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RTR Irish carriages

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Fiacra

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Hi folks,

For people like myself who are getting back into railway modelling after a prolonged absence, it's amazing to see the range and quality of diesel locos that are available on the market or soon to be released. I have my orders in for the 001, 121, and I've managed to pick up a couple of 071's and 141's. Unfortunately, for my planned mid-90's layout, there's a dearth of RTR Irish carriages on the market. The MM supertrain liveried Mk2D's look great, but are the wrong era for me. The photos I've seen of previously released MM Mk2D's in IR and IE liveries also look fantastic, but seem very hard to come by these days. So, I'm wondering if MM might have any plans to do another run of Mk2D's in IR or IE livery, or if perhaps IRM have plans to release Irish Mk2's or Mk3's? I know that repainting BR carriages in my preferred Irish livery is an option, but to be honest, I don't think I would be able to do the job to the necessary standard that would be required for them to sit alongside the MM and IRM locos. Judging by the rate at which the supertrain Mk2's seem to have sold, I'm guessing there's still a decent demand out there for passenger rolling stock?

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34 minutes ago, Blaine said:

Still plenty of MM Cravens available, essential for a mid 90s IR layout 

Indeed, I should have mentioned that I've picked up a rake of Craven's. It's the intercity stock that I'm on the lookout for now.

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that would be great, Project 61.5 and fill a big void behind the most liveries of the A class not to mention the 121.

However there are other other that might be considered more popular 'household names' if coaches are finally on the way.

The other stumbling block is the issue outlined by IRM themselves that they may not be able to consider doing niche products which may not sell out before delivery or shortly afterwards "brake vans do not run in rakes" etc. Neither do EGVs, brake coaches, etc. Laminates do but it was the variety of laminate body shells that added interest to that period.

We'll wait and see, fingers crossed, tees crossed and eyes crossed 🥺

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Hopefully IRM can push the Irish models more alongside the Accurascale line in GB. There is definitely more opportunity there. There is a huge untapped market in the EU also.

I'm a member of a small German forum for modellers of British & Irish outline. The view of the average German modeller is simply dated. They remember vaguely the relatively poor UK models of yesteryear, when they already had finescale stuff as standard. They remember the awful tension lock couplers being "toy like" but that's all history. Nowadays the RTR models of UK and Irish outline can be on a par with typical offerings here and NEM pockets mean you can ditch the tension lock couplers for something more realistic with ease.

Maybe it's time for a renewed marketing effort here in Germany by UK and Irish outline manufacturers and the wider EU. As someone on my German forum posted "I got sick and tired of all my locos being black with red wheels". There is certainly potential in that market, after all plenty of UK and Irish modellers buy German models. Why not the other way around.

One can dream anyway!

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The availability of good models alone will create a market, marketing in some form to bring it to the knowledge/interest of that potential larger market is what will really sell the product. Let's face it, you can't buy something that's not available and very few will look for kit etc just to 'get into' the Irish outline. Parents or grandparents not going to go around scratchbuilding for months before one's birthday.

After all, many of us as children bought British outline because that was what was available for you or you parents to buy as gifts etc. Those childhood experiences combined with the greater variety/different rolling stock available to the maturing young modeller in British outline is probably what prompts that interest in some of the modelers on here including some of the IRM themselves.

I have no real interest in British outline (anymore) but it doesn't mean I don't have the occasion APT or Canadian loco hanging about among my Baby GMs. I'm sure a few on here have an ICE or some Marklin/Roco stuff.

I think you make a good point about the expectation from a European market when coaches with lighting, opening doors and real biscuits for the passengers is maybe not the standard but certainly available (maybe not the biscuits). You'd have to say that the IRM products are certainly good enough to compete, so who knows.

Edited by DiveController
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11 minutes ago, DiveController said:

The availability of good models alone will create a market, marketing in some form to bring it to the knowledge/interest of that potential larger market is what will really sell the product. Let's face it, you can't buy something that's not available and very few will look for kit etc just to 'get into' the Irish outline. Parents or grandparents not going to go around scratchbuilding for months before one's birthday.

After all, many of us as children bought British outline because that was what was available for you or you parents to buy as gifts etc. Those childhood experiences combined with the greater variety/different rolling stock available to the maturing young modeller in British outline is probably what prompts that interest in some of the modelers on here including some of the IRM themselves.

I have no real interest in British outline (anymore) but it doesn't mean I don't have the occasion APT or Canadian loco hanging about among my Baby GMs. I'm sure a few on here have an ICE or some Marklin/Roco stuff.

I think you make a good point about the expectation from a European market when coaches with lighting, opening door and real biscuits for the passengers is maybe not the standard but certainly available (maybe not the biscuits). You'd have to say that the IRM products are certainly good enough to compete, so who knows.

ah why cant we have the biscuits go nicely with the tea in the diner

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28 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Shouldn’t it really only be Kimberley, Mikado and Coconut Creams available ? 

First Class - Cakes by Gateaux - This is becoming Cream Crackers! Ah, the memories of my youth in Dublin and eating all those aforementioned biscuits from my Grannies' Biscuit Tin. l retain the habit of raiding the Biscuit Tin but living in Scotland its Tunnocks Tea Cakes and Caramel Wafers. Are any of the brands of my youth available in 2020? 

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As an Irishman also exiled on the big Island, I can assure you that many of the classics are still available - even in Saxon supermarkets. I even picked up some Chef sauce for nostalgia’s sake. Sadly Oatfield sweets are no more.

Edited by Galteemore
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I'm sure this has long been CADed and possibly even tooled.

Surprised how rapidly the spoil wagons 'hit the shelves' but I guess the bodies are pretty straightforward in many respects versus say the fertilizers wagons & loads.

Park Royals would be my second option since at least they go back to 1955 or so just after the CIE built stock (needs to be careful about loosely using the catch-all term 'laminates'). They were, of course, used as intermediates for the AEC railcars if they should ever materialize and lasted well into the '80s.

 The PRs were around until the 90s so would also suit a lot of modelers too. Anyway, I suspect whatever release may be more modern stock as alluded to above. 

Edited by DiveController
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1 hour ago, Ironroad said:

Seems to me not everyone is going to be happy but for what it's worth I would like to see  Park Royals, AECs or Laminates. 

Wouldn't mind some PRs or Laminates, would suit my approx era but oh if they modelled the Mk3s in Supertrain with proper doors, what a beautiful thing that would be:

14647733553_5c91449a54_6k.thumb.jpg.232f999de961e209b58c788c26ee04d4.jpg

I can't look at that photo without hoping one day someone in the modelling world does it justice.

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