Noel

As far as I know Brendan is modelling away, hadn't gone anywhere, just no longer active on here. He also had a giant scale 121 model as a static display and a millennium falcon. His Heuston station building was a supreme master piece of architectural model engineering and artistry. An exceptionally talented fellow and a really decent and kind man too.

That's impressive. If I remember correctly a forumite on here built a large scale model of Heuston Station about 4 years ago as a commission, and it was photo realistic. It included the detailed front and fascade of the building with all its architectural details. There are pics of it somewhere here on the forum.

Yes agree with you, the current prices on eBay for 141/181 these past six months had been around €190, but only a few years ago €100-€140 was more the norm. Fortunately I picked up some a few years ago before the current price spike. As these locos were produced by Bachmann for MM I don't see a re-run happening anytime soon, unless another company decided to partner with MM and do a refreshed version of the 141/181s. To this day the 141/181s are my favourite locos of all time and their diminutive size really suits typical sized layouts. They can operate singly or in pairs.

@Railer Just bad luck I guess. I've never had probs like that with the MM mk2, my only dissatisfaction was the incorrect NEM pocket locations requiring surgery to use Kadee couplings properly. They did not seem quite on the same stratospheric quality level as the hyper detailed MM craven coaches, but they seem pretty nice coaches. Weathering helps deal with the yellow shade of orange that was used. I bought a rake last year from Marks models (ie the later corrected batch) and happy to report none of the painting issues in the first seemed evident. Never had any part of the sub chassis fall off. A bit modern for my preferred era but would love to see IRM/AS do Irish Mk3 coaches including the push pull sets.

Does it come with an Eoin to help build it?

The murphy models chip. As to EMD 645 or EMD 567 variants, It depends on what livery loco you buy. Most ears cannot tell the difference anyway. 645 would be more recent liveries such as IE/IR Tippex, 567 would be grey and black and tan liveries, supertrain could be either.

I've quite a bit of old 1970s Lima stuff like that, but (avert your eyes @WRENNEIRE) I threw all the boxes out long ago. I don't run it anymore. They did make nice mk3 coaches.

I use kadee couplings because I run older era stock requiring shunting which magnetic couplings don't suit, but look an interesting option for fixed rakes of modern era stock.

I got my LokProgrammer from https://www.modellbahnshop-lippe.com for €135 plus €3 postage. I buy all my decoders from there also Lenz + ESU (ie for better price). LokProgrammer will only work with ESU decoders. However you may not need a LokProgrammer as you may be able to adjust some CV settings using your DCC controllers test track outputs. Blank LokSound V5 decoders are €95 from MBL. If you are prepared to go through the learning curve, you can make your own diesel loco DCC sound projects, or far quicker make small changes to existing projects. ESU publish a large range of sound projects including for Murphy Model 071 locos and 201 locos. I got baby GM LokSound decoders for my 141/181/121 locos from http://www.wheeltappersdccsounds.co.uk. Its relatively easy to do things like add Irish loco horns to a USA loco project. WheelTappers made up custom 121 decoders for me with additional features including 3 types of rail clank/flange squeal, distant horns, cascading buffer clash simulating a loose coupled train stopping, cascading coupling snatch simulating a loose coupled train starting off, etc. Personally what was really important was the driving characteristics such as coasting, braking over realistic distances, slow acceleration and notching/trashing simulating a heavy train starting off. No use having an ultra scale looking model if it behaves in an unprototypical manner like a scalextric toy accelerating faster than a Tesla Model S PS: If rolling your own, don't forget the added complexity of configuring lights and light mappings.

Wow this is absolutely fantastic to see

Yes I was not happy, the tip of the iron was one of those beveled types more suited to pcb and awkward to get in and out quickly without heating the plastic. I prefer a flat tip. Tedious but got all the Gort ones done today using thinner feed wires. Next time on Kingsbridge I'll use thin wire as bridges and separate track feeds. 7 done, 70 more to do!

Modifying the electro frog points this afternoon as per recommendations for frog switching, etc. Messy, I need thiner wire.

Black'n'Tan Heaven. Kings bridge shed.

@warb,Fab video of an incredible layout. Words not adequate to describe Do you have a track plan graphic?

