jhb171achill

I saw a youtube clip somewhere of a "driver's eye view" where they've put a small camera, presumably on a wagon, being pushed about by a loco. While the views here are from "above", and the youtube thing was track level, this looks familiar. I have no idea what the youtube clip is called, unfortunately, but a bit of determined detective work might reveal it. (Update; Galteemore above has beaten me to it!!!! And it IS the same one......)

Certainly in some of them, yes. Unaware of variations, if any.

VERY nice!

Or wagons on a loose-coupled goods train coming into the North Wall from rural places…….

Either would be good, actually, as both ran with Cravens, Park Royals, every single type of laminate, even the very last few Bredins, and the RPSI stuff. And not forgetting the BR van at Downpatrick, which has seen service on passenger trains too… Both types of vans could also be seen on mail trains in the 70s & 80s…..

It’s being re-boilered right now….

40 squillion billion trillion gazillion shades of weathering, more so than liveries! Despite incorrect theories about the GNR having had fifty shades of loco blue, and CIE sixty shades of green, the reality was that these things were all as strictly and meticulously painted the same corporate colour - just not very often! And older types of paint pigments tended to fade quicker. Add to that more brake dust flying about, and steam, hot oil vapour, coal smoke and Crossley exhaust floating about, and you’ve as much variety in weathering finishes as you have in goods wagons in 1955!

Exactly!! This is precisely the point I’ve been trying to make for years - though IRM are a good bit better than I am in conveying that messsge! We’ll all have our own opinions and preferences for what era we model, but it’s a statement if numerical fact that there was way, way, way more variety in the “grey’n’green” era than at ANY time since. Throughout Ireland, we now have two types of locomotives, with zero locos on the greater mileage of track. We have six types of railcar; of only four distinctly different types. We have basically a solitary type of wagon - a bogie flat - in use. Zero shunting locomotives now for several decades. Virtually no shunting to be seen anywhere anyway On most routes, including the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th biggest population centres on this island, not a solitary freight train. There is now considerably less to see on the entire island’s railways now than could have been found on one sleepy branch line in 1960. Let THAT sink in, in terms of modelling possibilities! Even in the 1980s there was a lot more to see. In the 1970s there was a lot more than in the 1980s. And so on; the 1960s saw the variety of the 1940s/50s decimated. To an enthusiast in 1960-65 (and I lived with one!), all of the following ended within a cataclysmic 2-3 years (to us, let’s say just since covid): 1. All steam finished - mass dieselisation complete 2. AEC railcars the staple diet on many main lines 3. Almost every remaining branch line closed 4. Several secondary main lines about to go (North Kerry, Port Laoise - Kilkenny, Burma Road, Mallow - Waterford) 5. Entire West Cork gone 6. Last narrow gauge gone; C&L & CDR in 1959, WCR thirteen months later in 1961 7. Last non-UTA/CIE lines gone 8. Last cross border line other than Dundalk - Goraghwood gone 9. Statement of intent by UTA to eliminate ALL railways in the north bar the Bangor line 10. Elimination of virtually all pre-GSR wagon stock - bar a handful of more modern GSR & GNR wagons - and these would go a few years later 11. Elimination of all six-wheeled stock (bar 4 full brakes) in 1963 - and the survivors only lasted a few years more 12. Elimination of all ex-CBSCR, DSER & MGWR bogie passenger stock from traffic 13. Elimination of ALMOST all GSWR passenger stock from traffic 14. Elimination of all but about 8-10 non-corridor carriages from traffic (and they were gone by ‘73) 15. And of course, replacement of the time-honoured “flying snail” and green-for-everything paint, as seen on locomotives, carriages, mail vans, buses, road freight, signal cabins and station buildings! 16. Removal of services from many rural stations, thus making them passenger-only or goods-only 17. Significant reduction in trip working and shunting operations, connected with closure of many rural loco sheds. 17. Almost total elimination of loco sheds and turntables, and complete elimination of any form of goods sheds 17. Removal or decommissioning of all but a very small handful of signal cabins Now - again - just imagine this is all in our era; everything above and more has happened only since the end of covid, and there’s an all-pervading fatalistic culture within the railway enthusiast movement - I remember this, as a small and declining handful of readers here will too. Read old IRRS journals, and it’s just matter-of-factly reported that “CIE have announced the closure of the Ballygobackwards line with effect from 30th January next”…. it was accepted. It’s “just the way things are”….. “Sure there’ll be no railways soon”…. So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!” (I’m saving for the RTR B101 & AEC railcars, RTR UTA “Jeep”, and RTR GSWR / GNR steam stock & MGWR six-wheelers…..)

