DiveController

The MM 141 & 181 classes were turned out over a decade ago with good detailing and excellent running (particularly slow running characteristics). By comparison with the some models in the last couple of years, there may be a few differences. They do come DCC ready but not sound ready insofar as they do not have an inbuilt speaker which functions as soon as a compatible sound chip is installed. A sugar cube speaker seems to function best and can be wired in although it is not PnP. They have directional marker/running lights and headlights which change automatically with the direction of travel but do not have cab lighting like the MM071 class (iirc). The rear lights of a lead loco or the front lights of a trailing loco can be turned off if two are running in consist but the switches are somewhat inaccessible as they inside the body shell versus the larger 071 class which followed where they were located underneath the loco and could be switched with a fingernail or small screwdriver blade. To access the interior the 141/181 body shell has to be removed from the chassis which means very carefully detaching the handrails along the loco sides from the cabs, and prizing the body off which can be slightly tricky. It comes apart as the main body with one cab as one piece and the other cab as a second piece. When replaced, some found that the cab did not fit back as tightly to the chassis as factory fitted and had a tiny (<1mm) gap which was a minor cosmetic issue. In short, it's not a matter of deciding to link two locos up for a quick spin and then detach the consist again. When new, they usually came with a 'bag of bits' which included horns, skirt (to be 'blown up', or just fitted where the coupler is at the 'non functional' end) and various hoses. These are fitted by the user as needed and enhance the look of the loco but may be missing when purchased secondhand. One of the members did a nice tutorial on how to fit the front skirt and then have the coupler come through it but the photos have disappeared from the site when Photobucket withdrew support from linking to other websites. More recent offerings are often sound compatible out of the box, with better access to switches e.g. through a roof panel so there is not need to remove the body shell, have cab lighting and maybe some additional cosmetic nuances. With all that being said most will agree that there are VERY fine locos. If you cannot acquire what you need from Dave then take solace in the upcoming MM 121 which seem to have all the perks

Conversion to 'Tippex' merely involved addition of the white lines as transfers to the ST livery and additional of the 'set of points' IR logo.

Bide your time, I'm sure you'll get a chance. In the meantime IRM have the plough vans of your chosen era still available

Yes, And we saw this and agree with you Yes, and you're not the only one who spotted that, and it's of little consequence really. The packs are nice at least we all agree on that I suspect

@Noel, it spans the Bann at Coleraine, bascule type. A bit like this one standing on its head, the mechanism being under the wheelhouse

Any representative photo of the side boxes? What were they for?

Lots of word salad to say that a fault was found ..... hopefully some updates after the investigations has concluded

I think this is the container on a 4w flat wagon at Limerick 1970 (compliments of Ernie again)

Exactly, anything like Eoin's in BnT or earlier. Anything in ST would already have been re-engined. @popeye Thanks for that drawing, very helpful indeed. C233 & C234 got Maybach engines (initially) in '65/'66? They kept these until they finally got GM engine in '79/'80, most of the rest of the C class having received theirs by '72. Wonder what that looked like?

Those photos really tell the story for the original and re-engined versions. No question your smoke is black with the Crossley engined one, I think, which says a lot about the heavy weathering on the roof and even sides

I thought that all the MM spares were long sold out. I haven't been able to get a little 'bag of bits' in years

Hmm, that would seem to make sense why the ITG have those areas covered. Don't know too much about the innards of the A or C classes at all. What area the various vents & grilles for?

This thread is becoming a catacomb in itself, now up to 21 pages

I was looking for a decent picture of the roof of a C class which proved difficult. They may have differed after they were re-engined of course but this was the best I could do with the fan end rightly protected from the elements. I'm not seeing much in the way of exhaust ports at all tbh

Cool, dude! If I ever get round to commissioning something you're the man. Cracking little job this.

Shame to lose that nifty fan but c'est la vie

Ah yes, I agree, I have seen that many times and should have remembered it. The bus version of the livery from an old advertising poster, wasn't around to photograph one of these

@Arran of this forum owns C-rail. Maybe send him a PM for possible options?

Maybe we'll see a 'project 61' but I won't built up my hopes. In the initial 1951-5 rolling stock building programme under CIE the first several composite coaches were built on the 60' chassis then in use for many years following the 57' chassis for bogie stock. Thereafter almost every coach built by CIE was in the new 61'6"" chassis, even the second 5 composites following the initial batch. The originals had 3F 4T compartment while they second batch had 4F and 3T compartments due to the longer chassis. Almost every CIE coach, thereafter, brakes, composites, compartment thirds, open thirds, were built on that chassis. Commonwealth bogies although some GSR style bogies seem to have been re-used. Is there a link to the photo you posted or its your own @Wexford70 I just wanted to zoom in on the stock to see if possible to identify them better.

Great resource

Lovely work on the cab. Thank God they can stand on their own two feet, rather than a huge plastic base.

Agree, C-rail is the way to go. As Blaine says they will just not look right https://www.c-rail-intermodal.co.uk

So I was looking for a dirty 121 class but to no avail, so instead (zoom in on) B134 running bonnet first in original livery http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305313

I'm actually inclined to agree with Noel as all the pictures of the 121 in the original livery that I've see (and they're not as numerous as later of course), seem to show it overall in good condition or at least not in a completely dilapidated state that many locos seemed to be in (at times) in the 70s and later. Now silver A class and green A class is another thing entirely, I agree. Lots of photos of them seemingly in a very poor state. I wonder if the Crossley-engined locos were dirty in terms of exhaust emissions or whether it was because they ran alongside some not yet replaced steam, which died in the republic anyway within a couple of years after the introduction of the 121 Class?

I don't think all of the lamps were red. My recollection is that in the past they were black but some were red, maybe in more recent times. The lenses on the LC were red I think as the burner would be clear but I suspect the lenses on a signal lamp were clear as they semaphore red & green lenses need to show the correct color aspect. There was a thread on the site before with some additional detail. I'll post a link IF I can find it. Recent, Buttevant LC, 2012 Again, Black LC lamp with red (definitely not clear versus red on gate) lens This looks like your cutout on the back of your lamp. Possibly to aid lighting while on the ladder? Some signal lamps definitely had a lens on the opposite white side of the semaphore. I ind; know if the lens was white or red (probably) but it was visible with the signal at danger and occluded by a backing plate on the semaphore when clear