Brill, thanks David!
I'm searching eBay at the moment, I have used Farnell and RS but I rarely have orders large enough to qualify for the free shipping 
Would the SN74HC240N or the 74HC240A be the same part?
The IRL540's seem to be the cheapest and most readily available on eBay so I think I will go with a few of them. Probably will stick tho through hole this time because my PCB layout skills are lacking somewhat and usually find it easier to route through hole hole 2.54 pitch stuff.
Thanks again