Noel

Below is a link to a more detailed PDF 'how to' on B121 http://www.derg.ie/albums/workbench/Make_B121_Guide.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0gYSVIA9Zi1vspDHFwTQQBUKnRXMYd56PM-nJ8LYx2zqKHptXzjyAeNiM PS: One of the things I liked about the 'rails' designed 3D body was it was broad gauge (e.g. buffers are scale width appart).

There was talk last year about a second batch to complete a rake which would include the bar coach (requiring new tooling as there is no equivalent Craven in the current MM catalog). I believe the initial batch sold very well and quite quickly despite the serious 'wobble' problem the coaches had when running (easy to fix btw).

@Warbonnet Hi Fran Amended as requested. Noel

Hi Seamus. Thanks to you and other for your very kind comments. Just hope its of use to any fellow travellers who would love to have a 121 running on their layout. It wasn't all easy, it took a lot of time to figure out and test fit parts iteratively making tiny adjustments until everything fit perfectly. As to skills a childhood fortunate to have access to lego, meccano, cardboard and airfix triggered a live long addiction to making things with hands and once small fingers and children eyesight. I have to credit some of the master builder/painters on the forum here and the Facebook group for inspiration and learning new tricks and different ways of approaching problems. Learned a lot from watching and reading about workbench projects from the likes of Anthony, Popeye, Eoin, Garrett, Graham (IrishTump) and Richie (Glenderg), et al. Persistence pays off because skills only come by making many mistakes along the way having a go and learning from it. B121 was running on the layout and hauling stock within weeks of starting but it was nine months before I got around to finishing the model (glazing, grap rails, buffer beam bits, sound, couplings, etc). Link below to Roof Template PDF for Shapeways B121 model. Thin plasticard helps create the distinctive cab roof profile http://www.derg.ie/albums/workbench/121 - Roof Template.pdf Hopefully Next up will be a similar SF/MM C class conversion guide, but thankfully such will never be needed for 2019 much anticipated pièce de résistance IRM's A class loco. Also the AS The Deltic specs look so good on paper, I may well succumb to one of those as well to haul some of my mid 1950s BR rolling stock. Modelling budgets may be stretched in 2019 by an avalanche of Irish models.

These lovely brass sides arrived from New Zealand thanks to @Mayner. They will make a nice winter project to make a couple of laminate coaches using dapol donors. I really like the raised detail on these and the well defined window frames. Hopefully I can do them justice over the winter and spray them Black'n'Tan for myself and @jhb171achill. The golden era of Irelands railways before yo-yos and the extinction of loco hauled passenger trains. Anyway these brass sides look excellent and a new medium for me to learn.

There you go Dave, adjusted as per your expert advice Kadee no 18s fitted and they work a treat as well as aid closer coupling. I just love these Tara wagons, stunning detail and they just look so workman like. Some more to weather and kadee before they are time tabled to run on the layout.

