IRM Stocking Murphy Models 121 Locomotives!

[Warbonnet]

Hi everyone,

Exciting news this morning!

We will be stocking the exciting forthcoming range of Murphy Models 121 Class locomotives in OO gauge! A total of 12 running numbers across 5 liveries will be available to order from us, as well as the DCC decoder and two different sound chips!

 

 

Our price for these models in €189.95 with free postage in Ireland and the UK included!

 

Read more about these lovely locomotives and how to place your pre-order here: https://irishrailwaymodels.com/blogs/announcements/irm-to-stock-murphy-models-121-class-locomotives 

 

(And before the rumour mill goes into overdrive, IRM has NOT taken over Murphy Models)

 

Cheers!

 

Fran

[DoctorPan]

Excellent, I had 2 IR on order with Marks and placed one for an IE version with yourselves. At least with the staggered shipping, it'll be easier to spread the cost!

[gm171 kk]

Is there any info on the differences for each loco number besides livery such as marker lights etc? It's what's stopping me from pre ordering my pair. 

[Warbonnet]

11 minutes ago, gm171 kk said:

Is there any info on the differences for each loco number besides livery such as marker lights etc? It's what's stopping me from pre ordering my pair. 

Can you tell me which pair you are interested in and I will check for you? Main differences are liveries, marker lights and the odd window change really.

Cheers!

Fran

[gm171 kk]

10 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

Can you tell me which pair you are interested in and I will check for you? Main differences are liveries, marker lights and the odd window change really.

Cheers!

Fran

I'm modelling the mid 90s so I'd say the IR locos would have the correct body mods for that era. But my main question really is will any of the IÉ locos have the correct marker lights for that era? I'm guessing 124 and 134 will have the latest marker lights as their main appeal is that they were late to be withdrawn but maybe 129 will have the older type. 

 

[Warbonnet]

Perfect. It is my understanding that 124 and 134 will have the late LED lighting and that the 129 is the older type.

Hope that helps!

Fran

[BosKonay]

42 minutes ago, gm171 kk said:

Is there any info on the differences for each loco number besides livery such as marker lights etc? It's what's stopping me from pre ordering my pair. 

Loco specific details have now been added to the listing for each loco.

[gm171 kk]

Very helpful. Thanks lads. 129 paired with an IR liveried 121 sounds good. 

Edited May 25, 2020 by gm171 kk

[Georgeconna]

Any Bundle prices then?

[patrick]

Great news, a pair have been ordered. One question, are there other (non sound) decoder options for the model?

[BosKonay]

Just now, patrick said:

Great news, a pair have been ordered. One question, are there other (non sound) decoder options for the model?

Absolutely - https://irishrailwaymodels.com/collections/dcc-decoders

The LokPilot is the 'standard DCC' option, and for sound you can choose which Engine you would like / need.

[patrick]

I should have been more specific with my question, was thinking Digitrax as I have some on hand.

[Irishswissernie]

Just switched my order from Hattons, maybe taking a chance on the Euro/ sterling exchange rate worsening but what the hell! 

 

EDITED Don't need to worry about the exchange rate I've now paid for them (8) up-front, also if Madame finds out its too late for her to do anything about it!

 

Ernie

Edited May 26, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[Warbonnet]

15 minutes ago, patrick said:

I should have been more specific with my question, was thinking Digitrax as I have some on hand.

Murphy Models only recommends the three chips above. We don't know beyond that I'm afraid!

Cheers!

Fran

[patrick]

Just now, Warbonnet said:

Murphy Models only recommends the three chips above. We don't know beyond that I'm afraid!

Cheers!

Fran

Thanks Fran. I was hoping I could get by with what I have on hand until funds are available for sound chips.

[Noel]

1 hour ago, Warbonnet said:

Murphy Models only recommends the three chips above. We don't know beyond that I'm afraid!

Cheers!

Fran

Yea the reason for that is only the ESU chips commissioned by MM will actually fit in the restricted space within the 121 body shell. Off the shelf ESU decoders apparently will not physically fit. This is in part caused by squeezing in all the gubbins MM designed into the 121 bodyshell, especially the see through grills, flywheels, PCB and speaker, etc. MM has managed to squeeze an awful lot into a limited space, so no room for a big lump of a 21pin decoder. The sound files will in time be published on the ESU library, so anybody who likes to roll their own with a LokProgrammer should still be able to do so as long as its with the MM commissioned compact ESU decoders.

Edited May 25, 2020 by Noel
spieling

[Warbonnet]

17 minutes ago, Noel said:

 The sound files will in time be published on the ESU library, so anybody who likes to roll their own with a LokProgrammer should still be able to do so as long as its with the MM commissioned compact ESU decoders.

It is my understanding that this will not be the case and the sound files will remain exclusive to Murphy Models.

Many thanks,

Fran

[Wexford70]

7 hours ago, Warbonnet said:

And before the rumour mill goes into overdrive, IRM has NOT taken over Murphy Models

Not yet anyway lol

[Noel]

13 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

It is my understanding that this will not be the case and the sound files will remain exclusive to Murphy Models.

Many thanks,

Fran

Interesting. Most of the sound files (ie prime movers) are already available for EMD 645 and 567 engines on ESU's public web site, LokProgrammer might still be an option for those with an adventurous streak and prepared for the steep learning curve. Folks like Graham have already done their own 141 and 181 projects.

