Irishrailwayman

1 hour ago, Patrick Davey said:

Amazing scenes at every corner of this layout!

Thanks! I have "Ballybeg" taken apart at the moment to upgrade each board with new SSM lamps, working level-crossing gates and signals (5 in total), renewed track in part, viaduct upgrades, railway building lighting and a new Peco motor for the turn-table. Perhaps some day I will exhibit "Ballybeg" again having shown her at 10 exhibitions in the past!

10 hours ago, RedRich said:

That all looks amazing. Des has produced some amazing kits. Making the gates operational must look really cool.

Rich,

Thank, not sure if the video uploaded here (I am using a rather old camera) but I posted videos of the working gates and signals on Facebook.

Fitted SSM Irish Station Lamps to platform at "Ballybeg" along with Peco SmartSwitch servo system to operate the SSM Irish level-crossing gates and Home and Starter signals all with working lamps!

On 22/11/2020 at 1:15 PM, flange lubricator said:

All of the 121 class would have received Catwalk handrails in the early 1970’s , fitting them for MU(Multiple Unit) working would take longer B121 being first (1973) , B134 second (1974/75) B131 was fitted for MU in late 1975 so the model is spot on , B125 was not fitted for MU  working  while in Black and Tan , it was the last 121 fitted with MU equipment in 1978 and by that stage it  was in Supertrain livery so again the model is spot on . 

While on the subject of handrails the 141, 181, and 071 class came built with EMD catwalk handrails , the catwalk handrails on the 121 were made in house by the staff at  Inchicore works so they are different  this is another fine detail that Paddy Murphy has got captured perfectly on these models  well done again Paddy .

Presumably therefore the grey/yellow model should have no other buffer beam detail than the vacuum pipe, the black/tan would only have additional hoses added later and Supertrain would have the full array?

4 hours ago, flange lubricator said:

I think B131 handrail or not question is becoming like the third secret of Fatima at this stage . We may have to get the pope to intervene. 

Presumably this depends on what the prototype had fitted?

Other upgrades to "Ballybeg" include rebuilding the two signal cabins in plastic sheeting and quoins (corner blocks) to replace the printed card which was becoming faded:

A new alternate engine shed was developed from a Ratio kit complete with lamps from Studio Scale Models:

Studio Scale Models wooden pole lampposts were also added to the Goods Platform, Cattle Dock and Coal Stages:

Finally, SSM steel lampposts are prepared to replace the existing UK-style gas lamps on the station platforms:

1 hour ago, David Holman said:

Shades of Ballydehob and Roaringwater Bay. Fine work.

Thank you all. This is just a Metcalfe kit but it fits together well and looks the part. The inspiration from an Irish railway perspective is that it echoes the viaducts at Kilmacthomas (which also inspired my Ballybeg village where the house roofs just reach the rail level) and Borris.

1 hour ago, Noel said:

Stunning. Gerry, will that hinge just inside the door? Or is it for another part of the layout. Ballybeg is always a treat and a privilege to visit.

Thanks Noel, the viaduct will hinge from the right as you enter the door making it easier than "duck and dive" as before. Drop over again sometime when the restrictions are lifted.

Ballybeg viaduct ready for installation of tracks and wiring. Note different scenes under each of the arches.

Ballybeg is getting a refurbished (lifting) viaduct as part of an overall upgrade:

During lockdown I am working on a variety of my (7!) layouts including Ballybeg. I am currently working on some Studio Scale Models kits (thanks Des) to increasingly ensure Irish features predominate. This includes the level-crossing gates which I intend to add working lamps and to operate using servo motors in time. Here they are loose-fitted to Ballybeg:

17 hours ago, Thom said:

Utterly confluthered now, and I may have wasted everyone’s time:

I opened up the lid on the 201, took the decoder out, and put in the MM005 DCC chip which is meant for the for the cl.071

And it runs perfect on the 201 , on DCC and DC.

 

I’m wondering now if the chip on the 201 was for some reason buggered?

 

I’m wondering now did I ever put the 071 chip into the 071?

 

Basically : Was I trying to be running them both effectively without chips ?

