Noel

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.

Really enjoying these early IRM CIE era A class locos. CIE A46 arrives from Tuam circa 1960 hauling pickup goods working Mixed traffic departs on return to Athenry. 6 wheel HLV being repositioned for the evening return to Limerick. A46 heads out into the country side

IRM's beautiful CIE A class liveries visit Kingsbridge Model railway's Woodvale junction station CIE A46 hauling bachmann CIE flying snail green stock circa 1961 A55 hauling loose coupled goods train pre-containerisation circa 1966

Yes agree that's more likely based on 121

More beautiful IRM A class locos visit Gort Waiting to depart for Athenry Recently arrived from Ennis

While I was not a particular fan of the prototype, finding the 201 class a rather boring looking shape compared to the 071 & baby GMs, but it served as a workhorse once the teething problems were sorted out in the early years and now successful on the Cork Mk4 set routes, but I do find the Murphy Models version a rather excellent model of the 201 class, way batter than the Lima version. A good runner that looks the part. Perhaps the prototype is a little long for more compact layouts, but all in all personally I find it an excellent model. I now have 3 of them (2xIntercity grey'n'green 1xOrange yellow no 201) even though they are not my modelling era, but have travelled behind them extensively over the years. Apologies but nothing seems seriously wrong with these models to my eye. Looking forward to seeing the MM mk3 models later this year (ie Ukraine permitting), although not my modelling era, I've travelled on them a lot.

My Thanks to the poster on FB group, and Fran who tipped us off that some more A class locos had come into stock. Managed to get A12 which I'd accidentally omitted from my original order two years ago. She's a beaut fits right into my CIE era. Happy Days. Look forward in the fullness of time to running her with IRM's Crossley DCC sound decoder. Here she is before being rebuilt with GM power. Hauling morning branch working from Limerick to Claremorris about to depart for Athenry. Back in 2014 when Fran first told me about possible plans for an A class I could not have envisaged such a superb precision model coming to fruition. Well done team IRM. One happy customer here. I remember these locos in Waterford in the 1960s.

You aced the white lining. Sharp as a needle.

Looking really good Philip. The IR/IE ones had black roof, the green RPSI ones had the grey roof. I made a big boo-boo when doing mine last year. Forgot to properly wash the resin body before priming and look what happened when I started to remove the masking tape. (eek). Stripped it back and started again. Oh well you live and learn. Which kit is your rebuilt dutch van? SF, IFM or DcKits? Opps!

A Russian master piece of Russian engineering destroyed by a Russian.

. . . Ps and the best food hospitality.

Good news. WMRC Easter show is the biggest layout exhibition in the country.

This is shaping up to be something very special and unique. Excellent capturing the essence of a real place. Class

Thanks. Wow only 105 locos left out of the entire production run is an incredible sales success. Thanks for the heads up Barl, managed to order one of the liveries I’d omitted to order two years ago.

Unfortunate, but at least its not flesh and blood