Noel

Thanks does it now go by road?

Enjoyed travelling to Kerry this week by train. Down on a real train with an GM engine and CAF Mk4s, return by Rotem. 11:00 Dublin-Cork 4006 DVT the sharp end. You could catch a big fish with that hook. Jaws be afraid, we've got a bigger train. DVD connection to Mk4 CAF City Gold coach Connection gubbins between Mk4 DVD and coach. Look mom, no-buffers. You couldn't get a sheet of paper between those corridor connectors, most unlike the 1960s daylight. Waiting for return 07:44 Killarney-Heuston direct on Rotem roller skate to arrive Was pleasantly surprised to discover a menu on the 07:44 and then this breakfast arrived. Well done Irish Rail, haven't been able to get this on an Irish train since the Mk3s went off the Cork city gold service years ago. Never had breakfast like this on the Cork train, well done Kerry!

All by road presume. What killed off the cement traffic?

Thanks for posting. Fascinating. Having just travelled from Killarney yesterday on a Rotem Roller-skate seeing 148 running around the Tralee train of Cravens and a GSV seems so much more interesting. The shots of container crane in operation were excellent, and revealed quite a bit of skill needed to drop containers matching the pins with the holes on the containers, which was not as automated as one might have guessed requiring skill, trial and error. Fascinating. One wonders how they manage to load large Maersk container ships so fast at ports. Does mallow still handle container traffic?

Glory days of Irish CIE Goods traffic, loose coupled stock, loose shunting, H-Vans and Bulleid opens, operationally fascinating times before 1975 when such iconic traffic ceased. Sadly there are no quality RTR models for these vans and open wagons available that dominated our railways for decades before modernisation heralded rather operationally and visually boring block fitted trains. Last night I watched 'irish Rail Archive DVD Vols 1 & 2' and was in awe at watching drivers and shunters skill marshalling, collecting and dropping off two axle goods wagons at intermediate stations on their routes. One push of a loco and skilled shunters were able to loose shunt wagons into multiple sidings and sheds with one loco operation, perfect timing allowing for points to be thrown between free rolling wagons. A sight to behold, which fascinated me as a child when the railways were interesting operationally. The noises in particular reminded me of the hours I spent as a child watching wagons being shunted in places like Galway goods yard and even smaller stations like Moate, Athlone, Wexford, Newbridge, Ballinasloe, etc. Ideal operations for a model layout rather than endless round and round of uniform stock. The higgledy piggledy mix of wagons on goods trains in the 60s and early 70s carrying all manner of produce was magnificent. Even the sight of a local passenger service comprised of a 141, GSV, and a single Park Royal coach, but with three H-Vans, plus two open wagons and a 30ton brake van tagged on at the end of the formation was epic and tells a story of an Ireland long gone. Hopefully in time IRM may grace this epic period with stunning products from their stable (eg green laminate coaches, H-Vans, Open wagons, brake vans, etc). Enjoy the video clip below. One for @jhb171achill

Yes but LJ seems nigh impossible to model unless one had the space for a 50ft long layout, LJ was just a long piece of string. The operation of the Waterford trains used to be interesting in the days before all the track was ripped up and they used to run behind the station building to the Waterford platform. Visually rather boring with only one very long platform, and that scissors did my head in. At least they have copped on and realised shutting down the Luas green line for two years to upgrade it was total nonsense and was only going to cause economic and commuter chaos. Winston dug his heels in and sense prevailed.

Stunning result. Very sharp crisp looking signals. Love the details.

I ordered a pair of CIE ploughs last year. Looking forward to them. I Don’t expect my salopets to be blown anywhere, but do anticipate these wagons will be top drawer. Being yellow PW stock I don’t anticipate running them so it may be the display case for the foreseeable future. Weathering May help. But really looking forward to them. The detail on the CAD was mouth watering. No comment re Marilyn Monroe’s skirt analogy. But a kilt underneath would be a sensible precaution.

New platform under construction at Limerick Junction. Derelict loco sheds behind. The platform is a good length. Presume there will be some sort of footbridge over or an underpass walkway to connect both platforms.

Just past through LJ and glad to see at long last this main line station will have a platform on each side of the line facilitating up and down trains stopped at the same time. Just like any other proper station. The lack of visual symmetry was doing my head in never mind the operational quirks. Will post photo later

eBay seems almost flooded with 141/181s @ €202 ea, Choice of nearly any running number or livery available. Seems to be the same seller in Belfast. I wouldn't pay those sort of high prices. Wonder if this is the beginning of the forecast off loading of Baby MM GMs by collectors in advance of the imminent MM 121 release? At those prices and volume it doesn't look like folks preparing to fund 121 acquisitions. Baby GMs have always been my favourite MM locos and I loving driving them above all other locos. Can't wait for the new 121s should will be way better value than these eBay prices Market may be temporarily flooded with 141/181s as some folk adjust their stock to facilitate arriving 121s for fleet balance.

Yes on the next 5ft recessed board which would help form the loop to run behind (ie from the Ennis end back around to the Athenry end). Have family ties with Gort and spent time there in the 60s and 70s. On a recent visit it was great to see trains passing through the town again.

Revised track plan. This will operate initially as an end to end shunting layout but may eventually have a loop around the back for continuous running with a 3 lane fiddle yard out of sight. Loads of operating potential for typical 1960s to early 70s pick up goods traffic before the great bogie and container infestation

Very interesting project. Looking forward to watching it evolve. Love the photo of the six wheelers

This is the usual method I have used in the past to make platforms using Peco edging and plastic card sheet cut to shape and size. I'm planning to face them with rough stone sheeting to give that rural west of Ireland granite look.

