Noel

Excellent results as ever.

Confession time Success & Failure. Mk3 respray went ok, BUT Removing the masking tape last night from a rebuilt dutch GSV kit, it finally had to happen, the tape took a layer of 6 coats of paint and halford primer off with it on the side of the GSV. Lesson learned, always wipe down resin bodies with IPA and then wash with water before priming. Ah well will strip it down and start again. Mk3 heading for transfers, passengers, lighting and mild weathering. A few hours earlier - Spray and pray time Looking good so far on that side of the rebuilt dutch GSV (ie suitable for mk2 sets) Opps - Oh well will just gave to strip it down and start again At least this hornby mk3 respray survived the unmasking Lesson learned - fully remove releasing agent from resin kit bodies before priming.

@WRENNEIRE

What I want to know is when are the IRM Sulzer 101's going to be re-run? Yip 1st world problems. After a lengthy famine we are completely awash now with top quality Irish RTR models, and it looks like its going to keep growing.

EGV central. A full house of Murphy model Mk2 EGVs now stabled at Kingsbridge ready for future traffic. Mk2 may be a little modern for my era but I did travel on them in the 1970s and 1980s, so personal nostalgia demands I run modern era stock like this. Top CIE, middle IE/IR Orange roof, bottom IE/IR black roof. I'll eventually get around to weathering the new CIE version MM5602 via Chris Dyer about 4 years ago, this was originally a black roofed version so I resprayed the roof MM orange and then weathered it myself so I'd have an orange tippex EGV. I never imagined I'd ever be respraying anything when I bought this. MM5601 resprayed for me about 5 years ago my Graham's resprays (ie the former model shop portlaois). It was originally in Galway livery, and even by then mk2 EGVs were like gold dust, so the only option was to buy a galway set one and commission a respray. The respray and weathering cost €20 if I remember correctly on top of €40 for the coach. Seamus did a super job. A recent Murphy Model Mk2 5605 from Marks. In the queue for weathering. A tri of MM mk2 EGVs. CIE super train, with IE/IR Tippex orange roof, and black roof Will put the CIE 5605 on the weathering queue list along with a rake of new CIE mk2 coaches. Now back to current projects. Distractions are this hobbies enemy.

Glad to have these guys. A bit modern for me, but I did travel on mk2 trains. Fine coaches but benefit from some artificial ageing.

Agree 100% rolling stock appearance can be irrelevant if it doesn't run well like the prototype. Like you I found the MM BGMs the finest runners ever by a long chalk.

Ultimately some day somebody will inevitably produce more 141/181s because they were the most widely used diesel locos to run in Ireland spanning 4 decades. The 7500 of them out there being privately held and/or traded will not satisfy future demand by the ever growing Irish hobby base. I fear toy 22k yo-yo sets may hit the market before an update of baby GMs. Only time will tell, first world problems, huh?

Great pics. It would be a great shame if that line never reopens for commuter traffic. The yellow gizmo looks a far more efficient and useful bit of kit than loco hauling a pile of wagons with interconnecting hoses. Parts of the old track work don't look too bad.

Not quite sure where you are going with that Kevin. The 141,181s were actually produced by Bachmann and over 7000 of them were made over two years and pretty much sold out within 8 years. IRM looks like they have raised the bar a good few notches with their Deltic, A class and class 37, and MM's forthcoming 121 looks like it has also raised the MM bar significantly, so if the 141/181 were ever financially profitable to re-run I suspect the market might expect an update with them too (eg built in speakers, open grills, more lighting options, detailing changes, easy access decoder slot), which could blow costs out of the water. Reading between the lines the market for Irish models seems to have expanded significantly over the past 5 years with a new base of customers entering, who probably missed out on the BGMs first time around. IRM are best placed to run their own internal numbers. Personally I'd love to see old CIE 2 axle wagons, C class, Park Royal and laminates, but the younger age profile of newly arrived customers may have never seen such let alone travelled on them, so bogie hell it may have to be if that's what the market wants. If I was a gambler which I'm not, I'd hang onto my BGMs and off load them next year on eBay for silly money in the expectation that somebody would one day produce refreshed versions that are even better than the current locos. Hard to believe, but to date MM 141s are still the best running locos I've ever operated. Their diminutive size is perfect for typical sized layouts. Not sure now where I was going with this!

