Noel

If we've learned one thing from all manufacturers its that new models will arrive only when they arrive, not when promised, but they invariably are always worth the wait. We have been utterly spoilt for choice these past 10 years between Murphy Models, Irish Railway Models, Silverfox models, Irish Freight Models, MIR, SSM, Provincial Wagons, OO Works, D&M, etc. 30 years ago there was not one single scale model of an Irish loco nor one piece of rolling stock. The world changed when Patrick Murphy teamed up with Bachmann to produce the 141/181 class baby GMs around 2007, and its been nothing but progress since. We have an abundance of quality Irish rolling stock and locos from 1955 to 2021. Thank Goodness nobody has yet contemplated producing toy 22k yo-yo DMUs (ie literally pointless train operations).

Wow that's an amazing return to the hobby after 25 years. I returned in 2014 after a similar absence and found things had moved on so much since I had left, so much new stuff and materials to learn. Well done, progress so far looks excellent. Layout looks fab. Btw, those carpentry skills looked spot on too. Enjoy layout, its like gardening, and will never end nor complete, but the journey is so enjoyable. I suspect none of us would have got into or back into the hobby without Patrick Murphy's successful business endeavours.

Yes it brilliantly achieved its aims of looking like a rural line that was soon to be closed in the early 1960s.

Absolutely wonderful scenes of Dugort harbour. So nostalgic, so real. Perhaps time to fit the detailing parts especially the horns to B165, lest it run into the bus at a level crossing cause the bus driver never heard the horn.

Correction A17 IR livery IRM A class now running with rake of weathered Murphy Model Mk2d coaching stock, rather than mk3 coaches which A class did not haul. Yea A class had vacuum brakes but mk3 stock was air braked, so A class could not haul mk3 coaching stock. Apologies for the blooper. Video above is A class correctly hauling mk2d stock.

IRM A class A17 running under DCC with Lenz Silver+ decoder hauling a set of mk3 resprayed coaches (6 resprays + 1 MM/Lima RTR). This loco is such an ultra smooth runner. Really easy to get the decoder into. Love it.

Just wonderful scenes. Dugort is looking fabulous. Sublime atmosphere of the times CIE was at its pinnacle.

It looks like most of us may end up driving battery electric cars within the next 5-7 years if the SIMI stats are anything to go by.

No 19 seem to suit A classes best for a broad variety of trackwork.

Your 21mm trackwork looks great with sleeper chairs too. Makes all the difference. Super precise. Love to see some photos or videos of how you regauged the locos.

Beautifully made 21mm trackwork. Sublimely precise and authentic looking

Thanks for the info.

@Warbonnet Good morning, gentle reminder. Keen to order some of these when available.

Stunning workmanship. The lining is exception.

Also depends on the type of tip that will suit the soldering you plan to do. Working with PCBs and thin wire probably a pointed tip, but if mainly soldering wires to track or fishplates a chisel tip is better.

Ironically some of us may have driven cars that contained recycled metals extracted from sections cut from those locos.

Orange county. Fabulous.

Hi Fran. ( @Warbonnet) Thank you. Any news when the 'Crossley' engine sound decoders will be available for delivery for the early livery A class models especially the 'special edition' silver A1 also the green livery and early black livery models which were Crossley engined. Thanks in advance.

PS: Do any other folk noticed kinked trackwork in photos and videos? Perhaps its just my visual OCD but this screams at me visually. Some great photos of Drogheda by Gordon. Drogheda track layout could make a great fiddle yard for rolling stock storage on a model layout.

Nice photo. A rather dull livery compared to the former green, blue and white of commuter DMUs.

This layout featured on a Callan's Kicks comedy TV show on RTE. A sketch supposedly set in Mayo with the impressionist taking off Inda the former T-Pot

You'll find the kits straight forward, once you build the first one, you'll fly through the rest.

There are no RTR suppliers, three options, first is provincial wagons resin kit (PW) which results in an excellent result if a bit fiddly to build, the second option is Dapol RTR chassis with a shapeways 3D body shell put on them. I've gone both routes. The latter is quick and easy to do with good running characteristics albeit not really scale models of the original bulleid wagons but almost RTR like. The former while involves more work, ends up with wagons that really look the part. 3rd option was IFM (Irish Freight Models) RTR wagon (don't know if Tom still sells these). Provincial Wagons kit is very good. Shapeways 3D corrugated bodies on Dapol RTR Chassis look good from 2ft but up close are not like the bullied chassis. But they don't look bad in a train formation and relatively inexpensive compared to the kits for a whole rake The Provincial wagon kit when decorated looks like the real thing. Greater accuracy and more details, rivets, etc. But I wasn't impressed having to shape crude staples to fabricate door restrainers. 3 alternatives left to right: Irish Freight Models RTR corrugated open wagon 3D, Provincial wagons Bulleid open wagon kit used for beet and general merchandise, Shapeways 3D body shell on top of Dapol RTR Chassis. Hope this helps

Setting up double header consists is very easy. Good feel in hand, especially eyes off the cab so you can look only at the loco or train under control.