Noel

If I remember correctly the coaches had working lights and the pantograph actually worked for power pickup.

I hear you David, imperfect indeed, but it was massive exposure for the hobby on mainstream media targeted primarily at the mass audience rather than hobbyists. I thought the local teams work was stunning especially in the heats.

Hi Tony. Open forums like this and most others, are available for the public to read, and therefore have never offered privacy over content posted. The public sees only what we have volunteered to contribute. Our emails are not divulged unless we post them. Changing your username from your actual personal name to an 'internet persona' helps. Some folks may be unaware that photos they take of layouts, etc, on a smartphone and post contain the precise location where that photo was taken (i.e. the address where the layout was). This can be switched off on any smartphone so photos do not contain location information. Having said that, it is relatively easy to ensure one does not divulge personal information nor security information in the content of ones postings by just being common sense careful (e.g. like going away on hols, etc, full names, addresses, phone numbers, etc). Bear in mind Goggle maps and Google street view already have a photo of every home and work place. Noel

Cheers Jonathan. Thought you might enjoy those two PST scenes. Thanks Seamus. I nearly fell off my perch when I saw the Cork shed photo.

Black'n'Tan heaven this evening re-enacted at Woodvale Junction A pseudo re-enactment below of the B&W photo of B&T locos posted earlier today. Nostalgia Gold - B&T Heaven in B&W posted earlier http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/7134-nostalgia-gold-bt-heaven-in-bw/

Look at the speed of this train going over the Barrow bridge in the 1960s.

When googled this pic yesterday, thought for a moment I'd died and gone to heaven Cork shed 181, 141 and 121 classes all resplendent in 'probably' the best loco livery CIE ever had. Pretty too for an early 1960s design.

Entertaining grand finale. I really enjoyed that series. It was fun and entertaining despite the naff bits they naturally had to add for TV audiences rather than hobby purists. Well done the winners Aberdeen. The final five all brought something worthy to Dave's baseboards. Well done Dave getting that job, one couldn't help notice the hidden engineering under the baseboards. Must have been painful watching the legs been sawn off by the winners. :) The Aberdeen winners visual theme would not have been my personal cup of tea, but wow it was absolutely stunningly creative and a visual feast worthy of the 'Wizard of Oz' set. I loved it. Deserved winners for creativity and execution. Very much liked the home teams results, must have been a close call.

Two photos. Photo below of 121 class era and livery I was attempting to capture with the model in the 2nd pic below. B123 at Sligo 1967. B121 model - 3D Shapeways kit. The photo of B123 above was originally posted on the forum here by Kevin http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/applications/core/interface/imageproxy/imageproxy.php?img=https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/15518402891_db3f89e1ef_b.jpg&key=7fd247f9f3aa3fce2bd00a9d1c94918c9c73f9d07b8d3d99d58d31fd4264378c

Hey are we loosing the run of ourselves looking for even more goodies? The 'Holy Grail' is no longer a myth, the A class is really coming. Happiness is not a cigar called 'Hamlet', its an A class loco numbered '001' from IRM. Contentment.

Love the way this layout is shaping up Gerry. I missed some of your mid summer posts, but enjoyed catching up just now. Looks great especially with a fabulous Black'n'Tan livery B121 in-situ. By coincidence I was going through boxes last week and discovered I had two similar Hornby diesel depot kits in a box since about 1993 as well as a few packs of those brick arch kits. Like the mirror idea behind two of the arches. Looking forward to watching this develop and seeing it in the flesh some day.

They keep getting taken down and put back up on YouTube. Back at the moment (link below). Alternatively use a UK VPN and watch directly on MY5. All 5 episodes are there. Great for watching UK TV players such as BBC, MY4, MY5, or Netflix USA. Looking forward to the final

Hopefully in the fullness of time, but for now I’m very content that the gaping hole in Irish RTR model locos will be filled over the next year or so. Looking at the age demographic active in clubs and attending shows, it seems many would have travelled on Irish railways before the modern era that super train heralded, along with modern bogie freight. The next gap in quality RTR rolling stock seems pre 1972.

They look great. I liked the old hydraulic buffer stops they used to have at the end of the platforms in Heuston/Kingsbridge and Connolly/Amiens Street. Presume H&S and past accident experience was the reason modern ones like above are placed so far from the end of the track and end of the platform. My OCD quite liked the symmetry and punctuation of a large hydraulic stop right at the very end of the platform.

Impressive model engineering.

Yes that makes good sense. Its inevitable for me I guess, but not just at the moment. Gort is priority number one at the mo, and then reballasting Kingsbridge. Had some fun earlier consisting two sound locos B121 and B165 using advanced consist on the NCE.

DCkits seem to have a basic kit. Not sure if it comes with bogies and/or wheels, etc, or is just the basic body shell. The bogies on the dutch GSVs were quite distinctive. https://www.dckits-devideos.co.uk/index.php?route=product/product&product_id=975&search=dutch

Nice clip. How are the coaches heated and powered, especially the AirCon coach?

Thanks for the very kind offer Gerry. I may take you up on the offer after I have laid the track for Gort. Noel

Thanks Graham for the really helpful advice and info. Having learned to program 6502 machine code on an Apple II in 1978 I am predisposed and very tempted to have a go at learning how to use a LokProgrammer. However another side of me is conscious of the time I might spend in persuit of customised sound projects and the steep learning curve needed to achieve quality projects and innovation at the cost of progressing other aspects of the hobby. Neil in WheelTappers has been very helpful and accommodating, already building customised projects for me using supplementary sound files I have provided him (eg alternate rail clank for two axle wagons and bogie stock, horns, etc). I’m delighted with the 141 and 181 custom projects he’s done so far. Perhaps in time, but I need to get on with reballasting a lot of track and scenic work first.

Thanks for info Graham @irishthump. If one got a LokProgrammer I know all the engine prime mover recordings are available on the ESU website (eg EMD 567, 645, etc), but where would one source sound files for things like Irish loco horns, flange squeal, brakes, guards whistles, buffer clash, coupling noises, coach door slamming, etc?

Thanks. I’m sure and hope the volume of orders has surpassed your wildest expectations.

Hi Stephen. Impressive number of variants. Will you be illustrating the livery for each variant/number on the store web site at some stage? It might help visually assist with buying choice of loco when browsing models. Cheers Noel

Revised 121 class DCC sound demo (as requested) without a musical backing track. Demonstrates some of the specific sound functions. The one function I forgot to record was heavy notching and trashing as a heavy trains slowly accelerates from stationary. The LokSound project is by http://wheeltappersdccsounds.co.uk who do all the Irish sound projects for DCkits. I bought my 141/181 decoders direct from Wheeltappers. I will also be getting my existing ESU/MM 071 sound chips re-blown by 'wheeltappers' so I can get 'PowerDrive' mode, control over notching and the extra functions. Enjoy This LokSound V4 project has 'PowerDrive' capability (i.e. ESU FullThrottle mode) which allows coasting/braking and switching between automatic and manual control of notching. F5 can be used to 'lock' the loco at whatever its current speeds is, including stationary, and throttle control then only controls notching sounds. F5 can be toggled iteratively on/off to simulate heavy trains starting off with poor acceleration causing engine thrashing, and likewise coasting at speed and to simulate long distance braking at idle.

Video Clip 121 class DCC sound. EDIT: Piano Music sound level lowered