DiveController

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 ...."

Some weathering will probably help a lot too

There were certainly some stock in the ST livery in 1990 but probably decreasing after that but probably not the Mk2/3 stock that was in frequent mainline use. Transitional livery the loco (ST with IR logo to hit the roundel)

Ah, understandable! I guess the surface is still somewhat uneven on the 3D prints. Now the there is a OO 121 I guess these 3-D printed models will probably phase out although maybe useful in another gauge. I suppose with the current 3D print quality it may not be as useful in N gauge though but maybe better than nothing. Still it was a good bridge until the impending 121s arrived

Niiice!!

@mmie353At the rate that IRM are releasing models you won't get the chance in a couple of years either, dude

That BnT turned out nicely despite the modern LED light clusters. Yet the ST liveried version seems to display the line from the 3D print, maybe the BnT livery hides then better? Just wondering about the retained CIE logo on the front cab, usually they stuck a smaller IR over it until they got the Tippex stripes but tbh I don't recall (m)any 121 in transitional livery whereas it was pretty common with 141 and A iirc?

This is one of the older container types with recesses for the forklift arms and lots of ribbing. Do you know the container length & height? I presume you looked through https://www.c-rail-intermodal.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&path=25_28&product_id=219 site for something you might be able to respray (just a cursory search, not saying this is the best match)?

I'm sure this has long been CADed and possibly even tooled. Surprised how rapidly the spoil wagons 'hit the shelves' but I guess the bodies are pretty straightforward in many respects versus say the fertilizers wagons & loads. Park Royals would be my second option since at least they go back to 1955 or so just after the CIE built stock (needs to be careful about loosely using the catch-all term 'laminates'). They were, of course, used as intermediates for the AEC railcars if they should ever materialize and lasted well into the '80s. The PRs were around until the 90s so would also suit a lot of modelers too. Anyway, I suspect whatever release may be more modern stock as alluded to above.

Good view of the three-way point now

Plenty of spare chassis hanging about to rebuild to be sure

Holy crap @jhb171achill, that a lot of luggage to take on. I'm figuring out how may I can afford and afford to make but lovely models. I love a TPO also but may have to be content with the HLVs and LVs I wondered if this was 3134 at Ennis, but it is 3118 with the short door bottoms and blanked out boiler panels https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/49717768416/in/photolist-UpULED-234Divd-2hoZbiv-BQigg8-a9nWFd-qB4gU9-bnE7iX-2g4afsU-9MKp9C-2arjEYQ-22LGy1T-23hJKL1-LBqJga-2g7k93U-FyDW6V-9MGC9e-2iKoypJ-2gFWqAV-r84kMe-aiXq6w/ An example of the HLV with blanked out boiler panels and recessed doors at Claremorris https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/39570811924/in/photolist-bnE7iX-UpULED-2g4afsU-9MKp9C-234Divd-2arjEYQ-22LGy1T-23hJKL1-LBqJga-2iKoypJ-2gFWqAV-2g7k93U-FyDW6V-9MGC9e-2hoZbiv-BQigg8-r84kMe-a9nWFd-aiXq6w-qB4gU9-GcyTQb-bdEHfV-akpxTu-br167g-jiKxzK-inGhxU-24cFmo7-aptXAP-2ir7q1v-A5mY2-tLzt8-2j4jJ8C-qUqGA4-69Hx7o-2d9iNPb-fucreF-bmY3Vf-2d9iPhW-dgaJEh-dgaJ3c-23hJL1u-haxEy5-2iRkABf-2iuKCB6-9RHWXJ-cfGTT9-uFine5-vBKvHw/ Look at this, a TPO and 2 LVs plus train awaiting to depart Sligo https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/39177603415/in/photolist-2iHQDBi-2e8onzm-2iHP3Ut-2jataJb-MkzVcS-ZG6Ryf-21Xs9vx-fi1Qdz-2ddtfra-2iSqhpi-27wJVCL-2i2nb9S-AMAdzW-2g4afsU-PrBpCn-2iHP3VA-2i5BcJU-pPGXWw-21c4tUC-r42cmZ-22FZsyX-22LGy1T-29rVkEh-NHHKgy-hCpmq4-hnVEiN-oyHotw-9umvdc-hsmufE-tQkdy1-2grA7fj-2bP8Ejv-YG89HU-2g4gV6a-2g4h5kk-DD3sTX-ZAP24m-2gjSYGJ-2gFVLkA-RqFQPe-2gC6jGR-QFfHQ3-2be4LYp-234Diz1-B6AEGm-feDm1s-8eky7N-BPmiWL-27qsMdw-Q6maVt/

I think you're likely to be closer to the Mark there tbh .... but we need more laminates

Funny how things keep turning up once you realize what you're looking at https://www.flickr.com/photos/152343870@N07/49534058343/in/photolist-2it9ZNF-nzKhx9-bMDk6n-niwnjm-8eKTY9-zvJNrk-S8M9Rc-fr7ogg-pRNkiH-zKWxPe-EnkNV5-pSV2Bz-ksiMmd-cNJ71d-q8gVkv-bW88Dd-cVMtHs-QbnAuQ-pZcKaq-puKgTm-rDHwrB-8aAbK3-eqeWVd-npocCK-YaYwde-p5yxwP-Z7TbNq-epkcRe-fsG3ue-Z9oaaY-dU1b8j-eFsaoW-TXBSbU-afgTC8-JwrZdL-a5JUUs-C64umy-8QLJvD-db5iWR-Y7pLxS-Y7pSB5-CDiKd4-YaYxap-VSJt7w-9HmqgW-C64tbs-awR6Y4-ztqBz9-NFrynJ-cNYgoj

Way too modern for me but many will appreciate the yellow PW. Will hold out for earlier Taras, Ballasts, coaches etc If I recall you can pay with PayPal which you just sign up for and sometimes you can avail of PayPal credit over 6 months to give you a chance to spread the cost maybe?

Again, not any more it seems .... Well there are some that could be measured up, I think but think that hint might be for a more modern era