How to make your own CIE 121 class loco B121 from an Athearn SW1500 and Shapeways 3D body. I takes a bit of time and is costs about the same if not a little more than a possible future RTR loco, but at least you are guaranteed to have a 121 model that is a very smooth running loco and won't be affected if there are any future delays in the market. I am planning on doing another pair myself and one for a friend. I run the one I have below B121 on its own or in consist with an GM 141. TIP: Do as much man handling, drilling and plastic work before painting or adding any detailing such as glazing, hand rails, etc Get an Athearn SW1500 model on ebay. The later 3rdgeneration chassis which is DCC ready (8pin) quality motor drive + basic lighting board (directional head lamps) https://i.pinimg.com/originals/15/2c/b0/152cb0c2b24eb639c7a4fb34873c7bad.jpg 2. Get 3d Body shell from shapeways €65 https://www.shapeways.com/product/S3QTQFYCT/irish-railways-121-class?optionId=57420082&li=user-wishlist 3. Get 3d FUD (Frosted Ultra detail) detail parts for 121 class (Bogies, buffer beam + Buffers, Horns, Light fittings, main side grille vents, Cab Doors €15 https://www.shapeways.com/product/JW2L8UNNQ/detail-parts-for-irish-railways-121-class?optionId=57419115&li=marketplace 4. Cut roof cover from plastic styrene sheet from downloadable template 5. Remove The Athearn SW1500 Body Shell and keep for salvaging later parts like horns, rails, etc. Cut away body mounting lugs from each end of the metal chassis using carburundem cutting disc (mini drill) so that the chassis will fit length wise inside the 3d Body Shell Test fit for length to ensure ends of chassis do not snag body 5. If doing earlier CIE variants that did not have the walk way rails cut away the mounting lugs on the side where the vertical stauncauns would have been fitted 6. Make and test fit plasticard styrene chassis mounts. These will be used to friction mount and plug the Athearn metal chassis into the 3D plastic body shell. The Metal body chassis has a nice little shelf all along the sides which can be made to sit snugly between the plastic chassis mounts with just enough friction to hold the body in place at the correct height. This is also a good time to drill, cut file a suitable NEM size hole or pocket in the valance at the cab end. This can be used to hold the tongs of either a standard tension lock coupling or a kaydee NEM coupling (eg no 19). The coupling protruding through the valance can also be used indirectly as a body mounting lug that stops the body pulling up away from the chassis. Making the NEM hole is time consuming and requires precision. Start by drilling and then use suitable shaped micro files. 7a. Wash the 3D body with warm soapey water and allow to dry thouroughly before priming with Halfords get primer. The 3D FUD Detail parts will need to be cleaned with mild Isopropal Alchol to remove the 3D binding agent otherwise pulling masking tape later will pull the paint away from FUD components. Halfords plastic grey primer applied thinly at a distance in a warm dry environment best 7b. Fit detail parts before priming (horns will be removed for hand painting later). Drill out any holes in the light fittings for future micro LED lights or fibre optic cabling for LEDs located inside the bodyshell. 8. If doing CIE era Black’n’Tan variant. Airbriush white paint approx. where the white bands will exist (in preparation for reverse masking later). Salvage any parts of the SW1500 body inards that may be useful later (eg for cab interior, lights). I choose not to use the incandesant lights that come with the Athearn model to avoid heat buildup, prefer LEDs lower operating lighting temperature when in close proximity for plastic body parts (eg head lamp enclosuers). Drill out by hand any light bulb or LED aperatures that will be needed in the future rather than after painting to avoid paint damage later. 9. after priming gently rub down the 3D body sheel to smooth out the 3D finish and reduce the ‘toothpaste’ surface effect. This is not necessary for any 3D FUD detailing parts as hey are as smooth as fine scale injection moulded plastic parts. 9a. hand drill any holes that will later be need to fit any of the metal grap rails (ie to avoid drill damge after painting. 10. Mask and airbrush the model as required for the livery of your choice. My example is Black and Tan 1960s livery which did not have full length walkway hand railings. 11. Test fit body to chassis. If internal plastic body mounting spacers were neatly cut the body should friction fit nicely (later you can add internal plastic body mounts and screws). I used the Kadee coupling tongs or Tension lock coupling tongs as a means of stopping one end of the body slipping off. 12. Test run the chassis after test fitting the body (before modifiying bogies) 13. Remove Athearn SW1500 fuel tank and replace with plasticard one or modified salvage. Carefully ensure bogie clearance after the GM bogie sides have been added (especially checking the singe brake cylinders clear the fuel tank and the front of the bogies clear the ladder and valance. Check clearances by test running through points and curves. Its easier to make corrections now changes now before detailing has been added that would be vunerable to accidental hand pressure 14. Clean and Prime 3D FUD Detail bogie sides 15. Carefully File the existing plastic bogie sides flat ready to glue the 3D GM bogies sides on top of. 16. Paint, apply decals, and varnish and weather in the usual manner. Do not fit glazing until after the body has been sealed with varnish otherwise the windows will go milky and opaque. Be very careful when removing masking tape from any of the FUD components (eg forward engine grills, cab doors, etc) Reverse masking helps get the white bands level with well defined edges. 17. Form and Add grab and hail rails around cab doord, cab windws, end of bonnet walkway, face of cab. These can be later hand painted. I used a simple needle nose pliers and a tweezers to for the various metal grab rail components for strips supplied by eileens emphorium. 17b. Hand paint any wire grap rails (I used Tamiya Acrylic paints as they seemed to stick to the metal without primer quite well). 17c. Add and weather buffer beam details such as coupling hook, screw coupling, lantern tail lamp, vacuum pipes, etc 18. For DCC sound create mounting cradle for sugar cub speaker that will sit under front of bonnet using small pices of plasticard. Use an 8 pin DCC sound decoder and stick to motherboard using double sided tape to ensure no contact between decoder and any components on the locos PCB board. I used a LokSound V4 8 pin decoder programmed by Wheeltappersdccsound.co.uk with a modified 141 sound project (ie walkway dirction change removed, wheel clank, better short horn, auto uncoupling function for kadee magnets, etc). Wipers and tablet catchers were salvaged from former Bachmann loco donor bodies from past projects (e.g. Silverfox C classes). 19. Finito and enjoy. The Athearn is a super smooth chassis When adding the glazing use glue'n'glazre glue to avoid milky glue opaqueness around window edges and suggest leave one cab window open with painted grey frame edge for definition. Later you can add driver, etc. Have fun. It's not rocket science and just requires a little patience and sequencing of assembly.

