IRM Latest! A Palvan Is Your Only Man - CIE Bulleid Palvans Next For Accurascale IRM!

[Warbonnet]

Our "Project Bulleid" has seen us deliver a plethora of humble wagon types which, while resembling their British counterparts, were uniquely Irish in both style and design. Perfect for your A, C, 121, 141, and 181 class locomotives, they recreate the iconic Irish goods trains of the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and into the 80s.

Now, we are delighted to reveal the final wagon in this line-up: the Bulleid Palvans!

History

The triangulated underframe design pioneered by Oliver Bulleid and his draughtsman Lionel Lynes, while serving as Chief Mechanical Engineer (CME) of the Southern Railway in England, provided the basis for an entire generation of passenger and freight rolling stock later utilised by Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) after Bulleid took up the post of CME at Inchicore in 1950.

Bulleid adapted the short, two-axle version of the underframe to create a standardised fleet of goods wagons—open wagons, fuel oil tanks, bulk grain wagons, and van variants. While most entered service in the early 1950s, the final iteration appeared only in 1963, five years after Bulleid’s retirement.

As palletised shipments became increasingly common, CIÉ required wagons capable of handling this new type of freight. While bogie wagons suitable for sundries, bagged cement, and other traffic were already on the drawing board, an interim solution was needed. The result was the 12-ton Pallet Van, based on the standard triangulated wagon chassis. This development of the traditional van wagon featured offset sliding doors wide enough for pallet loading by forklift.

The Pallet Vans quickly spread throughout the network. Often seen alongside H Vans, they carried both traditional hand-loaded freight and palletised goods. They were also used to transport tools and machinery from Inchicore to depots around the network for on-site repairs, and some were even assigned to short-distance mail workings between Dún Laoghaire and Connolly Station.

In service, they frequently appeared in mixed goods trains on both main and branch lines, becoming a familiar sight in sidings and yards across the country.

However, as a stop-gap measure, their working lives were destined to be relatively short. Within 10 years, block trains of continuously-braked bogie wagons began to displace them. A dwindling number soldiered on into the late 1970s and early 1980s, when CIÉ finally ceased operating unfitted goods trains.

The Model

Built on the Bulleid triangulated platform first introduced with our Bulleid Opens, the Palvan shares the same underframe as the prototype. We’ve also replicated detail differences—including variations in door and end designs—reflecting the material shortages faced during the original builds.

With 499 Palvans constructed in reality, we have created six different packs that capture these variations, available in both grey and red oxide liveries.

These vans are now in production and due in stock in Q1 2026. Priced at £109.95/€129.95, with our famous discount bundles available for multiple packs, they represent excellent value for money while delivering prototypical, accurate Irish design.

Pre-order yours today, direct from the Accurascale website below!

Pre-Order Your Palvans Here!

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[meathdane]

Yikes! Painful year on the wallet, gonna need a pack or two of them

[Tractionman]

excellent, I never did start building the kit!

great to see these

cheers,

Keith

 

[RedRich]

They look the business. I'll definitely be having some. Not my era but I can't resist them.

[DJ Dangerous]

What if somebody doesn’t have an A Class or C Class, and is allergic to 121’s, 141’s and 181’s?

Is there a surprise in store for them?

The Palvans look super!

[murphaph]

When was the last palvan scrapped? I don't suppose any were knocking about in Inchicore into the 90's?

[DonderBlitzen]

They look great. I'm trying to pre order but can't see the partial.ly option anywhere. Is it because of they are due in January therefore the time period is too short? I used it for the cement bubbles without issue.

[Westcorkrailway]

10 minutes ago, murphaph said:

When was the last palvan scrapped? I don't suppose any were knocking about in Inchicore into the 90's?

Think I’ve seen at least one body still existing somehere 

[DJ Dangerous]

14 minutes ago, murphaph said:

When was the last palvan scrapped? I don't suppose any were knocking about in Inchicore into the 90's?

I’m sure you’ll find an excuse to justify five or ten packs.

 

11 minutes ago, DonderBlitzen said:

They look great. I'm trying to pre order but can't see the partial.ly option anywhere. Is it because of they are due in January therefore the time period is too short? I used it for the cement bubbles without issue.

I’m open to correction, here, but I’m almost sure that @BosKonay said previously that partial.ly was only available on the IRM website, not the A/S site.

You can order these with no payment required up front from the A/S website.

