DiveController

Granted, Jim. My comment on the preserved kettles was a bit tongue in cheek

I think it pretty clear I was referring to accidental deaths which far outweighs suicides. Since you asked, they do happen reasonably frequently with bridge jumpers and emergency personnel deal with both. You imagine the trauma experienced by the driver would be quite significant and I can tell you from experience that you're right. Let's leave it there maybe?

Coal burners, oil burners, diesels and maybe a methane burning steam loco as clean fuel initiatives tighten up?

True but happens on the road daily, same trauma I would imagine for a normally careful driver who might hit (say) a bicyclist or the like. Time to harvest that energy for something more useful udder than blowing off the roof

Well if you look at the alternative to rtr for the 1955-1963/5 period, there are some nice brass etched overlays by JM designs and simple resin kits/rtr from other manufacturers like IFM. There is a lot of work to do that you could channel elsewhere in modeling and the price point for small resin coaches by IFM is still relatively high for a complete model to a moderate standard.

Well strangely some cravens on the Bay are going for way more than that at the moment, dodgy NEM pockets or not

I guess that's up to the manufacturer but there is a definite void for high quality rtr coaches to run with several of the A classes that will emerge very shortly. The Cravens have been produced by MM but only in BnT livery. Park Royal coaches were introduced about 1955. I don't recall off hand if they were ever liveried in silver but certainly in green and later in BnT. There were two variants mainline and suburban.The Cravens were not introduced until almost a decade later, hence their modernity, leaving Silver, light green, dark green, and potentially early Black and Black with yellow panel A classes without much in the way of rtr rolling stock. I suspect a PR coach in green and BnT would be worthwhile for a manufacturer to produce. I suspect a rerun or updated Cravens might sell too. There seems to be some market but I don't know how large. Personally I have 2 rakes of Cravens so I probably would not buy more but I understand newer modelers may have missed out and these are now sought after by some. As for CIE built stock, I'm not sure. IRM took the 42' flat chassis and placed a ton of difference freight options on top. Most were modern era which may be more popular. A 61'6 coach chassis with various bodyshells in several liveries that lasted over 30 years might be possible. Personally I need rakes of them but I really don't know. We live in hope for those thing and of course 21mm track

The 1950s CIE-built coaching stock of which there were many variants open and side corridor, composite, diners and brakes lasted into the 80s before being fully replace by the Mk2s and ultimately the Mk3s in the mid 80s. As a group this is the most interesting for me. After that the cravens and Park royal also lasted into the 80s and even 90s, some Cravens still in secondary use until the 2000s. These form a more uniform coaching stock for rakes. Of course they all need brakes which aren't available, like the recent dilemma with the weedsprayer and weed spraying rake.

Sadly, yes, a donkey iirc, a long time ago and hopefully an isolated event never to be repeated. @minister_for_hardship Quite right minister, I'm sure old compo professionals are alive and 'well'

Quite honestly, I don't see the problem here. It's a railway line, stay the off of it, common sense, no matter how uncommon. I think there is a attitudinal issue here .. in continental Europe people are used to this and stay out of the way, yet in other parts we have an issues with pedestrians, cyclists, motorists doing their damned best to get run over despite signs, bells, barriers, fences, that being the case, you're not going to stop them no matter how much you do. Just clean up the mess and try to get back on schedule. I don't have a lot of sympathy for this degree of stupidity except where animals and children are involved, keep them at a distance, put brakes on your strollers (or your hands for that matter) and stop tying poor animals to the tracks at the top of the Glanmire tunnel! Thank God we're in the letting off steam section , I suppose. I don't like a lot of the modern stuff but I do admire a well built efficient transit system, nice video Ernie

Very nice! Love the old style smokebox double doors

Unfortunately too modern for me again but I can see that this might fit in nicely for modern era modelers. I do actually like buses but far earlier and the only ones I don't collect are modern Dublin bus etc. Still, I can see these being snapped up to be honest even by those that don't model trains!

From a modeler's (or potential modeler's) point of view it's little frustrating to have thing sell out so quickly. On the up side, they are available from other retails such as Marks Models and other retailer. Looking back at emails I guess I purchased 6 or 7 Class 071s from them several years ago so I prefer to give my business there rather than to GB retailers. I'm sure Hattons have some too. I prefer the IRM's website for automatic VAT deduction etc at the time of purchase (one and done) Marks will do this for overseas but it involves an email and check the refund has been done. It would be nice if the preorder models had an indicator of remaining supplies. IRM know how many 121 models they are selling (since they are sold out of some obviously)

Yes, the 42' are technically 42'9", and iirc 62' and 47' might also have a spare 9" available for use

Even so, if there is appropriate DCC control and sound (including ability to notch down and mute) it might work

That's all very interesting for those of us with a poorer knowledge of this circuitry. I would do a thread in the DCC section and reference it at the end of this thread for continuity when you get around to it. Thanks for the input.

Might be able to take harvest some handrails from a hand-railed BnT 121 and take it back a year to when it didn't have any I suppose

Yes, I noticed that and I wonder if they have different numbers of each model. 504 of each may have been produced but not all of those are destined for IRM obviously. It doesn't sort for most popular either insofar as sod out should be top of the list

Moved this over from the weed sprayer packs thread; I seem to remember noting that a tank wagon run might be possible after the weedsprayer but had forgotten. I would be interested in the earlier tank before the reinforcements in CIE for Fuel Oil as above. Some also carried bitumen. There was an older type for Irish Shell & BP, and Mex, might be one at Whitehead now that I think of it. The CIE reinforced tanks also carries molasses in IR times as well as fuel oil. The whole history of Irish tank wagon sis very interesting and somewhat confusing tbh

deleted

Great shot. That would be more to my modeling interest actually

Model looks very nice but way too modern for me. Tempted to get some but with the 121s and As in the way, I'll have to pass even on the collectors front.

Funny, I was thinking there's enough to start a war... and keep it going

Ah, jeez! You need to set the brake. There has been the occasional engineer over the years who thought exactly that (with dire consequences in same cases)

Thanks. @BosKonay And with regard to IRM ordering can I order any of these liveries above in one order? and then what to do with the versions to be delivered at a later date like the IE? Sorry if this wasn't clear to me