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Beach Road bridges complete. Cheers Darius

206+9002 operated wrong way round from York Road to Lisburn and back yesterday.

Lots of Irish Mk2s on eBay this week, if Santa brought you more money than you know what to do with: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147059508743 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147059466563 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147058933561 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147058944058 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/147058951137 And a Hattons full brake: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/366086659179 I am not suggesting that these are sensible prices!

Back to GSWR 6-wheel lav compos, here are a couple more images I've found. Featured in 'Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway' - Shepherd is this view of one of the WLWR lav compos when new. WLWR 79 became GSWR 928 and lasted until 1958 with CIE. This was one of three (928-930) that were allocated to GSWR diagram 69 along with a larger group of similar GSWR-built vehicles. The diagram shows flat ends which was correct for the GSWR vehicles but this photo clearly shows the curved-in ends of a WLWR vehicle. Oil lamps on the roof but no roof vents or water tank, but it has a full set of vents on the doors. Note the curved, apparently wooden headstock ends which is different from the other WLWR lav compo diagrams which had channel steel headstocks. Next up, this photo is reproduced in 'Great Southern Railways' - Murray and credited to W A Camwell although it is undated - I guess 1930s. Looking at the shape of the near corner, I think this has curved-in ends and it would be the same type as that illustrated above - a former WLWR coach allocated to GSWR diagram 69. The lavatory water tank is clearly visible and it has vents on the roof but not on the doors, although there is one above the lavatory compartment. Finally, here's another lav compo featured in 'Railways in Ireland part 4' - Bairstow and credited to the author's collection. The image is dated to 'around 1950' and the lav compo appears to be a genuine GSWR diagram 69 in the CIE dark green livery with elaborate lining. It has a full set of roof and door vents, but no vent over the toilet window. I think there is a water tank on the roof. The last two photos both also feature GSWR full brakes and I'll be doing another thread on them later today.

Yes, it's amazing what could turn up in a passenger train in the 1950s. This is another favourite of mine (off-topic for this thread, there are no 6-wheelers here):

That's the trouble with tank wagon chassis - pretty much everything is visible. Add up the hours and even at minimum wage, if you were paying someone else to build one, it would be a very expensive job...

That's quite a train!

Whilst it would be well out of period for my modelling interests, I couldn’t resist one in model form. I suspect fitting the power bogie wheels into those splashers with enough space for bogie rotation and 21mm gauge would be a real challenge though, and there’s no space for over-size flanges! The FR Fairlies have a maximum bogie rotation angle of 4.25 degrees in yaw, so the doubles are prohibited from sharply-curved sidings. In pitch they are even more fussy, and so they do not go on low-loaders. They are impossible to lift in one piece by crane too. So they don’t leave home. Merddin has travelled over a million miles in nearly 150 years without ever going more than 25 miles from where it was built! There are still a few original bits - the nameplates have been polished so many times that their thickness is half what it once was.

The ffestiniog enginemen were extremely fond of their single Fairlies, it was remarked that if there were railways in heaven that they must use single Fairlies! 33/4 would be one Id be very interested to see, not that we'd likely see one on the main line now due to the very small water capacity, but Downpatrick or Maam Cross!

The wheelbarrow against the wall is a genius touch Alan!

At one stage it was thought the handbrake column was an original part, but it turned out to be from Moel Tryfan rather than Taliesin. The original chimney also survives but wasn’t used as it looked out of proportion- the replica is actually slightly over-scale. The FR Fairlies no longer use the flexible elbow joints (Merddin was the last to have them in the 1990s) and instead use flexible straight hoses with rigid elbows. Now there is another team working on a Gowrie replica. https://www.gowrielocomotivetrust.com/

