jhb171achill

I'd say so, yes.

This is truly outstanding work. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Say you email them 2 or 3 images.....what sort of cost roughly?

Where did you get that nice gate with the traditional round stone gateposts? The stone walls look very good too.

Comments very much appreciated, Paddy. It is partly influenced by places like Baltimore, Co Cork, where things were indeed straight, or Fenit, likewise. The three-way point had been commented on as something not normally associated with rural Irish lines. I agree entirely; however there were a small number of examples - one actually being at Fenit. I think there was another somewhere on the North Kerry, and in various goods yards. From MGWR cattle-specials country (Edenderry) comes the news that the entire thing should be up and running by Easter. News here as it develops. Suffice to say, I am taking Dave’s advice regarding the chipping and DCC-ing of three J15s, two “C”, four IRM “A” and two Murphy 141 class locos. The future should see a B101, Murphy 121s, and a couple of “Mayner” Midland engines join....

Bland.

They've been digging up our road here (South Dublin) over the last week to put in "super-fast high speed broadband" of ten zillion trillion gazillion megateragiga-something per milli-micro-second..... you know the usual rubbish on the junk mail that arrives on flyers in your letterbox, just under the sign which says "NO JUNK MAIL". Listen, Virgin eir sky, go to hell. I'm not interested. Anything or anyone who pronounces "data" as "day-ta", and trots out such base inanities as "all you can eat"...... fer gawds sake, is this what nine million years of evolution and centuries of education has got us to? - is not welcome in this household! Rant over. But if you come near my letterbox, beware. I've put explosives in it...............................................!

A ballast pit might make an interesting addition to a layout, say on a corner where there's a bit of space for a short siding. This is as opposed to a ballast QUARRY, like Lisduff or Goraghwood; themselves worthy of a layout. Not so well known now, but tell-tale signs may still be seen, especially on the Midland, of places where there just happened to be a decent rocky outcrop at the side of the line. The railway would often notice this during construction, and acquire the bit of land and fence it off. At some stage, they'd lay a rough siding into it, install the most basic of stone crushing equipment, and dig out what they could. thereafter, it would be abandoned; in some cases old holes filled up with spent ballast and other rubbish. On the Achill line alone, there was a large "pit" or small "quarry" near Mulrany, which at one stage had two rough sidings in it. Traces may still be seen if you cycle the greenway there. Further along, nearer Newport, land for the same purpose was acquired but never used. On the Donegal and Cavan & Leitrim, wagons were sometimes dropped off the back of a train, handbrake on, and left there while men manually dug stone out from a suitable area at the side of the line. they would be collected later and tagged onto another train.

All we can say is that it’s not 4 or 56. There were about five, maybe six, at the end. Does that narrow it down to three? Or maybe the pic is earlier?

Silver: inception to early 1960s (last repainted out of it). Light (carriage) green: on carriages after 1956, extended to these locomotives plus C class from about 1959 onwards, due to poor weathering of the silver. Dark green: short lived and applied to only a few A class (and no C class); early 60s only. Black with high tan and no “R” after the number: 1963/4 repaints from green or silver. So in 1959-64 or so, green running alongside (VERY filthy!) silver. All black: 1965-68 repaints. Ran alongside green until last green repainted. From about 1965 yellow panels were added at the front of some but not all of the class. Same story with the Cs. Black with high tan band WITH “R” after the number, and also black with low tan band: introduced after each loco had its re-engining completed 1969-71 or so. About 12-15 had the high tan band, mainly those treated first, most having low band. “Supertrain” livery: CIE logos on ends only, no white lines: 1972-87. Same mostly orange livery with IR “set of points” logo and NO white lines: this was not an official “livery” as such - it was a quick way of “modernisation” by putting a new IR logo on the CIE “supertrain” livery. Locos of A, 141 & 181 types temporarily bore this variation pending a full repaint in the lE livery WITH white lines. So, 1987-1990 or so. ”Tippex” livery - nickname given to IE livery as, for cost-cutting reasons, instead of introducing a complete new livery, IE just amended the CIE livery by adding white lines! This was applied from 1987 onwards, when CIE was split into operating subsidiaries.

Well, I’ve upped MY order to four....! I’ll sell the house, plus the neighbour’s houses willingly.

Superb, KMCE, thanks!

The Tralee & Dingle crews used to drink there!

So it’s really no more complicated than getting an A3 printer somewhere!

From selfless sacrifice, in the spirit (or spirits) of online community, I hereby volunteer. Don't mention it.