Class 121

[DiveController]

15 hours ago, flange lubricator said:

Add to that all shipping dates from China are being strecthed in every area , there is even a shortage of shipping containers in that part of the world to add to this .

https://www.metroshipping.co.uk/news/container-shortages-in-china/#:~:text=Port operations have been severely,of equipment back to China. 

They might have to get C rail on the case!!.

It is an interesting that there is pretty much one way traffic on shipping containers that are manufactured in China, ship goods to Europe and the US and then are not shipped back in sufficient quantities. 

Edited October 17, 2020 by DiveController

[flange lubricator]

8 hours ago, DiveController said:

It is an interesting that there is pretty much one way traffic on shipping containers that are manufactured in China, ship goods to Europe and the US and then are not shipped back in sufficient quantities. 

Yes very interesting companies like triton can’t keep up with demand 

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/chinese-container-factories-sold-out-until-february

[DART8118]

Great trainsound.  Just like the real thing.

[Noel]

B135 arrives from Dungarvan with a local branch working, passenger and goods mixed.

[Noel]

Was installing a driver today into the cab of one of my Murphy Model 121 locos, but the level of hidden detail I discovered inside the cab was outstanding. Sadly nobody would ever see this from outside the model without using a magnifying glass and a torch, but I was flabbergasted by the detail, all the loco controls and instrumentation, etc

x

PS: Eoin did a thread a few weeks ago on how to get a driver inside the cab.

 

[murphaph]

Are there no cab lights to help see all this detail?

[Strimmers]

nope just seems to be front and rear lights from what the dcc chip instructions say

Edited October 28, 2020 by Strimmers
spelt wrong

[Noel]

4 hours ago, murphaph said:

Are there no cab lights to help see all this detail?

Who needs a light, Just take your arms off and climb up into the cab for a look.  Ah now in fairness getting the open grill with a double flywheel motor, AWD+AWP, + speaker in there is some achievement already. But a pity the head lights don't work separately from the running lights on MM's sound decoder. They are actually wired so that they can be switched independently of the running lights.

[DiveController]

It's unfortunate there isn't, it's not a slight towards MM, the 141/181s didn't have one, they 071s did, and now the state of the art 121 don't so you can show they detail or the driver you're putting in there 

@NoelYes, I didn't;t really understand why it came that way tbh

Edited October 29, 2020 by DiveController

[murphaph]

Given the level of attention to detail I'm assuming MM considered cab lighting but didn't install it for some practical reason. It would be interesting to hear that story. 

Is it possible the decoder outputs are maxed out with the other lighting features?

 

Edited October 29, 2020 by murphaph

[Georgeconna]

I never use Cab lighting tbh. most of it is way too bright.

Yes tis a Shame the Head and running light are not controllable on the MM chip. No doubt the boffins will have a alternative with such an option. Sound is mighty on it though.Better then the 071 by miles.

[murphaph]

It's relatively straightforward to install a resistor in series with cab lights to dim them right down to realistic levels.

[NIRCLASS80]

If your DCC and certainly with loksound V4 and V5 you can adjust the light strength by changes using the lokprogrammer. 

[Noel]

B135 has lost her fisher price pristine look and gained some age. These are just exquisite models, the best yet from Murphy Models IMHO, and they drive as well as they look.

[WRENNEIRE]

A nice review for those interested from Model Rail, 

 

 

 

 

[Noel]

25 minutes ago, WRENNEIRE said:

A nice review for those interested from Model Rail, 

 

 

 

 

Thanks for posting that Dave. An interesting read, a very positive and fair review. I'm glad I wasn't the only one who thought the tablet catchers were a little anaemic looking. Overall an absolutely stunning model. The article finishes with a 'what next' comment! Has this gentleman not already achieved enough in his successful business career and done enough for the Irish hobby? He created an entire hobby here, and was the catalyst for everything else that followed (eg MIR, SSM,  SF, IFM, IRM, PW, AS, JM).

[minister_for_hardship]

On 29/10/2020 at 7:24 AM, murphaph said:

Given the level of attention to detail I'm assuming MM considered cab lighting but didn't install it for some practical reason. It would be interesting to hear that story. 

Is it possible the decoder outputs are maxed out with the other lighting features?

 

In reality, cab lighting is flicked on to read or write for a minute or so and then flicked off again. Most of the time drivers have it off anyhow.

Ever try driving your car with the interior light on all the time? No, me neither.

[irishthump]

46 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

In reality, cab lighting is flicked on to read or write for a minute or so and then flicked off again. Most of the time drivers have it off anyhow.

Ever try driving your car with the interior light on all the time? No, me neither.

Yeah cab lighting has always been a take-it-or-leave-it type of thing for me. It's great to see manufacturers having the technology to add it to nearly every new model, but it does'nt add that much to the running experience. It's a bit of a gimmick for manufacturers to pad out the spec sheet!

[flange lubricator]

3 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

A nice review for those interested from Model Rail, 

 

 

 

Price £ 27.50 ??????? I must make a point of showing this to my other half , but knowing my luck she will offer to buy me one for Christmas and give me €30.00!!!

 

 

  

Edited October 31, 2020 by flange lubricator

[Noel]

48 minutes ago, irishthump said:

Yeah cab lighting has always been a take-it-or-leave-it type of thing for me. It's great to see manufacturers having the technology to add it to nearly every new model, but it does'nt add that much to the running experience. It's a bit of a gimmick for manufacturers to pad out the spec sheet!