Superb layout scenes

Looking forward to loading gauge trials next week before ballasting Chugging away slowly

The location doesn't look like it will impact the existing car park at all. Looks like the building will be energy efficient being fully powered by Solar PV from the roof (and presumably storage batteries). Looks like over 60kw capability.

Shame 201s ended up rotting to rust in sidings at inchicore and the mk3's got scraped 10 years prematurely. But that's public spending and it seems the same all over the developed world - wasteful. Nothing compared to the waste in US defence budget. Now we are left with the hideously boring toy tram 22k yo-yos. But good to see a new central traffic management system. Had Tesla designed the new system, it may have been on a single 10ft touchscreen LCD display mounted in a giant electric RV parked at the end of the existing car park, with two operators monitoring the autonomous train driving and signalling systems.

Is it operating now?

Cheers. That's the general idea. But 121, and A classes and 101 Sulzers were also visitors from Limerick and Ennis on route to Athenry, Tuam and Claremorris.

Its been a while, but have been chipping away slowly piece meal between other projects, working on buildings, platforms, etc. Last few days. Gort is essentially designed for now as an end to end shunting layout that will eventually be part of continuous running set up in the future. Track diagram is as per the prototype as it was about 1970 nearing the end of its hey day as a busy pick up goods station for a regional agri market town. Track cut and dry laid for test fit. Points modified for frog switching and DCC. Now lift it all again, drill holes for point motors and power feed, lay two layers of closed cell foam, one over entire base board, the other just under the track, this will ensure no 'sound' bridge with the plywood for quite running. There will be no track pins, they will just be used temporarily to hold track in place while the PVA glue dries, and then removed as a track pin can act as a sound bridge to plywood baseboard guitar effect. I like quite track. In the immediate future this will just be an end to end shunting layout, but in the future part of a larger continuous loop layout. I'm rather slow laying this track as testing everything as each step progresses, free running, smooth transition curves, locations of uncoupling magnets, avoidance of under board cross members for point motors, platform clearances, etc. Its fun but very slow. I've no idea how I had the energy and stamina to lay all the track on Kingsbridge 27 years ago. Two 5ft x 2ft baseboards for now Track cut and test fitted. Now to re-lift the track again and lay the closed cell dense foam baseboard cover and track bed, then relay the track and pin temporarily while gluing it with PVA. This is going to take a long time but enjoying it all the same. Cattle dock will be on LHS with water tower cut into the end of the middle platform and goods shed just this side of the LHS goods platform. This layout project was inspired by this photo in Jonathan ( @jhb171achill ) and Barry's book 'Rails Through The West', and my childhood memories of Gort as a busy market town. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rails-Through-West-Limerick-Illustrated/dp/1780730063/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=Rails+Through+The+West&qid=1592600749&sr=8-1

The difference in sound is negligible to many ears, but I guess the Black&Tan livery (ie black, white band, tan solebar) which ran from 1963 to about 1974-6 was powered by the original EMD567 engines, The other thought that occurred to me from experience is that running two locos in consist both with sound on can sound a bit dizzy and confused. Some sound decoder projects allow you to vary the engine note using a CV setting (ie so two locos do not sound identical). Personally when I run pairs of baby GMs in consist I only turn the sound on in the lead loco, because it just sounds better than two. But that's just me. Others might quite like both with sound on. WheelTappersDCCsound who did the decoders for all my baby GMs offered 3 engine pitch versions so that in consist a pair would not sound identical. I am making an assumption that the Murphy model commissioned chip may have a CV setting to facilitate something similar. There are subtle things when consisting sound locos, for instance you only want the horn to sound on the lead loco, but you want both to make braking noises at the same time, and only the tail loco to make uncoupling noises or buffer clash when commanded, etc. Then there's the whole area of running lights on a consist, set up for running as a pair hauling a train with brake lights at the end when travelling locos only (ie light engines) so brake lights on trailing loco, etc. All to look forward to exploring when the new models hit the rails.

Looks like that building may take a big chunk out of the car park.

Thanks @RobertRoche that's really helpful.

How to decant some Halfords spray primer into paint bottle? I've tried various methods with poor results. It's like setting off a fire extinguisher. Has anybody found a tidy way to do this without loosing half the paint or making a mess like an exploded egg?