I really want to say "Thank You"

[Old Blarney]

Today, 12/09/20, two days after my 78th Birthday, our Postman delivered a wee parcel. To my delight it is my 121 from The Paddy Murphy Stable.

This delivery made me thing a wee bit. I thought of my age, my model railway, the locomotives I am running; as I prepare for a professional Filming Session of Old Blarney this Thursday.  Most importantly, my thoughts turned to the man who made it possible for me to have models of Irish Locomotives, and rolling stock, Paddy Murphy. 

 His production of accurate models of the 141 and 181 Locomotives as used on our Railway System, and each of the models he has produced since then made me feel extremely grateful to him. 

Did I do anything - yes.  I telephoned the great man. He was taking a walk in a Park and took the time to have a conversation with me.

I  would like to extend an invitation to each individual on this forum who reads, contributes and has an interest in Model Railways. Please add your personal thanks to Paddy for all he had done for you, your hobby and the RPSI by adding your name and a message to him through this page.

My sincere thanks, to you, Paddy Murphy,

David White.

Edited September 12, 2020 by Old Blarney
Text

[DJ Dangerous]

I'll happily second that.

The man is a living legend.

[Old Blarney]

D J Thank you.

[jhb171achill]

I absolutely second, third and fourth that. Paddy, you've been an inspiration to a whole new generation of Irish modellers. You've enabled exhibition-standard modelling of the period from 1961 to the present with consistent high quality. Very many thanks from an owner of a 121, soon to be two, a good few black'n'tan 141s, and several "Craven" coaches!

[warb]

What can we say to paddy only thank you for what he has done over the years. When i stared  there was nothing except repaints and or scratch build your own which i and others had to do. Paddy you're a legend.

thanks paddy

warb

Noel Dodd

[irishthump]

A big thanks to Paddy for his immeasurable contribution to making the Irish RTR scene what it is today.

[LARNE CABIN]

I can only reiterate the above sentiments. I have been interested in Irish Railways and Irish Model Railways since I was in Primary School. My interest has always been GNRI and more recently NCC/UTA with my Larne Harbour Project, but I have a fair collection of Murphy Models including a 141, 181, NIR 111, Cravens and Mk 2's. Why? I know they will never be part of my layout, but I couldn't resist buying them because they are so brilliant, the standard is so high and they are a joy to own and look at. Thank you Paddy Murphy for having the foresight and initiative to take on such a project. It has been a resounding success. You are a legend in Irish Railway Modelling.

[JasonB]

I can still remember the sunday evening when I stumbled upon 141 Class no.156, while rummaging through my dad's collection back in 2012. Straight away, it reignited my childhood interest in irish railways, and I haven't looked back since. To see a model so finely detailed, just blew me away at the time, and it has continued since then.

The man is a legend, and without doubt has inspired what we see today from IRM. He has topped it off with 121 class, which might be his last, or maybe not. Thank you Mr Murphy. 

 

Edited September 12, 2020 by JasonB

[Broithe]

Without the selfless divine intervention of St Patrick, and him saving his four, now five (?), apostles from the wilderness, we would not be where we are today.

 

 

I remember seeing my first 141 - it was on a DC Kits stand at Stafford Exhibition, at the back - it was really the orangeness that I spotted first - I had gone to get some bits for a chap I'd built a layout for - I had no idea anything so exotic as an actual Irish model would even exist - I bought it and was astounded (still am) at how good it was.

[WRENNEIRE]

Thats all good and fine, but what about the yellow handrails on the 121's?  

[DART8118]

Paddy,

The standards you set and the models you delivered make me very PROUD to tell anyone who asks that my interest in model trains is Irish and only Irish.  Returning to the hobby was easy because your models were available and I have enjoyed every minute of it.  Now looking forward to a whole new era.  So, I'm saying thank you for that and for everything you've done for the Irish model railway scene.

