Noel

Newly arrived into service. Super train livery 121 get its first outing on the layout. 122 adds to a growing stable of 121 class locos.

Fabulous. I'd love you buy one or two of the HLVs. I need a silver one for the layout to run with B135 formations.

Fabulous scenes as ever. Lovely weathering on the barrier wagon.

Excellent photos, 7072 looks great. Interesting PW formation. And thankfully not a 22k yoyo in sight.

10:50 Kingsbridge (Heuston) to Waterford departing from platform 2, as 11:10 Kingsbridge to Cork stands on platform 3 prior to departure with new fangled mk2 air con coaches capable of 80mph on CWR. The waterford train limited to 70mph.

Double Double Dutch heat. Careful now, down with that sort of thing! Two CIE Dutch GSVs, one IR rebuilt Dutch GSV, and one RPSI dutch GSV. That's a lot of heat.

Was pleased to discover that the IRM Guinness keg load accessories fit beautifully on IFM 20ft container flat wagons. Would love to see IRM doing 20ft container flats some day.

Nice surprise in the post this morning from IRM's Accurascale fulfilment centre in the UK. In the queue now for the weathering bay and kadee's. A bit modern for me, and yes . . . Yellow! But I could not let an example of these excellent Irish produced models escape the collection. Really like the colouring on the 21ft container. These loads could also be adapted to easily fit and run on 20ft container flats for the earlier style laminate coach van spray train. That reminds me the patio needs its final pre-christmas weed spray.

Agree, the MM baby GMs are stunning runners. I bought most of mine about 6 years ago and all test ran quite and smooth out of the box bar one. Not bad considering they been locked up in storage for about 7 years before that. The noisy one just needed the tiniest amount of lube on the bogie gears and it too became quiet. I’ve some brand new Bachmann and Hornby steam locos in storage for close to 30 years. The few I’ve test run were fine freed up by a little lube. The two bachmann/MM CIE steam N class moguls both needed decent a lube service especially on the running and valve gear. No evidence of any rusting on any of the locos metal parts. I had some 30yo hornby Dublo steam locos that we’re practically seized and at the time had no access to lube or even 3-1 oil, so used margarine to free them up. the main thing is to store model locos in a dry environment that’s not damp nor suffers extremes of temp changes.

Question for those in the know: Did the weed spray van have a generator on board to power the pump, agitators and run the CCTV cameras? Also any form of heating?

Yes quite sure, I saw it come out of the silverfox box. Its not mine, btw. I understand they've switched to laser cut plastic for these hence the glazing improvement. A birdie tells me they may be doing refreshes of some of their other products. A rising tide lifts all boats big and small. That tide was created by Patrick Murphy and the following full moon spring tide by IRM. I have one on order myself. PS: They haven't updated the photo on their web site.

Good news. Silverfox have released an updated version of their weed spray van which seems to be a significant improvement on the original. Laser cut with flush glazing. Should go well with the new IRM weed spray wagon pack. Completes the circle. Photo below of the RTR version, before weathering and after a light weathering. This one will be migrating for the winter to its new home.

Great glory I need smelling salts after watching that fabulous video clip. I nearly fell off the chair. Sublime layout and rolling stock. Reeks of atmosphere.

Wonderful photos. The 121s really bridged the end of the transition from steam of the 50s to the 1960s when GM helped modernise Ireland's railways along with the re-engined A classes and AEC sets. My memory is they got grubby but never to the extent of the IE era almost scrape line state they let their 121s get into. As a child I really liked the look of them, they looked military and almost threatening. Like something from a 1930's sci-fi movie. "The Day the EMD ghost loco swallowed the afternoon branch train from little bunnion west" Superb looking job by Mick Bonwick on MM B121

One of these would look well with the IRM weed spray wagons. The latest Silverfox version which is now laser cut with flush glazing.

Jeepers, If I'd realised the train behind my OO works J14 was worth over €600, I'd have never risked shunting it out of the coach sidings onto the main line. It could have been rear ended by a petulant Thomas high as a kite from hauling a weed train.

Wrong kiape

Would 134 in RPSI retro grey livery not be 645 now and when it was IR/IE Livery? 567 when originally delivered in 1961 CIE grey, but the MM model is not the 1961 CIE version as it has the walk way rails due to RPSI restoration. The MM IR/IE Livery 134 with tippex would be 645 alright. 135 model as it is the 1961 variant would be 567 as Fran said when grey (ie and with no walkway rails).

