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Twenty or so years ago I decided to build a model of the NIR Railbus. As the real railbus was built using Leyland National bus parts, I purchased two Tower Models Leyland National bus kits, one red London Transport, one green London Country. I looked closely at the bus kits, and decided that there were not enough windows of the right size to build the railbus, so the project was shelved, and the kits consigned to the junk box. More recently, while having a sort out, I came across the unbuilt kits, now robbed of parts for other road vehicles, and decided it was time to dispose of them. However, it suddenly came to me that the BREL Pacer was a development of the railbus, and it too used Leyland National bus parts. A quick check revealed that the Hornby Pacer had windows of the correct size, but it would require two bodies to give the correct number of windows for the railbus. Two bodies were obtained and examined. Sure enough, with a bit of cut and shut, the two sides could be produced for the railbus. However, the roof profile was totally incorrect, and was too wide. It was decided to make up the sides only from the Pacer bodies, and use the roofs from the bus kits, suitably shortened and spliced together, plus the two front ends. Apart from the doors, the Pacer sides were not deep enough, so plastic strip was used to extend the depth of the sides. All the parts were assembled, but the bus roof heating units were not correct for the railbus. The Pacer one was, so one unit was removed from a Pacer roof, and fitted to the railbus. It was also discovered that the Pacer doors were not the correct pattern for the railbus, so the Pacer doors were removed, and those from the kits were spliced in instead. The pictures show the origins of parts. Red or green parts are from the bus kits, orange or brown are from the Pacer bodies, and white is additional plastic, except for the white line above the windows which was part of the Pacer livery. The Pacer underframe was totally unsuitable for the railbus, except for the axleboxes, so these were cut out, and along with black plasticard, and white plastic strip, used to build the railbus underframe. Motorising was the most difficult bit, as I did not want anything protruding into the passenger compartment, so everything had to fit below the floor. Four different transmission systems were tried, driving one axle, and eventually one was found that was not too fast, slow or noisy. A small Mashima motor and flywheel powers the railbus. Hornby Deltic wheels were used with a three point suspension system to ensure the best possible contact with the rails. The Deltic wheels were used as they are plated and stay clean longer, they also have a wider tyre which makes for smoother running through point frogs, and the flange is slightly coarser than Jackson Romford wheels which helps such a long wheelbase vehicle negotiate sharp curves. A sound decoder has been fitted, again below the floor, but the speaker is fitted inside the roof. Connection to the decoder is by phosphor bronze strip fitted to the inside of a window pillar on each side. It is thin enough and narrow enough to allow the glazing units to be fitted over it, so no wires within the passenger compartment. Thin wires connect the top of the strips to the speaker, and the decoder is attached to the bottom. The sound is generic, having been taken from the ESU website and modified to be acceptable in conjunction with video footage taken of the railbus on the DCDR, in other words, sounds like a bus. Holes have been made in the railbus ends for red tail lights and white headlights, still to be fitted. The interior is made up using plasticard and the seats from the bus kits. All during the construction and testing, something bugged me about the ends of the railbus, but I could not figure out what it was. Only when it came to painting did I realise what it was. There were two versions of the Leyland National bus, the Mk1 and the Mk2. They both had similar, but different front ends, and the railbus used the Mk2 front. My bus kits were Mk1. I don’t know if Tower Models ever produced a Mk2 bus kit, but I certainly was not going to undo the work already done. Painting was done using my concoction for NIR light grey all over, and then after masking, my concoction of NIR light blue, followed by the orange panel, all sprayed. The black on the ends was masked and brush painted. Decals were made up on a PC and printed on to clear decal paper. To finish the railbus, glazing and lights need to be fitted, and the underframe completed.
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Signing up, as a first step to doing something really. I need a safer pastime so have alighted upon railway modelling, something I had a brief interest in as a child, two HO 'Jouef for Playcraft' trainsets then a couple of years of Railway Modeller/Model Railway Constructor, all now up in the loft. Inspired by memories of travelling by train in Ireland from the 60s onwards, mainly Belfast/Larne ports to Derry but once Dún Laoghaire to Sligo in 1972*, the flat-faced NIR Class 70 and the frowning CIE C Class sum it all up for me. So I have an inkling for an impressionist NIR, ex-NCC, precast concrete, somersault signalled, unfenced, Italianate demolished, Larne line type halt - simple offset loop with siding with a desultory NIR Class 70/104 railcar/freight operation, hulking spoil wagons, Pandoro containers and corrugated RUC station backdrop on something like a 6x1 baseboard. More 80s than 70s, more container flats and cement bubbles than brown vans and ex-carriage underframes, more green corrugated than grey... Impressionist because this may never have actually happened, the product of an overnight traveller’s lack of sleep. Let’s call it Ballyshane NIR. *black crockery in the buffet car, now there’s a detail for you!
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For sale I have MM NIR 111,112 and 113 all boxed and never run. Selling for €150 each or can do a deal of €420 for the 3 locos together. Also for sale I have MM 210 River Ern fitted with the MM DCC sound chip. Selling for €150.
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Hi , Well Santa was kind with a new book, Irish Railway Rambler by Micheal McMahon from Colourpoint`s fine stable! ISBN 978-1-78073-075-2. A great set of pics and extended captions with good pics to help modellers. I have now read it fairly well twice and to my untrained view a good read and worth my 16 earth pounds - other currencies available ! Robert
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Some Photos of the GM EMD Class 111 from a private depot tour 8113 8111 8113 Image of 112 too large
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On Saturday the 27/09/2014 at 1400, trailer car No. 788 arrived into Downpatrick On Sunday the 28/09/2014 at 1545, power car No. 458 arrived into Downpatrick More pictures can be found at: flickr.com/tonybonneybatrainphotos
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Railtec Transfers: new releases (NIR CAF 4000)
railtec-transfers posted a topic in Railtec Transfers
Folks, we've just released a pack for the NIR CAF 4000 DMU: 4mm-5714: NIR CAF 4000 DMU pack These can be purchased by following this link. A huge thanks to all for your continued support! More packs to follow very shortly...
