Noel

I remember those on the roads in 1960s on the back of a CIE truck, in the days when CIE transported bloodstock and did furniture removals, and Aer Lingus did catering. Another era.

You could try the Hornby or Roco close couplings Or Kadee No 19s Tension lock couplings are poor performers and look awful. Dreadful pushing stock in reverse over paintwork and short radius curves. The Roco for fixed rakes of mk2 work well, or kadee knuckle couplings but slight fettling is required as the NEM pockets are incorrect height on the mk2d coaches (and the Cravens).

Love the IE/IR orange window frame modelled as a repair part

Wishing all my fellow model railway enthusiasts, their families and loved ones a really special, blessed and peaceful Christmas celebration. Take care all, keep safe.

Good luck to them, it’s free enterprise, free choice to sell, free will choice to pay that much. Not my cup of tea personally but I appreciate there is a tiny highly specialised niche for NIR/UTA stuff and collectors seem willing to pay for it. Good luck to them.

Stunnng modelling. Just spotted this amazing thread now.

Sounds like an excellent concept. Let us know when you've sketched up some track plans. (railmodeller pro on mac is good)

On a serious note diesel motive power won't be around for much longer, so all those 22k and 201s are going to need replacement power plants post 2030 if climate action demands it. Diesel has gone from 'good cop' back in 2007 to 'spawn of satan' nowadays. Electrification or HFC may be the way forward. But I'm sure IE procurement are weighing the cost benefit of these options against a revitalised turf condensing burner or dail hot air heat pumps.

Based on those prices I should perhaps sell all my toy trains and buy a new EV instead.

Excellent results. Subtle, realistic, not over cooked. Just right.

No, just spent 3 hours sitting in the coach right behind the DVT on Thursday, going a good lick over some uneven track work as the suspension was working overtime and I could see the DVT bouncing a lot, knowing 3200hp was pushing 8 coaches ahead of it. It just crossed my mind as we were doing 100mph at the time. With steel monocoque coach bodies probably quite able to handle a derailment, unless passing a bridge at the time.

Yes was on cork train yesterday and Monday. Tipping along at 160kph in places. 4006 was bouncing a lot yesterday, but comfy seats in the CAF mk4 coaches. Alas no food on board, not even trolleys (covid gets the blame). The Green'n'grey livery 201s look great matching their coaching stock. Noticed some of the 22ks got nicer seats recently, noisy though inside the cabin compared to the relaxing 'whoosh' of the mk4s gliding along on CWR. Often wondered what might happen if a leading coach or DVT derailed when being pushed at 100mph by a 201 (ie what are the fail safes, etc). Not sure what said inaccuracies might be, but I like my two Intercity green models 222 and 229. Nice smooth runners but as models just very long locos as are mk4 coaches, so never going to look very realistic on typical layout curves. Hard to fit a rake of 8 mk4 sized coaches.

Thanks, already have a full shed of the lovely A's

Yip you can see why govts all around the world are so keen to ban diesel powered machinery and vehicles. I doubt we’ll see much diesel locos and multiple units on Irish rails after 2035. These disgusting heavy polluters and health damaging yokes seem on a short wicket. Bring on electrification and HFC power.

Thanks for posting. Very educational video footage. Looks like that line has been saved. Must have been one of the last lines with wooden railway sleepers. It was on the 'at risk' list. Hope the Wexford/Waterford line gets a new lease of life also.

Took some photos of 2021 version of Gort station today. water tower was disassembled and moved about 12ft about 18 years ago ticket office unchanged no longer in use so mostly bricked up. A few more in poor light. Looking south west towards limerick/Ennis looking north east towards Athenry direction. Signal box gone ticket office with iconic goods shed behind.

Ordered Congrats @jhb171achill and Barry on what looks like another fine and valuable book for modellers.

Here you go then

Respect

Its like a loco from a Bond movie, militaristic and menacing looking. Sorry the long 201 'Peat Briquette' doesn't blow my skirt up in any livery. If the ICR yoyo's takeover the Cork and Belfast routes retiring the 201s to freight, they may well end up in this smart freight grey livery.

As a matter of interest what is the status of 201? Is it on the 201 scape line at inchicore? Presume it doesn't have the PP gear? Was there a suggestion some years ago that some of the 'resting' 201s could have gone back into service re-engined with hybrid power trains? In the context of climate action, diesel locomotion's days seem numbered.

Yes I used to use similar strips of clear plastic wedged between sleepers for TLCs before switching to kadee delayed uncoupling magnets. However I found kadee magnetic uncoupling significantly more reliable and predictable.

Little Siddington - Virtual Show - Gauge O guild https://www.gaugeoguild.com/virtualnov21/doku.php?id=layouts:litsid This Irish built layout and the invisible engineering and electronics behind it are simply incredible, not to mention the scenics and fully operational and interlocked signalling. Bravo WMRC. https://www.gaugeoguild.com/virtualnov21/doku.php?id=layouts:litsid Wow this is layout engineering control and signalling on another level

c'est magnifique. Sublime, I hope you are well pleased, that’s a masterpiece of subtle reality and scenic photo realism. Holy moly that last photo in particular is hard to tell if it’s a model or an actual photo. The detail is off the scale. You’ve set a new standard and shown what is possible with artistic creativity, time and patience. Congrats. Is it portable or a fixed layout? If the former can’t wait to see it operating at shows.