Noel

Wow look at the glorious Bulleid open beet wagons behind it. The most numerous and important wagon in Irish railway history. The Acrylonitrile looks a little fisher price.

1m32s noticed the points are not set. See this before on some video of trains running through 'trailing' points that were not set. Interesting how they must be pushed open by the trains without breaking the spreader bars or other linkages. Not seen this before but heard of it. Presume the mechanism is designed to cope with the point blades being forced over.

Excellent Exactly, great idea. Dapol unpainted wagons are inexpensive and come with NEM pockets. Works with vans too. I've kit bashed three rakes of assorted two axle wagons like these over the past 5 years.

16:50 Ennis-Athenry about to depart as the down pick up goods to limerick has passed in the loop. It's late in the evening Drone shot 17:40 waiting for starter signal All quiet in the yard for the rest of the day, next movement due is tomorrow morning at 11:35 when the Sligo-Limerick goods is due to visit and exchange a few wagons.

I'd well believe it having seen the uptake of O gauge by members of WMRC since they built their massive Little Siddington layout. Many building or buying their on O gauge stock to run on LS, and now building their own compact O gauge layouts for home use (eg shunters yard, diesel depot, etc). I'd be on O gauge myself like a hot rash if I could get my hands on a single fine scale 141 or 181 model. Would only need a 10ft linear shunting layout to have years of operational running fun using RTR wagons from the likes of Dapol resprayed in CIE liveries. No need for coaching stock. A 141 is a beautifully short loco and would suit shunting 2 axle wagons with their 3 link couplings and opening wagon doors. Drool. There'll never be any Irish RTR O gauge stock for obvious economic reasons, but some time I might be able to twist the arm of a master like Eoin to commission a 141 body based on a dapol chassis. Saw a few nice 141s at the last model show I was at in Dublin some years ago. Do you export much to Cork (PDRC)?

Or is it just a question of grey matter sometimes - Darwin?

Or also SDMRC who have their own excellent purpose built club house facility. The knub is this country never really had the scale per capita of either a history of railway modelling nor preservation railways unlike the UK. Hence there is only one single model shop in the entire country, and only three clubs MRSI, SDMRC and WMRC whereas the UK has thousands of clubs. Stephen is quite right in that it is a niche within a niche here of a small market. We are extraordinarily fortunate that Paddy Murphy started the ball rolling acting as the catalyst for the current renaissance in Irish Modelling and even indirectly the inspiration behind the formation of IRM who are now running along side him, and also forging ahead in the UK market making big waves and changing the game. Where next? The vast USA market?

Yea make CIE great again MCGA

Agree it lacks that distinctive bulbulous tumblehome profile, but glad to have it (copy right acknowledged providence un known)

I like many started BM (before Murphy models arrived) so British outline train sets were the only show in town, GWR and LMS steam era being my favourites of the big four. Never really got into BR modern era diesel Blue/Grey. Had collected a few CIE Irish models in the 1970s - Lima & Hornby BR models in CIE livery but nothing prototypical. Started the layout with GWR and LMS in mind, but designed the terminus to be a pseudo Kingsbridge, then a chance visit to Malahide Castle in 2007 changed everything. At the Fry layout visitor centre was a souvenir shop and on sale were some Bachmann/MM 141 locos. I nearly fell over with excitement that there existed a fine scale model of a real CIE loco. I bought 182 on the spot, brought it home, popped it on the layout (which hadn't been run for 15 years) and was staggered by what a precision runner MM 182 was, far superior to the Hornby and Lima junk around at that time. It was like a swiss watch. I'd been out of the hobby for nearly 20 years, but MM 182 flicked a switch in me. My only contact with the outside world had been Railway Modeller magazine even during the dormant years. That single loco awakened me to the possibility of one day having a layout populated by models of the trains I grew up watching and travelling on. Train sets got me started, and the classic train set had an engine and 3 or 4 varied goods wagons and a brake van, or two passenger coaches. Train sets were the ultimate starter in the hobby as they came with everything you needed including an oval of track and a power transformer. Scenery was made up using Beano hardback annuals for platforms, socks, cardboard boxes with holes cut for tunnel mouths, and shoe boxes for buildings with windows drawn in markers or pencils. I wonder if an ICR train set would offer the same playability for kids today who see trains. Most trains are seen on TV rather than in real life and period dramas tend to show the classic 1930-1950s BR steam era locos and rolling stock, maroon BR exLMS coaches and 2 axle goods wagons in mixed formations, hence the typical hornby or Lima train sets of same, later bachmann who were the first to steer up market for modellers rather than the Christmas toy market that was once dominated by transits. Now its iPads, X-Boxes, Playstation and smartphones dancing LCD screens (ie no physical playability, no imagination, no tactile feel, no construction skills). No wonder the world will have a shortage of engineers in 20 years time. Assembling toy train set track and the geometry was very much part of the toy train hobby for youngsters starting off. A train set which was a seriously big ticket Christmas or birthday present was augmented by saved pocket money that enabled extra track to be bought over time and added. All the is gone. The toy market seemed a sunset market until thomas came along and extended its life for an extra while, but that seems to have worn off. Most of todays modellers were probably yesterdays kids connecting track on a bedroom carpet running a hornby mixed goods transit. Looking at the average age profile attending exhibitions one wonders what size the market will be in 20 years time, or how new younger modeller get attracted into the hobby. Model shops or toy shops that carried model railways was in the general publics face, but there are no retail model shops on high streets anymore. So where is the exposure coming from for new blood? I dunno