(Assuming that:

1) the the 201’s chip was buggered, and that

2) I forgot to put in the 071 chip into the 071? )

 

I’ll know the answer tomorrow when I disassemble the 071 to look and see is there a chip (I assumed it was in it - but I seem to have an extra chip for the 071 that is now quite happy in the 201)

It’s a wee bit of work to disable that the 071 - - but I’ll know tomorrow.

Would a DC train light up its lights and make lots of noise on a DCC track when the speed setting is altered.?

 

Once again, thanks so much to all

tom

The MM locos are delivered DCC-ready with a blanking unit in to allow running on DC only. Could you have confused this blanking unit for a DCC chip I wonder? Checking each loco's number on the Programming Track in advance of running is good practice - if you can't read the loco number then the DCC system is not happy that all is well and vice versa. If it is not happy on the PT then don't run it on the DCC Main Track until the problem is sorted.

Good progress on Little Siddington since the lockdown was eased with more scenery and a servo-operated level-crossing added:

For interest here is a photo of B123 presumably just out of the factory in the USA!

2 hours ago, skinner75 said:

Could the stock speaker not be replaced with one of the 'sugarcube' ones in the future? Surely a snipping of a couple of wires & a bit of soldering would cure a dodgy stock speaker in the future, if no original spare ones were to be had?

 

No doubt but for the price I would expect the model to work straight from the box.

On 4/2/2020 at 6:01 PM, Georgeconna said:

Currently building a Dapol windmill, surpising good for its age especially the brick engraving is still ok. It is based on a 17th century Mill called Pitstone Windmill,

I ordered a little 6V motor with gearbox from guess you know where,the package was wiped down before opening and it is glued in situ and will be glued directly to the sails. It is to be wired up to a cradle with 4 x 1.5V batteries should give a nice slow rotation.  No sure if there is DCC sound for a windmill yet.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pitstone_Windmill

 

 

 

I have mucked about with some Scenery and laid some 3mm static grass to test the waters. However I mixed up some 8 and 12mm strands and had a complete failure with them refusing to stand up. I dont often have that problem. I'll hover them up and try again. I know the tree looks shite too but was trying some hedge cuttings.

anyhow nice to show the good with the bad every now and then!! I tend to be failing more the successing these days...

The multi-levels look very effective.

17 hours ago, DiveController said:

So is it the chip or the loco/speaker unit? Have you swapped the chips/locos to test?

The speaker unit - I swapped the soundchip between each model.

Unfortunately, I know of a number of people (at least 3 so far) where the sound was muffled/distorted when the 121  MM soundchip was activated. Thankfully others including mine arrived with sound functioning well from the off.

A couple of shots of "Shunters Yard" in its new GWR livery:

Working at present to repaint "Shunters Yard" OO gauge buildings/fencing in GWR colours borrowed from my recent work on "Buffers Lock" O gauge buildings. First up I have repaired/repainted/detailed a signal box gifted by a friend to replace that on the layout at present:

How will you work the uncoupling for shunting purposes? PS chipboard is prone to damage from damp.

Nice pic NIRClass80. Yes the 141/181 was the first of the post-MIR locos to be released RTR and stands up well over the 10 years or more that it was released.

Just for fun I took some photos of my older (2008) 121 model made from Model Irish Railways resin kit (hand painted) and put it beside Murphy Models fine new RTR model. MIR's version is fractionally longer, taller and the bonnet is less slender/detailed than MM's. However, I seem to have caught the grey colour fairly well. The MIR transfers included a border in black around the logo and numbers which is absent on the MM model? I used a DCC-ready US SW1500 chassis but never managed to find one which incorporated sound although I did use the twin directional headlamps to good effect.

An earlier (2005) perhaps less successful effort by me of an MIR metal kit of the 121:

9 hours ago, patrick said:

The immement arrival of a grey 121 inspired the. construction of a grey palvan, this time with different doors and ends. It may be time to build that SSM brake van kit and finish it in grey

I like the C with the yellow panel - is that a Silver Fox model?

18 hours ago, Noel said:

@IrishrailwaymanGerry is that the Signal box that has the working point levers that are servo driven (ie they move when the digital accessory is operated by the manual switch panel)?

No Noel, I plan to operate the points and signals on "Buffers Lock" using my Z21 set up as I have done successfully with "Diesel Depot"!