Noel

Had fun running this pair of 121s today in consist as a double header, both with sound operating. F24 prevents the lights being on at the ends where the two locos are coupled together. Will have a go at weathering B135 in the next week or so. Just love these new Murphy Model 121s. Sublime little beauties. Will have to put a driver in the cab of B135 when weathering it.

True. Both an Air Canada and an Air Transat wide body made successful landings after fuel starvation occurred at cruising alt but both glided safely to asphalt. Air Transat was mid Atlantic when their engines flamed out. Air Canada was over land. BA 009 was fortunate that the crew got 3 fans running again, and then their second miracle was landing successfully with opaque cockpit windows.

Love it. Tara central. Enough action to make a 10you boy faint with excitement.

Works for me. These are the best Irish models ever. The plastic rails are very easy to realign and easily push back into correct position if dislodged by handling or unpacking. They seem the perfect solution to me as they retain their shape when pushed back on. For weathering I took these off and then put them back on, and they were straight and square as a die when returned to position. Pristine colours on any model can look stark, but that's only because they have not spent 10-20 years out in the weather and sun. The lightest of gentle weathering can greatly help as evidenced by other models that had bright yet correct coloured plastics in the past. These handrails can be removed and put back on much easier that other locos. Just love these locos. I had a few minor issues with two or my grey 121s, but were easily resolved and Murphy Models with apologies and decency expeditiously replaced one loco which had a problem with the built in sound speaker. Superb after sales service. Happy Days and thank you Murphy Models. PS: I find the best way to handle these locos especially B134 with the walkway rails and B125 is similar is to hold and lift the loco by the fuel tank. I've had so much fun already driving these locos with early 1960s train formations both goods and passenger with sound, heavy loads, light loads, coasting, braking and really prototypical driving. So many prototypical lighting options too.

Hard to believe such a long runway got built in the middle of nowhere just because a plucky local priest blagged a visiting politician and hung him on his own promise. Yes George I did indeed get Shannon mixed up with Knock. Hard to believe after only 10 years of service life they may be cut up. Boeing got it right, hubs are dead, passengers want to fly direct point to point. Not good for climate change though unless one day they can build a fusion reactor the size of a large suitcase weighing not more than a ford focus. As a pal of mine used to say when ETOPS were first permitted, 4 engines doubles the amount of things that can go wrong compared to modern efficient twin turbofans, and so it proved, more efficient, safer, more reliable. IMHO, post covid, climate change measures are the next shock wave the aviation industry is likely to face. Long distance trains could make a comeback.

Try CV29=63 (ie to toggle the first CV29 bit, direction If your DCC system doesn't have a setup menu for a loco that automates setting the various binary bits in CV29, try setting it to 63 (ie turn the first bit on). Swapping between 62 and 63 should change the direction bit. 62 = 0111110 = Direction bit is off but the next 5 bits 1-5 are all ON (see translation below) Bit 0 Direction of operation is reversed Direction of operation is normal Bit 1 ON [1] = 28 Speed Step Mode Bit 2 ON [1] = Analog mode operation enabled Bit 3 is Railcom and is usually ignored by the DCC system firmware. Bit 4 ON [1] = Alternate Speed Curve Active Bit 5 ON [1] = Use long loco address

Bravo

Well 60mph on those wagons was probably more comfortable and certainly less stressful than a road cattle truck on bouncy back roads from farms then doing 70mph on a motorway. Cattle trains would had less severe braking and acceleration, and no cornering. Originally the once extensive Irish Railway network was more tasked to transport live animals and agricultural produce than humans. Oh if only I had a camera when a youngster in the 60s to record some of the mystical magical moments of the glory CIE days when railway traffic was diverse and interesting. Even the AECs with their moon sized giant round buffers evoked atmosphere, sitting behind the driver watching the road ahead to the west. JM's 20T Goods Brake would be right up my street. I've been building quite a collection of brake vans.

Have this pair a few years, no goods train is allowed budge on the layout without one of these tagged on at the end. Like a sentence needing a full stop to mark the end. Would like some fine scale ones with the correct chassis gubbins. The ones below are 3D bodies on top of dapol chassis, but they survive the 'duck test' admirably and my personal 2ft rule.