Platforms under construction. It's easier to lay tracks against existing structures for clearances, etc, than size structures to fit track afterwards.

I've identified the addressing problem. The Roco treats addresses in the range 100-127 as long addresses. My locos had their addresses assigned to decoders by another DCC system which assigned them correctly as short addresses (ie < 128 as per NMRA) so the Roco could not address the locos until the addresses had been re-assigned by the Roco system as long addresses. Once I reprogrammed the addresses on the Roco the locos became addressable and operable again. Just another DCC quirk (USA v European manufacturers different and incompatible specs and interpretation of NMRA specs). DCC is so 1970s technology, built upon 1970s electronics. It's due a refresh IMHO. Anyway thanks to the Multimaus cab the Z21 is now functioning and useable but I'll be avoiding the touch screen phone app for shunting operations.

Hi Bill Thanks for the info. Yes Piko SmartControl looks an attractive option for a top end quality DCC system with the advantage of customised function buttons for sound on touch screen use, but a physical rotary knob for throttle control. Win/Win. It is in effect the same Cab as the ESU Mobile Control II which costs about €350 per cab but being wireless only one should suffice most layouts. The Piko SmartControl is retailing at €352 from German online retail sites or about £301 pre-tarrifs. The UK retail prices are not attractive always seem inflated above eurozone pricing. I switched to using various German model retailers a few years ago and found their pricing better and service exceptional. In the UK Hatton's are one of the few retailers who tend to have competitive pricing for any product ranges they carry. https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com/produkt/PIKO/15-7-0-235376-003003-0-0-0-0-0-0-grp-gb-p-0/ein_produkt.html

Fab photos, thanks for posting. 186 looks so different in Grubby black unlined ( or possibly grey with a lot of dirt)

Z21 could not communicate with locos in address range 100-127??? Due some bizarre confusion between what constitutes a long or a short address.

Cheers. Source? - who ever has the lowest prices at the time. The last few orders were from Hatton's and gaugemaster in the UK. Hattons tend to only have the NEM kadees, but gaugemaster have all the other stuff inc draft gearbox whisker couplings for converting older non NEM stock, magnets etc. Fitting Between the rails magnets on code 75 track? I am just about to find out as I am laying code 75 track at the moment. I may have to recess the magnet slightly into the sleepers. Will report back in due course.

Words fail. So real and reeks of atmosphere. You should be the new set designer for LucasFilm or ION productions next Bond movie. You could out do Ken Adam's famous sets.

Pals at WMRC gently hinted that a change of back scene might look better when photographing models off the workbench or out of the paintshop so here are one or two updates. Thank you WMRC pals for the present of a roll of back scene.

Spend the last few days tearing the hair out of my head in immense frustration with a new Z21 system. There is nothing wrong with the Z21, it actually seems a very good system just totally unsuitable for my needs on a new shunting layout. Totally my own mistake for choosing the wrong system. Easy peasey to hook it all up and get it working, but the first main problem was attempting to drive trains using a touch screen phone cab user interface for shunting and uncoupling stock using kadee uncoupling magnets which require a degree of precision that touch screen throttle just does not give compared to the tactile feedback of a physical cab with either throttle buttons or knobs. Normally I can hold a physical cab in one hand without having to look at it, but using a smartphone a) needed more eyes on the display distracting me from watching what the train was doing, and b) my fingers found it difficult to routinely and reliably control throttle one speed step at a time. When shunting I like to stare at the train, just think what I want it to do and let my hands make it happen via the tactile feedback from a cab in hand but out of eye line. I repeat my gripe was with the 'Z21 Mobile' apps touch screen user interface for precise throttle control, not the Z21 hardware which seems a good DCC controller and a flexible system. Luckily I managed to buy an inexpensive Multimaus cab on eBay which saved the day as soon as I plugged it in to the Z21's X-Bus port. Not very intuitive cab (ie you have to read the manual to get started with the basics), but with the physical buttons and throttle knob at least I was able to shunt precisely enough to reliably uncouple kadees, which I could not do reliably with the daft phone throttle app. Relief that I was not going to have to put the heap on eBay tomorrow and replace with a system that has physical cab controls for throttle. Two big advantages of the 'Z21 mobile' app are a) its an inexpensive wireless cab that will work on most smartphones and tablets and b) you can custom label each function with mnemonic description and symbol which is great for sound locos instead of remembering function numbers. Another advantage on a club layout would be members using their own phones as cabs and same for visitors to a home layout. Most the guys in WMRC love the Z21 system. Anyway the sledge hammer did not come out late last night and Multimaus saved the day for my shunting layout (under construction). At least now I can drive the locos. Lesson learned for a shunting layout one really needs some form of physical throttle control that gives tactile feedback to the operator allowing eyes only on loco and single handed use. The Multimaus does this albeit not as quite well as an NCE PowerCab but well enough. Had been tempted to try the Piko Smart control or another NCE. If not shunting using kadee magnets I'm sure many folk would love the Z21 system and its touch screen cab apps, especially for sound locos with personalised function buttons. One weird little funny us the Z21 cannot easily drive locos in the address range 120-127 which is why I could not get it to drive any of my 121 locos. Found a convoluted technical solution to it anyway and managed to get the 121s moving and shunting with their correct addresses.

Indeed And yet they managed to fit a knuckle coupling while retaining all the buffer beam detailing. PS: Curious what function does the catch point serve other than killing somebody in the car park? Is it back to front?