Noel

Jonathan most photos of delivery grey 121s showed the locos were fairly clean. Possible pride in the new machines and modern technology compared to the metrovic junk heaps, the GMs must have seemed ultra modern a bit like comparing Audi's to the MV lada's. Perhaps they kept them cleaner in the early 60s. Even the black'n'tan' 121s always looked fairly smart, it wasn't until the 1980s and later the orange GMs especially tippex era locos were allowed visually to look almost like scrap. I've a grey 121 in the pipeline but it will be getting a very gentle weathering. Just a bit of weathering on the under frame, bogies and lower valance, topsides almost pristine

Another eBay mk3 donor arrived today. These Hornby coaches came with strange couplings reminiscent of Lima italian style from the 1970s, but at least they were in NEM pockets which were at the correct blasted height. Put kadee no 19 in and married up perfectly with the kadee height garage. These are not bad looking coaches but quite poor runners, due to the lack of swivel NEM plates (kinematic coupling pockets). Impossible to push backwards over any point work or on a bend without derailing. The body pops off fairly handily clipped in 3 places each side. Just a thin blade and wooden ice cream stick needed to unclip it and prise the body off. Will soak in hot water to help get the glazing to pop out and break the glow bonds. Bogies pop off fairly handy too. At least these bogies won't need any modification unlike the previous which needed a certain amount to get kadee draft gearbox couplings bodged on at the correct height and distance from buffer beam. Hopefully might end up with a rake of CIE Supertrain livery mk3 coaches which I might auction for charity in the future. Thought about converting Hornby shorties (ie seven window coaches) but they don't have buffers as they were expected to run with HST train sets. Its a real pity Hornby compromised what is a decent coach with cheap couling arrangements that do not facilitate close coupling. Does anybody know if Oxford rail mk3s are better in this respect? These will be quick resprays so not bothering to change the doors, at 2ft I won't notice and the duck rule applies on our model railway.

IRM central station. 3 rakes of IRM freight trains held at Woodvale Junction. On platform 2 are 10x42ft Container wagons, down loop 15xCement wagons, up loop 8xFertiliser wagons in the weathering queue). For balance on platform 2 a CIE era loose coupled goods train behind B188 and B121 in consist. Two Taras on Platform 4, background the evening 20ft container wagons due to be marshalled onto the end of the goods train just before departure to Kingsbridge. 4 Years ago a scene like this would have been impossible to even dream of. It would have just been bachmann BR outline goods wagons GWR, LMS, LNER, etc. Nearest on P4 is flying snail era steam special with J15 waiting for delivery of HB ice cream to the refreshments van..

No 10-10-20?

Like the sound of a real 201 dubbed over the video mix

Code 75 flexitrack and code 75 points fit together. Bullhead requires bullhead points as the rail profil (is shape) is different requiring special fish plates. Also the last time I checked there were very few types of points available for bullhead, but it does look great. I don't think its possible to use Bullhead track with code 75 points, but I could be wrong. I'm in the middle of laying code 75 at the moment (pic below). Have a look at this thread. Ballyercall uses code 75 Bullhead track.

Next time might try a consist with 3 x 071s and put every single IRM wagon I have behind the trio, even the ballasts. PS: Might try a rake of 40 MM coaches, the knock super special.

Hi Paul. All my life I used Peco code 100 streamline, which I was very happy with in my ignorance, but I've since switched to code 75 for new work which I really like. Visually there's not that much difference, especially when ballasted and weathered in. I've also switched to electrofrog points which is a bit of a PITA as regards a bit of extra wiring but the Cobalt point motors help with that as the frog polarity switching is all local. Some old Hornby and Lima stock may not run over code 75 points due to the pizza cutter wheel flanges 20-30 years ago on rolling stock, especially old locos.