[DonderBlitzen]

Cheers, that would make sense. The website switch over must not have happened when I ordered the cement bubbles, didn't realise that was 6 months ago, seems like yesterday.

[MOGUL]

30 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Think I’ve seen at least one body still existing somehere 

There was the skeletal remains of one dumped in the Boston sidings in Pearse well into the 90s.. The picture was shared on here not too long ago, I have a feeling by @Mol_PMBbut I can't locate it just at the moment.. 

 

Ah, here we go, Page 3 of the H van thread

 

Edited yesterday at 15:25 by MOGUL
Found it

[Ironroad]

There are two different end panels on these models, can anyone shed light on this, thank you

[DJ Dangerous]

2 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

We’ve also replicated detail differences—including variations in door and end designs—reflecting the material shortages faced during the original builds.

This could be it, @Ironroad?

 

3 minutes ago, Ironroad said:

There are two different end panels on these models, can anyone shed light on this, thank you

 

[Ironroad]

OK, and perhaps I'm missing something but it'not clear to me which variations are contained in each pack and some elaboration on the time frame of each variation would be helpful.

[GSR 800]

Something I spotted down by the gantry crane while walking the canal at Mullingar, looks to be a Palvan?

 

[DJ Dangerous]

15 minutes ago, Ironroad said:

OK, and perhaps I'm missing something but it'not clear to me which variations are contained in each pack and some elaboration on the time frame of each variation would be helpful.

In the descriptions of each pack, it breaks down the detail.

For example, Brown Pack 1 says:

Quote

26070, Corrugated ends and flush sided doors

- 26083, Corrugated ends and flush sided doors

- 26123, Corrugated ends and flush sided doors

I’m sure that @jhb171achill can tell us the precise day, hour and minute of the change from sixties grey to seventies brown.

[flange lubricator]

19 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

Something I spotted down by the gantry crane while walking the canal at Mullingar, looks to be a Palvan?

 

That is still there its the one that the RPSI used as there tool an for many years , it was set on fire at some point but the underframe and frame is intact it would be great if it was kept . 

[Garfield]

Re. the different ends, a shortage of the pressed metal ends resulted in the variation. It was easier to crack on with a different type rather than delay production. Similar story with the two patterns of doors used, too.

The ex-RPSI example was surveyed as part of the project while it was still located adjacent to the engine shed in Mullingar. I believe it has since been transferred to Maam Cross...

[Warbonnet]

2 hours ago, DonderBlitzen said:

They look great. I'm trying to pre order but can't see the partial.ly option anywhere. Is it because of they are due in January therefore the time period is too short? I used it for the cement bubbles without issue.

Hi @DonderBlitzen,

Shopify (who provide our website software) advised us last week that they will no longer offer the partially plug in, so sadly we cannot currently offer it as a payment option. We are currently looking into alternatives.

Any existing partially plan will be honoured, so no need for anyone to worry, but we cannot offer new plans for new orders at this time.

Cheers!

Fran 

[DonderBlitzen]

3 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi @DonderBlitzen,

Shopify (who provide our website software) advised us last week that they will no longer offer the partially plug in, so sadly we cannot currently offer it as a payment option. We are currently looking into alternatives.

Any existing partially plan will be honoured, so no need for anyone to worry, but we cannot offer new plans for new orders at this time.

Cheers!

Fran 

Thanks for the clarification. It was a handy option to have available.

[Flying Snail]

4 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Our "Project Bulleid" has seen us deliver a plethora of humble wagon types which, while resembling their British counterparts, were uniquely Irish in both style and design. Perfect for your A, C, 121, 141, and 181 class locomotives, ....

 

2 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

What if somebody doesn’t have an A Class or C Class, and is allergic to 121’s, 141’s and 181’s?

Is there a surprise in store for them?

This jumped out at me too!! 

There must be something coming down the line .. lets 'see'  

[Ironroad]

23 minutes ago, Garfield said:

Re. the different ends, a shortage of the pressed metal ends resulted in the variation. It was easier to crack on with a different type rather than delay production. Similar story with the two patterns of doors used, too.

The ex-RPSI example was surveyed as part of the project while it was still located adjacent to the engine shed in Mullingar. I believe it has since been transferred to Maam Cross...

So following the logic of the numbering of the variations being offered.

Packs one in either grey or brown livery in the range 26001-26123 with corrugated ends and flush sided doors, represent the first iteration.

