubbles would also make a great model, a truely unique railway model and ripe for a multi pack. Both these in my opinion would make a great addition to all the Murphy Diesel Locos 121/141/071/201, plus cover a long cronological period from the 70s right up to modern day. Tom

Great video, thanks for sharing Good to see how well all those locos are looking considering they're similar ages to our 071s. Amazing work they do hauling massive coal trains over such twisty, narrow, and very rickety (in places) railway. Very interesting to see the 'cab ride' through Otira tunnel and the train emerging out again into the light at Arthurs Pass. Some noise and clouds of black diesel smoke when these babies are under pressure. Cheers, Tom

Would love to see what you guys come up with regarding the A-class. Whatever or when ever it comes about it'll be top drawer The A-class seems like a strange ommision from the Paddy Murphy stable! My own personal request for a future project for D&M would be an ICR 22000. When I do get to do a bit of rail travel I always enjoy heading up to Dublin on the real thing. Here's what I'm thinking.... Resin cast nose mated to a brass etched body, all sitting on a Bachmann Virgin Voyager chassis. Available in 3 and 6 car sets.... What ya reckon? Do-able perhaps as a potential future project? Tom.

Interesting food for tought there. Might have to get the saw out again soon Thanks for posting the info and the detailed photos guys. Cheers, Tom.

Not exactly what youre looking for but may be of interest... Model Zone in Brighton UK have a 2-road Bachmann shed. I was there a few weeks back... look em up on tinternet or give the branch a call. You might be lucky and they may still have it

Great show again this year. Thanks for posting the photos. Still my favourite layout.... No.20 Joseph's Bridge. Can see were there's been alot of detail work added over the last 12 months. A credit to the creators and an inpiration for the rest of us:-bd The O-guage layout 'Dorset Street Junction' was also a cracking piece of work. It featured a very impressive 071 class with a rake of Craven coaches. Top stuff. Picked up a few bargins too so always worth getting in early. Good to catch up with Baseboard Dave and the creator of the DART model. Well worth an up close look. The work on the pantograph is exquist, looking forward to the next version (with windows). Tom.