[Warbonnet]

4 minutes ago, Noel said:

Interesting. Most of the sound files (ie prime movers) are already available for EMD 645 and 567 engines on ESU's public web site, LokProgrammer might still be an option for those with an adventurous streak and prepared for the steep learning curve. Folks like Graham have already done their own 141 and 181 projects.

According to Murphy Models these sounds are custom and are his property. It is the same with IRM sound files. 

567 and 645 sound files are common downloadable files due to the large amount of locomotives featuring these prime movers worldwide, but there may be horn and ancillary sounds unique to the Irish variant which makes them different. 

Many thanks,

Fran

[ttc0169]

Delighted to hear this news, the ease of ordering and prompt dispatch on the IRM site really helps, best of luck with it.

[RedRich]

Brilliant news men. It's nice to see this between IRM and PM we are a small number in the big scheme but there is a closeness and a camaraderie amongst us.

Rich

[irishthump]

4 hours ago, Noel said:

Yea the reason for that is only the ESU chips commissioned by MM will actually fit in the restricted space within the 121 body shell. Off the shelf ESU decoders apparently will not physically fit. This is in part caused by squeezing in all the gubbins MM designed into the 121 bodyshell, especially the see through grills, flywheels, PCB and speaker, etc. MM has managed to squeeze an awful lot into a limited space, so no room for a big lump of a 21pin decoder. The sound files will in time be published on the ESU library, so anybody who likes to roll their own with a LokProgrammer should still be able to do so as long as its with the MM commissioned compact ESU decoders.

I'd be very surprised if space was the issue. Loksound are not the smallest of decoders and from what I've heard there's space enough for them to fit. I've also heard nothing on the grapevine to suggest ESU have designed a bespoke decoder just for this loco. (If anybody has heard different please chime in.) I'd say it's more to do with the array of lighting functions in the loco. Plugging in a bog standard decoder will result in some lights not working as intended, similar to what people discovered installing standard decoders in their 201's.

[BosKonay]

The 121 decoders are standard lokSound and lokpilot v5 units. The sound files are copyrighted to Murphy models and will not ever be released on the ESU website. In this regard the setup is identical to the soon to be released A class project. 
 

hope that helps clarify 

[WRENNEIRE]

I think the board was the problem and it had to be rejigged to allow the lok chip to be installed

[irishthump]

8 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

I think the board was the problem and it had to be rejigged to allow the lok chip to be installed

That would make sense, the Loksound tends to sit a bit higher than other decoders.

10 hours ago, BosKonay said:

The 121 decoders are standard lokSound and lokpilot v5 units. The sound files are copyrighted to Murphy models and will not ever be released on the ESU website. In this regard the setup is identical to the soon to be released A class project. 
 

hope that helps clarify 

I know this is a little outside your wheelhouse, so to speak, but would you guys consider offering a decoder re-blow service?

[patrick]

Will the 121 have a power pack capacitor like the forthcoming MIR A class? 

[irishthump]

48 minutes ago, patrick said:

Will the 121 have a power pack capacitor like the forthcoming MIR A class? 

I think space would really be an issue there. Anyway with all-wheel pick you shouldn't have problems. I could never understand US modeller's (other than yourself) obsession with power packs. Most of there loco's are 4 or 6 axle with power pickup on all axles.

[BosKonay]

52 minutes ago, patrick said:

Will the 121 have a power pack capacitor like the forthcoming MIR A class? 

It does not.

3 minutes ago, irishthump said:

I think space would really be an issue there. Anyway with all-wheel pick you shouldn't have problems. I could never understand US modeller's (other than yourself) obsession with power packs. Most of there loco's are 4 or 6 axle with power pickup on all axles.

Even all wheel pickup can hit dirt and issues which will impact (in particular) lighting and sound. Nothing worse than a sound chip resetting to engine start just because you drove the loco across a point

[Noel]

48 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

It does not.

Even all wheel pickup can hit dirt and issues which will impact (in particular) lighting and sound. Nothing worse than a sound chip resetting to engine start just because you drove the loco across a point

Yes agree, I was playing trains the other evening shunting with B141 and B121 across Peco insulfrog points at a crawl and was so impressed at the continuity with only 4 axles, not a jerk nor hesitation, just smoothly methodically progressed at constant speed over the point work section.

(Patrick said) MIR A class? 

Looking forward to the IRM A class in due course. 

Edited May 26, 2020 by Noel

[irishthump]

50 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

It does not.

Even all wheel pickup can hit dirt and issues which will impact (in particular) lighting and sound. Nothing worse than a sound chip resetting to engine start just because you drove the loco across a point

Yeah, fair enough. I use insulfrogs o my own layout but I solder jumpers between the stock and switch rails so I'm not relying on contact between the two. Consequently I don't have issues, except where I've neglected to clean the track in a while! Bear in mind that's with 4 and 6 axle locos. 2 or 3 axles have issue and are always prone to that type of problem. 

[NIR 450 ‘Castle’ Class]

Will there be a ‘preserved bundle’? 

Fantastic news, I’ll definitely get one, haven’t chosen between 124 and 134 yet..

[mmie353]

Can I confirm if 189.95 is indeed the cost that other retailers are going to charge for a Class 121? 

[BosKonay]

Just now, mmie353 said:

Can I confirm if 189.95 is indeed the cost that other retailers are going to charge for a Class 121? 

We can confirm it's the price we're charging, based on the data we have in hand, and we will not be increasing that price.

[NIR 450 ‘Castle’ Class]

Based on average sales so far, would it be possible to estimate a time slot when each of the following are expected to run out (so I know how long I have to order)?

The three items of interest;

124

134

the 645 decoder

Many thanks