Indeed, the precedent has been set for Fairlie new builds. The single Fairlie “Talieson” on the Ffestiniog was built in 1999, as a sort of replica / successor to the original “Talieson” which was broken up in 1924. The new engine incorporates the original reverser lever - so whether that makes it a replica or a very very comprehensive rebuilt, is for you to decide . McDonnell’s Fairlies didn’t actually feature flexible steam joints, at least not in the way Fairlie’s did: the pipes of McDonnell’s engines simply had enough flex in them so as not to break whenever the driving bogie shifted - undoubtedly a more precarious arrangement, though saved the fitters from the headache of having to keep flexible joints steam tight. That unique McDonnell Fairlie layout is the main reason I’d love to see a replica, as it would serve an educational role and show a more unusual side to loco engineering - compared to some of the more “nice to have” engines, such as a J26, which I love don’t get me wrong, but wasn’t an engine that broke any moulds or set new boundaries, whereas the “double-bogie[s]” were true unsung pioneers!

Well, there has already been one successful project to build a replica single Fairlie, and there's another one in progress. There's not really much more work in a broad gauge one than narrow gauge - all the same parts just a bit bigger. In my experience, a single Fairlie is a very pleasant loco to work, smooth riding, free running, great ergonomics. An ideal branch passenger loco. The boiler on 33 isn't too big or hungry, and it would go round the DCDR's corners* better than a rigid wheelbase. *with apologies to the DCDR track gang, they're laid smoothly but the DCDR trainset does seem to have more radius 1 curves than straights.

Bit of a random pick I know, but I’d have to go for one of McDonnell’s “double-bogie[s],” as they were known by Inchicore men. There were only two of this type built - 33, 34 - the former in late 1869, with the second engine following a few months later in 1870. Aside from their absolutely gorgeous appearance, they were the first single Fairlies in the world - an innovation to which McDonnell doesn’t get due credit for. Similar back-tanks followed after these two, however they were built as conventional locos rather than being articulated: this was a result of the colossal royalties demanded by Fairlie. Thus the later back-tanks, which were likely intended to be Fairlies but altered mid-construction to a non-articulated set up to avoid royalties, were more rigid by comparison. Shortly after 33’s completion, the first of Fairlie’s Ffestiniog locos made headlines in the engineering press, undoubtedly overshadowing McDonnell’s engines, leaving them to be observed as a mere footnote. Having either 33 or 34 with us today would fill a gap in the history of locomotive technology, and represent one of Ireland’s lesser known contributions to it.

It's a bit of a risk going to Valencia as it puts me within missile range of the Canaries, so I'll have to take a break from being an insufferable asshole to poor @DJ Dangerous when I'm down there! But needs must. Hopefully I can get a bitta video of the Spanish choo choos to put up here, and maybe on YouTube since I only have one video up as is.

I hope you have a great time in Spain - hopefully it won't be as dark as your garden!

Love the old van body! I've several under construction at the moment....same idea....

Preliminary earthworks along the south wall of the garden, from Knockrann curve to Barnacollin bridge. Annoyingly difficult to level out since the shovel snapped. Apologies for the rather dark video but I only thought to record my progress after the sun went down. IMG_2033.mov Since the railway room has been built, theres been a line of spoil along the southern edge of the garden, which I’ve started shaping into an embankment leading to behind the new building. I thought I’d post this as I’ll be visiting family in Spain from Monday to Thursday, so I won’t have another opportunity to share progress for a while. At the end of the week, once im back home and it’s daytime again, I’ll do a full walkthrough of the planned alignment. The railway has been planned for nearly four years now, so hopefully 2026 will be the year it finally comes to fruition.

Lovely scenes, the people help to give it more life.

3002+3004 1005-1250-1605-1850 today

That’s lovely Alan. Fabulous work

Beautiful! Super modelling and photography - the attention to detail is amazing.

KiIlmore's official photographer @Patrick Davey came by the other day and tried out his new wide angle lens. It was a cold day and the stationmaster has just lit fires in all the grates. In other news, a grounded van has appeared in the goods yard.

A bit more progress on the bitumen tank. There's only so much of this I can do at one sitting. It's even got working springs! I've not got too far to go now with the chassis. The tank is well on the way but needs a bit more filling and sanding before I start work on the ladders and catwalks.

Not really just thought it might be of interest to someone here.