Cheers Dave. Already sorted.

Yes believe it or not the only time I personally had ever seen a Tara wagon for real on the railway, was last July when getting a train (2600 sweatbox) into Limerick and passed some in the sidings. As my nostalgia memory is limited to the Cork, Galway, Waterford, Kerry and Limerick lines Tara's were not something I'd seen before discovering them in this web site. They are substantive wagons and look meaty. Thankfully they are relatively short for bogie rolling freight so look well on typical layout curves and you don't needs dozens of them to make a realistic looking rake. The IRM models are stunning as is now becoming the expected norm. Higher the bar goes with every new release. Design team have outdone themselves.

Sound interesting. Here are a few pics of a few fictional stations in the region

More books? Yes please. If JHB and BC ever do a book "Black'n'Tan era pickup goods traffic, H-Vans and Beat wagons into the sidings" I'll buy a dozen copies Rails through the west is already pretty close MGWR Rails through the hidden midlands covering places like Birr, Banagher, Tullamore, etc, could also be very interesting. Suggested christmas present from spouses or partners for forumites https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rails-Through-West-Limerick-Illustrated/dp/1780730063/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1544638208&sr=8-1&keywords=rails+through+the+west

Very impressive joinery Tony

Or ollofklasskie?

Looks like this Cleverly modified http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/47385/16312-Kibri-HO-Atlas-Road-and-Rail-Excavator https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kibri-Kit-15202-NEW-ATLAS-WHEEL-EXCAVATOR-SCHWARZ-BAU-/122736320034

Had a go at weathering some of the Tara ore wagons today. May have another go at tweaking them tomorrow using dry powders rather than a wash and get more of that grey dirty ore effect on the sides.

This caught my attention some years ago Also this

21mm fascinates me and one day far in the future I'd love to have a small shunting layout despite the apparent workload effort, skills, cost and equipment required to convert stock, the risk of unreliable track running. Are there more than 5 people operating 21mm in the UK and ROI? It does look fab when well done, but it seems you'd need the skills of a talented jeweller to convert most RTR locos and rolling stock. My Hat is off and full of admiration for those who have successfully ploughed the 21mm gauge furrow, and especially for those who have built steam locos that run successfully on 21mm you deserve knighthoods, especially if brass.

Excellent customer relations

It would upset me too but hoping when I open the box it is not afflicting the model inside. This is the sort of issue I associate with brass built kits.

Well done design and implementation team. You've raised expectations so high with each wagon product that raised the bar even higher, that some customers might be expecting operating windscreen wipers on the A class next year.

Not yet, but the kadee no 18 NEM couplings couple up pretty close Close coupled with kadee no 18s plugged straight into NEM pockets work really well pushing or pulling and enable pretty close coupling. Uncoupling magnets worked well with the Tara's

Fitted Kadee no 18s to NEM pockets today and height seems perfect. Effortless swapping out the TLCs and pop in the no 18s. Magnetic uncoupling working well and they look great coupled close together almost buffer to buffer. They look delicious behind B&T GM consists.

Loops? Surely also an Immelmann turn or a split S.

As Richie @Glenderg pointed out from Eamon's photos, the important thing is they look great on the typical 16.5mm track that 99%+ of us all use. Aside from the impressive model and scale detailing, I am also very impressed with some of the key innovations (i.e. since the ballast and bubble wagons): NEM pocket mounted on independent swivel plate - closer coupling - reliable running on shorter radius curves. Optional close coupling bar provided as alternate to TLCs which - facilitate close coupled fixed rakes. Rotating axle boxes. Detailing pack consumer added avoids unboxing damage, transit vibration and option of joined hoses. Sprung buffers. Wagon Weight. Darkened wheels. . . . and the body detailing Really looking forward to these wagons. They are not really my modelling era and I never saw the prototype in the flesh until last July passing a siding in Limerick, but they look so good my 'resistance proved futile'. Looking forward to running these. Bar raised yet again more than a few notches. Congrats guys. They may have been late and even suffered some sea sickness on route, but worth waiting for.

Spotted six 141/181s for sale on donedeal. Pricey!!! https://www.donedeal.ie/hobbies-for-sale/six-141-amp-181-class-irish-railway-model-locos-/20279783