[irishthump]

7 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

Thats all good and fine, but what about the yellow handrails on the 121's?  

Just wait for the rest of the “snag list”....

[murphaph]

You can most certainly add my name to the well-wishers here. It was the bravery of the initial runs that I admire most. The size of the market for highly detailed, quality RTR was I would say pretty much unknown.

The locomotives are always going to be the most difficult thing to build yourself. Having them RTR has unlocked the door for others to follow and indeed build upon that work.

Philip Murphy.

[Wexford70]

Paddy Murphy has achieved the impossible with significant financial risk to himself.

Having to spread out production over years with coaches and locomotives arriving in different years he had to rely on the hope that buyers would hang-in there to build their collections.

We did and were rewarded with quality and levels of detail that put the big producers to shame.

His original cooperation with Llma and Bachman proved that demand existed. Lima's willingness to do short runs was the start of an economic model that demonstrated the viability of meeting that demand.

Paddy has single-handedly changed the modelling scene in Ireland working with modellers at shows to perfect his models using the best technology available, even risking production in the emerging Chinese manufacturing centres to maximise the quality / price equation.

Paddy, thank you for all you have done, the chances you have taken and the joy you have given to so many of us.  You created the new era of the rivet counter  in terms of Irish railway modelling feeding the need for accuracy and well running models. These will be sought after for years to come and rightly so.

Edited September 13, 2020 by Wexford70

[enniscorthyman]

Many many thanks to Paddy Murphy.Going back to the early 90s, not in your wildest dreams could we imagine how much the Irish scene could be transformed particularly with the 141/181s.Now with 121s and 001 class on the horizon,happy days.

[BosKonay]

This forum, and IRM as a business would not be here were it not for Paddy Murphy.

[Galteemore]

Deserves to be a member of Aosdána for service to Irish culture !

[Irishrailwayman]

Best wishes to Paddy for all he has done for the hobby of Irish railway modelling.

[burnthebox]

I too would like to add my gratitude to the man known as Paddy Murphy for reawakening my fascination with model railways and particularly the Irish examples with models so very exceptionally well detailed the likes of which we had not anticipated let alone expected, oh we of little faith..!  I’ll not quote the numbers of the models here as they have already been quoted here rightly so and of which we have been so lucky to receive, take 17 bows Mr. Murphy you deserve every one, 

BTB

[PJR]

Many Thanks to Paddy Murphy for all he has done for Irish model trains in Ireland and abroad 

[DAVID WILSON]

Sometimes dreams do come true, and this certainly is the case with Paddy's great model locos.  I have thirteen of his 141/181s, just couldn't stop acquiring them when they came out. Wonderful models.

Thank you Paddy for your energy and magnificent contribution to Irish railway modelling.

 

David

Belfast

[josefstadt]

Fulsome thanks to Paddy Murphy for dragging Irish railway modelling up to its current high standards. 

[mphoey]

I have known paddy pre railway days from my ambulance days and he was always a gentleman . I will always support his ventures and he has helped the RPSI so much in not only creating B134 as  a model but also B141 and the Whitehead mark 2 set and the Dublin craven set all of which have raised vital funds for the RPSI. He also helped the society secure B141 herself.

[Warbonnet]

As Stephen said, there would be no IRM without Paddy. He was a true pioneer of the hobby here and revolutionised it. He took the chance on RTR Irish models and it paid off, and his bravery has given me a day job! I have also been dealing with Paddy on the retail side for IRM with the 121s and the rest of the MM range and he is a pleasure to work with. The 121 is a fabulous model and I think there will be more great models to come too.

 

[skinner75]

I fully agree with all sentiments expressed by everyone above - a massive thank you to Paddy for the fantastic work he has done over the years, bringing us true quality representations of the Irish locos we all know & love

[Broithe]

In the Old Testament days, there were a great many prophets who maintained the faith of the True Believers - MIR, Silver Fox and many others.

But, it took the revelations of St Patrick to convert many more to the faith.

