Irishswissernie

Kildare station December 1964. Greystones, 123 on Railcar set November 1987. Galway, 28 Oct 1966.

Alan and I checked out the route by bus from Bettws-y-Coed to Penmachno Quarry some 20 odd years ago. We were the only passengers on the outbound trip and at an average speed at what seemed like 60 mph I realised why!. We hung on to the seats as I made a video of the entire journey. On the return trip a couple of old ladies got on and told the Driver in Welsh with a few English curses to moderate his speed!

Track testing after rough ballasting, Fairlie on 10 bogie wagons.

Wet day at Timoleague 90 , 20 August 1960. Mullingar 624 Down Goods 7 July 1955. Bray, 86 , 2 May 1953.

GNRI Portadown station, 192 June 1957. Limerick Junction, 030 parked on the 'back' line with Bagged cement mts ca1985. West Clare, Kilkee 4 Nov 1960.

Rough Ballasting done! I hate ballasting but at least this is going to be unkempt and overgrown. Peco actually produce Llanwrst & Penmachno stock , this needs weathering though. Unfortunately the Heljan L&B 188 won't be staying,it proved to be a failure on the L & P after purchase as it could n't cope with the 9" radius curves so it is off to Brazil very shortly as per the prototype. Actually son Alan can have it to play with er rebuild.

Mullingar, A1 June 1957. Inchicore D303 3 May 1969. Inchicore. Ex GNRI UG (second batch) 31 August 1963

They were Jim, he gave me about a dozen that he didn't manage to sell!

Clonakilty shed 17 March 1961. amended date confirmed. 3 views of County Donegal Railways wagons, poor negs.

Cork, Kent 1950's. Crusheen, ex M&GW TPO! extremely doubtful that it was in revenue service. Cork, Glanmire Road "aBANDONed" Tank 470.

Cork City Railway 464, 17 March 1961, a previously published view , I now have the original John Phillips slide. Cavan & Leitrim Railway 2L arriving at Ballinamore from Dromod June 1957 NCC / UTA Class A1 No 69 but I divvent nar whar this one is like. Looks a bit rural for York Road, Ca1950.

Dunsandle station 4 November 1960. Birr station 6 November 1960. Mallow, 207 OOU ca 1959.

Courtmacsherry 6 November 1960 552. Clonsilla 5 September 1953. In the distance it looks like a goods train waiting to come off the Meath line or possibly recessed to let the railcar past. Belfast Adelaide shed 207 May 1964.

This glass negative arrived today. Cork & Muskerry Rly, 4-4-0t No 1 built by the Falcon Engine Co of Loughborough in 1887 originally as a 2-4-0t. Neg says GSR period so between 1925 and December 1934 when line was closed.

The slide date is August 1964 which is over a year after, according to Locos of the GNRI the loco was sold by CIE (June 1963)

Scanned this slide recently , Aghadavoyle area with a WT heading north with a dead VS probably 207 in the train followed by (I think) one of the ex GNRI bogie grain wagons ca August 1964. If it was 207, CIE sold the loco to the UTA in June 1963 so probably not it being delivered to them but maybe after having failed in the Republic.

A couple more views taken during track testing etc. The fiddle yard sidings will easily hold a Double Fairlie and 10 bogie wagons on each of the through roads whilst the loop roads at the station can only take one loco plus 3 bogie coaches however a long train could cross a smaller one .

CB&SCR Cork Rocksavage 'shed' 26 June 1954. GNRI Portadown shed T1 187 10 July 1955. CDRJC Lifford, Erne June 1957.

Fintona Junction and Dick with the tram to Fintona June 1957. Dun Laoghaire 186 on a special 1960's. Attymon the Loughrea branch mixed 4 November 1960

The electrics are done and the backdrop which is re-cycled hardboard from the back of an old settee has been added and roughly painted . I have been playing trains today whilst working out the scenics.

Allman & Co's Peckett 1556'1920 acquired by the GSR when the Company closed ca 1930 at Cork Rocksavage 'shed'; an undated glass negative so possibly pre-war. CDRJC Trailer 3 ex D&BST Stranorlar June 1957. Dublin, Broadstone shed 1960's

Courtmacsherry 90, 20 August 1960. Ballina, 6 July 1955. West Clare, Moyasta Junction 28 January 1961.

Waterford, Platforms 1 & 2 at the east end 14 August 1953, 150 on Macmine train. Platform 1 looks as if it had been converted to another use even at that date.

GNRI Bundoran Junction 50, June 1957. Cavan & Leitrim Ballinamore 12L June 1957. CB&SC Cork Albert Quay 557 June 1957.

Progress! The track is now laid and the electrics now need to be done. The layout is split into 3 sections electrically and the wiring can be surface laid as it is all in the fiddle yard The black hatching indicates the boundary between the fiddle yard and the scenic bit. A layout of this size 48 x 32 inches is not after 50+ years layout building experience going to need point motors etc so everything is being kept simple. What it does need is the 'stock railer' on the left hand corner which was an afterthought but is really handy for me (I have enough trouble trying to put a Murphy 071 on the track at Glengarriff!) The first photo includes 'Princess' standing in the slate quarry exchange sidings, these exit into the fiddle yard so that full and empty wagons can change places. The second photo is 'Princess' on the somewhat lightly built bridge over the stream at the north end of the station In this scale and with my eyesight, operation will be running trains rather than shunting and the layout will accommodate 7 rakes , 5 in the fiddle yard and empty and full rakes in the quarry yard. Next task is to find my soldering iron!