IRM Latest! The High Queens of Ireland - IRM Celebrates 10th Birthday With GSR 800s

[Galteemore]

30 minutes ago, Colin R said:

It just occurred to me that I should have asked if the Queens will convert to 21mm Gauge?

They probably can. In the same way you can fit wheels to a tomato. But it will be messy, and frustrating. You will have to rebuild it from the bottom up, and in all likelihood end up grinding away parts of the bodywork - damaging an exquisite factory finish in the process. Better off buying an SSM kit if 21mm is the plan. 

Edited 4 hours ago by Galteemore

[Flying Snail]

25 minutes ago, Colin R said:

It just occurred to me that I should have asked if the Queens will convert to 21mm Gauge?

If they could be re-gauged to 21mm, IRM/AS would have stated it in the specification/common features for the loco. They haven't stated it, so I'd be highly surprised if its possible - especially with that valve gear.

(if you take a look at the Hunslet on their web page you'll find confirmation that it can be re-gauged. No such confirmation for the 800)

Edited 4 hours ago by Flying Snail

[Mol_PMB]

7 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

They probably can. In the same way you can fit wheels to a tomato. But it will be messy, and frustrating. You will have to rebuild it from the bottom up, and in all likelihood end up grinding it away parts of the bodywork - damaging an exquisite factory finish in the process. Better off buying an SSM kit if 21mm is the plan. 

That's a wonderful mental image!

With the demise of Markits and the long delays at Ultrascale, I wonder whether this type of wheel be suitable for the 21mm gauge conversion?

 

[Westcorkrailway]

Can’t see to many people being too annoyed about lack of 21mm though. At the end of the day, as has been pointed out the SSM version is still out there. 

[Colin R]

Thanks Guys

I have spoken to IRM and cancelled my order. I will give it a few days and then place an order for an SSM kit

Colin

[Northroader]

So, I found a decent tomato, but when I started to put the wheels on it, the greengrocer come out and started hitting me…

what’s next then, lads?

[Colin R]

I think some of the smaller Irish 3ft gauge stock that could also run on 009 might be a good toe in the water exercise

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, Colin R said:

It just occurred to me that I should have asked if the Queens will convert to 21mm Gauge?

Accurascale's first RTR steam engine - the GW Manor - isn't P4-compatible, so I wouldn't expect the IRM RTR steam approach to be any different as regards 21mm.

That leaves the SSM kit. You know you want to. 

[leslie10646]

2 hours ago, Northroader said:

So, I found a decent tomato, but when I started to put the wheels on it, the greengrocer come out and started hitting me…

what’s next then, lads?

Ah, yes. A locomotive which can get to Derry, Portrush, Dublin, Cork, Tralee to name a few - not restricted to the Cork main line.

The choice by IRM seemed incomprehensible (I thought it was April the First!) until the penny dropped.

It's after the market of rich, older Englishmen who buy locos to put in a glass case .....

I await the real promised second Irish steam loco, but with the timelines stated, I'll probably be helping Drew Donaldson to run  his layout in "Another Place" before it appears.

Back to building Portadown's Island Platform.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Colin R said:

I think some of the smaller Irish 3ft gauge stock that could also run on 009 might be a good toe in the water exercise

I recall speaking with a (long defunct) small manufacturer almost forty years ago who was keen to do easy-to-make plastic kits of Irish narrow gauge to run on 12mm track.

He was considering offering a Donegal class 5, which would have been amazing.

Sadly, then as now, he did the sums and walked away…..!

 

 

[Westcorkrailway]

I don’t think 009 Irish stuff ready to run is worth it yet. Niche within a niche within a niche 

 

4 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

It's after the market of rich, older Englishmen who buy locos to put in a glass case .....

It is slightly, but to be fair if the Irish market is stagnating/slowing. Then why not try and market towards those across the pond. If anything will tempt them it’s the 800s! 

[leslie10646]

17 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

I don’t think 009 Irish stuff ready to run is worth it yet. Niche within a niche within a niche 

 

It is slightly, but to be fair if the Irish market is stagnating/slowing. Then why not try and market towards those across the pond. If anything will tempt them it’s the 800s! 

Hi WCR

You're partly right, but it's a fact that I only know about half a dozen people who have seen an 800 running, otherwise it was in the museum. Expand that to our fellow (more numerous) enthusiasts on the Big Island, and the number is vanishingly small.

One of the RPSI's CLASS representatives would have been even more attractive to those of us modelling Irish railways and they are even better known in the UK and Worldwide.

Happily, to help fill MY glass case, Accurscale has produced other attractive locos, including, dare I admit it, their diesels and electrics. I'm off to see if a Class 92 which was on sale at a really bargain price at Basingstoke remains unsold!