Agree. I've never used the cab light on my 071s or my 201. A gimmick, gee-whiz the first time you see it but after that its not really going to get used. FYI, wheeltappers 071 and 201 projects have a flickering cab light as it switches on to simulate an old fluorescent light starting up.

[murphaph]

I'm pretty sure the Lokprogrammer has the option to select defective/flickering light as the effect type. 

I really like cab lights. With automation of the layout you can periodically switch them on at random stations as the driver makes his tea or reads the paper. No smartphones or Kindles in 1995 lol.

[Noel]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

I'm pretty sure the Lokprogrammer has the option to select defective/flickering light as the effect type. 

I really like cab lights. With automation of the layout you can periodically switch them on at random stations as the driver makes his tea or reads the paper. No smartphones or Kindles in 1995 lol.

Yea but IMHO gimmicks like rotating axles boxes and cab lights don't really add to models.

[DJ Dangerous]

22 minutes ago, Noel said:

Yea but IMHO gimmicks like rotating axles boxes and cab lights don't really add to models.

I'm not so sure on the cab lights, yay or nay, but the rotating axle box hubs are the dogs dangly bits, whether on locos or on IRM's wagons, they just add far more than you could imagine.

[Georgeconna]

I did not see the Rotating Axles covers until a few days running. Cant really see them but certainly a nice touch.

What do you think about the Model Rail, Review. Honest enough I imagine, High markings in the review. 

[Noel]

A pair of grey 121's aged a little

B134

B135

[Bob229]

Any news on the delivery of the 121

 

[WRENNEIRE]

Some good news Bob
Hopefully the Black & IR ones should ship this weekend and the remainder first week in December everything going well. Possible delays getting them to the retailers depending on the COVID situation but there definitely will be something to put under the Christmas tree  

[Georgeconna]

Hi Dave,

I know it is not my business to ask but do you know if the Final batch is air or sea freight. 

 I have orders placed across the pond so wondering if I should cancel those as no doubt hassle with Brexit in Jan.

Good possibility in these landing in  2020 with the seasonal rate uplift and lack of space, plus there are major pile ups of cargo now at the airports in China.

Just Realised I did not even have the IE ones ordered!! Man Alive. close one.

 

Edited November 5, 2020 by Georgeconna

[WRENNEIRE]

Air George

[murphaph]

There's no duty on model railway items so in theory a pre-order with a UK retailer might face delays but the goods should be delivered with no increase in cost, vat rate difference aside. 

[BosKonay]

8 minutes ago, murphaph said:

There's no duty on model railway items so in theory a pre-order with a UK retailer might face delays but the goods should be delivered with no increase in cost, vat rate difference aside. 

I think a larger concern is the situation in the UK from Jan 1 and the likely ensuing problems in customs, docking, etc.

[murphaph]

Ah yes of course, delays can be expected I'm sure. At best a FTA will be agreed but the UK will almost certainly leave the customs union and EU vat area from the 1st unfortunately

Will IRM continue to ship from the UK to EU customers, at least initially?

[Georgeconna]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

There's no duty on model railway items so in theory a pre-order with a UK retailer might face delays but the goods should be delivered with no increase in cost, vat rate difference aside. 

nah, you gonna pay an Post or a courier a nominal fee for clearance/ processing collecting VAT, They Aint gonna do it  nothing so if you have saved a tennor say with Rails etc you are gonna lose that with the customs fee. Now if the box shifters sent the locos out as one job lot then one processing fee will be applied for the hole shipment so not too bad but the box shifters are not to bothered with checking to see if you have multiple orders is as this was the case with my 121 order with rails.

They sent the 2 grey locos in two separate parcels and I got hit with two carriage costs.  so if they do that for a order with 6 121s in then say 60 notes processing plus delivery cost for each one. where Seamus Graham when you need him!!

Now this is a right balls too, Any small orders are gonna get hit too.

From 1 January 2021 the existing VAT exemption for goods up to 22 € will disappear. In order to allow VAT to be levied, all imports into the EU will have to be declared at the border using an electronic customs declaration.

Flipping disaster now for ordering any small bits n bobs that you might need to get from the UK.

In the end I ended up ordering my IE ones from Marks.

 

 

6 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Ah yes of course, delays can be expected I'm sure. At best a FTA will be agreed but the UK will almost certainly leave the customs union and EU vat area from the 1st unfortunately

Will IRM continue to ship from the UK to EU customers, at least initially?

From what I have heard all import will be treated as EFTA jobs (ala Switzerland / Norwayu) so these will have processing fee on them for clearance.

[Georgeconna]

1 hour ago, WRENNEIRE said:

Air George

Tks kid.

Bit Touch n go so but the time the come into Ireland, Processed and get over to UK and back for Xmas in the Emerald Isle

Just got sent piccies of the back log in some airport in China, its Mental overthere, Cant spot any MM boxes!

Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport

 

 

 

[murphaph]

Ah ok I forgot about the handling fee as it's only like a fiver here in Germany with DHL and as I use the Hattons trunk service I don't get hit with multiple parcels. I put anything I want into the trunk and pull the trigger on shipping it all when I think it's worth it.

I can see how given your constellation things look decidedly different. 

I am more concerned about the really small bits and bobs I pick up on eBay. Many or even most UK sellers I buy from seem to only ship to UK addresses. That's ok as at present I use parcel wizard to forward on to Dublin for eventual collection when I'm visiting but I have a nasty feeling that parcelwizard and parcel motel etc. will not be able to forward anything anymore as they would be responsible for the customs stuff and as they have no idea what's in the parcels they can't do that.