GSR 800

A wonderful model on a wonderful layout. You are a ceaseless source of inspiration!

The obvious thing to do is to actually use the building for something, ala Streamstown, rather than trying to keep it in good nick purely for presentation purposes.

I considered this before, but don't see much point with the IRM 800s due in a matter of months. May revisit it for the 400s in future.

Capacitors are en route for me! Out of interest, how are you finding when you actually want it to stop Andy?

I wonder would there be demand for a roof and ends one can put the overlays straight onto for full width bredin mk2s?

800s of brass and 3d print meet! Featuring various shades of green, as I need to repaint the SSM tender to the racing green of the locos.

Looks very good indeed John! I'll be taking two as discussed before.

Very useful info in both cases Colin! Has Stan only taken on the Narrow gauge side of WW?

Many thanks Lucas!

Hobbytrax sell DC stay alive capacitors. I've been considering them for some of my kit locos, as they lack flywheels and I use insulfrog points. https://www.hobbytrax.co.uk/products/dc-analogue-stay-alive?variant=41263923494965 The page says the simple wired version (sans 8 pin plug) can be hardwired across the motor. Presumably meaning one wire each to the two opposite eyelets of the motor itself? I am the furthest thing from a spark, would this not short the motor?

Sorry to hear the news of Paddy's passing, my sincere condolences to his family at this time. His work made the Irish modelling scene what it is today, the father of Irish RTR.

Very interesting photo of Tailte in 1953 in the IRRS flickr. Note the numberboard on the top of the smokebox, with no number on the bufferbeam! https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/55108647485/in/dateposted/ Extra brackets on smokebox door, smokebox handle and wheel, and polished buffers. Also looks like she could be in the lighter green, though really impossible to tell.

I think you're safe Mol! I do have a pile of laminate and AEC etches I need to get to that are considerably more at risk of getting RTR'd before I do!

I'd definitely be interested in one or two, including tea car variant.

Update on this from Tommy. 'yes i am hoping to have some bogie tpo available again the next month or two, probably mainly rtr as that what mose lads are asking for, if someone wants a kit im sure i can arrange that too.'

I've sent him an email citing the interest here in a return of the bogie TPO. I'd buy two myself.

bradytommy101@gmail.com

Tommy at IFM told me he was considering a few bogie TPO kits for 2026. I imagine if you send him an email expressing interest it may improve the chances of production.

I don't have the 1897 train but the 1903 train comp is in Locomotives of the GNR if you'd like. The majority of the carriages are built post 1897 though.

Terrible to hear Noel, must've been awful. Good to hear everyone is okay and safe, which is the main thing. Well done to the paramedics getting your doggo back on his feet.

And apparently the depot between Kilcock and Maynooth is to go ahead....again! https://www.kildarenow.com/news/local-news/1996929/dart+-depot-confirmed-for-maynooth-kilcock-area-of-kildare.html Really its entirely new ground for the state to seemingly, finally being going ahead with what is a huge project in the Dart + My primary worry now would be whether the capital funding lasts for large rail infrastructure improvements and expansions, and moreso how sustainable it is. The current rate of spending growth is, and has been for several years, outgrowing the pace of economic growth. https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/09/11/government-spending-jumps-by-54-in-five-years/ A lot of spending is required in infrastructure or we could very quickly find ourselves in the catch 22 of not having the money to pay for infrastructure and economic growth being increasingly limited by poor infrastructure.

I've the full brake BnT, and I'm considering repainting her into dark green. Have plenty to do before I decide on that though!

I suppose the bigger issue (to my eye) is width. Irish 6 wheelers really show up the full width afforded by 5'3, and being so much shorter than bogie coaches it's all the more obvious. Especially if someone (like yourself JB!) has kit built Irish six wheelers, next to british width coaches it's quite stark. To each their own, of course.

I nearly think if you're going to dish out money for a sub par product you'd be better having a go yourself. Nothing worse than spending anything in the realm of 300 quid for something thats naff. At least if its your own attempt you have nobody to blame but yourself I presume IRM will do the AEC at some point, but it does raise something I've been thinking about for quite a while. Regarding modelling in rtr, Railcars are twice as expensive to design, build, etc compared to locos. On top of this, (more so the case for later, fixed sets, I suppose for the AEC you could make the driving trailers and hitch up whatever the hell you want in between) railcars are generally significantly longer and less flexible than a loco. For smaller layouts, therefore, railcars can seem quite oversized. One of Cyril Freezers books he mentions the 'ideal' mainline train one can pull off. His suggestion was to have a standard 'baseline' set of four coaches, ideal for stopping services, suburban work, the like. For an Express/Intercity, add a dining saloon/kitchen car, for a mail train add a TPO, a sleeper train add a sleeper. So the 'maximum' was a five car train while allowing plenty of variation. I think of the full length modern railcars and can only gulp at how oversized they'd look on layouts designed to handle 'reduced' trains.

Something for 3d printing I've thought, unless IRM gets ahead of the ball. I've the Worsley kit, very much dreading the ends! Long list of to do's before I ever get to the AEC though so its a future me problem!