4 ages - RTR diesel loco evolution

[Noel]

I was tidying up yesterday when I got a chance I put these locos together for a family photograph - a sort of Darwinian map of the evolution of Irish RTR model locomotives showing the four key steps in the RTR evolution (Hornby, Lima, Silverfox and Bachmann/Murphy Models). The C class is the odd one out as it was a kit, but interesting to see where were have come from.  No doubt in time the fifth age will be brought to us from the IRM stable.  

 

Be it 2019 or 2020 the Fifth age should be well worth waiting for.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Noel
typo

[Railer]

Should throw in a MM 071 in ST livery seeing as they were DCC ready out of the box and built in speaker, the BGMs requiring mods.

[Noel]

Just now, Railer said:

Should throw in a MM 071 in ST livery seeing as they were DCC ready out of the box and built in speaker, the BGMs requiring mods.

Sure, that's fair comment, it was I just had those four to hand when tidying up boxes last evening, and they seemed to represent the most significant milestones in RTR change. You could argue the 071 and 201 were incremental evolutions of the 141. Personally the MM/Bachmann 141/181 is the finest model loco I have ever owned and run.  The smoothness of the Bachmann chassis seems unparalleled. The BGMs were the first authentic true scale representations and were the first to introduced centre drive chassis with AWD and AWP. One wonders what this pic above might look like in another 20 years time.

[Irishrailwayman]

36 minutes ago, Railer said:

Should throw in a MM 071 in ST livery seeing as they were DCC ready out of the box and built in speaker, the BGMs requiring mods.

The MM 141/181s were also DCC-ready and had a space for a speaker.

31 minutes ago, Noel said:

Sure, that's fair comment, it was I just had those four to hand when tidying up boxes last evening, and they seemed to represent the most significant milestones in RTR change. You could argue the 071 and 201 were incremental evolutions of the 141. Personally the MM/Bachmann 141/181 is the finest model loco I have ever owned and run.  The smoothness of the Bachmann chassis seems unparalleled. The BGMs were the first authentic true scale representations and were the first to introduced centre drive chassis with AWD and AWP. One wonders what this pic above might look like in another 20 years time.

What about the Lima 201s - they were a breakthrough as the first RTR Irish loco before MM?

[Noel]

17 minutes ago, Irishrailwayman said:

The MM 141/181s were also DCC-ready and had a space for a speaker.

What about the Lima 201s - they were a breakthrough as the first RTR Irish loco before MM?

Apologies, yes you are quite right, that's an omission. I never bought one of those. It was just a photo of some of my own 'milestone' models.

Edited May 17, 2018 by Noel

[WRENNEIRE]

1977 was a pivotal year Noel, Lima changed their HO scale to OO

Hornby had not manufactured any "Irish" models before the OO range was launched

Lexie Keady hooked up with Lima in 1977 when the Wrenn Brothers ceased their agency for Lima N Gauge and I reckon it was then that the HO Irish stuff was commissioned, just before they turned to OO gauge manufacturing

So 77 would be the earliest for your polaroid,

Hornby saw the Lima Irish bits some time later and launched their Hymek sets which lasted from mid 78 till 81 if I remember correctly

Edited October 26, 2023 by WRENNEIRE

[Mayner]

7 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

1977 was a pivotal year Noel, Lima changed their HO scale to OO

Hornby had not manufactured any "Irish" models before the OO range was launched

Lexie Tynan hooked up with Lima in 1977 when the Wrenn Brothers ceased their agency for Lima N Gauge and I reckon it was then that the HO Irish stuff was commissioned, just before they turned to OO gauge manufacturing

So 77 would be the earliest for your polaroid,

Hornby saw the Lima Irish bits some time later and launched their Hymek sets which lasted from mid 78 till 81 if I remember correctly

John Byrne who managed a chain of toy/model shops and was later the Irish Hornby rep seems to have been the catalyst in getting the Lima Irish and possibly the Hornby Irish re-paints commissioned. 

He managed the model shop at the Rathfarnham Shopping Centre and later operated a large model shop on the ground floor of the then new office block at the rear of Cleary's on Sackville Place

He was an active railway modeller and was commissioned by CIE to build models of a number of the stations and yards  that were re-modelled as part of the Railplan 8O programme,  his OO Carlow layout was a regular feature on the Irish exhibition scene during the 70s & early 80s with scratch built and modified rtr rolling stock.

Lexie Tynan may have used John Byrnes rolling stock in the initial publicity photos for the new Lima Irish train set as the loco was a lot closer to an Metrovick than a Class 33.

John

[Noel]

I remember the shop in Rathfarnham well and especially the Diorama layouts in various gauges. Think he also carried Wrenn stock at one stage. It was the first time I saw Irish model coaches with a CIE livery and I was in awe at them. They looked custom made, were quite short bogie coaches sitting on a top shelf test track around one side of the shop. Wonder if these were part of the 'scratch built and modified rtr rolling stock' you mentioned that he made for CIE. Another time, another era in model retailing.

[Mayner]

I used to visit the Rathfarnham shop regularly in the 70s both when I was going to secondary school and after I had started working. I don't remember seeing any Irish models in the shop before the Lima models came out, at the time several modellers in the Dublin area had built quite presentable A Class locos in plasticard on Rivorassi and scratchbuilt chassis and Supertrain sets using heavily modified Hornby MK2 coaches as  basis. The locos and stock used on Carlow and the CIE dioramas were scale length and built to a reasonable standard

Declan Lonergan a former MRSI club secretary used to help out in the model railway department on Saturdays a very knowledgable modeller on day he brought along a OO gauge kit built model of a LNWR "Jumbo" 2-4-0 and sometimes his own American N gauge locos and stock. 

I got hooked on N after buying a pair of Wrenn-Lima BR vans in the Rathfarnham shop and cleared out most of their stock of Graham-Farish wagons and Peco flexible track shortly before the shop closed and John Byrne opened the Sackville Place model shop where the model railway department was on a 1st floor mezzine. Not sure how long the Sackville Place shop lasted.