Noel

Since joining this forum about 2014, I've found it very informative, educational and entertaining. Web based BBs seem on the wane for special interest groups or hobbies who seem to have moved a lot of content to Facebook, but facebook groups lack so many features that a forum like this has, such as threads, search, organisation and structure so that past content can be easily discovered and read. I would say this forum very much provided the impetus, inspiration and knowledge that got me back into the hobby in 2014 after nearly 20 years absence. Outside of special interest groups I don't reall

Is it easy enough to open these up for the purposes of putting passengers in the seats?

Purely from limited personal memory there seems be pre-1974 and post-1974 in terms of models and rolling stock availability especially when it came to the way goods were handled and moved. Supertrain in 1972 (relivereied A class locos hauling smart new mk2d coaches) seemed a significant sea change in passenger transport as was 2007 with the switch to ICRs. I still remember the TV adverts.

That was actually one of the smartest liveries on the A class from a branding point of view. I matched the coaching stock so well. No point trying to split hairs on a hedge hog, but this looked pretty modern at the time. There's no right nor wrong, only ones own personal memories. We live in a strange world, many of the devices that seemed utterly far fetched and implausible on programs such as start trek now exist and we all use, yet technologically we've gone backwards in many ways, no more concord nor supersonic passenger flight, no more space shuttle, back to large fireworks slinging satel

Back in 1972 Super train looked really cool and modern due to the roof profile of the A class and matching curved roof profiles of the new mk2 stock. It looked all modern and sleek (as intended despite the fact the repainted locos were then 17 years old already). Clever marketing campaign and the sleek aerodynamic looking roof ends and A class curves looked from another era compared to what had gone before. 75mph seemed like a spaceship in an Ireland that was then still partial to peat, turf and bogs with only one TV station that didn't go on air until 5:30pm and finished about 11pm with the n

The Golden era is whatever one you remember it as being such. Modern for me was Orange when super train was launched and BR went with Blue/Grey mk2 stock oft referred to by uk press as modern era.

Well Dave I've travelled a lot on CAF Mk4 sets so no surprises there, modern and all as they are at least they are trains that have carriages and an engine that pulls them and they were comfy to sit in and quiet unlike the plastic biscuit tin yoyos that replaced the mk3 stock. Now as to yellow s*** no way, I don't have any, your weed spray van was the closed I got to catching yellow fever. I do confess that I have a pair of yellow plough vans still in their box in the attic pending weathering into a CIE brown state. Also confess I have some weed spray wagons as donors for old CIE era weed tra

I think you are probably right, for wet pubs anyway. There seems more and more potholes for the vaccination programme every week, but at least its a good problem to have (ie 5 proven vaccines available, 17 variants of A classes coming down the tracks) with supply problems for only two of the five vaccines, compared to a year ago when there was zero vaccines in sight. There is clear light emerging at the end of the covid tunnel and it grows every brighter and gets ever closer, yet frustrating that the last furlong is taking a while longer than we'd all hoped. This time next year we might be pes

Excellent the achievement of a dream and a light bulb moment idea only 7 years ago. What a milestone to achieve. This is not the end of a journey, surely just the end of the beginning and just the beginning of greater success.

Calming down now. This pair of droppers are at an awkward point where the layouts main kadee under track uncoupling magnet is placed. The wires hopefully will disappear into the ballast. This single magnet between the goods yard and headhunt will suffice for the entire yard due delayed automatic uncoupling capability of kadee couplings. Its been fully tested prior to ballasting. Dropper confetti. The next bit will be easier when the short baseboards are rotated on their sides for working on. These pairs will all be connected to DCC dropper boards (WMRC DMcC design) which in turn wil

I hate droppers with a vengeance and electrofrog points, just over complicates the wiring and adds to the workload unnecessarily IMHO. Modern AWP locos function just fine on insulfrog points which negate the need for frog switching and also eliminates the need for 80% of droppers. Zero One sold me on the digital promise of - look mom only 2 wires needed. Not so, DCC needs even more wiring than DC with its block sections. I will never be running 2 axle shunters or 4-4-0 steam locos with pickup only on 2 axles. Apologies for the moan, I'm sure I'll have forgotten the hassle when its all done and

That makes sense.

Not surprised to hear A23r is sold out, the CIE stepped Black'n'Tan livery was iconic IMHO best livery of the lot with the stepped band.

Yes it seems once they sub-contracted out the catering it went rapidly downhill. The Cork train lost the business community as a result. I hear only the enterprise does proper food now. I could be getting mixed up but I regularly travelled to Cork for work in the 80s and remember a host/hostess, sit down menus, linen service, delph, metal knives and forks, and taste wholesome if not gourmet food that was excellent for on board a train. I nearly fell off my seat with surprise when I was told there was a fax machine available and a power socket under the table as well as being offered a glass of