Noel

I remember having to sit on a coach at one end of the train because the coach rake was split in Mullingar and if you weren't seated in the correct coach you ended up somewhere like sligo rather than Galway after they split the train into two one heading for Galway via old Moate Athlone link, the other heading to Sligo via Dromod/Carrick. I remember the coaches were green the first few times and after that B&T.

Could be my memory is playing tricks but I seem to recall before 1973 most Galway bound trains originated from Westland Row rather than Amiens Street (now Connolly since 1966). ie before they switched to Heuston.

I'd love to see the mk4 CAF coaching sets get a refurb. They took the curtains off a few years ago which is a PITA working on a laptop. I fear the comfy mk4 sets on the Cork route being replaced by 22k DMUs.

Thanks for that link. Order placed

Unfortunately Tom's website disappeared last year and now only uses FaceBook (which I also hate and avoid using like the plague). I usually order from Tom via email and pay via PayPal (tommybrady{AT}eircom.net). But the store part of his web site lists most of the available models. The 22ft skeletal wagon kits are listed at €45 for a pair of wagons. https://www.facebook.com/Irish-Freight-Models-1252098201500518/app/251458316228/ Agree a good guy to deal with. My only minor gripe has been I wish he'd supply his coaches with boxes rather than bubble wrap. Very happy with all the stock I bought off him over the years, especially the Park Royal coaches, TPOs and HLVs. I got 20ft skeletal container wagon kits from him last year for my 20ft BELL containers (see pic below). Pre-Kadee

There is a feast of baby GMs available on fleeBay at the moment but at a price. With 121's and A's due down the tracks how well these sell remains to be seen. But at least baby GMs are available for those who missed out on them first time around.

Indeed, that's been up for ages. I wouldn't pay even €30 for one of those Lima heaps. Unless for use as a door stop or a paper weight.

PS: It would have been nice to learn this from Murphy Models own web site rather than an email from hatton's. IRM are excellent a publicising production dates and delivery schedules. MM web site no new information. But a minor trifle as the models I'm sure will be superb and thats what counts at the end of the day.

Hattons have Murphy Models 121 class up on their web site for pre-ordering price £129 (ie €150). https://www.hattons.co.uk/stocklist/SiteResults.aspx?searchfield=murphy models class 121&utm_campaign=Project Announcement - Murphy Models CIE Class 121 170419 (JsCcsy)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Potential Irish Model Customers&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJub2VsQGRlcmcuaWUiLCAia2xfY29tcGFueV9pZCI6ICJKR1FlWGgifQ%3D%3D

Fab looking drawings. Thanks for posting.

That’s what I’m hoping to reproduce with a few h-vans and open wagons, perhaps a 20ft bell or two in a mix rake formation circa 1968. More variety and visually interesting. The new grey livery bubbles will be perfect for such a formation.

Oh dear I hope not the day an RTR model of a 22k is manufactured this hobby could be finished. Like Thomas fine for the toy market and youngsters but operationally as a model zero appeal. Layouts with few points, out’n’back, no shunting, and the noise they make is about as interesting as a fridge humming. DDC sound? Just a personal thought. Perhaps in 40years time they may acquire some sort of nostalgia value. Ps: anybody any photos of the Bangor show?

Order placed. Love the look of these grey liveries. The Tan/Orange CIE logo looks really well as crisp as a button.

Grey livery looks fabulous. Oh those grey bubbles would fit in perfectly on a mixed goods train late 60s with some vans and open wagons behind a 121 or an A class in B&T livery.

Thanks for posting. Yummie, there were more of these bullied corrugated open wagons made than all the other rolling stock CIE had combined. Oh to have a rake of 30 of these in RTR finescale run behind an IRM A class. (not very subtle hint) The most numerous item to ever run on Irish rails.

More train formation guides from hattons. This time freight. Perhaps IRM could do a formation guide in the future for trains like liners, ballasts, cement, weed spray, etc. Or perhaps we could collectively milk the brains of all on here and oracles like @jhb171achill for CIE era and IE/IR trains such as mk2/mk3, mail trains, RPSI formations (eg Galway early morningpax+mail pre1994: 071+Bogie Laminate TPO+Mk1 GSV+mk2d SOx3+mk2drest+mkd2 FO+EGV), and build a sticky thread with visual representation of classic trains. https://www.hattons.co.uk/newsdetail.aspx?id=501&utm_campaign=Formations - BOC tank wagons 120419 (Q4FiWu)&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Era 7 and Era 8 combined&_ke=eyJrbF9lbWFpbCI6ICJub2VsQGRlcmcuaWUiLCAia2xfY29tcGFueV9pZCI6ICJKR1FlWGgifQ%3D%3D

They look very nice. Stunning. Do any of the variants have the red painted panel with the white lettering like the pic below? (Photo unknown origin, any copyright acknowledged). PS: Looking forward to seeing Anthony's weathering results.

Stunning work and result especial from Worsley works semi-kit where you have to sort out, source or make all the other bits need to finish it.

Nice video. Thought they might have been flicker free. Fabulous track work and trackbed weathering

Yes I could hear your breathing on the video clip when your concentration peaked at the tense bits. You are much more subtle and refined dismantling the wagon than I, brute force extravaganza - in jest! (I did NOT separate the chassis as depicted). This could seriously harm LPPs, your wagons and your health.

That's brilliant @NIRCLASS80 Really useful. It was tense viewing near the end of part 2. There should nearly be a sticky thread on here showing how to open various pieces of rolling stock like your video or photos for say Hornby Mk3 coaches, MM mk2 coaches, MM Cravens, IRM Cement Bubbles, MM 141 & 071 loco bodies, Bachmann BCK and BSKs, etc

Agree 100%, a chassis performance, scale speed running and smooth precise running slowly over paintwork is as important to me as how the thing looks. No use having every single rust patch and rivet spot on if the thing starts at a scale speed of 15-25mph (eg my CIE Lima no 215 BR Class 33 A class pretender rocket) Cannot wait for RTR A classes in Q4