Irish Railway Models: cement bubble detail request

[Garfield]

Hi folks,

 

While work continues apace on development of the ballast hopper, we're using the quieter moments to work on its follow-up: the cement bubble. To this end, we're appealing for photographs which clearly show the topside hatch detailing, even more so than the photo below...

 

 

If you can help, please touch base with us by emailing patrick[at]irishrailwaymodels.com or richard[at]irishrailwaymodels.com. All assistance is greatly appreciated.

 

Regards,

 

The Irish Railway Models team

[jhb171achill]

The "overhead live wires" warning is perfect for Platin and Limerick....... :-/

[Junctionmad]

The "overhead live wires" warning is perfect for Platin and Limerick....... :-/

Dangerous things , them tele-phooone lines

[josefstadt]

The "overhead live wires" warning is perfect for Platin and Limerick....... :-/

 

Might be slightly more meaningful between Malahide and East Wall Junction!

[jhb171achill]

Exactly, josefstadt!

 

Pat - I'll try to unearth a pic of one when brand new (in standard all-over wagon grey as they were until about 1972-ish)

[Garfield]

Pat - I'll try to unearth a pic of one when brand new (in standard all-over wagon grey as they were until about 1972-ish)

 

Cheers, JB!

[rebelred]

Will ye be doing a weathered version by any chance? (like the photo below)

[BosKonay]

Sure all ye need to weather like that is to drop it in a bucket of muck

[Warbonnet]

Will ye be doing a weathered version by any chance? (like the photo below)

 

Interesting question, what does everyone else think? Not a big fan of factory weathered myself, but is it what the masses want?

[jhb171achill]

I think weathering is best left to the individual, however an unweathered one of these, particularly post-1975, would look plainly unrealistic in most circumstances!

[Noel]

Light dusting of factory weathering would at least allow individuals to use them straight out of the box, or enhance the weathering further if they wish, but not attractive to put on tracks shiney clean straight out of the box. They just would not look right as JB suggested. One of the attractions of RTR is to use straight out of the box.

[Glenderg]

This may be the only technique to get a valid Irish finish. Going to fun explaining this salty idea to our Asian friends

 

[video=youtube;-0EWdr6t8m0]

[JasonB]

I think it would be a welcome feature to the wagon for anyone that wouldn't want to attempt to weather it themselves for fear of thinking they might ruin the model.I think its fair to say a few of us have been there.

[jhb171achill]

That's not just modelling. That's superbly skilled artwork!

[rebelred]

I'd love a weathered version or if it's too complicated/ unviable to do, then a 'lightly dusted' version.

Honestly though i'll buy whatever version ye put out as I've been waiting for someone to do a RTR cement wagon for ages.

[Glenderg]

Ok, stand down troops. Photos provided.

[NIRCLASS80]

Dave Jones Models as far as I am aware use Mercig to weather RTR products. This company is responsible for the best RTR weather ever seen in the UK so I'm pretty sure they could do a fantastic job on the "bubbles".

Here is some examples.

http://rmweb.co.uk/photos/BRM_Reviews/Bullet2.jpg

 

http://www.ehattons.com/81649/Dapol_D1003w_LN_Class_52_Co_Co_Western_D1068_Western_Reliance_in_weathered_BR_blue_Limited_Edit/StockDetail.aspx

[iarnrod]

Possibly the only time that the cement bubbles were ever in a clean unweathered condition.

 

http://s612.photobucket.com/user/WRENNEIRE/media/IRM%20Site/No544CementTrainCabraSilo_zpsf8663b69.jpg.html?sort=3&o=346

 

If Mercig Studios were doing the weathering on the cement bubbles, you would definitely be in for a treat.

 

It would be nice if the bubbles could be released in a well executed weathered version, but not just the usual spray of brown muck. However, I can't wait to see them in an RTR version, weathered or not.

Edited December 3, 2015 by iarnrod

[Glenderg]

Correct gents, Merceig would do the masters which then get sent east to be used as a visual template by a select few specialists.

 

It isn't done by machine, all by hand.

 

Yee hardly think I'd be happy with a spray and pray effort? All or nothing folks

[GSR 800]

 

It isn't done by machine, all by hand

 

Holy Sambo, these people are clearly a higher power, brought down from the heavens to show railway modellers how to weather properly:p( I think I'm goin a bit mental..must be all that glue and gloss varnish....)

[iarnrod]

While there are lots of photos of the cement bubbles on the interweb and drawings aren't that hard to come by, are you guys planning on visiting the remaining bubble wagon for detailed photos and exact measurements as part of the project, similar to what you did with the ballast wagon?

[Noel]

Just me, but cement bubbles aren't part of my nostalgia memory from back in the CIE black'n'tan days, so probably not as excited as most about a model. Now un-braked loose coupled corrugated open CIE wagons and CIE vans would flick a nostalgia switch. But I think the bubble models will prove popular.

[Glenderg]

The status of the last bubble is under investigation, but suffice to say I am very very impressed with what I've seen from our Asian friends' CAD offerings, and I'm a fussy git. Their detailing of the valve and pipe work at the end is a sight to behold.

 

And Noel, I really think you must have had the blinkers firmly on during that era! I've buckets of shots of them hauled by black and tan diesels. If they were introduced any earlier than 1967, they'd have been hauled by Steam!

 

R.

[jhb171achill]

I still can't understand why the standard "H" van - the single most common CIE wagon of them all by far - has yet failed to appear even in kit form!

