NEW MODELS REVEALED INSIDE

Irish Railway Models has unveiled plans to produce six new Irish outline wagons, which are set to be released over the next year. Five of the sextet are based on the Cié/irish Rail 42ft-long chassis. Leading the ‘Project 42’ series is the CIÉ/IÉ bogie fertiliser wagon, 90 of which were built to carry palletised fertiliser from IFI’S plant near Arklow, County Wicklow. The remainder feature the 42ft chassis with a variety of different bodies: these include the version with cages for carrying Guinness kegs, a low body for carrying spoil, and a weed-killing train which will have tank and container modules. IRM has joined forces with container specialist C-rail Intermodal to develop the CIÉ/IÉ container flats, introduced in 1971. Modellers will be able to buy C-rail 40ft containers with liveries and guises unique to IRM. All ‘Project 42’ wagons will come in twin packs and IRM is planning to produce different running numbers for each in order to enable modellers to assemble prototypical length trains. They’re all planned for release towards the end of 2018. Last but not least is the CIÉ/IÉ ballast plough. Four of these ploughs were built by CIÉ in 1978 and ran with the 20t hopper wagons, the subject of IRM’S first release (MR237). These charismatic little vans will sport interior and external lighting, but numbers will be limited. They’re due in the third quarter of 2018. Prices for all models had still to be confirmed at the time of writing. Keep an eye on www. irishrailwaymodels.com for regular updates.