Noel

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

Another here https://www.adverts.ie/toy-cars-trains-boats-planes/bachmann-n-class-cie-mogul/16797370?fbclid=IwAR24XcmClK9La8ySzHNDnH650lzEmBWKGgc0LQ4zZNBphvWMEqgeR3EYzpc

It might have been dropped or accidentally man handled a bit when the Kadee coupling was fitted to the other cab end, or when the buffer detailing was added. Its a very nice model and the little defect adds authenticity. PS: Interesting train formation. The resin Tara wagon at the end doesn't look half as impressive as IRM's new ones.

It would be nice to have some of it on static display, especially the diesel locos and some selected rolling stock.

Fab-U-Lous. Might need a pair of baby GMs to haul a rake from Ashfield pass up the incline to Woodvale junction.

Good news to hear about the new layout under construction and who's building it. Presume its Cyril Fry's own antique loco collection that will be on static display in cases as it was in Malahide castle. Does anybody know what will happen to the O gauge rolling stock collection that was run on the layout at the castle? (i.e. not built by Cyril Fry himself, but built by volunteers for the former layout at the castle).

They had a bit of a brass neck alright.

Super photo. Now if IRM ever choose to manufacture the two wagons behind that loco I suspect all sales records would be smashed out of the ball park.

Nearly happened to us 10 years ago when low winter sun hit a 'vanity magnifying mirror' inside the bathroom window and burned a 1/2" line in an arc through the wooden window frame. Thank God there was nothing more flammable between the mirror and the window frame like a towel, tissue box, etc, otherwise we could have lost the house. We were extremely fortunate. Needless to say the 'mirror' was dumped.

Picked up one in Lidl. They have white versions as well as wood finish.

White insulation board cut to shape with hot wire, glued to ply with pva, then covered with plaster cloth. When shaped plaster cloth dry paint brown using water based household paint. Then cover with various static grass layers of varying shades of green, straw colours. Alternatively traditional scatter material but static grass is way superior. Brown paint before coverage essential to stop white showing through thin areas of grass or around edges. Not the only way by any means. Many many years the old methods of chicken wire, rolled up clumps of news paper and paper mache worked but very labour intensive and time consuming. Strongly recommend this type of landscaping is done BEFORE track or ballast is laid.

I think that thread may have been one of the photobucket casualties. There might be a copy over on the Irish RMweb forum.

Hi Graham, apologies to OP for deviation, how do the body mounted Kayee's perform uncoupling and especially delayed uncoupling using track magnets? Also interested in how they performed pushing stock over points and around curves (bogie stock and 2 axle wagons). Reason I ask is I was considering doing something similar to some of my MM GMs using draft gearbox Kayee's like you, rather than NEM pockets in the apron as done by Anthony.

I had to pare off about 1/2mm off just the corners of the NEM pocket and then the bogie could pivot freely behind the apron on 141/181 locos

Marks models can get display cases in various sizes to order. Most suppliers don't deliver because of the glass content so need to be collected. The large LIVARNO LIVING one on the Lidl web site looks like it could be wall mounted, stand on the floor or an a wall situated side board of some kind.

Lidl display case Dec 3rd https://www.lidl.ie/en/special-offers.htm?articleId=14182 LIVARNO LIVING Collector’s Display Cabinet €69.99

CIE Woolwich no 390 gets an outing with the help of just a few years from Dr Who's time warp

I like the look of her. Well to my eyes she looks straight, level and the lines are square on, which I can't say for most of the brass J15s I've seen (i.e. off square, bockety joints, etc). Once in a lifetime chance to own an RTR J15 that looks the part and presume runs well, especially as she is 0-6-0. Obviously lacks the additional detailing and finesse that is possible with mass produced injection moulded plastics, but these are tiny volume productions and for the price seems to do what it says on the tin admirably. I would also love one in preserved lined green as well as a grey one.

Richard of Everard Junction fame posted a video of his trip to Warley including footage of AS new Deltic on their stand. (clip below should start 13m in)

The demographics question is interesting. The average age profile of internet users for example on the Railway Modellers Ireland FaceBook page and here on the IRM forum seems anecdotally lower than the average age profile in attendance at clubs and exhibitions. Perhaps the older demographic group use the internet less for information and discourse as part of their modelling activity. I'm also quite amazed at some of the smaller UK supplier web sites which seem to be from the dark ages, no online payment capability, some don't even accept credit cards by phone, PayPal, etc, very much the old 'sterling cheque/money order' and SAE era.

Hi Eamon did you swap the body with one of @WRENNEIRE's spares?