 

A black'n'tan era layout without sidings full of them is simply non-authentic full stop!

[Garfield]

I still can't understand why the standard "H" van - the single most common CIE wagon of them all by far - has yet failed to appear even in kit form!

 

Simple enough explanation, JB... the range of ready-to-run locomotives and rolling stock produced so far focuses chiefly on a later period of time... Supertrain, IR, IÉ - and in the case of the 201s - InterCity and Enterprise. The average modeller uses these as their starting point and builds up a collection of rolling stock to suit. Add to that the fact that runs of BR four-wheel box vans wearing CIÉ flying snails or roundels are commissioned from time to time to fulfill the need for 'something older' that looks sort of like a H van, and suddenly such a project becomes an unattractive financial proposition for a ready-to-run manufacturer.

 

I wouldn't be surprised if a kit was to appear at some point, though.

 

 

 

 

Now, about those bubble photos...

Edited December 4, 2015 by Garfield

[jhb171achill]

".......Add to that the fact that runs of BR four-wheel box vans wearing CIÉ flying snails or roundels are commissioned from time to time to fulfill the need for 'something older' that looks sort of like a H van, ....."

 

... despite looking nothing like them, having black chassis, white (!) or otherwise wrong colour roof, wrong size, colour and shape of logos and numerals, etc etc......

[Garfield]

".......Add to that the fact that runs of BR four-wheel box vans wearing CIÉ flying snails or roundels are commissioned from time to time to fulfill the need for 'something older' that looks sort of like a H van, ....."

 

... despite looking nothing like them, having black chassis, white (!) or otherwise wrong colour roof, wrong size, colour and shape of logos and numerals, etc etc......

 

Not everyone cares as much as you do, JB!

[jhb171achill]

Sigh.....

[Glenderg]

Deep breaths JB. In. Out.

 

Yes, we could have produced H Vans by the ton, and all the many variants like the grain version at ballisodare that I spotted in your book, but it's not something that anyone is crying out for in huge numbers (like the 121) and most, as Pat says, are happy to whack a decal on a BR banana van, ventilated or not.

 

The other thing is that even though we are producing wagons of a certain era, we are keenly aware of other producers products and have no intention of interfering with their commercial strategies.

 

Leslie of provincial wagons is beavering away on the H van, and If any man knows how to research something to within an inch of its life, it's him.

 

Rest assured it will be in the right colours too, fitted or unfitted. R.

[jhb171achill]

Now I can sleep in peacefulness tonight, Glenderg! :-)

[Noel]

. . .And Noel, I really think you must have had the blinkers firmly on during that era! I've buckets of shots of them hauled by black and tan diesels. If they were introduced any earlier than 1967, they'd have been hauled by Steam!

 

Quite possibly I must have just missed seeing them or didn't know what they were. Pre 72 most my rail travel was Amiens Street to Galway and back, so perhaps they were not frequent travellers on that route, or I just didn't notice. What is etched vividly in my mind is passing loops and sidings full of corrugated open wagons and vans when B&T A/C class and 141s dominated hauling freight traffic (ie pre super train era), where virtually all fright formations were nicely punctuated with a brake van at the end. I appreciate that's just down to age/era/nostalgia psychology. Hence I've more B&T 141s than any 'orange' ones ready to haul 60 to 75 era stock. In the absence of anything better for now, personally I'm happy to continue to use British RTR outline models for vans as they pass the 'duck test' (ie 2ft rule). Really looking forward though to the ballast wagons as they straddle my era. The big gaping hole in the hobby remains quality RTR A/C class locos. You never know though - once I get to hold a quality RTR bubble in my hands they will probably grow on me. Good luck with them, I'm sure they will prove very popular.

Edited December 4, 2015 by Noel
Lexdisia typos

[Weshty]

Quoting the Loco and Rolling Stock bible (H&D 2nd Ed. P.78), the bubbles were introduced in 1964 with more batches in '65, '67,'70 and '72. So plenty of them around prior to '72.

 

I'm guessing 40 a pop so won't have much change out of €600 for a rake.....

[Mayner]

Quoting the Loco and Rolling Stock bible (H&D 2nd Ed. P.78), the bubbles were introduced in 1964 with more batches in '65, '67,'70 and '72. So plenty of them around prior to '72.

 

I'm guessing 40 a pop so won't have much change out of €600 for a rake.....

 

For someone without the money/space Individual and short cuts of bubble wagons were sometime marshalled in loose coupled goods trains in the transition era from loose coupled to liner trains.

 

This seems to have been common enough on cross border goods trains to Belfast and Derry and the Limerick-Claremorris goods.

 

In individual wagon loads of bulk cement may have been transferred direct from rail to road bulk cement tanker in Ballina or Derry for major projects such as the Asahi plant in Killala.

[iarnrod]

The status of the last bubble is under investigation, but suffice to say I am very very impressed with what I've seen from our Asian friends' CAD offerings, and I'm a fussy git. Their detailing of the valve and pipe work at the end is a sight to behold.

 

That's great to hear.

[jhb171achill]

Yes, my earliest memories of them were of them sandwiched between H vans, cattle trucks, flat wagons and open wagons.

 

Younger modellers might want to bear in mind that pre-mid-70s, "block" trains almost didn't exist; goods trains were almost all mixed, and with all being loose-coupled, a guards van always took up the rear.

[Glenderg]

Here's one for nostalgia, brake van and all