Packs three, in either grey or brown livery in the range 26185 - 26208 with corrugated end and panelled doors, represent the second iteration.

Packs two in either grey or brown livery in the range 26381 - 26487 with cross braced ends and flush sided doors represent the third iteration.  These packs also include a fourth iteration as some of the later wagons had VAC pipes, in model form these are 26405 & 26430 in grey and 26422 in brown. However the latest running number 26487 in brown is not described as having vac pipes, is this correct?

[Westcorkrailway]

1 hour ago, GSR 800 said:

Something I spotted down by the gantry crane while walking the canal at Mullingar, looks to be a Palvan?

 

Aha, that’s what I was thinking of. certainly looks like a pallet van, open to correction

[GSR 800]

1 hour ago, Garfield said:

Re. the different ends, a shortage of the pressed metal ends resulted in the variation. It was easier to crack on with a different type rather than delay production. Similar story with the two patterns of doors used, too.

The ex-RPSI example was surveyed as part of the project while it was still located adjacent to the engine shed in Mullingar. I believe it has since been transferred to Maam Cross...

Do you know when it was moved?

This was much further down from the engine shed, by the gantry. Took it in June or July.

[Sean]

1 hour ago, Warbonnet said:

Hi @DonderBlitzen,

Shopify (who provide our website software) advised us last week that they will no longer offer the partially plug in, so sadly we cannot currently offer it as a payment option. We are currently looking into alternatives.

Any existing partially plan will be honoured, so no need for anyone to worry, but we cannot offer new plans for new orders at this time.

Cheers!

Fran 

Klarna please.

 

RUIN MY LIFE 

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

In the descriptions of each pack, it breaks down the detail.

For example, Brown Pack 1 says:

I’m sure that @jhb171achill can tell us the precise day, hour and minute of the change from sixties grey to seventies brown.

The brown livery started appearing about 1970; precise date of first one is not recorded anywhere. However, even six years later when the last loose-coupled goods train ran, a good quarter of the wagon fleet overall were still grey. As late as 1975 I saw a "H" van at Ballina in the Crossoolina siding still with a "flying snail", thus, it hadn't seen a paint brush since 1963. It's quite possible it was satill carrying its first and only coat of paint.

You can practically date a photo - all grey is pre-1970. Early seventies, and a very occasional pristine brown one. gradually, 1973 its maybe 50 / 50, and by '76 only an occasional grey one.

[murphaph]

Are there any pics of the RPSI tool van one? If one was to model it, which pack would be the best choice?

[Irishrailwayman]

58 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

The brown livery started appearing about 1970; precise date of first one is not recorded anywhere. However, even six years later when the last loose-coupled goods train ran, a good quarter of the wagon fleet overall were still grey. As late as 1975 I saw a "H" van at Ballina in the Crossoolina siding still with a "flying snail", thus, it hadn't seen a paint brush since 1963. It's quite possible it was satill carrying its first and only coat of paint.

You can practically date a photo - all grey is pre-1970. Early seventies, and a very occasional pristine brown one. gradually, 1973 its maybe 50 / 50, and by '76 only an occasional grey one.

Q: should the roofs of the brown vans not also be brown?

[DJ Dangerous]

15 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

 

This jumped out at me too!! 

There must be something coming down the line .. lets 'see'  

 

Or let's "C"???

 

12 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

...precise date of first one is not recorded anywhere.

 

 

[jhb171achill]

23 hours ago, Irishrailwayman said:

Q: should the roofs of the brown vans not also be brown?

Yes and no.

My own recollections, and those of others, are of all-over spray. I certainly saw H vans, palvans, and also on one occasion one of those outside-horizontal-planked GSR vans newly painted, and they had brown roofs. However photo evidence shows up very clearly what is one of three possible things:

1. Wagon resprayed brown, but not the roof. Unlikely but possible.

2. Some wagons WITH grey roofs - though a lot darker than in the artists' impression of the model.

3. Possibly painted brown, but weathered so badly (like CIE grey or CIE green steam engines, red CDR loco domes and blue GNR domes) that it was impossible to tell what actual paint colour was under the dirt. 

(2) and (3) are the most likely, but all-brown was very definitelt there too - I saw it myself.

I'll be ordering some, as they look amazing. When I do, I will take a very deep breath and try to pluck up courage to get them weathered. The roof will be first!

IN traffic, the rich brown tended to "flatten" quite quickly. The heavy marine ply the sides were made of didn't take well to weathering.