The 141/181s and the Cravens showed many of those of us with a weaker faith that they simply needed to follow the correct path to salvation.

[leslie10646]

Lord White commented in his opening post of this thread that his B Class arrived just after his 78th birthday.

Mine was a present for my 70th - four years ago!

No complaint, mind you.

Paddy raised the bar way above the heads of the prevailing standard of British model diesels when he produced the Double-ended Yankees. This long-awaited, but superb model, is in a different league to any 4mm diesel I've seen.

As Old Blarney says, we owe Paddy a huge thank-you, for bringing Irish Railway modelling out of the darkness and into The Light.

I would have suggested that Paddy had done more than enough to get a major Irish Award for services to the State - but there ain't ANY!

There was an Order of St Patrick created by the Brits within The Kingdom of Ireland (Wikipedia says), but it has lapsed.

Paddy you are, and ever will be, The King of Irish Railway Modelling.

Thanks very much

Leslie

[Broithe]

A simple matter - to turn up at the MRSI in a suitable regalia, surely?

[Edo]

Thank you Paddy

I missed out on the 141/181s so you can guess how the 121s are going down with me

Anyway a totally chronologically garbled line up from me attached....but I love it!

Edited September 18, 2020 by Edo

[DiveController]

There's hot box on those Bells! 

I received B134 today. Seems like it went through Chicago on route so probably others on this side of the Atlantic have already got their hands on it.

The model is extremely fragile and I see this being a little bit of a problem for modelers as time passes. I hope there are spares! Even my respectful 8 yr old who has special privileges to handle 'dad's trains' under supervision was not allowed.

But boy does it run smoothly even on a crappy Bachmann EZ Track test track with a few dodgy rail connections. Smooth over express and regular points at all speeds. The livery looks very well in the flesh. I popped the top off quickly and decided not to mess with the tiny switches yet. 

Couldn't resist 6-7 circuits before I had to run out the door. "DON'T TOUCH THE NEW ENGINE! ...... I mean it ........"

Edited September 19, 2020 by DiveController

[patrick]

My first footplate ride was on a 141 in B & T livery from Tralee station over to the North Kerry yard and back some time around 1970. When the MM models came out I just had to have one. This eventually led to the South Waterford line which has given me so much satisfaction over the last nine years. Thank you PM!

[Noel]

9 hours ago, Edo said:

Thank you Paddy

I missed out on the 141/181s so you can guess how the 121s are going down with me

Anyway a totally chronologically garbled line up from me attached....but I love it!

 

Enjoy them. Love it, a pair of 121 locos top'n'tail hauling and pushing the four container wagons.  Top'n'tail locos seems a common practice with heavy freight trains on part of the UK rail network.

[Sleeper]

Thanks very much Paddy Murphy, not only have you given us models from the past, present and now the future

[Robert Shrives]

Good morning,

I too extend a big thank you to Paddy Murphy for all works achieved and for having the confidence to go for the long run with the risks involved in business.  I first saw rtr Lima models in Ian Allan in Birmingham  and snapped up a blue 201 and a pack of coaches in NIR livery, perhaps 20 years ago, may be more. Like many others it started a life long interest in the real railway and modelling. Even MTK could not put me off !  

The more recent models show that attention to detail really works - at a cost but hopefully sales have recovered some of the investment. Perhaps no state acknowledgement, but the name will live on in the hobby , like Fry and maybe in time IRM with a display space at the Fry model railway to keep all the development and sucess story in one place.     

Paddy can rest on his  laurels for many a day  and certainly deserves a rest and a good drink to recover from getting the 121 to the hobby, but can you keep a good man down ?

Robert 

        

 

[DiveController]

Well Murphy Models is the commonest search bait term on eBay for many years now. Rumor was that that PM wished to retire after the 121s but if he's considering rolling stock to go with the 121s I won't complain though

Edited September 20, 2020 by DiveController