First Look at the IRM Tara!

[popeye]

BEAUTIFUL 

[RedRich]

It's always nice to see the model as it develops especially at this stage as you know that the FP model is getting closer. What continues to amaze me is the amount of hard graft that the lad's are putting into both IRM and Accurascale and the continuing standards of excellence of the models. Back to the sample above it's a winner already and surely the bar is raised again.

Rich,

[Irishrailwayman]

9 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

Our Tara sample has reached Dublin and we have been running the rule over it. We're not too keen on the institutional cyan the factory used, but thankfully the model looks delicious in the flesh! It is a hastily assembled sample as these first samples tend to be, and a couple of minor refinements are required, but overall it's a stunner. 

 

Lots of fine detail underneath and kinematic coupling system on show. The NEM pockets are at the correct height, so no need for cranked couplings this time round!  Buffers are also sprung.

 

Yes, they are real springs on the brake gear! Lots of nice brass wire for the brake pipework too. 

The bogies with the rotating axle caps. We're delighted to say that the sample is a lovely free roller with this set up. Also, 21mm conversion can be achieved by just pulling the wheelsets out to the correct gauge. The actuator is missing from this sample but will be included on the production models. 

There is a couple of small things that need refining, but overall we are delighted by the first sample. These minor adjustments will not affect the delivery schedule. We will have this model on our stand at the Wexford show this Sunday, as well as the Bangor show in a few weeks for you all to see. 

We're well over the 25% sold mark on these beauties already. Make sure you don't miss out! www.irishrailwaymodels.com/shop

Looking forward to seeing these in the flesh at the Wexford Model Railway Exhibition!

[Noel]

On 27/3/2018 at 9:40 PM, Irishrailwayman said:

Looking forward to seeing these in the flesh at the Wexford Model Railway Exhibition!

Got to see the the pre-production Tara wagon 'in the flesh' at the WMRC Exhibition and to say I was impressed would be an understatement. Another stunning RTR wagon from this stable. It is just a gorgeous full bodied wagon and yet for a bogie wagon is not too long which will look realistic on typical layout curves. Looking forward to these ones.

[Warbonnet]

As stated elsewhere, we're delighted that the Tara managed to win 'best model' at the Wexford show this weekend. So, our model has won an award even before release! 

[ttc0169]

Is this the finished painted sample lads? 

 

Edited April 5, 2018 by ttc0169

[Warbonnet]

Our Tara running through Kildare behind celebrity supertrain 071 on the wagon transfer to Limerick. Must be going for a repaint....

(Thanks to SDMRC for giving it a spin!)

 

[Warbonnet]

We've now surpassed the 40% presold mark on these. We should have a revised tooling sample in the coming days. Once that is signed off, we can push the production button!

[Railer]

Can't wait for these wagons. For me it's been a long wait since they were first teased at Raheny 2016. I'm sure the time invested in the development and design will be worth it many times over. They're an iconic wagon for me growing up. 

Hoping that the buffer spokes (thats what I think they're called anyways) are beefed up in the next sample as they are very thin on the cyan sample released.  Hoping they will be thicker like the self contained buffer spokes on the HUOs. The spokes on the Tara buffers look too thin compared to the buffer housing. Compare the pics of the sample above to the prototype pics above. I thought this was a compromises of having sprung buffers but the HUO heavy duty buffers don't suffer from it and are very accurate.

Edited May 29, 2018 by Railer

[Warbonnet]

Decorated Tara pics!

We have just received a decorated sample of the highly anticipated Tara Mines wagons! This is pack B. Don't they look superb? We will have them in the cabinet at Stillorgan this Sunday, so pop in for a look if you can. :

 

[Railer]

Oh yes 

Can't wait see them Sunday in the plastic so to speak. 

[Noel]

Looking superb as is now expected. A rake of eight should fit nicely on Kingsbridge. It is bizarre that this extremely high standard of model is becoming considered the norm or almost routine - it is not normal, it is exceptional. 

[RedRich]

I like it men, all of the subtleties of the prototype captured excellently. It really has the wow factor when you see a decorated model. All the research all the graft all the late nights working and giving everything to make sure that the end product is not a top model but the top model. All the hard work is as always hugely appreciated men.

Rich,.

[ttc0169]

Fantastic looking wagon-well done again lads-the detail alone on the bogies is superb...

[popeye]

Stunning and beautiful. 

I love this picture.

 

[Railer]

Got a DVD recently that featured the loading and unloading process of the wagons. Very fascinating to watch, the unloading process is painful though with the amount of shunting required with the limited space at Alexandra Road facility. Must be awful tedious on the drivers. Also due to the axle loading gauge limit on Irish Rail the wagons are all basically only half filled, otherwise the laden wagons would well exceed the per axle tonnage of a 201 loco.

[JasonB]

Oh lads, they are just the dogs dangly bits. That bar seems to get pushed that little bit higher with each release. 

[Robert Shrives]

They look really good - looking forward to arrival  and weathering to the shabby chic status...

