NIR 80 Class DEMU

[Dunluce Castle]

Wow, a 70 class, I can't wait to see this, it's going to be fantastic.

[Sulzer201]

The 80 class is superb 33lima and I would love one in the future myself when you get a bit of spare time.

[33lima]

The 80 class is superb 33lima and I would love one in the future myself when you get a bit of spare time.

 

You're on the list, if you're still interested when I get the time!

[Kirley]

It just got better and better. Great finish, looking forward to seeing in run in the "West".

[33lima]

OK a few more pics showing the cars now all flush-glazed, again using a combination of the trusty SE Finescast set for the Hornby Mk2a and Glenderg's CD cover method. In most cases, the latter were stuck to thin acetate 'backing' with Humbrol Clearfix and fitted from inside, but for the driving trailer cab front window, this was bevelled at the edges and when fitting snugly, push-fitted from the front and secured with varnish applied from the rear.

 

The jumper cables have now been refitted to the driving tailer cab front and a plasticard strip wiper fitted to the window. NIR logos had previously been brush-painted onto the cab sides as per the motor car (except they are the larger size on both sides). The short length of Trimline that carries around the curve at the coach ends tends to lift for lack of length on the far side of the curve but some carefully-applied Clearfix (which has the advantage that paintwork isn't ruined if you have to wipe off excess) dealt with this, where it was happening.

 

I now need to do the odd bit of paintwork like flat varnishing the roofs and another coat of yellow on the corridor connection cover, plus re-fit and paint white the remaining grab handles. Plus I need to fit a coupling to the power car's trailing bogie, apply its cab-front number, and sort a few other minor details. Nearly done at last - it'll have taken about three months all told, perhaps a month longer than my first set in the early 1990s, also pictured below (in red and cream 'suburban' sector livery) beside the second one also from that time, though the first one didn't get flush-glazed and neither got any buffer-beam detail.

 

 

[Dunluce Castle]

The work that you have done is absolutely beautiful, well done sir, you've captured the look perfectly.

The livery is gorgeous and the hand painted NIR logo is amazing,

Could look at those photos all day,

[Train model]

I am sitting and watching all day

[33lima]

OK, we're about done now, just some odds and ends which I'll finish over the weekend, including a trial run as a set.

 

A coupling loop was fitted to the rear of the ex-HST rear bogie on the power car; this was made from a loop of piano wire with a strip folded from thin sheet brass cyano-ed to the outer loop to prevent it riding over the next coupling when running driving trailer first. I also made cosmetic overlays for this bogie from sheet and strip plasticard.

 

Roofs of all cars have been matt varnished (likely to get another coat once it's fully dried) and the insides of the two toilet windows have been painted white. Pipes on the buffer beams under the cabs were painted dark grey to lift them a bit against the black.

 

All being well, she should be be on its way to Galway on Monday, Michael!

[Train model]

I'll start the party better make more space in my attic Ivor

Thanks a million

[Dunluce Castle]

She looks absolutely superb, well done mate.

 

Great choice of wallpaper, the famous BF ME109s

[BosKonay]

An absolutely beautiful execution!! Lovely work!

[David Holman]

Not easy & beautifully done!

[Kirley]

A tidy model, looking forward to seeing a video of it running in the West!

Now that's that out of the way what's next Ivor?

[scahalane]

I have good memories of this loco. The first time I saw one was at Cobh Junction sometime in '87 as a student traveling up and down to Cobh. She had replaced the regular a class and cravens, and I thought to myself what was this noisy beast maroon and cream chucking towards me. She continuously sounded as if on the point of breakdown, but had lovely heated vents for your feet which was a blessing on a cold winters morning. A couple of years later I again came acquainted with her as a regular passenger while living in Belfast and working in Lurgan. She was fairly robust and survived many a good stoning on the way into Lurgan.

You have captured the look and feel of her very well, and although very much on the long finger I hope to build one myself someday!

[NIRCLASS80]

Great Model, the only small point is number 88 was wrecked in the early 1980's so sadly never lasted until this paint scheme was introduced. Numbers 94 to 99 would be fine.

 

But it is a great model and possibly the best 80 I have seen.

[Train model]

A tidy model, looking forward to seeing a video of it running in the West!

Now that's that out of the way what's next Ivor?

I hope it's either a well deserved break or a class 70

[Sulzer201]

You're on the list, if you're still interested when I get the time!

 

Thank you very much and I'm delighted to be on the list for one of these models.

[33lima]

Great Model, the only small point is number 88 was wrecked in the early 1980's so sadly never lasted until this paint scheme was introduced. Numbers 94 to 99 would be fine.

 

But it is a great model and possibly the best 80 I have seen.

