RobertRoche

Happy new year to you all. Not much happened during the second half of 2015, hopefully I will get the ball rolling again for 2016 Since my last update I have not touched the C Class, still stuck on the roof boxes, which I may attempt again soon. I completed my diorama of Connolly Shed for the Wexford Model Railway Club October exhibition. Since my workspace was in such a mess over the year I cleaned it up and installed a shelf and some lighting - mostly for the fun of it but it is useful. I worked on painting up some 45 foot containers in some description of fantastical Bell container livery. I've also been building the Airfix 1:72 Severn Class lifeboat - which will eventually end up on my layout. It has given me a good introduction to spraying enamels and being patient about it! Hopefully I'll get a bit more time this year to complete my current list and start on some new ones.

Not sure how I missed this build but it is amazing, well done!

Amazing work, really captures the feel of it. I especially like the photographic backscene on the road.

It could have ended up looking like this! Now trying to imagine a steam loco in the new enterprise livery I think we'll stick with green and our flying snails

On eBay with one day left: Murphy Models/Lima Set of 8 Assorted Irish Coaches, http://goo.gl/rcG8IX

Oh wow, lovely paint job! I'll want mine next

Thanks for all the comments everyone. This C class is coming along very slowly, but only a few more small jobs left before I think about painting. The biggest job left to do is sort out the roof tanks - I tried this before but failed miserably. I am thinking of trying a 3D print and seeing how it turns out. Other jobs include detailing, affixing some more brass grills and possibly shortening the body by a further few millimeters - if it is worth the effort. I have done a lot of small jobs on it such as fitting the marker lights and headlights. The buffer beams were straightened and just today I attached some nice whitemetal buffers. I am also working on a method of attaching the loco body to the chassis as it rises up at both ends. In other modelling, I am working on a 2x1 foot diorama of the shed at Connolly Station. The shed itself is made of scrap MDF covered in brick paper. I used plaster to create the hardstanding in front of the shed. The track used is a mix of Hornby, Atlas and some homemade pieces I picked up. There is plenty of work left to do over the summer but it is starting to take shape. All of the track is wired for DCC, allowing lights and sound equipped locos to operate for exhibition purposes.

This website is pretty good http://www.railsigns.uk/overseas/ireland1/ireland1.html

Voted, and was recently considering the pros and cons of having my railway in a shed.

Very well done on the layout so far, it looks great and you have made great progress. I really like the track plan at the station, there is lots of potential there!

Very nice and good to see a loco hauled train again! Got a few pictures of her in Wexford after missing it at Inch earlier in the day.

Any recent pictures would do, from about the mid 90's to present. I don't particularly mind! Thanks

Hello, Would anyone know where I could find pictures showing the detail of the brick engine shed in Connolly. I've found some but I'd like to build a detailed model of the shed mouth. Any help would be great. Thanks!

Firstly thanks for all the nice comments! I bought five Hornby Mark 4 coaches painted into Intercity livery a few months ago from Ebay. While the BR mark 4's are not the same as Irish Rail's, they do a good job. A few extra windows on each carriage, and several on the buffet car. I may do something about those in the future, but the main problem was the tension lock couplings which are moulded into the bogie. I purchased some Bachmann 36-026 couplings and replaced the tension lock so I can run these with a MM 201. I chopped off the tension lock and removed about 5 mm of plastic where the tension lock attached to the bogie. After replacing the valence, I slotted in a piece of plasticard, and glued the new coupler to that. The result is pretty level with the height of the 201 coupler. I only replaced two couplers, but it would be easy enough to do all carriages. Someday I will build a DVT for the other end of the train. As for the C Class which is currently under construction, progress is slow, but I think it will be worth it. I am currently working on a Scalextrics layout which needs to be ready in two weeks.