Robert   

[Irishswissernie]

On 6/7/2018 at 7:50 AM, Railer said:

Got a DVD recently that featured the loading and unloading process of the wagons. Very fascinating to watch, the unloading process is painful though with the amount of shunting required with the limited space at Alexandra Road facility. Must be awful tedious on the drivers. Also due to the axle loading gauge limit on Irish Rail the wagons are all basically only half filled, otherwise the laden wagons would well exceed the per axle tonnage of a 201 loco.

I've got that DVD if its the Markle Tara & Clara one; very interesting!

Does anyone know how they re-assemble the wagons after unloading (I managed to video the train arriving at the unloader and the loco running round back in 1905) The video shows the last wagon being unloaded and taken back to the front of the train but for the rest does the loco push the train in and after each wagon is unloaded and traversed to the mt siding does the loco then run out onto Alexandra Road and then then pull the wagon off the traverser with the rest of the mts.

Ernie

[Railer]

Ex shale wagon, tara wagon number 27. Anyone feeling brave enough to modify one of the new tara model into one of these when they are released?

Also, anyone know what the red and green square on the solebar on the right side is? Is it part of the e-tagging system?

[snapper]

49 minutes ago, Railer said:

Also, anyone know what the red and green square on the solebar on the right side is? Is it part of the e-tagging system? 

 

It looks like a for repair label, there would be some fault with the wagon and it would need to be moved to a depot for repairs.

There was a colour coded system to them but I am struggling to remember them,

I think it was Red= not to go, red/green = go at reduced speed, green = go at normal speed.

 

[snapper]

found the list of colour codes,

Red & White = Not to go

Red & Green = Yard to yard/depot movement only for repairs

White & Blue = Casualty repair, can complete loaded journey, not to be reloaded, to be worked to specified repair depot

Green = For repairs, can complete loaded journey, not to be reloaded

Green endorsed (May be home loaded) = , can be reloaded to or towards specified destination where repairs can be done

White endorsed in red (defective brake)= Not to be reloaded, brake lever to be secured off.

[Robert Shrives]

Well I have got two Tara mines vehicles from MIR and was going to add the horizontal rib and put in my wagons - a way of getting further variety 

 

Robert 

Edited June 18, 2018 by Robert Shrives
sp error! sorry.

[Railer]

[John-r]

Wow,  The excitement is really building up now when you see this level of detail in a wagon,  fantastic lads and very well done.

[Railer]

Also note above how the wheel base on the bogie is longer and the bogie frame on the ex shale wagons.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Railer

[John-r]

Great photos as well railer,  thanks for sharing,. didn't know there was different wagons.

[Railer]

5 minutes ago, John-r said:

Great photos as well railer,  thanks for sharing,. didn't know there was different wagons.

They're just whipped off Google.

There are only 2 ex shale wagons in the tara fleet. Wagon numbers 31026 and 27. There were numbered 31526 and 31527 in their old shale duty days.

Edited June 15, 2018 by Railer

[John-r]

. Thanks railer.

[Warbonnet]

1 hour ago, Railer said:

Also note above how the wheel base on the bogie is longer and the bogie frame on the ex shale wagons.

The body profile is also different between the two. If you look at where the body angles by the buffer beam. Sadly they're two quite different wagons when you get into the nitty gritty.

[ttc0169]

13 hours ago, Railer said:

Ex shale wagon, tara wagon number 27. Anyone feeling brave enough to modify one of the new tara model into one of these when they are released?

Also, anyone know what the red and green square on the solebar on the right side is? Is it part of the e-tagging system?

Its a 'Not to go 'card-put there by maintenance staff.the wagon would have being worked to Northwall for essential repairs,the card being removed when the repair work was completed.

[DiveController]

There was on older wagon before the Taras for transporting zinc ore. Interesting odd shaped wagons that didn't have roofs either

[JasonB]

47 minutes ago, DiveController said:

There was on older wagon before the Taras for transporting zinc ore. Interesting odd shaped wagons that didn't have roofs either

Are you referring to the 4 wheel ore wagons that ran to Arklow in the early 90's Dive? 

[DiveController]

I was thinking of the earlier 20T 4w wagons from the '60s used to carry zinc and lead ore from SIlvermines to Foynes, that traffic would have stopped in the 1980s

9 hours ago, jason brady said:

Are you referring to the 4 wheel ore wagons that ran to Arklow in the early 90's Dive? 

Were there other 4w wagons used to Arklow, for what purpose?

[JasonB]

2 hours ago, DiveController said:

I was thinking of the earlier 20T 4w wagons from the '60s used to carry zinc and lead ore from SIlvermines to Foynes, that traffic would have stopped in the 1980s

Were there other 4w wagons used to Arklow, for what purpose?

Not sure of the exact circumstances as to how it came about but it was short lived. At the time I think they felt it was cheaper to ship it from Arklow rather the Dublin Port. The wagons basically looked like a 20 ft open top container which was covered with a tarpaulin.