Forums

Started this week - MTK Ultrasonic Test Train. Cheers Darius

I did visit Bekonscot  a couple of times, must have been in the late 1980's.   Very impressive set up.    The railway is gauge 1 (10mm- 1')  and the buildings are I think built to 1" to 1' scale, though different scales it blends in quite effective in this set up.

I'd say the poster is genuine, a little sceptical about the pencilled in details. Why would they go to the trouble of writing that out and not paste it up?

A final look at the Headboard before I "test it" probobly on GSWR no.36. then it will be ready for its probably ceramonial role of photo opps and static locos!  

Likely to have been initially loaded under the large Elevators at Dublin, Waterford and Cork ports and unloaded by gravity at mills around the country, apparently wagons were unloaded through a hole in a road bridge in Limerick and the grain then transhipped by road to Ranks Mill in the Docks. There is also a photo (possibly O'Dea collection) of grain being transhipped from a grain wagon to a truck at Fermoy during the 60s using a portable conveyor The GSR originally built 10 hoppers for its own use and 8 for Ranks traffic during the 1930s, the increase in traffic that lead to CIE converting H Vans to grain wagons likely to be tied up with large scale mechanisation of agriculture in Ireland during the 50s leading to increased grain growing and use of grain as stock feed (Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement? Ferns County Wexford seems to have become a significant originating point in the 50 with Ferns-Ballysodare possibly Ardee traffic flows. Grain seems to have been stored for loading in a typical Irish curved roofed agricultural/industrial building as opposed to a silo/elevator at Ferns and loaded through covered conveyors that projected out of the building. Some photos of arrangements for loading/unloading at Clara.  Built 1930s quite a contrast with stone mills built during 19th Century Ranks Mill Clara 1990s Elevator on left, drystore? on right, seems to have been 2 siding in this area. Mill Elevator on left smaller building may have been for storing finished product animal feed?  before dispatch Close up of loading chutes and discharge point. Looks like the discharge point was set up for unloading trucks after rail traffic ceased during the Mid 70s. Clara an industrial town once relatively busy with freight traffic mainly tied up with the Goodbody family. Jute mill served by a long siding west of the station and Goodbodys later Ranks Mill at the rear of the station and two goods yards with its own pilot loco laterly a G Class