Irish Royalty - Park Royal Coach Next For IRM

[Ironroad]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Here ya go, perfect for those Park Royals:

https://silverfoxmodels.co.uk/ir-ie-201-class-c-class-bo-bo-metropolitan-vickers/
 

https://studio-scale-models.com/ACkit.shtml
 

Naah, let's move forward, we've gone beyond that.

[DJ Dangerous]

1 hour ago, Ironroad said:

Naah, let's move forward, we've gone beyond that.

More in transition from that to…

Who knows what, and when?

[Warbonnet]

On 19/8/2025 at 1:53 PM, Galteemore said:

Thanks @Mol_PMB - quite agree. I’m just coming at it from the perspective of a scratchbuilder and someone conscious of his own mortality An IRM C class could be 5 years off….

It's not, but it doesn't get unveiled until we sell some more ICRs, Hunslets and 800s first! 

they pay for each other which pays for the C.... 

[DJ Dangerous]

19 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

It's not, but it doesn't get unveiled until we sell some more ICRs, Hunslets and 800s first! 

they pay for each other which pays for the C.... 

 

Back to donating organs, so!

[Bob229]

1 hour ago, Warbonnet said:

It's not, but it doesn't get unveiled until we sell some more ICRs, Hunslets and 800s first! 

they pay for each other which pays for the C.... 

Will there be an update shortly on the ICRs.  Please  waiting patiently 

[Mol_PMB]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

 

Back to donating organs, so!

So, DJD, you should be encouraging me to buy Hunslets not Badgers! 
But many thanks for offering your second kidney. Are you sure you can spare it after you sold the first one? 

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

So, DJD, you should be encouraging me to buy Hunslets not Badgers! 
But many thanks for offering your second kidney. Are you sure you can spare it after you sold the first one? 

Dialysis has never been such fun.

[Warbonnet]

15 hours ago, Bob229 said:

Will there be an update shortly on the ICRs.  Please  waiting patiently 

Hi Bob,

There will in the coming weeks. It's been a most painful process but headway has finally been made. 

Apologies to everyone waiting on this, but we are working hard to deliver what will be a top drawer model not seen in OO gauge before when it comes to tech.

Thanks,

Fran 

[DJ Dangerous]

15 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

So, DJD, you should be encouraging me to buy Hunslets not Badgers! 
But many thanks for offering your second kidney. Are you sure you can spare it after you sold the first one? 

Don’t you mean that I should be…

badgering…

you into buying more Hunslets?

3 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi Bob,

There will in the coming weeks. It's been a most painful process but headway has finally been made. 

Apologies to everyone waiting on this, but we are working hard to deliver what will be a top drawer model not seen in OO gauge before when it comes to tech.

Thanks,

Fran 

Yes!!!!!

[Bob229]

1 hour ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi Bob,

There will in the coming weeks. It's been a most painful process but headway has finally been made. 

Apologies to everyone waiting on this, but we are working hard to deliver what will be a top drawer model not seen in OO gauge before when it comes to tech.

Thanks,

Fran 

Hi Fran

 

Thanks for the update, it sounds like it has been a difficult project but looking forward to a fine model

 

Best regards 

Bob

[mfjoc]

On 20/8/2025 at 6:15 PM, Mol_PMB said:

For me, the Hunslets and the 800s have much less appeal than the C class (I have ordered a Hunslet though). There were only 3 of each and they had a very restricted operational range, both in geography and time.

The C class, if we include the MV class and the preserved examples, cover 70 years, there were over ten times as many of them, and a dozen different liveries. During the course of their lives they worked all over Ireland - Valentia Harbour - Ballina - Derry - Bangor - Howth - Rosslare - Dungarvan - Youghal - Skibbereen and everywhere in between. Surely these would sell? And a lot of the complex shape and details have already been worked out for the A class models. The mechanism and bogies could be closely based on the Hunslets.

Not immediately, for sure, but I really hope they do appear. Sign me up for at least 4 of them.

Sorry Fran

I feel exactly the same. I have ordered one Hunslet with sound but I can't justify either an 800 class or ICR as I want my models to operate on my 1980's layout, not sit on a shelf. I too will order at least four C class locos when they eventually appear.