The reality is that this island, as a whole, apart from having only one tenth the population of Britain, simply does not sustain anything CLOSE to the level of interest in railways as themmuns over there do. Oft-heard, over the years, be it close to Whitehead, close to the Wisht of Ireland, or waay down south, were murmurings to the extent that a Severn Valley, Keithley or Festiniog type operation would be "bound to be a success", often accompanied by that tiresome old canard "sure look at all the tourist revenue it would bring in". Such notions were, are and will be in my lifetime anyway, as divorced from reality as a tooth fairy. The ones that survive are the ones that were set up with - and retain - very modest cost bases, which will thus be able to operate with a very low level (by British or other standards) of visitor numbers. Moreover, again compared particularly with our neighbouring island, enthusiasts here are pathologically glued to their closed wallets (with a few notable exceptions) any time an appeal goes out for something. This type of stuff just isn't - unfortunately - in our culture. I can count at least ten possible preservation schemes which were either stillborn, or in four cases tried to get off the ground but ultimately faltered due to a number of reasons. Of those existing today, two appear to be struggling, while another will, I strongly suspect, not last the course. We have Dromod, Kilmeadan, Stradbally, RPSI and DCDR / ITG as going concerns. Each one of those, in their time, benefitted from financial aid no longer available. Places like Finntown and Moyasta are also deserving of our support (the former is publicly funded, otherwise it couldn't survive). However, put bluntly, an attraction like that, if placed in such a very remote location where there is no market but one of unrealistic pipe dreams - I would not be optimistic about. Yes, I do - very much - wish those two well - but, but.... Realism and practicality are often seen as "negative" by the dreamers and, eh, "enthusiasts" among us. But realism and practicality are what make things happen, not dreams. The "takeaway" is therefore that we must accept what we have, be grateful to the volunteers who make the operational lines happen, and support them on foot and by wallet in every way we can.

I'm actually astonished that this hasn't been done years ago.

A very disappoiting day, indeed. I consoled myself with Guinness.....

Yup Brand new, straight out of stores, never used.

Update here; Headhunters Railway Museum in Enniskillen has a number of very clean GSR enamels from (or for) doors - bilingual “Waiting Room”, “Gentlemen” etc.

That cattle wagon - yes! Only seeing that now myself.... sure the track down there hasn't been properly relaid since long before oul Johnny Mac retired,,,,

80 year anniversary indeed - maybe something with a flying snail on it!

CIE 1950s green please!

Ah - that famous Egypt, Bunclody & Singapore Railway, who had those unique 0.7.0s…..

And that was 24 years ago!

In the 1950s and 60s, I recall meeting several English gentlemen in the west of Ireland who had retired there in twilight years. Some of these had been involved in the Second World War - recall one with a very grand accent and handlebar moustache. He had been an RAF pilot, who boasted in very un-PC terms about the people he had dropped bombs on…. In reality, people like this often privately flew for enjoyment well into their older years. Here we see a picture taken by former Wing Commander Sir Tarquin Smythe-Plumley-Chumley (7th Marquis of Castletown) from his Cessna 3-seater in summer 1966, as the 11:40 local leaves Dugort Harbour…..

Plain wagon grey at that stage. With extremely few exceptions, departmental stock at that time was standard wagon grey. The running number would typically end in “A”, thus 456A or 207A on the side, in standard wagon-style font. Chassis same colour as wagon; if it was a crew coach, same plain grey (green with red ends later on), but with dark grey / black roof. Flying Snails sometimes painted, usually stencilled, in white. After 1963, roundels which could variously be all-white or tan surround. Many or most wagons had “PWD” stencilled on sides. Steam cranes either wagon grey or black.

“Oh, brilliant, just brilliant. How’d it happen? Where’s Phil? Anyone told PJ yet?”

“Did you get the eggs?” ”Yeah, they’re up here with me - want a lift into town?” ”What time will you be back?” “I’ve only to bring this van up, coming back light. Sure ye can hop up here, and Margaret can come too…” ”OK, get down and give me a hand liftin’ the messages up….”

09:30, methinks. Ye on it?

I’m off to Belfast to meet cronies in the morning. Prob my last time in GVS, as I’ll be getting off the Enterprise in Portydown and getting a local to GVS…..

Achill D16, for the DCDR, with coal bill paid by me in perpetuity.