Took this photo some years ago at Cahirciveen. I wonder if the loco still exists or if the salt water and sea air has dissolved it completely. Silverfox C class kits fit like a glove on 141/181 donor chassis.

Unfortunately 1509 is a very poor runner, it suffers the same unbearable wobble the RPSI livery cravens suffered. It requires a relatively easy to do user fix to stop the wobble via minor surgery between the bogie pivot and the coach body, or a brass Murphy Model shim washer that was made available through Marks Models. I appreciate getting the bogies off without damaging the coach poses a genuine fear issue for some owners. Same design tooling as the earlier coaches, just a different factory and different plastics. The orioginal MM Cravens run really well. To the naked eye or even with a callipers you cannot see any difference.

How to install a DCC decoder in a Murphy Model 121 class loco. This is the easiest MM loco yet to install a decoder into because it has an opening hatch and a built in speaker for folks who might want sound, so its easy peasy compared to the earlier 141/181 models. I was asked by a few folk how to do this by way of PM so thought I'd share it here. Perhaps I should have put it in the DCC section. Murphy Models recommend ESU LokSound V5 or LokPilot V5 21pin decoders, but any 4 or 6 function 21pin DCC decoder should work ok (eg Lenz Silver+ 21 pin). However with the Lenz not all of the lighting functions will be available just the directional running lights. Personally for sound I've used ESU LokSound V5 decoders supplied by WheelTappers DCC sound (Neil) because of their scale like driving characteristics, acceleration, coasting, braking, and the matching sound patterns. Unfortunately the Murphy Model sound project does not make use of ESU's prototypical new 'Full Throttle' driving features, but it sounds pretty good. Remove the bonnet decoder access cover. It easily pops off (see photo). Remove the 21pin DC blanking plate - I used a wooden ice cream stick alternating between each side using it to leverage the blanking plate ½ mm up at a time each side so as not to risk bending the pins. Once up enough it will come off using fingers. Install the 21pin decoder correctly orientated (see photos below). Replace the access cover (friction fits) The first thing is to pop off the cover on top of the bonnet. If awkward a wooden cocktail sausage stick will do. The top cover comes off really easily. Remove the 21pin DC banking plate plugged into loco's PCB. Gently lever it off the 21pin connector using either a wooden stick of 4-5mm screwdriver blade. Try a wooden stick (ie ice cream stick cut to shape). Gently lever alternate sides up 1/2mm at a time until the plate pulls free. If the wooden stick is not strong enough to get it to move use a 4-5mm wide small screwdriver blade. There is a screw head conveniently placed on the PCB under the corners of the blanking plate and you can rest one edge of the screwdriver on that rather than the surface of the PCB (ie to avoid accidental damage to the PCB). Use the screwdriver twisting it gently on alternate sides to leverage the plate up 1/2mm at a time each side of the 21pin connector. If done gently and gradually force is not needed. The decoder should not cover the dip switches, see photo below, it goes towards the cab end fitting under the panel in front of the cab windows. There are wires in there so it won't fit initially until you nurse it into place easing it gently past the wires Lighting wires make it awkward to slide the decoder under the body panel but with care its easy to fit. Note the 21pin strip of pins has one missing on the loco PCB and the decoder is missing one hole, this is so that you align the decoder correctly. Be very careful to get this blank hole and missing pin aligned ok, it is very easy to bend pins if one hasn't go this right and force the decoder down. I find the locos pins will fit the decoder loosely giving you a clue its lined up ok before gentle finger pressure to push the decoder down allowing the pins up into the decoder holes. Remember the decoders default address out of the box is 3 so when trying for the first time before you give the decoder its permanent address (eg 134 which is a LONG address btw). Note some DCC controllers treat the no 121 as a long address (Roco Z21), whereas others like NCE treat 121 as a short address. Hope this helps. Noel BTW, on one of my locos the speaker was perfect and sounded great, but on the other the speaker was faulty suffering severe distortion. MM are replaced the loco for me under warranty by return, excellent service. PS: I've another thread somewhere showing how to get a driver into the 121 cab (requires a little lego, meccano skills and a screw driver).

Wow. Two thoughts. 1 it hasn't actually sold yet that's just an asking price, and 2. Thank merciful hour I collected my MM rolling stock between 6 and 3 years ago. Just shows there scope in future for re-runs of some of this stuff with the newly expanded Irish market despite its relative small size.

Seems a expensive alright on Amazon for what will become a dust collector once its been perused.

Good observation. 00 gauge @ 16.5mm looks like the narrow gauge track in the Isle of Man.