[Ironroad]

50 minutes ago, mfjoc said:

Sorry Fran

I feel exactly the same. I have ordered one Hunslet with sound but I can't justify either an 800 class or ICR as I want my models to operate on my 1980's layout, not sit on a shelf. I too will order at least four C class locos when they eventually appear.

Unfortunately the reality seems to be that a C Class is conditional on the sales of ICRs  Hunlets and 800s and from a business perspective I can understand that. 

So maybe give this a second thought, the Hunslets did run in the '80's.  The 800 is an iconic must have for anyone interested in Irish Railways,and a show piece even in a display case.  And while the ICR is very modern it looks and promises to be fabulous and it seems to me regardless as to the period of a layout, all you have to do is park all those models of older trains out of sight and run a liner freight train and an ICR and bingo it's 2010.

[jhb171achill]

My layout is very strictly set in the 1955-75 period, but I think I'll probably end up with an ICR set anyway, as they look so very good! 

I wound echo, though, the usefulness of a "C" class, and also, as a seperate issue, an NIR 80 class set and NCC "Jeep", for the clearly (and justifiably) growing interest levels in UTA & NIR.

With my livery interest, I can think of at least twelve liveries for a "C"...........

Edited August 22 by jhb171achill

[Mayner]

What a dilemma Accurascale have three Irish locos/'powered units" at the tooling/production stage and Irish modellers are concerned that Accurascale may not release a rtr model of a C Class (the only remaining gap in the CIE mixed traffic diesel fleet) within the next 5 years. 

Interestingly Accurascales production of prestigious one off or small classes of express passenger locos restricted to particular routes like the Class 89, Hunslet and the GSR 800 Class idicate that modellers/collectors may be guided by emotion rather than practicality in buying locos and producing relatively rare prestigious locos may potentially be more profitable than the more hundrum examples, though Accurascale seem to be doing nicely producing large runs of locos like the Class 37 & 31 duplicate by other manufacturers, but may not apply to the much smaller Irish market.

While I had already pre-ordered an ICR and was mighty tempted by a Hunslet (got that Wow factor when I first saw the new NIR Enterprise set at Amiens St about 56 years ago) I am in my late 60s & not getting any younger and decided to cut back on my collecting, passing go on a Hunslet and cancel the IRC. While I purged my collection of British Outline and American Outline On30 & HO about 15 years ago I still have to make a decision on the future of my collection of American N though could come in useful if/when we have to downsize to a smaller home or God fogive a "Retirement Village"

 

[leslie10646]

I know the feeling, John, I've been selling off my King and Country vehicles and soldiers because the family won't want them and I'm now convinced that WW2 should not have happened (or WW1, for that matter). At a 50% profit usually and I've had ten year's looking at them. Principally, to make room for more locomotives in my display case - mainly Modern European ones I like and have travelled behind, bought from eBay at "a good price".

Like you, I admire "The Lads" efforts but when all's said and done, I'm in my eightieth year. So no "800" (a crazy choice in my book, but will sell for folk who want another glass cabinet model) or ICR - fine units that they are - and the models will be -  they have no place on a fifties layout.

All that said, there are three Irish locos on order, as I subscribe quite heavily to @Old Blarney's excellent dictum -"It's my layout and I'll run what I like on it!

Very astute philosopher, is our Mr White!

Edited August 23 by leslie10646

[Wexford70]

Nice Park Royal in what looks like dark green, Dun Laoghaire 1959 from Facebook 

[jhb171achill]

Interesting to see the way the black on the roof is carried round the top of the coach end....

[Mol_PMB]

2 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Interesting to see the way the black on the roof is carried round the top of the coach end....

There are several photos apparently showing this. I haven’t quite got to the bottom of it - is it painting or cleaning? 

[flange lubricator]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

Edited August 24 by flange lubricator

[jhb171achill]

47 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

There are several photos apparently showing this. I haven’t quite got to the bottom of it - is it painting or cleaning? 

Painting. I've seen clearer images.

[Mol_PMB]

 ?

[BosKonay]

57 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

 ?

As is says, we have a detailed update and fresh photos and production samples to share very shortly, and we still expect delivery this year. 

[DJ Dangerous]

53 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

As is says, we have a detailed update and fresh photos and production samples to share very shortly, and we still expect delivery this year. 

Don't worry, @BosKonay, @Mol_PMB actually meant to post in the 22000 thread, not this one, as the 22000's are nail-bitingly anticipated.

