Noel

Suggest each 4” two axle wagon including the added weight is absolute max 3oz or 85g and that’s still a bit on the heavy side for use with tension lock couplings. Those wagons should run ok out of the box. Wheels may be the culprit.

Are some of the mothballed orange 201s (i.e. without the push-pull gear) being used just for spare parts and being permanently put out to ferment?

NMRA weight recommendations are interesting reading. https://www.nmra.org/beginner/weight Suggests the minimum weight of say a typical 2 axle goods wagon 3 1/4 inches long (including any added weight) should be 2.6 ounces which is about 74 grams (eg Bachmann 1930-1960 era mineral wagon or van). You don’t mention the length of your wagons Joe, but it might be interesting to see if they are heavier than the NMRA recommendation for HO gauge in above link. Should also suffice for 00 as USA HO rolling stock has larger loading gauge. One of the other benefits of wagons not being too light is knuckle couplings like kadee operate more reliably when coupling and uncoupling (eg avoiding wagon bounce). In relation to your original question I’ve had no problem hauling 20 wagons (out of the box weight) behind small Bachmann bo-bo loco such as 141 or BR class 25, or six passenger coaches. Loco weight is a big factor, if the Hornby class 40 is of the newer metal chassis centre drive design, with both bogies powered, it should have no problem with 15 correctly weighted wagons. However if the older plastic chassis design with only one powered bogie it may have difficulty unless weight is added to loco (eg avoid wheel slippage).

It sure would. Even better a GM 201 class in B&T livery!!! I am half tempted to respray an orange MM 201 that I have in B&T livery.

They will look great behind your 141

Hi Tony. FYI, both of those coaches are post 1987 livery with two white stripes (IE/RE livery). Murphy did three Craven coaches in 1963-64 era livery: MM1504, MM1515 and MM1149 all of which have the single 6" white stipe. 1963 CIE livery single white stripe. Post 1987 Irish Rail Livery - Two white stripes plus orange stripe at roof level (tippex) As for other coaches to run with Cravens, the obvious ones are Park Royals and Laminates. Options are kits from various sources, or RTR from Irish Freight Models or SilverFox. Personally I like the Park Royals from IFM which are available in resin kit form or RTR, but you would need again to specify CIE livery if going for RTR (i.e. single white stripe). In 1963 you could legitimately mix in one or two of the older 'flying snail green' CIE livery Park Royals or Laminates as not all of these had been repainted Black'n'Tan at that stage, or indeed even a silver livery HLV.

I was sorting through a box of old goodies from my early teenage years and found these broken kit bashed signals I made from balsa and bits salvaged from broken Tri-ang signals, and one old ratio. Rather crude in form and upper quadrant but I might try and put them back together again just for fun and nostalgia. Also found some old Hornby-Dublo signals (not in pic).

Nice 184 in modern IE tippex livery for £220 which is a keen price for a pristine MM 181 with sound, pro-weathered and buffer beam detail added. Personally I really like the subtle weathering on this one, not over done. https://www.hattons.co.uk/399823/Bachmann_Branchline_MM0184_PO_Irish_Class_181_184_in_IE_livery_Commissioned_by_Murphy_Models_of_Dublin_Pre_ow/StockDetail.aspx

If of any use Lima BR mk1 BSK conversion to GSV last year. Due to the way the Bachmann coach dismantles, it should be marginally easier to do than the Lima. The Bachmann will make a much better donor and has better grazing and window frames. http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/6213-kingsbridge-workbench/?do=findComment&comment=104272 The main mistake on mine was I made the water filter recesses far too large Roof vents Before weathering

Fab-U-Lous. Love this layout and all its many story scenes.

Video clip. CIE mail train formation.

Brilliant.

Black'n'Tan heaven. @jhb171achill might like this. The mail train arrives with CIE Brake Parcel Van 2542, TPO 2974, and GSV 3185 to keep the post office team nice and warm. Loose coupled goods train on platform 2 is waiting to be passed by the Limerick/Claremorris passenger working on the up loop. These three coaches came out of the workbench workshops over the past year. Left to right, conversion of Bachmann LMS parcel van, IFM bogie TPO kit, LIMA BR mk1 BSK conversion.

Yes I liked the quote from one of their marketing chaps "Their passengers sleep on the train, while our passengers sleep in castles".

The uncontrolled growth of scrub trees and hedge rows along lines since the end of the steam era (ie fire risk) obscures the view of surrounding countryside along much of today’s lines, be it out the window or from an observation car. It’s not exactly the rockies here, too much boring bog. Sleeping in a rail stateroom on some remote semi-industrial siding at night doesn’t appeal to me. By contrast the Emerald Isle Express where folks dine and sleep in a different 5 star hotel every night seems more appealing.

After the summer pause, finally finished the TPO kit. Enjoyed working on this kit. The only additions I made were a pair Keen Systems LMS sprung gangways, filled in the apparatus panels as I was doing the later CIE variant, stuck bars behind the window glazing, added Kadee couplings to the Bachmann commonwealth bogies, and lighting. Kit before I'm bored now, what's happening next . . .

I also have vague memories of seeing a bogie TPO paired with a mk1 GSV at the head of a mk2 train operating out of Galway which had its own EGV. Think a photo of same was posted on the forum in the past.

Lights added. Its 3:12am and the mail train has stopped for 10 minutes at a cold and wintery Portarlington. This is a battery module, but I think I might change it for DCC pickups on the bogies. The warm yellow LED light flickers gently mimicking the glo from a stove or lantern. I don't know the year that pipe was added at the sole bar. I considered adding it, but decoded against for visual appeal with the older coaches.

Thanks for info. That's the 4th commuter livery change since the introduction of the original Arrow in 1994.

Interesting to see the mixed 29k liveries in the rake.

Hi Patrick. Give it time, those coaches didn't arrive overnight for me. Its taken some years. I was inspired by the impressive work of folk I'd seen on here showing what was possible with different mediums and a variety of techniques. Iteratively trying small steps one at a time. Started with a single MM Craven, then a resin Park Royal from IFM, Dutch + GSV from SF, and then attempted a few home brews, GSV, Bogie parcel van, TPO. B&T is my favourite era because it allows an interesting mix of coaching stock in formations, short and long trains, and of course loose coupled goods wagons, and all the operational shunting fun that goes with that as you well know and have shown so well on your superb layout. I've a massive amount of catching up to do on the layout scenics end of things. Noel

Business life especially in the start up years can be full of challenges, excitement, success, and unpredictable events, etc, but IRM/AS have responded well and kept its customers informed, managing expectations that goes hand in hand with a top class product line. Forgive the pun, but genuinely a class act. I'm certain the Tara's will be well worth the wait. http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/134770-cemflo-by-accurascale/page-8#entry3283021

That would be something, perhaps MM releasing and selling them onboard the first RPSI 134 rail tour. PS: For a rail tour with 8 or 9 coaches would 134 need to double head with B141 to manage the load?

Is anybody running a 'book' on wither RPSI or MM will be first with 121 class?

Some more progress on the CIE bogie TPO. Glazing, window bars, under frame and converted the Bachmann commonwealth bogies to Kadee couplings. Painted evergreen rods stock onto back of glazing to give some perspective instead of painting the bars onto the glazing. Just the handrails left to do and the internal lighting and tail lamp. More anon . . . waiting for paint to dry on handrails and tail lamp.