DiveController

@Past-Avenue Is it 4 function or 6 function chip (one above seems to be 6 functions)? If I recall correctly there is no, or no controlled, cab lighting is the 141s but there is in the 071s. You'll need an extra function or an extra function per cab to control those. If not one of the CVs may need to be changed

Did that work? Occasionally you'll have a main wire come loose due to bad solder. Happened to me with a lighting wire only on a 141. You'll have lights if it a wire to the motor only. Which chip, wonder why it failed if so?

I don't think I've ever heard when the lighter blue changed to the darker on this forum and even in the shot you and hexagon posted above it is hard to determine how light it is. If you told me the shot of 113 was later than 1981 and not just recently delivered, that would have seemed reasonable when you compare to the shot of 112 on the enterprise leaving Connolly above. I think the photo technology of the time, processing, exposure & lighting can alter things significantly like previous discussions on orange liveries. Hopefully someone with a more intimate knowledge of NIR stock might help on the changeover dates from lighter blue to darker blue?

Bottom line is that all the MM coaches sold as Dave says but I suspect that having extra GSV/EGV is probably a sound strategy. I don't think someone who merely wanted to add an EGV to another rake would necessarily buy new whole stock to get an EGV, unless they regard the new product as superior and want to buy a whole new rake anyway. Even if you sold the EGV in a pack with something else, someone just wanting to complete another rake would buy that pack alone leaving a shortage of those packs as they other coach packs sell out. Anyway all that strategy is up to the producer.

The SSM kit does three for only 20 euro but they're neither lit nor motorized I believe. Cosmetically they're a nice option. I think someone did a motorized one in OO I believe with 'bounce' and everything but I don't recall

they look great but shame no 4mm version

@mmie353just remember that Cravens were not the broadest stock to run on irish rails and some PRs and laminate stock (if ever produced) might be a scaled mm or two wider. The longer your stock, (Mk3s, 201s), the wider your stock, the tighter your curves, the greater the wobble when running (occasional cravens, uneven axle, imperfect handmade) the greater your chance of fouling and collision. The track can be a little closer on straights but must begin to diverge approaching a curve to ensure that minimum recommended as the curve starts. Long stock in particular will both overhang on the inside of the curve and the corner will project more from the outside of an inner curve relative to the wheel position

Incidentally, I suppose for anyone who might not know, 187s is in a 'transitional livery', a worn Supertrain livery with IR set of points logos added to the sides, and to the cab fronts to cover the old CIE roundel. This is 1991 4 years after the IR log was introduced.... so the Cravens has (not only logos, but) Tippex stripes whereas the loco does not

Not directly related to your question on the snack car but look at the lead Cravens coach on this formation and spot the difference. Maybe the only one running between 1989 until 1991-ish

yes, they usually come only second to EGVs although only one per rake and may not on all formations. The Lima MK3s as you say were resprays of the British restaurant and did not have the correct windows for an Irish Mk3 restaurant. I would agree that is MK3 were to come out the intercity livery would be more popular as one could always respray the coaches into Supertrain but I would hate to have to especially for an expensive HQ item, seems to defeat the purpose of buying it rtr

Was usually black except for a few in the SE

Not sure they'd be left with anything. Not sure how the DVT would sell but with 121s available as pushers that seems a no brainer. With regards to GSVs/EGVs they usually sell out more quickly than coaches and once sold are still in demand people may have an rake that requires completion

Exactly, 112 was delivered with 111 in 1981 and i seen her in 1983 with her red panel and rake of Mk2s in the older NIR livery (yet to receive their tippex stripe above and below the blue band. She kept the red panel until at least 1993 (seen in Lisburn that year) However 113 had a red panel until at least 1988 but was frequently seen on Enterprise services to Connolly and there are several photos of her at various points with the yellow panel at latest by 1990 HOWEVER, I not sure when the Light blue livery changed to the darker blue??

For comparison 113 2 years later with 'orange panels'

I don't know for certain about the panel color but we have had many discussions regarding greens and oranges ( on rolling stock) on this forum,.... I didn't even mention those colors, pistols at dawn and all that... Any red panel is going to appear darker against lighter french blue rather than the royal? blue the they were repainted in later, red will fade to orange with time/use and color photos and printers color will vary. I also have that edition of the D&H book and the MM model looks completely different, the model's blue color looks significantly lighter (and I wonder if the red is too). The Hunslet should have a red flash on the front cab but there seems to be several picture of this appearing orange. One thing you'll need to remember about the MM 111 class model if that only 8113 has the newer LED lights iirc so if you're modeling prior to that time and want to renumber things you'll have to get either 111 and 112 and respray/renumber MM0111 & MM0113 limited to 252 pieces, there may have been 504 of MM0112, I'm not sure. Work checking out Dave thread on 'Lima Models' p9 PAIR of hunslet crossing the Boyne, Red and ?'orange flash' on the trailing loco

Again it's a matter of availability. For those with the skills to model something better than this it is easier to sit back, opine and pontificate. Irish freight models and Silver Fox have both been the subject of criticism by some on this forum at various times, yet I and many other will agree that they provide models that suit many until (if) a superior model become available. I have a TPO and some 1950s CIE-built coach models from IFM. They are not perfect and relatively expensive as they are run in smaller batches but as such they fulfill a need for smaller groups and more niche modelling periods or models that cannot/have yet to be catered for by a larger/high quality manufacturer. I would hope that that if (say) IRM were to produce a Mk3 they would not only do coaches but the EGV/DVT to complete a rake and spread the additional costs over set entire range of product rather than not competing the train. This has been a problem in the past where you could purchase, say, a Lima Mk3 but no EGV to complete the train requiring the ability to model one yourself or commission one.