I got a Lima Class 33 about 15 years ago, painted in IR orange. It was never a great runner and it is not prototypical. In October I decided to take the plunge and start my modifying and scratch building career with turning the 33 into a C class. The first thing I did was to replace the Lima pancake motor with a Susomotor. It now runs better, but the chassis is not the best. There is a long list of things I did to the 33 to get it as far as it is currently: Remove moulded on detail, including grab rails, rood mouldings etc. Fill in front three windows and make two instead Fill driver side window and windows along body of class 33 Removed approximtely 1.5 cm from body and chassis (it is still over scale length) Drop buffer beam (not yet completed) Remove roof fan and replace with brass etched fan Include some Studio Scale Models brass etched details There is still lots to do. I am currently working on the radiator grills, but am a bit stuck as to how to pull it off. The plastic is quite thick so the brass grills will probably have to go on the outside. I am also unsure as to whether I should remove the plastic behind the grills? The picture below shows the shortened class 33 I am happy with the roof fan. I used a bit of scrap brass from a kit to make the cowling. It was awkward to bend but it makes a nice effect I think The SSM window frames really make it easy to shape the front windows. I used some plastic safe superglue to fix them to the milliput. I used a file to remove milliput after installing the frames rather than before so I would not remove too much. The main tasks left are installing the radiator grills, rigging up the lights (SSM), doing something with the roof line at the front and installing the headlight, and painting, which is a long way off. I will also need to scratch build some detailing under the chassis and add as much weight as possible.

Hello everyone, this is my workbench thread. In the future I hope to be building a layout set in the period of approximately 2000-present. I'm a big fan of GMs and IE orange trains. Other upcoming projects include modifying RTR stock to my liking, a 009 Bord na Mona layout (possibly) and some other random bits. Here is some of the motive power I currently have.

That is a nice model! Possibly built to coincide with the Dublin Rapid Transit Study published in 1975 by CIE. A bit like DART underground there was to be heavy rail all over the place. Dublin would look a bit different had they gone through with it.

Here is a picture of one of the locos on display in the Guinness Storehouse.

Have you seen these Mark 3? repaints that are currently on ebay? There is a whole Enterprise train with Lima 201 and a driving trailer. Also Mark 3s resprayed into mark 4 Intercity livery. The starting prices are quite low too, a bit more than a week left on the auctions, it will be interesting to see what they go for - they may not be correct, but they would certainly look the part if that is what you are after! Enterprise set starting at £150 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181635492402?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Mark 4 set staring at £135 http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/181635519604?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT Also this Lima 201 is selling for €350! http://www.ebay.ie/itm/LIMA-205159-IE-CIE-IRISH-RAILWAYS-CLASS-201-LOCO-216-RIVER-DODDER-MINT-BOXED-nc-/331422674305?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item4d2a54ad81

Thanks burnthebox, I can only imagine that the Heljan would result in a better model in the end. The Lima has no cab interiors, and the pancake motor makes it nearly impossible to place a convincing cab interior at one end, though I might have a go at least. Also the Heljan already has some handrails and details that were either only moulded on or missing from the Lima model. I'll probably wire it DCC so lighting should be easy, as for DCC fitted most of the internal wiring is probably there already, just a few adjustments would need to be for the headlights, especially if modelling the later incarnation of the C class with headlight over the windscreens. DCC sound is always a good thing too

I agree it is a shame to carve up the old Lima liveries, but it was that or not do it at all for me. I model modern image (2000 onwards) so the C class was a bit spur of the moment. I didn't want to pick up a new 33 for it. Have been doing this on and off since October, after just receiving the SSM brass bits, I'm a bit scared to try and put them on. Still lots of other bits to do on it. Not looking forward to painting either

Hi, I am currently in the process of converting one of those IR livered class 33's into a C class loco. Have removed the Lima pancake motor and started on the body work. I just received the A/C class detailing kit (Thanks Weshty) so I intend on replacing the grills, fans and front windows etc. I have been meaning to start a workbench thread on it. The main body work done so far is: - shorten the chassis and body - Fill side windows and remove roof vent details etc - Move buffer beam - Remove front windows and putty general shape of C class windows It is the first model I have ever tried to modify, but I am taking it slow and it should "look right enough" when done I hope.

Not the livery I wanted, will have to think about it

Looks even more like a Class 66 in that scheme.

Are they sold yes?