A long for me anyway freight train. 35 beautiful looking IRM wagons hauled by two Murphy Model 071 locos (10x42ft Container flats, 8xFertiliser wagons, 2xTara wagons, 15xCement wagons). Running a superb mix of Irish wagons like this would only have been a fantasy dream only a few years ago. The ten lead 42ft's had become somewhat stiff again (axles) after being lubed a few months ago as per IRM recommendations, I guess the lube may have dried out, but the two 071s in consist managed ok. It is fabulous to have such good looking genuine Irish rolling stock. Happy days playing trains. The keg load looks well on the platform.

I ordered another pack. I know, I know, despite my lack of interest in having a rake of modernity due my preferred era, they way I looked at it I managed to buy an extra pair of flat wagons for putting C-Rail containers on or running unladen, and also got an accessory pack of kegs for use on loading docks and trucks. I plan to run the kegs in mixed rake formations with some containers, and cement wagons, bubbles and pallets. Variety makes the world interesting.

Stunning scenics

Some years ago a friend of mine had a motorway put through his farm so they built an under pass like the above so he could move his cattle under the road. He warned them about the water table level and localised flooding but the road engineers didn't listen saying they'd done their numbers, and research. The under pass had 5ft of water in it the week after it was completed, so they put expensive automatic drain pumps in it with all of the cost that entailed including piping to nearby drainage, then some H&S bod came out and had life rings installed at both ends of the underpass lest anybody drown when the pumps failed! Old proverb, ignore local knowledge at your pearl.

Great idea to repaint the interiors. The plastic blue fisher price seating looked awful. This is a great improvement.

The offset corridors connectors are curious

Super pics of unique vans. Love Leslie's sole cattle wagon in the background.

The thread on starter sets got me reminiscing and thinking about how youngsters got started in the hobby. It usually started with a basic train set that in some cases grew over time with extra track packs, accessories and scenic buildings and structures, signals, stations, bridges, level crossings, etc. Once started this triggers the 'collection gene', saving pocket money to buy an additional point or an additional coach coach, subsequent birthdays and/or Christmas's usually had train sets or train set accessories on the wish list, uncles and aunts encouraged to always give little jimmy something for his train set. Aside from youngsters imagination replaying either train movements they have witnessed themselves in real life, or reenacting what they have seen on TV or films (eg period TV dramas or old war movies depicting steam passenger trains in UK). Detached nostalgia, or whatever, but it seems to work. Youngsters acquire a whole range of skills, constructor, track geometry, assembling and disassembling track plans, experimenting with possible track layouts using limited resources they have in terms of set track, basic electrical skills, loco maintenance, lubrication, removing carpet hairs, etc, the list of skills they are being exposed to is amazing, engineering, geometry, electrics, electric motors, basic wiring, and imagination let loose. They very first thing every kid wanted was to buy a point for their starter oval or track so that their imaginary railway could actually do something purposeful and be controlled, then the desire for a second loco, so their magic train world could switch trains. Making up cardboard add on scenery, using hardback beano annuals as station platforms, shoe boxes as tunnels or raised track sections. Learning about structural engineering through trial and error. Is there anything better to stir a youngsters development and imagination? . . . and keep them stimulated and occupied for hours on end without being glued to an LCD screen? Things like Lego, Mecanno are well up there on the list, but nothing beats toy train sets for stimulating such a diverse future hobby.

If I buy trains for my grand children it will be Thomas sets with colour and playability with inexpensive durable stock. It might get them to also read the books

Yea the 1st world has gone a bit daft alright. Fisher Price perhaps best placed to do a 22k set that's indestructible.

Ouch. Did I see some cellotape?

Great photo. That's really useful.

Jonathan you risk being sent to the 'bogie of eternal stench' in the next life for suggesting such blasphemy as a 22k set, you of all people, defender of the 3 link coupling and all things green and black'n'tan. If one wanted such a plastic toy a yo-yo on a piece of string would offer more operational stimulation. Rumours that Bachmann might produce a 22k sound about as believable as any tweet from the orange man child.

Bloody potholes! either that or somebody made a sows ear of putting the decoder in.

Some really nice pics as ever. Love that area around the parks in Killarney. A favourite haunt on eBikes. And pleased to see not a 22k in sight.

Any photos of the damaged loco?

Paint job is superb