Irishswissernie

Having cleared the decks of several thousand negatives (well nearly - some 100+ Irish due this week) I think its time to crack on with Ballyshannon S&DJR aka Alum Bay and to this end the board has been moved from the loft to my den where I can at least sit down whilst constructing buildings etc. I have more or less worked out buildings etc so hopefully can now crack on with construction.

Belfast York Road with ex B&CDR 30 and NCC 'Dunluce Castle on display on 9 June 1961.

Drogheda 9 June 1961. The old road bridge at Waterford 6 June 1961.

There is a site which no doubt most of you are aware of covering past Rail Tours . Its called Six Bells Junction and this is the link to the June 1961 Joint RCTS/SLS/IRRS Tour. The site is a mine of information and very useful in attempting to date and identify images. https://www.sixbellsjunction.co.uk/60s/610604rc.html

If you go on my flickr site https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/ and put in the search bar 1961-06 it brings up over 100 photos for that month many of which will be of the Tour. Many of the Tour participants are in view and maybe he appears in one. There are no doubt other photos where I didn't have the date so they won't come up. The relevant album is Irish Railways 1960's with some 600+ images. https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/albums/72157718812496542 There are views of 588's replacement (603) and also the substitutes, 121's B132 & B129 which substituted. Sligo to Ballaghaderreen B132 & Kilfree to Mullingar B129

Between Palace East and Muine Bheag and arriving at Muine Bheag off the branch, possibly in 1962.

Listowel 5 June 1961. Dromod 2L awaits removal for preservation 8 June 1961.

In those baking hot Summers back in the day some Driver's preferred to cook their sausages out in the open air rather than in a stifling hot cab of a J18. Claremorris 7 June 1961, warm axle box failed 588!

I acquired this one off EBay last weekend thankfully at a reasonable price although not sure why it didn't go for a similar high price as other items by the same photographer on Sunday night. 1955 , 7th July 373 Dn Mail at Athenry. (Well its got 2 Mail coaches on the front!) Unfortunately I couldn't acquire more negatives 'privately' as the executor's opted to have the negs 'e bayed' to hopefully maximise their value but I have still managed to acquire the odd one without blowing the budget.

Alex Ford views today, courtesy of the Transport Library. Ennis 3C 4July 1950. Dublin Harcourt Street 27 June 1950. Ballinamore 3L Arigna Train 30 June 1950.

GNRI Belturbet 1955 , 2 photos. Belfast train passing east end of Portadown shed 21 Sept 1957.

I don't think these are on flickr being part of the lot that went missing when my computer crashed. Thomastown 30 March 1996 074 , 2 views. The viaduct 7 May 2005 All Graham Roose photos.

Alex Ford photos today, courtesy of the Transport Library. D2 331 at Kingsbridge 27 June 1950. Cavan & Leitrim Dromod Exchange Sidings 4T 30 June 1950. G2 666 in the Dromod locality 30 June 1950.

CDRJC Strabane 15 May 1959. Black clouds at Ennis , West Clare after closure whilst track lifting. 7 June 1961.

Cavan & Leitrim Drumshanbo, 13 March 1959. Dublin, Broadstone shed 15 March 1959.

I'm getting a bit low on Irish material to upload but hopefully this will change in the next couple of weeks. I have now acquired some 500 1950's/60's negatives covering the North East of England which will keep me occupied however. Or I could do some modelling on the layout. Lagan at Connolly. Enfield 8 June 1961.

County Donegal today. Strabane , Phoenix 16 Sept 1958. Castlefin, 15 May 1959. Killybegs 17 Sept 1958.

Heuston 18 March 1963. Streamstown - Clara 18 March 1963. Thurles Beet Factory 9 Sept 1958.

Arigna Branch, Cavan & Leitrim 13 March 1959. Kells, 3 June 1961. Dublin Heuston with ex GNRI 4-4-2T possibly on pilot duty 18 March 1963.

I have finally finished sorting out the late TE Rounthwaite's negatives and have acquired for my labours nearly 500 . Unfortunately for Ireland there are only 2 out of over 4000 images however these are of some interest although there are no details on the prints. I think No 59 is probably at Londonderry Waterside and I believe it was rebuilt in 1924 so prior to then. The second is U2 No 81 which was built 1925 , any ideas on the location - I'm thinking Portrush and the loco is partly on a turntable. Ideas anyone?

Navan, 3 June 1961. Mullingar 18 March 1963. Cork, Glanmire Road 2 June 1958

Kildare 31 May 1958. Belfast GVS June 1963. Hill of Howth, Car No 4 at Summit 15 March 1959.

Cavan & Leitrim today. Belturbet, 14 March 1959. Arigna. 13 March 1959 x 2

I got round this by imagining that the Sligo & Donegal Junction grew out of a mineral railway from Garrison to Mullaghmore which with the growth of traffic and the limitations of Mullaghmore harbour led to an extension to Sligo Quay and a link with the M&GWR. In the early years of the 20th Century and the opening of the Donegal Railways Ballyshannon branch a further line was built from the north of Four Masters Bridge to the CDRJC terminus but with a connection to the GNRI which wanted a .piece of the action. The S&DJR.' s mineral traffic and that the majority of its shares were held by the Mining Company meant that it was profitable enough to to resist any attempts by the M&GWR, GNRI, MR and GS&WR to take it over. The line's terminus being over the Border meant that it didn't get included in the GSR. After WW11 the line remained independent but after the closure of the Garrison tip in the North, the company persisted with steam (even purchasing several fairly new but redundant GNRI locomotives) However in the early 1960's the railway turned increasingly to Irish Rail to run its services rather than purchase its own diesels.

Limerick , 219 ,5July 1950. Inchicore shed K1, 391 28 June 1950. Inchicore Works, C3 458 28 June 1950