I'll have to sell my tesla shares.

Wow back then track maintenance looked very tardy. Reminds me of bord na mona bog rail, track waving up and down.

Track being relaid on the double layers of 3mm closed cell dense foam (source in link below) https://www.efoam.co.uk/closed-cell-polyethylene-foam.php#sheet1 Kadee under track uncoupling magnet fits neatly under with the 6mm of foam. Luckily its not on the main line or it could act as a sound bridge. It is located between the head shunt and the goods yard sidings.

Holy Cow and there's still 5 days to go! https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Murphy-Models-MM0143-Class-141-IR-Orange-No-143/233631919808?hash=item36658c2ec0:g:CAUAAOSwEoNe91z9

Very enticing John. Looking good and looking forward to it.

Absolouteely nought dude, there is no dort in D4 west, might manage an aportmunt dough, or a coach house moos.

If I sold all my BGMs I might be able to buy Luxembourg Or, even Cork.

Past patterns suggest they like to choose a chassis that can be used in multiple incarnations, and stock that ran in uniform rakes so that folks might buy a rake of wagons rather than just a few of this and a few of that. Good business economics. The mk3 push pull sets would make sense for the 121s, or indeed the existing 201s. But standard little tension lock couplings won't work reliably for pushing six mk3 coaches. I'm sure all will be revealed in the fullness of time.

Ah Fran don't you realise if you raised the bar as high as you four have, expectations simply rise with the tide, and "please sir can I have some more" with little tolerance for anything less than the perfection we've become recently accustomed to. There may be some disappointed if the windscreen wipers on the A don't actually operate (when its raining indoors). Now looking forward to some pre-cravens era coaching stock done to IRM/AS supreme standards with working oil lamps and candles. Please never a yo-yo. Looking forward to the Deltic and CL37 too.

Good prices too

Superb edit and audio mix

As Miley might say "Well holy God, merciful hour, jeepers that is well just desperately incredible, tis it."

Enjoy

Sorry @amdaley, posts crossed. Insane. That must be a record €450. Fortunately I've never had to pay more than €118 for a baby GM. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Murphy-Models-141-class-loco-156-IR-Irish-Rail-livery-ex-CIE-DCC-fitted/114265029224?_trkparms=aid%3D1110001%26algo%3DSPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D225114%26meid%3D9cd115c38ce74bf08cbc450f791f86e6%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D12%26mehot%3Dpf%26sd%3D233631919808%26itm%3D114265029224%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2047675&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851

Foam underlay complete at last. I've gone for double layer for sound insulation, the entire baseboard is covered in a layer of 3mm closed cell dense foam (self adhesive backing), and then a second layer of track bed under track work (ie 3mm closed cell dense self adhesive foam). Lots of awkward transposing of track plan using a roll of grease proof paper and tippex to mark the base layer of foam so that the second layer can be correctly positioned where the track will go. I cannot cut the upper layer of foam in place for fear of cutting through the base layer which would just allow PVA glue seep through to the play base and create a sound bridge. My reason for the double layer is to prevent PVA/ballast mix coming into contact with the plywood baseboard. I've seen foam act as a great track sound insulator until it is ballasted when the PVA at the edges of the track bed hardens when dry amplifying track noise (ie effectively connecting the track with the baseboard). Cobalt point motor holes drilled before putting the foam down and transposed one layer at a time. The double layer self adhesive foam has been workable so far Next up is relay the track once again for a dry fit to check alignment and loading gauge clearances with platforms, point motor holes, etc and then remove to do the dirty scenic landscaping, or mask the track while doing the plaster work. Hope it works when running my toy choo-choos.