IRM Sings The Blues - Original Taras! (and Newer Livery too)

BosKonay · June 3, 2021

We haven't had an IRM announcement for a little while as we work to get the A Classes over the line. Now our Metrovicks are getting close to completion, we can focus on other projects.

So, we have a couple of excellent new announcements coming up over the next while. The first of which is a perfect companion to our A Class and something that's been in high demand since we sold out of them a couple of years ago; the Tara Mines wagons are back, and this time in their most iconic livery of blue with Tara branding!

The Tara Mines wagon were built by CIÉ in 1977 for Tara Mines Ltd to convey zinc and lead ore from their mine near Navan, Co. Meath to Dublin Port for export. They are still in operation today and currently represent the heaviest freight trains operated on a daily basis in Ireland.

When they first appeared on the network they sported an attractive all over blue livery with Tara branding, forming a distinctive and bright block train as CIE pumped positivity into the Irish rail freight network. Three laden trains still operate in a block formation between the mine and Dublin Port each day, with the wagons going about their business in unassuming and reliable fashion for almost 35 years.

When we launched our first run of these distinctive wagons back in late 2016 we did so in the current red oxide livery only. We were asked by many modellers if a blue liveried model would be forthcoming. It seemed pointless to provide them at that time due to a lack of quality A Class locomotives to haul them, but we did tool the original style hoods as we were already planning then to do the A's some justice in model form.

The blue Taras were almost religiously hauled by A Class locomotives between their introduction in 1977 and repainting in the early 1990s, with Supertrain, Supertrain with IR logos and IR white lined livery providing motive power during this time. The wagons themselves began to suffer due to the corrosive nature of the zinc order they hauled, with the blue fading into grey before the repainting into red oxide livery. IR branded A Classes would continue to haul the Tara's in red oxide until their withdrawal and replacement with 071 locomotives in 1995.

As per the first run of these wagons, a wealth of separately applied detail to ensure the bulky nature of these interesting wagons is captured correctly. Rotating axle hubs, kinematic couplings with NEM pockets set at the correct height and full 21mm provision has been accounted for, with sprung buffers and full brake detail present.

As well as blue livered Tara's, we're also offering packs of the later red oxide livery with all new numbers and later style hood to help modellers bolster their previous rake, or build a new one for their IR A Classes or 071 locomotives in IR, IE orange and black, black and silver and current grey livery.

There will be five different twin packs of the blue liveried wagons, each with a unique running numbers allowing you to build up an authentic rake of 10 wagons behind your IRM A Class. We are also offering three packs of these wagons in red oxide livery. All packs are being made in extremely limited numbers.

Despite rising costs in China, we are able to maintain our RRP of €79.95 per twin pack. We also know our rake deals are always popular, so we will be continuing them. You can buy all 8 packs (five blue and three red oxide) for €624.60 (saving 15%!) five blue packs for €339.79 (saving 15%!) or three red oxide packs for €215.87 (save 10%). Just add the wagons to your cart and it will be automatically deducted at the checkout for you!

Tweaks to some of the printing (including the "Tara" branding) is already underway and once this is complete manufacturing will get underway, with a Q4 2021 delivery date envisaged. You can pre-order yours by clicking here.

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