No Problems so far with orders that arrived from Hattons, Gaugemaster, Element Games, Silverfox, etc. Nothing extra to have been paid. Just normal post so far. Same with an electric car charger that arrived a few weeks ago, no extra vat or duty.

Yes its been the only A class any of us have been able to run for the past decade. Looking forward to the IRM A class which should prove an epic development for the hobby.

Gort cattle pen now has gates, dung, weeds and cattle. Finally got the gates fabricated for the pen. Fiddley making up the gates, but essential otherwise Tesco Galway might be limited to vegetables if the cattle keep escaping Gort loading dock is now more or less complete except for the telegraph poles and two lamps. About to be loaded onto a Provincial Wagons van bound for Galway via Athenry. This van will be picked up by the afternoon 14:05 from Limerick to Sligo, and will be dropped off at Athenry for onward movement to Galway by the passing 15:30 Athlone to Galway goods working.

Gates for cattle pen finally in place.

I'm happy as long as models run really well and look the part. IMP, 3D, resin or gingerbread doesn't bother me as long the end result looks and runs great. Just glad we have IRM and MM for quality RTR and other kit producers and small scale RTR producers such as PW, SF, IFM, JM design, Chris Dyre and MIR, etc. We have never had it so good, an abundance of top quality authentic Irish models. A far cry from the 1970s when brush re-painting Hornby or Lima or worse Brass+white metal were the only option available. Happy days and long may it continue. A truly epic milestone is about to be achieved this very May when the A class locos arrive. Then we will have a full house of Irish diesel locos covering from 1950 to the present day, not to mention the abundance of wagons and coaching stock covering from 1972 to the present day. An expanding Irish market has been forged and grown by recent events. It all started with Murphy Models and now crowned by IRM/AS.

Stunning

Fabricating gates for the cattle pen Some weed growth since the yard crane arrived on the loading dock

City Swift a bit modern for my layout, but while browsing IRM's shop I discovered some nice nostalgic older vehicles in their range which I ordered (1960s). All of which could have parked outside Kingsbridge or driven through Gort. Now a ford consul, or Zephyr or Zodiac along with the morris minors would look great parked on the main street. Now all I need to complete my era is a working set of black and white traffic lights for Gort main street. Opened by the Bishop of Galway himself in 1967. https://irishrailwaymodels.com/products/morris-1000-van-sandy-beige?variant=37942487056537 https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/vehicles/products/saro-bus-county-donegal-railways https://irishrailwaymodels.com/products/vw-t1-van-light-grey?variant=37942488301721

Especially if it covered CIE, GSWR and MGWR wagons in detail

Now that's on another level altogether - class

Fabulous. Never knew about that loco. Rivaling the Sulzer B113 for Dalek membership

Classic Jonathan

The laminate was weathered gentle the two vans are pristine out of paint shop. Will be weathered in due course and then twill all blend in