[Warbonnet]

Hi folks,

Been a long time coming (we know!) but we will FINALLY have some positive and exciting news on our Park Royal coaches next week, with news on the ICRs to follow in a couple of weeks time.

We really appreciate the patience you have all shown regarding these projects, and they have challenged us for different reasons. 

More to be revealed next week.

Cheers!

Fran 

[murphaph]

Quick question about the green ones....would these have been seen passing through Kildare or were they confined to the Dublin suburban network around 1960?

[Mol_PMB]

9 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Quick question about the green ones....would these have been seen passing through Kildare or were they confined to the Dublin suburban network around 1960?

They were everywhere, even in green. These examples are from my AEC railcar trailers thread but they could be seen in loco-hauled trains too. By no means limited to suburban services.

Ennis on a Sligo-Limerick service:

Westport:

GJH_CIE_AEC_Westport_08_Aug_1958 | [Photographer: Graham J H… | Flickr

Cork Albert Quay:

 

[Mol_PMB]

Also from Ernie, an example of green Park Royals in a loco-hauled train that is surely going to pass Kildare:

 

[DJ Dangerous]

3 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi folks,

Been a long time coming (we know!) but we will FINALLY have some positive and exciting news on our Park Royal coaches next week, with news on the ICRs to follow in a couple of weeks time.

We really appreciate the patience you have all shown regarding these projects, and they have challenged us for different reasons. 

More to be revealed next week.

Cheers!

Fran 

Park Royal and 22000 updates all at once? Is it Christmas?

[Mol_PMB]

1 hour ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Park Royal and 22000 updates all at once? Is it Christmas?

No, that would be actual deliveries. I wonder which Christmas we'll have them by?

[Horsetan]

8 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

No, that would be actual deliveries. I wonder which Christmas we'll have them by?

I seem to have one green one and one B&T one on order, supposedly both preserved examples.

[Mol_PMB]

2 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

I seem to have one green one and one B&T one on order, supposedly both preserved examples.

I've got 5 on order, and I think I will order another 2. But I would like to see the update to help me choose which. 

But I'm about to go on hols for a couple of weeks so will have to be patient until I get back.

[Horsetan]

Just now, Mol_PMB said:

I've got 5 on order, and I think I will order another 2. But I would like to see the update to help me choose which. 

But I'm about to go on hols for a couple of weeks so will have to be patient until I get back.

Hopefully the bogies will be available as spares, just as with the Mk2s. 

[Patrick Davey]

4 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi folks,

Been a long time coming (we know!) but we will FINALLY have some positive and exciting news on our Park Royal coaches next week, with news on the ICRs to follow in a couple of weeks time.

We really appreciate the patience you have all shown regarding these projects, and they have challenged us for different reasons. 

More to be revealed next week.

Cheers!

Fran 

Thanks Fran - always worth the wait!  Looking forward to the update.

[Mol_PMB]

10 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

Hopefully the bogies will be available as spares, just as with the Mk2s. 

I hope so too, I have asked, but they were unable to confirm if it would be possible.

I've been thinking about this, and many of the vehicles I might want to put the bogies under could also use the underframe and the roof from the Park Royals. So I'm thinking of getting a couple to be stripped as parts donors - ideally a few cheap 'mis-shapes' but I don't know if such things exist. However, a few extra bogies would be extremely useful for many projects. 

I expect that some of mine will end up being partially repainted too. 

 

Edit:

Incidentally I was looking back at my orders placed in October/November 2024, and the update email sent by IRM on 7/11/2024. That email had more pictures than the update posted on the website on 25/10/2024. I'm not sure we've had much since then!

 

Edited September 24 by Mol_PMB

[Flying Snail]

12 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

I hope so too, I have asked, but they were unable to confirm if it would be possible.

I've been thinking about this, and many of the vehicles I might want to put the bogies under could also use the underframe and the roof from the Park Royals. So I'm thinking of getting a couple to be stripped as parts donors - ideally a few cheap 'mis-shapes' but I don't know if such things exist. However, a few extra bogies would be extremely useful for many projects. 

I expect that some of mine will end up being partially repainted too. 

Well there were the 'Dicky' Taras .. so you never know, you might get lucky (which would require IRM to get unlucky) but I wouldn't bet on it 

Edited September 24 by Flying Snail