DiveController

Neodymium magnets under the track. Avoid wagons with ferromagnetic wheels and wagon weights that extend near the end of the vehicles that tend to produce inadvertent uncoupling

Thanks Fran!

Seeing as we are effectively at the end of the business week and approaching 'Winter Time', may I ask what order numbers are being dispatched at the moment? I have four sequentially numbered A class pre-orders (trying to be fair with postage costs) in the mid 7000s. One has been dispatched and was received in 2 weeks ago in the USA. The other three orders have not even been dispatched as far as I can tell, not to mention the one I placed before the ITG

European petrol costs no more than in the US, Brent crude etc (and OPEC) govern the price. Refining and transport may vary a little but the difference between US and European prices is purely taxation. This begs the question what have all this billions of euros been spent on? Certainly not on railways in Ireland and certainly not on regional roads to alleviate traffic. Europe has made a lot more progress than the US and unfortunately, as a generalization, I don't see that changing with a partisan congress, divided democratic party, poor general level of education and an amoral fragmented and dysfunctional society. The US uses about four times as much energy capita than most other developed nations and consumes energy like a nation as large as China. The gas and oil lobby will ensure that does not change any time soon, back to corruption and deep pockets .....

Nine left . ,these have been selling at 3-4 locomotives/hour so do the math

That's very impressive! Super job!!

The very real problem here is the unfettered world population explosion consuming all known mineral and natural resources but as nobody wants to go there (except the Chinese), I'm not going to either. I'll let a certain Mr Smith explain

This is just another example of large faceless deep pocketed multinational companies with an in-house legal department exploiting third world nations where environmental and worker protections are far poorer than in (some) developed nations. These governments are (even more) corrupt than in developed nations, life expectancy is lower, occupational safety, medical access and medical treatments virtually non-existent. The multinational actually could do this well but that choice is dictated by economics and the prevailing regulations (none there). Then there is the local gombeen ready to exploit their own countrymen (and women and children) to the same end while some in the first world experience some guilt about 'our' treatment of these nations. Some time spent volunteering in an eastern African country for a few months a couple of decades ago instilled a deeper understanding of all this. This is not a new phenomenon. Every empire, Roman, Spanish, British has done this through the millennia. Civilization has merely renamed things, multinational corporations etc. The funny thing is that these undeveloped nations should be holding the first world nations to ransom for these lithium, cobalt and silver ores (et. al.) Despite all this , I have ordered a hybrid vehicle to replace our aging 150K+ miles fossil engined vehicle as probably the lesser evil. If I don't stop now the fireman will never get that head of steam up to pressure again ......

200 piece Limited edition A Class A3R in BnT dipped band identical (as far as I can tell) to sold out A23R to support the ITG (only 88 pieces left, so get your skates on if of interest to you)

That was a little confusing but rereading that it seems the blog is merely stating that it ran later in the nineties in this livery after the Inchicore 150 where it was reliveried into A3R

Thanks, @hexagon789. I contacted a society member and I am sorted.

Looks like the available cash went on the locomotive and nothing left for the 'models' there

How does this preserved A3r differ from A3R was in traffic with CIE? @BosKonay There were some obvious differences between say MM141 and MM141A(preserved) most notably the LED light clusters (and I don't recall what else)

This is a chance for anyone who missed out on A23R to acquire something in this livery. I wish I had been able to include one in my recent order. It's still €40 each time with DHL for us in the US

@leslie10646The IRRS should really consider having these available for a time or archived and available to members. Life gets in the way even in your time zone as you can see and IRRS members in the USA & Canada effectively can never attend these unless unemployed, retired etc

I'd take your deposit for now Leslie, if you haven't already done so

Here Dunluce Castle from Jonathan Allen, link should work for everyone https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/50801169151/in/photolist-2k5zbz3-2kp8gGK-oWVYqA-2k5tcLp-2j1r8TD-2iHoRmx-2cfkBj5-2bMS4QA/

Its on the IRRS Flickr site (for members, so should work for members) It looks very similar in design to the CIE version, maybe smaller jaws I guess that the NCC was part of MIdland/LMS so would have been early to adopt the practice, any idea when? Wonder if there are any photos of the NCC snatchers anywhere?

I didn't realize how prevalent the prototype dark green livery was and would like acquire Green A46 (new, unused or tested only). I would be willing to exchange another IRM class A for it (let me know your preference) Would prefer exchange by Parcel Motel in Ireland or USPS in US for simplicity for both parties if any takers. PM me if interested. Thanks

Don't think so

It just occurred to me that I really don't know when snatchers were first used in Ireland. The staff system existed since the late 1800s and was used during steam. Picture from the IRRS collection of GNRI SG3 97 (I think) snatcher on the cab side https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/50167505982/in/photolist-2jr8zHG-2bHZUEu-29zv1e4-2hHY4Z5-2kXstTH-27CUU4h-FfovJ6-2iFzjdW-2hHeuwt-2iNRtdp-2m81n3q-FYGZMR-2gyeqeA-2kKViwE-q7crmL-U7ti8Y-2i1kKS7-RZyHNK-217atAA-2cma6Fw-UsGC4U-xwkehk-y28NJM-SE9dpk-2j7423n-2iP8pzr-6Jbr5S-YhTqz-ccE8nN-rQKZ9-bVhSWg-2atSDwf-85Mt1b-6hzvef-5f99RX-7xdomG-9SoQPn-dgaJEh-9mw4Zm-NVCthi-aZmv52-zKzsn-gbGvBm-7psJj6-K8PxxS-awpnzG-cDxpVQ-a9vCDh-fUJrvW-7AUWKS

I think they were used until maybe the late 60s even though they could be seen on locos in super train livery until they were eventually removed at some point. Very few B Sulzers had them, I've only seen evidence of one on the site maybe B107 iirc. It's important to remember that it was a staff EXCHANGE not just the pickup. If you look at the snatcher on the cab you'll see the token to be dropped from the last section hanging from the back of the snatcher. The jaws of the platform exchanger are set lower than the jaws on the locomotive and snatches the token from the cab side while the cab side jaws simultaneously pick up the staff for the section to be entered. You'd not want to be anywhere near the exchanger due to risk of dismemberment at best. The platform exchanger has two set of jaws one for each direction/wrong line running. c 1988, snatchers present but long out of use

Thanks, Michael. Now to get one, maybe @leslie10646?

Does anyone know know of a book listing the coaching stock that existed in CIE when formed c. 1945 or nationalized c. 1950? Although an IRRS member, I don't live in Dublin. I have Pender and Richards book (1967) which lists most of the stock built in the early 1950s building program. Thanks for any help

Garfield did seem to have the two E classes to hand there. The photographer of that first one is on the forum, risking 1500 of that odd currency right there posting that one