Murphy Models CIE/IR Class 121s arrive with stockists

Murphy Models' new CIE/IR Class 121 as used in Ireland is arriving with retailers. The models promise a high level of detail, with tooling variations catering for different handrail lengths, incandescent or LED headlight styles, alternative cab window styles, different side vents, windscreen wiper fittings and more.

The models showcase the locomotive throughout its lifespan, with twelve different variations covering the liveries carried by the locomotives.

Back story
In late 1950s with the reliability of the Class 001/A being poor, a new class of locomotive was required. In 1961, fifteen Class 121 locomotives arrived in Dublin offering a maximum speed of 77 mph, weighing 64T, each with a length of just over 12m. Later they were fitted for multiple operation. These were built and supplied by GM EMD Illinois, being single cab in a Bo-Bo format and entered service on mainline passenger routes. Over the next three decades, the locomotives were followed by a succession of more powerful GM EMD locomotives such as the Class 141s, 181s, 071s and 201s. With the arrival of the Class 22000 DMUs from Rotem of South Korea, Cork and Belfast are now the only destinations served by locomotive-hauled trains in Ireland.

Murphy Models' locomotive features six switches located under the exhaust panel to control the lights independently of each other. For DC users, this allows for era-dependent, prototypically correct, operation of lights. All six switches must be in the 'on' position for DCC operation. Locomotives have a 21-pin connection and the manufacturer advises against using an adapter, recommending the use of a 21-pin decoder only. The manufacturer supplies DCC and two DCC sound chips for its models Class 121.

For more details and information, visit the Murphy Models website.