OMG! My head hurts on that one!

And there you have it. @DJ Dangerous Now you have to decide on Mk3 OR Mk4s (no personal interest). Both and you have to resell them to support your dialysis @Noel If you have enough room for Mk2s you have enough room for Mk3s less one. I think the 6xxx series used for Push-Pull would also be very popular and ran in shorter rake. Plenty of stations in Ireland where the train length exceeds the available platform length especially with specials and peak time strengthened trains, and that doesn't just apply to Mk3s First three coaches at Sligo off platform (Mk2s)

Personally I think there is a great love of Mk3 in general based on what I perceive from the forum and iirc it seemed to feature in a lot of 'wish lists' and 'nudges' on the forum. Obviously, only IRM have access to their polls taken on here before but there was talk a Mk3 variant (irish) being done with/modified from/independent of the Oxford models Mk3 before which 'fell through', no offense to anyone, so I think they would sell well. I agree with you that the Supertrain livery would be a more limited market but if you think about it there is a plethoras of freights just produced by IRM and what would you be sitting in as you see those pass but a ST liveried coach? I agree with @murphaph that people who have a smaller layout will run one coach shorter vs. Mk 2s. , plenty of 1st radius track, coaches overhanging the track on curves etc. on many layouts. Speaking of prototypical. I'd be surprised if anyone (hands ups and show us if you do) has a truly prototypical Irish point on a layout. When we discussed this on the forum a few years ago a typical point is probably twice as long as any 'express point' in 21mm or 16.5 mm gauge out there

You can use the IRM loads to get your extra cages of kegs on there!

@hexagon789 Nice Avatar change! I have to say that I do love the Mk3s and that is a great photo and has been posted on the site several times for various discussions. I would love to MkIII in that Supertrain livery!

@Brendan8056That looks fantastic and I applaud you for having a go at 21mm. Your construction looks spot on. It is a shame that in the presence of such magnificent rolling stock that has emerged in the last 5 or more years from manufacturers such as MM and IRM that there is not supplier for 21mm track that does not require assembly. I do not see MM doing it and last time I enquired from IRM whether it would be up for consideration at any point I received a pretty firm no. I believe that IRM have the technical know how, connections and now experience to achieve this but if they do not produce it I don't think anyone else would. I would suspect they would be concerned about the number of pieces needed, the relative paucity of modelers using 21mm right now (due to non-availability of track) and the fact that the track produced would remain on hand for people to order rather than selling out quickly in line with their business model. I do think that more modelers would build or possibly rebuilt in 21mm if it were available like the increased interest in Irish models once they came to market. Relaying tracking would probably still be an option for some particularly on larger layouts. The track centers and clearance wouldn't change through stations and sidings as the stock dimensions wouldn't change, only the width of the wheels and the track beneath them. However the curves would have to be larger possibly the equivalent of 2nd or third radius so wouldn't work for relaying smaller layouts. The Peco Code 73 bullhead track looks nice but is the wrong gauge and I don't see really see Peco risking making even a limited number of similar items available in 21mm for what is perceived as a small market and relative to their other markets really is. I would like to model a 21mm gauge layout but I prefer to run the railway rather than model incessantly. Hence, while I would open a lot of time reguaging all my stock I don't really want to build all the track (and am concerned about my ability to do it perfectly). If lengths of 21mm BH flexitrack and a RH and LH semi-protypical point (express type) were available, personally I would buy dozens of points and hundreds of feet of track saving months of work in building any sizable 21mm layout. If it were a limited run and I got too much I'm pretty sure it would sell on. This is really all that is needed for the vast majority of trackwork. If you need a diamond, three way point or double slip (which were pretty limited on the Irish network) well, I guess you're on your own with Brendan and a few others. I realized that the transparent wagon is a clever way to troubleshoot the trackwork as soon as I saw the photo. @RichLThis is going to be an intriguing build.I was really impressed by the photo at Larne where it seems that there is a limited sharing of track at a terminus. However in Penzance the different gauges seem to be more 'connected' with sharing over a greater area and even switching of the common rail from one side to the other. Was this to allow the NG to come into better proximity with platforms, good sheds etc.? How do you envisage a turntable working (I have not had any experience of this with mixed gauges)? Would the three rail arrangement become 4 rail on the approach to the turntable or would you have a V shaped arrangement with one track for entry and a second adjacent track for exit after turning?

Wishful thinking here but just look at this timeless scene from the late 60s in Cork

I think the EGVs were probably last the get the livery unless they had to be taken out of service, passenger vehicles getting the tippex treatment first

"Sure, it won't be seen next to the lead coach ...."