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JB, you're slacking - taking five years to answer a query!

The April gallery is updated with: Wednesday 2nd April 2025: A few photos taken while on the way from Limerick to Thurles. Later in the evening we see 220 in its new retro livery passing near Holycross with the 1700 Heuston - Cork. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/April-2025/i-NTqtSCq to view all the images.

Excellent and well deserved publicity. We should all do all we can to support Ireland's only preserved standard gauge line!

Eight-page (!) article on the flood recovery at Downpatrick in the current issue of Steam Railway

That is absolutely the best scratchbuild I haqve seen in a VERY long time. And, there's some competition out there! A credit to you, sir! Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. On Saturday I'll be getting on at Limerick Jct., going back to Caark. The wagons are weathered very realistically too.

1964/5

Glazing added. It looks better on the photo plank in the spring sunshine! A few pics with a short train of equally grubby silver trucks.

As a modeller of the BCDR, I’m always on the lookout for RTR models or kits that could be hacked into something approximating County Down stock and I have to say the pickings are pretty slim both for locomotives and rolling stock. Honourable mention must be made here of @leslie10646's Dapol conversions of BCDR opens and EDSS coal wagons which were/are beacons of hope in an otherwise empty space. More often than not, scratch building is the better option. Even that Kernow brake van will need a fair bit of work. As regards rolling stock, one of the most prominent features but also one of the biggest modelling challenges is the outside W-irons commonly seen on BCDR stock. If these are present on a model, it’s already well on the way to being convincingly BCDR to the extent that other inaccuracies can become less noticeable. I have used an etch from Dart Castings’ MJT range to model W-irons but it requires a tedious amount of cutting and soldering to produce something convincing yet even then not quite accurate. I have searched in vain for ready made etches that might make the job a bit easier. To end on a less pessimistic note, a Midland Railways 8 ton 3 plank drop side wagon from Slater's 4mm range of plastic kits provides a reasonable basis for a BCDR 8 ton open. Alan

Maybe Kieran Lagan?

Sorry, Patrick, I thought that it was you! It MAY have been Colm F - the only other person modelling the BCDR back then.

Some foxy locos... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226676877681 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226676869002 https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/226676871357

IRM's news about the 800 locomotives motivated me to reserve one model of each locomotive. Three Irish steam locomotive models. The largest single purchase of railway models I've ever done, but well worth it to support such an important project.

Just putting up a few notes here, triggered by conversations following the introduction of Leslie’s latest wagon releases. The lack of anything suitable for a BCDR layout has been mentioned, in response to which mention was made of a Kernow-made brake van that could double as a BCDR one. Between Provincial, JM Design and IRM, much attention has been paid to CIE (and constituent) and GNR stock, but not so much to the smaller companies like the NCC and BCDR. With a seemingly growing interest in the UTA area, I’ll post the odd thing here if I see wagons that might fit that bill - conversion or repaints of off-the-shelf British stuff to look at least vaguely Irish. Of course, Provincial Wagons have got the ball rolling with the famous and unique NCC “brown van”…. Any other ideas?

@leslie10646 ?

They were instock yesterday when I put the listing up. Must have been someone from this neck of the woods that bought them.

All sold out!

Finely crafted, from start to finish. Fantastic modelling.

Very nice - super photos! I was wondering whether 220 might appear on the Cork services and I'm pleased to see that it has done, just in time for my visit

Mk 3's! @Davenport

A very reasonable approximation, yes! They had several types, some made in very low numbers - same as many Irish railways before the mass standardisation of the GSR & CIE.

To add to @jhb171achill's comment - I understand that the LSWR "Road Van" as sold by Kernow is a good approximation of a BCDR brake van. See: https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/43665/SB003G-LSWR-10-Ton-Goods-Brake-Van-number-S54466 Patrick Davey got the Smallbrook kit of one and altered it. @Patrick Davey - please advise? Thanks

One of the best chasing trips I’ve done in a long time if not ever, great day out.

Even if the BCDR had been open when any of these wagons were conceived, from photos I've seen, there appears to have been little to nothing in the way of goods traffic from outside the system. My guess is that the vast, vast majority of goods traffic was belfast to / from rural stations on the system. Thus, few NCC or GNR wagons, let alone anythiong from further south. For an accurate representation of the BCDR, scratchbuilt goods stock would really be needed (or kits???)

Updates to the March and April galleries tonight. The March 2025 gallery comes to a close with images from: Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd March 2025: Pictures from a weekend in Dublin. Monday 24th March 2025: An early morning trip to Cork to head to the airport for a flight to London Heathrow. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/March-2025/i-vPgxMFX to view all the images. The April 2025 gallery opens on April's Fools day with some pretty interesting events! 083 brought a six car transfer of 2700 Class vehicles from Cork to Inchicore Works for scrapping. 071 Class loco 083 brought vehicles 2717 + 2718 + 2713 + 2714 +2710 + 2709 on their final rail journey. Meanwhile, retro liveried 220, after its stint on freight work after re-entering service was released to passenger work, being allocated to the work Cork MK4 services from the 1100 Heuston - Cork onwards, later working the 1425 return and 1800 back to Cork. All in all, an interesting day and the photos can be viewed at https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/April-2025/i-QSjDCbh