Noel

Ah sure tisn't it a fine Irish Model so green seems appropriate Shipped from one green and lush land to another far far away (not small just far away).

Delighted to receive a JM Design CIE 20ton Goods brake van. Superbly packaged and detailed model. Perfect for my 1955 to 1975 era. This model travelled around the world 3 times to get hear thanks to An Post. Its done about 48,000km from NZ to here, back to NZ, back to here yesterday. Anyway delighted it made it. Class model https://jmdesignmodelrailways.com Well packaged Looks right at home on the layout Standing in the goods siding at Gort before being marshalled on to the end of the afternoon departure from Gort to Tuam.

Cracking good diorama

Interesting what could cause a flat spot like that? brakes sized on startup, or running for a mile with axle stopped due unbalanced braking on a lightly loaded wagon? Just curious, I’m sure some of the railway men on here might know. Must have generated spectacular heat.

Gud won Clouseau

Yip and weighting wagons close to NMRA standards greatly helps shunting operations and magnetic uncoupling use.

Another problem with REMs is they can be so strong they pull on wagon axles causing a snatch or bounce motion. The under track kadee magnets work well, even the between the rails kadee flat magnets can be disguise to look like part of a walkway.

Murphy Model baby GM B188 Black'n'Tan goes for only €171 Baby GMs still come up from time to time at sane prices. https://www.ebay.ie/itm/194912743972?mkevt=1&mkpid=0&emsid=e11010.m1951.l7533&mkcid=7&ch=osgood&euid=714715c842bc4d239e1a029482ae9b07&bu=44530438529&ut=RU&osub=-1~1&crd=20220320075702&segname=11010&sojTags=ch%3Dch%2Cbu%3Dbu%2Cut%3Dut%2Cosub%3Dosub%2Ccrd%3Dcrd%2Csegname%3Dsegname%2Cchnl%3Dmkcid

That's extraordinary, I had to take a double take after seeing the first photo to check if it was real or a photo of a model scene. Superb in every way.

And Enda got one too

We have high quality RTR locos of: 141/181 071 201 121 A From the 1970s model train perspective we are now living in a virtual Utopia. Back then just the Hornby Hymek horror show and the Lima supersonic BR Class 33 tractor masquerading as a CIE 215 A class. Just Lima BR mk1 coaches in B&T Livery. Then came along St Patrick, followed 20 years later by Stephen, Fran, Patrick and Richard of Antioch. Not forgetting important players along the way such as MIR, IFM, SF, SSM, PW, D&M, CD and OO Works. We are very fortunate to have a rich abundance of genuine Irish Model trains. It's not that long ago that this was all we had. The Lima tractor that ran at a scale speed of 200mph but in 1975 it seemed amazing to have anything in Tan livery. Bought from W J Owens in Bray circa 1975. A content train modeller saved perhaps by accidentally visiting Malahide Castle in 2008 and seeing an MM Baby GM on display no 182 and nearly fell of my seat in disbelief.

MM229 hauling Tony Mirolo resprays doesn't look bad even though its 40 years beyond my modelling era. Time travel is permissible on ones layout, especially when CIE B&T B121 trundles past this formation on the inside loop hauling loose coupled stock. 201 doesn't look bad when dressed properly

Very impressed. Respect

Yes when our grandchildren are visiting they ask can they come up and play with the choo choo train set. They think 'models' are photos of people with eating disorders. Toys they are and toys they play with howling 'choo-choo' with excitement as the trains run around the layout. They love racing them around the loops both running in the same direction.

The 201s prototypes grew on me especially intercity green'n'grey. Travel on them frequently. I find in model form, they are rather long, no reflection on the model. The prototype lacks the distinctively interesting shape of the earlier GMs with their walkways and space 1999 style cabs that look like the extremities of a space station module. Not steam but a 141 had a certain presence about it. The prototype 201s and A class bodies were less interesting due to their simpler shape. I actually have two 201s, but don't operate them often. 141/181s the most used models on the layout. Singly or in consist pairs. They are still my favourite model of all time, not a critique just a personal preference.

Finally getting closer to matching the photo that triggered this layout, from Jonathan & Barrys book

Yes indeed

If the originals were re-released at say €215ea I’d bet they’d sell about 5000 models. Prob need to be limited to a few liveries such as IR/IE no B&T nor supertrain. Target the new younger crop of modellers. It’s fun speculating about fantasy. Personally I’d like IRM C class and IRM B101 class, and (choke) yes and IRM 22k 5 car set.

Looking good. Very neat trackwork. Will enjoy watching this evolve. What point motors do you plan to use?

@SeanPS: Rolling axle boxes seem potentially more trouble than they are worth due to the risk of poor running they might cause. Personally I'd love to have to re-tooled baby GMs, but fortunately having collected a good stable of these already over the past 14 years, I doubt I'd be buying more than 2 or 3 of a new release, and certainly not replacing the existing fleet. It'll be fun waiting and watching for developments. Now IRM quality RTR B101 or even B113 (both minority special interest locos) would get me excited, but unrealistic to expect production of such locos.

Fair comment. Only time will tell. Agree 100% on desire for IRM to produce passenger stock to go with the A class. What pax stock would you like to see?

Just wondering what's the point of a retooled release? The market for more 141/181s isn't as large as one might imagine given the numbers already on peoples layout. Remember how the MM 201s initially didn't sell for years because of the population of Lima 201s on peoples layouts. Also the Bachmann 141/181 still stand up pretty well. The only possible improvements I can think of are: (but it will cost) Magnetic decoder access hatch Built-in bass reflex speaker Independent headlights from running lights (Optional) see through ventilation grills (Hmmm not sure the space sacfifice would be worth it) Keep alive capacitor assuming no 5 omitted. Loco drivers Such models likely to be well north of €200 if economically feasible to produce in such small numbers. Another huge problem for a manufacturer is the no of livery variations. A safer bet might be to produce a 22k set or even a 2600 DMU set. The original run of 141/181 was about 8500 models and clearly some investor collectors still have some stock, so unsure there are enough new modellers who've entered the hobby since 2008 to buy enough to make it viable despite the calls for re-runs. But that's just an opinion based on anecdotal evidence. NIR and Freight Grey 071 re-runs might be a safer bet, especially as the latter are still current and in folks living memory. Only time will tell. First world problems, but aren't we lucky that there are now TWO manufacturers of quality scale Irish models instead of the Lima class 33s we had to put up with back in the 1970s.

Absolutely beautiful. A lesson in subtle blending and realism.

A46 looks fabulous in the busy yard at Gort. Circa 1964. Needs to be weathered but I'll get around to that eventually.