 

Whoops, mis-read my 'Irish Railways Traction & Travel' which as you say shows 88 as withdrawn in 1983 and scrapped in 1988. Power car now re-numbered to ex-suburban car 89, saves having to worry about the nameplates 94-99 carried! Earlier numbers than 94 are ok, as the set is in the post-sectorisation blue & grey, with no 'Intercity' lettering and some other subtle variations.

 

 

...and yes Nelson, well spotted, my PC's current wallpaper is a Bf109, my favourite the 'Gustav' (G6 version), from IL-2+Dark Blue World. But I digress!

[Dunluce Castle]

Fantastic photos.

The mix of livery's all in 1 rake looks very interesting, much better than the CAFs.

Is the 1st photo taken at carnalea? I was up the other day filming the sandite.

 

Edit: Wow, just looking at these pics and listening to the sandite running outside there now at 11pm, all the way from bangor to carnalea is just amazing. Makes me sad that they've all (apart form sandite) have been scraped.

Edited November 29, 2013 by Dunluce Castle

[33lima]

Test run completed; if she'll run on track I've laid, she'll run on anything, hopefully

 

 

[heirflick]

beautiful models Lima - the cream and red livery is stunning!

[Dunluce Castle]

They are absolutely fantastic and sound amazing as well, well done

[Hunslet 102]

Ivor,the finished 80 class is just stunning,perfectly captured,well done.

 

Nelson-good you are getting footage of the last 80 classes,hopefully one set will be preserved for the future unlike all the other railcar sets I grew up with,AECs,BUTs,MEDs,MPDs and 70s,none of which survived.

[33lima]

Just about done now. I added some thin plasticard under the power car's rear bogie mount to lift that end a little, more level with the next car. I replaced the red diamond on the driving trailer corridor connection cover with a larger one, as the original was a bit small. The little white italic NIR logos were added to the black lining, two each side. They are not very neat, having been applied with a home-made 'mini-brush' made by slicing about 2 mm down into the end of a matchstick, prising the halves apart slightly, then inserting between these 'jaws' a single bristle from an unused shoebrush and then super-glueing them shut to grip the bristle. Quite clever, I thought, but alas not that successful; or maybe my hands are less steady than 20 years ago. Anyway I didn't attempt to add the car numbers! But the power car's cab front number has been changed from 88 to 89. Don't worry Michael, what looks like a scratch on the front blue panel is just a hair or fibre that I didn't notice when taking the pic!

 

[Dunluce Castle]

Absolutely fantastic, your models in front of that superb signal box, captures the UTA/NIR look perfectly.

You must be very proud.

[33lima]

Right - the model is finally complete, the last acts being to put a dab of varnish over the little white italic NIR side logos and to fill a couple of voids under the power car underframe with a bit of extra ballast (fire clay of all things; more maleable than plasticine and quite heavy).

 

Two details I didn't get quite right are that I think the roof cowls at the rear of the power car should have a slightly bigger gap between them; and the toilet windows on the centre-door trailers I chose to model should have a slightly higher lower frame, above the level of the other windows. Next time...!

 

To finish off this thread at last, I thought I'd indulge myself by uploading a set of pics I took earlier today, that I won't be able to take again, after the set is boxed up for despatch - the new set, alongside the two I made in the early 1990s. I still think that the grey-blue and cream-red liveries these sets wore back in those days are the most attractive they ever carried, before or since. I'm rather glad that I made, and have now repeated, this effort at preserving in model form the appearance of these units in their heyday. One day, I hope to travel again on a real set that has escaped the cutter's torch and made it back into passenger-carrying service in preservation. I'll end with a warm 'thank you!' to everybody who's followed this thread and especially those who've made such kind comments. And to TrainModel, whose infectious enthusiasm was the real inspiration behind this project - thanks, Michael!

 

[Dunluce Castle]

Absolutely fantastic, well done mate

[jhb171achill]

Stunning!

[David Holman]

Just list all the other superlatives - beautiful models.

Hated DMUs when they replaced steam, but they make such attractive models now...

[Train model]

Hi Ivor you should get a picture or video of a 4 car set with 2 driving cars at each end before they go west

[RedRich]

Having watched this from the beginning it is fantastic to see the finished model. It is one of the most unique model builds that I have seen in a long while. Huge respect to you and well done. All the hard work has paid off.

 

Rich,

[33lima]

Hi Ivor you should get a picture or video of a 4 car set with 2 driving cars at each end before they go west

 

Too late Michael - she's all wrapped up, next stop, Galway!

[popeye]

They all look fantastic and great pictures. I hope to build one of these sometime in the future and this will be a great help. A great thread many thanks for

sharing your work with us.

[Train model]

A sure I'll remind you to do it with the next 1

[Train model]

It's here