Had a memorable jump seat KIAD-EGLL in a brand new 400. Yea worst business section on the transatlantic route, whereas 20 years ago they were one of the best. Their opposing flat business seats were a disaster. ETOPs the 777, A350 and 787 changed the world, no need for super jumbos anymore, hence the A380 is also out of production and already being retired young by airlines. A retired A380 was dumped at EINN only a few months ago. Why use 4 engines when 2 will do it on less fuel. Air transport as we once knew it may never fully recover from CV-19, next up is climate change carbon taxes. We may be get getting more ferries and trains in 20 years time than flying now. Will Dublin airport have a high speed rail link to Connolly and Heuston by then? Will it need it? Pre-2020 the trajectory suggested yes, post CV-2020 not so sure. PS: For aviation enthusiasts suggest watching the documentary on BA 009's greatest escape in aviation history over 35 years ago now but a legend "I used to think the sweetest sound on earth was the sound of a robin chirping and singing on the window cil of cornish cottage of a spring morn along with the dawn song bird chorus, as the sun pieced the bronze early morning dew, but I tell you truly the sweetest sound on God's earth that day to my ear was the sound of a Rolls-Royce RB211 jet engine spooling up" (a passenger onboard Speedbird 9).

Is that how spoil wagons were unloaded (empties), manually by bucket from a digger or front loader? Did they ever have some sort of tipping mechanism for quick unloading? If the former I assume there was some manual work with shovels to full empty them. Could not find any videos of spoils being unloaded, only being loaded.

Fab-U-Lous

Some enjoyable covid projects from 2020 - enjoyable to work on these past months, and whiled away the hours. Hornby Respray Provincial Wagons exGSWR brake van kit Kitbash ex-GSWR plough now brake van Provincial Wagons Bulleid open beet wagon kit Dapol Conversions to CIE wagons Weathered CIE Wagons (Dapol Donors) MM B134 light weathering Hornby respray Rebuilt Dutch GSV (IFM Kit) Provincial wagons 20ft container kit on 3D IFM chassis Provincial wagons double beet wagon kit Weathering IRM Ballast wagon Weathering IRM 40ft B&I container Weathering IRM Fertiliser Wagon Weathering Murphy Models 182 - the first MM loco I ever owned bought back in 2008 from Malahide Fry Museum Silverfox RPSI Dutch GSV kit Here's looking forward to 2021 with A class, and more MM 121s before this year end.

Hi Eoin. How did you find the cab door grab rails to remove? Some seem loosely press fitted, others seem almost glued in. Noel

Yes they come apart much easier than the 141/181. BTW, that driver is not wearing a mask and he's legless in charge of a train.

20ft container flat wagon chassis might suit both 20ft container flats and also double beet wagons. I'd certainly welcome IRM standard 20ft container flats and indeed double beets. Double Beets might fly off the shelves. Only time will tell.

NOT quite IRM quality, but not bad for 3D (FUD). Personally I like the big round buffer variant. Yes these look a great option for kadee conversions

Eoin if the country doesn't end up in Level 5 lockdown until next May, you might bring her down and run her on WMRC's vast Little siddington O gauge layout. She looks amazing. She'd put the A4s and BR class 37 diesel locos in their place pretty quickly. Stunning build. http://www.derg.ie/smileys/bow.gif [The link could not be embedded because only https URLs are allowed.]

Absolutely excellent result Eoin. Total class. Stunning precision.

No NEM pockets. Minor surgery required. Obviously the flats are unpainted so need painting and lack the detail decoration on the RTR models. Some plastic card used to make an extended base on which the kadee can be super glued then painted black.

I got one of his 3D 42fts last year (FUD=Frosted Ultra Detail) and stuck it on Bachmann bogies so it runs really free and well. The FUD shows up the detail well. WSF didn't cut it.

Hi Kevin. Yes that's the livery I remember in the late 60s and early 70s. CIE had staff who could handle horses as well as drive the rigid HGVs in a horse friendly manner.

Murphy Models RPSI B134 gets an outing in a theoretical 1967, but with one of two time travellers in the back ground. Supposedly on the line from Waterford to Mallow via Dungarvan. Flying snail green coach for@jhb171achill and authenticity with that time. Must get myself some IFM flying snail green Laminates to run with this beautiful model loco.

I remember those at in their grey livery at every race meeting in the country. Back in the day trainers hired CIE to transport horses to race meetings.

The thought ‘died and woke up in Model Railway heaven’ springs to mind. Just wonderful.