Noel

Yes there are so many options pushing H which for now with grey hydrogen is fossil fuels by the back door until grids have transitioned 100% to non-fossil. JCB have released their combustion H engines for heavy construction, there is still the inefficiency of H which requires storage, distribution using fossil fuels, distribution and pump storage, etc. It just doesn't stack up well2wheel for efficiency compared to BEV for cars which can use the electricity grid for the most efficient energy transfer to wheels. HFC hydrogen fuel cell seems the way to go for rail as locos can safely be high pressure refuelled at depots, same for HGVs where HFCEV has a role (ie depot refuelling). The problem for cars aside from high costs is there are zero H pumps in Ireland, but every home has a 3pin socket. Only time will tell. A mix of solutions probably with BEV being the standard for cars, HFCEV for HGVs, buses, heavy agri, construction, rail, etc. Airbus are in proof on concept stage for H powered jet engines. Low cost air travel is gong to get carbon taxed out of the skies sooner or later, so a solution needed for aviation urgently. Toyota seem on a hiding to nothing pushing H for cars while they continued to sell so called 'self charging hybrids'. :)

Yes you can and I’ve done it, but it is better to have base boards primed with undercoat paint or a sealer. Track underlay, ballast pva and static grass bind to it better. Many folks paint a dark brown colour under their static grass which gives an earthy soil look if there are any bare bits and also better bonding for the PVA. Unsealed wood just soaks up vast amounts of PVA. Looking good. Nice project. Frequently folks apply static grass to plaster cloth land scape shapes, banks, embankments, hills, etc, which its white so painting brown before static grass avoid ‘white’ bleed through any bare patches of grass. Baseboard being wood helps as it’s already brownish.

Doubt it as the Irish loading guage would have remained constant and CIE/LHB coaches would not have been oversized like continental stock.

Some very interesting photos. Fortunately these coaches seem to have been cravens so did not crush like match wood employed in earlier laminates, park royals and breeding. A lucky escape for most considering it was a packed knock special. https://www.historicalballinrobe.org/places/mayo-and-irish-history/claremorris_train_crash_site_-_sept_1989

Looking forward to playing with these over Christmas. Much disruption swapping the two layouts around. Looking forward to playing trains again. Storage is no place for my favourite toys. They are for Running and driving.

Ps. Was also impressed with their ‘Silence Zones’ in coaches, no people talking, or talking on phones, no shouting conversations, no gamers, no videos without head phones, peace and tranquility as these trains glided along. Florence to Rome in little over 80mins. Rome metro also superb. We still have no underground in Dublin, no link to airport, no fast rail link to Heuston. Made use of Rome’s city eBikes also.

Very impressed with these electric high speed trains that run at twice the speed of our DMU/ICRs.

Doesn't trouble my mind, I've stopped buying stuff from brexitistan 3 years ago, found suitable alternatives in Euro zone for any toy train stuff I need. Anyway most Irish Models are available here direct from Irish suppliers such as MM and IRM, or Marks Models. About 15 years ago well before brexit my employer replaced all their former UK suppliers of IT gear and software with alternatives from Euro zone. The historical route to market that used to be forced through UK distributors was broken. Back in the bad old days Irish companies could not buy direct from manufacturer but instead had to buy from a UK based distributor (unnecessary middle man). Markets ebb and flow and find their optimal route, businesses shop around for best route to market. I find many of the small UK suppliers were still living in the dark ages, not having web sites, not taking credit cards nor online payments, SAE mentality, postal/money order from the jurassic era, very very conservative. The Europeans and Americans on the ball.

I don't want to buy anymore toy trains. I'm already ashamed of the size of collection I've built. Yet lust for a blue NIR 112 or an CIE Sulzer B113 hovers in the back of my mind.

Yes but does it matter how much, they are foreign stock. Irish modellers are predominantly buying Irish rolling stock these days mainly from MM and IRM, et all. It's a long time since I bought BR rolling stock. Have boxes of the stuff in the attic which I will eventually flog off in on ebay.

Fran are there any plans for the mainline variants in the near future?

Have that badge now. Onwards and upwards, I am sure the end result will be even better than you hoped for. Best wishes Stephen. Kingsbridge was dismantled yesterday.

Kingsbridge is being dismantled and going into hibernation storage in a shed for a year or two. Track will need to be relayed and ballasted. The original peco foam underlay started to perish, so difficult decision decided to store and will work on individual baseboards relaying track and ballast. In the mean time Gort will move into the layout room for its extension works, and in time Kingsbridge will eventually return with sealed base boards and ballasted track on top of two layers of closed cell 3mm foam for sound insulation. The old Peco foam underlay was fab for quiet running, but aside from not looking as good as ballasted track it started to perish due age, UV, etc. Out with the old in with the new. One of the six baseboards in storage in shed. First jobs was stip the layout of unfixed scenics, buildings, etc, un-plug wiring, lift short baseboard track joins. Looking forward to working on the Gort extension in comfort indoors with a bit of heating (ie 4 additional baseboards to WMRC specifications). So no running sessions for a few weeks or perhaps even a month. I may spend more time at the work bench on some long delayed kit bashing projects, some resprays, weathering recent IRM stock, RPSI maroon GSV (BCK variant), diy coach lighting, or just get bored and drive trains on Gort.

Stock went off the layout into storage boxes for the winter today.

Yes, Robert Alexander Schutzmann had an infectious enthusiasm and a most pleasant manner about him on air. A gentleman of another era. Thanks for posting this wonderful youtube link.