Noel

It's certainly and interesting business gamble. Hope it helps the iconic brand survive the demographic sunset. Having track to correct gauge for the scale would be an attraction. Perhaps they are hoping to reestablish themselves in the Christmas and Birthday toy market that they utterly dominated 40 and 50 years ago. Will watch with interest as this evolves. Personally not sure there will be a place for TT in the smaller Irish market. Had been flirting with a small O gauge end to end for next project due to the sheer size and presence of the models. Good luck to them. At least Simon has a vision and sense of what's happening to the evolving market. Only time will tell if this pays off.

That looks photo realistic from a damp day on north wall.

OMG the visual story telling is sublime. Master piece.

Fair does for them holding their hands up. Hopefully the packaging will do its job with only a few models damaged judging by one corner taking the impact. Time may be the main loss. What happens to packages on route is something we may never know. Just goes to show that it is important to pack the outer boxes with padding so inner boxes are not free to move and suffer internal impact damage.

Fab scene. Reminds me of Waterford station of old, when full Mk2 and Mk3 rakes were regular traffic at the station that once had 3 through roads.

Extraordinary scenes Ken, Delightful atmosphere and realism. I can hear noises coming from the malting house and quay side activity, flange sequel as locos shunt the quay. Sorry to hear of your health woes, may the modelling be a positive distraction and bring some joy. Wishing you well, comfort and total success in treatment. Take care. Thanks for posting those beautiful scenes.

Thank you for encouraging comments. A few more photos of play time on Gort today. Looking towards the yard end from Athenry direction towards ennis. Passenger coaches left in the passing loop while loco out of sight in the head shunt is manoeuvring goods wagons for the yard. 14:10 Limerick to Claremorris pick up goods passing Gort after picking up a sole grey H-Van at the rear. She'll pick up a few more wagons at Athenry before heading north through Tuam and onto Claremorris. Cattle wagons each side of the cattle dock ready for loading or unloading Provincial Wagons - CIE Cattle wagon about to be loaded with two bullocks bound for Moate mart later in the day. Gort shed with the Morning H-Van that arrived from Galway. Will be processed throughout the morning and contents distributed to the towns merchants and retail stores including Coen's hardware and builders merchants. A passenger on the platform awaits the return of the loco to couple up to the two coaches before taking the train to Athlone to collect a new bicycle which will return in the HLV of a later train. Its early spring so the bedding plants on the station platform beds have not yet come into flower.

Photographed at Gort today. Provincial Wagons resin Beet kit completed and decorated. Apparently at one time CIE had over 4000 of these wagons and along with H-Vans carried most of the goods traffic on Ireland's railway network for decades. As a child I remember staring at long rakes of these in passing loops and sidings of nearly very station along the main lines. They carried everything from timber, to agri-supplies, tractors, cars, steel, cement, cable drums, cast iron street fittings, builders suppliers, and even livestock on occasion.

Thank you Patrick. No I hadn't considered exhibiting, I don't go to exhibitions myself. Health makes attending a show for two days difficult, but I might manage an outing next year to the big Wexford exhibition, as a few WMRC pals there have kindly offered to man and operate the layout.

Afternoon 16:20 Goods departs for Athenry A short formation today, two wagons will end up in Galway, cattle wagon bound up to Tuam. Gort yard in the background. Overhead view of the goods yard. Cattle in the dock ready for loading into the single wagon bound eventually for Waterford quay via Limerick after overnight watering and feed. Passenger platform, only used twice a day as Gort is primarily a goods station.

Shunter after it was shortened by buffering up to a pair of 201s Nicknamed the 'Budgie' at Inchicore works

Layout rules

Curious why Tara mines may not be sourcing and paying for their own rolling stock. Overall good news to see investment in growing goods traffic on the railways. Might help keep a few marginal lines open. Resumption of Rosslare to Waterford seems an ideal link for commercial traffic, and might tip the scales making the line available to commuters in this era of climate action.

IRM C class?

Superb results. I've one still in its box from SF due to be weathered this winter.

Tri-Ang Hornby ex-LMS coach hand painted in 1972 into a sort of CIE B&T livery. Was fed up of running only BR choo-choos, and desired some Irish rolling stock This RTR Lima below was bought with bob-a-job money from W J Owens in Bray about 1974 and joined the coach above to form my first rake of Irish coaches. It was a Lima BR Mk1 in CIE livery which never existed here in Ireland, but 2ft rule, it passed muster as Irish which was good enough for me back then. Notice the BR grouping livery coaches that used to dominate the layout before being replaced by Murphy Models, Silverfox, and Irish Freight Models which changed the landscape for Irish RTR Coaches. All the BR stuff is now gone replaces with Cravens, Park Royals, Laminates, and mk2d and even one rake of modern era mk3 coaches. IRM A classes perfect to join the GM/EMD fleet of locos to haul Irish rakes. Hoping one day IRM Park Royals or Laminates can join or replace such rakes with features such as lighting, close coupling, opening doors, etc. We've come a long way. One could not dream of this even 10 years ago, but anything seems possible now.

078 at Woodvale junction. Soon to be joined by a sibling from the paint shop. Posted correct forum this time

Apologies posted to wrong thread. Mods please feel free to delete

Apologies posted to wrong thread

Wow that's stunning, it could be from @Irishswissernie's photo archive it look so realistic in B&W.

Yes HSS is no more, Concord is no more, Space Shuttle is no more, transport seems to be going backwards. It was impressive to get train to a platform on Dun Laoghaire pier, walk directly onto Ferry, cross the Irish sea, walk off onto platform at Holyhead and board a rake of BR Mk2 coaches behind a class 37 bound for London. Thanks to southwest airlines introducing the world to low cost air fares which put clean modes of transport such as rail and ferries out of business.

Was watching this the other day, reminded me once upon a time you could buy a rail ticket from Amiens street to Paddington in London via B&I ferry platform on the Carisle pier in Dub Laoghaire and BR at Holly head. I guess the channel tunnel rail link has made such redundant or uneconomic, but just shows was was possible back in the day.

Epic - Those massive round buffers on the AEC 2600 were classic. I remember watching them in Bray as a child in green and later B&T livery. They were even used on secondary passenger main line services 50 years before the Rotem 22k toy trams had ever been conceived of. Anything IRM do will be 'awesome' for detail and accuracy.

Yes beet wagons are by far the most populous item of rolling stock to have ever run on Irelands railways. There were over 4000 of them at one stage, and for 30 years they made up the bulk of goods traffic in Ireland. Modern era folks might prefer ammonia bogie wagons. Whatever will be will be. Still holding out distant hope for IRM quality CIE laminates or park royals one day. I'd agree with that analysis. 22k trams could sell both to modellers and the Christmas toy market, especially modellers who don't have any points on their layout.