Irishswissernie

First 2 Class A Locos have taken up duties.

My first 2 A Class are apparently on the Delivery Van today so whilst I'm sitting here waiting for them Tony, here's my tuppence worth!. I am building a small Isle of Wight addition to Glengarriff and Four Masters Bridge called Alum Bay which at one time was planned by Sir Sam Fay to have a direct link to them via a tunnel under the Solent. Southern England, the Bristol Channel, South Wales, the Irish Sea and emerging at Blarney Castle. Enough of this rubbish! The layout would fit a space 160cm x 30cm (36cm gives a better depth of scenery) and needs 5 points. The photos illustrate it better. Sorry for the wavy lines on the cut outs but my hands are shaking anticipating the arrival of the 'A's. My usual means of disguising the exit to the fiddle yard by means of a station overall roof is deployed and the GNRI had a distinctive design which would fit. You can even run a passenger service but coaches wouldn't be necessary. 5 points needed. On my layout the board is dropped at the end so that I can model the edge of the cliff at Alum Bay with a cliff railway terminus but the board could just be flat. Also on my layout the station is planned to link in with the rest of the layout rather than terminating in the fiddle yard.

Ennis , Broad & Narrow today June 1960, 2634 & F502, A56 and lastly railcar 3387 shunting a van.

Fleischman used to do a shorty turntable , I had one over 20 years ago about 7-8 inches but it wasn't a well type so not very Irish.

Alan Hyland at the IRRS advises me that non members Sterling price is £40

I've now read the review in the mag, its a 60 page book with 62 photos so approx 50p a photo. Westcorkrailway you might prefer the October Journal, 9 page article on the Last days of railways in West Cork and a full back cover colour view of Courtmacsherry.

Enclosed with the October Journal is this flyer for their first photo book. Price quoted is the members price so it might only be available to members only. Looks very interesting.

Dublin today, Inchicore Works pilot 'Sambo' & Guinness Brewery 15 Both 29June 1959.

2 from Portadown 15 August 1953 T2 4 & 67

Strabane, County Donegal Railway Class 4, 4-6-4t in the Stranorlar platform.

Well I've found the original neg and it was with a group from an enthusiast Tour in 1961 so that's where the date came from. I will therefore amend the date to ca 1956 which would fit in with the locos 'as new' condition.

Yes I think the date is wrong, it must be earlier probably shortly after delivery given the general condition of the loco, sandboxes and absence of tablet snatchers. I have just watched a Crossley Bros 1956 film of A1 on delivery and there were no snails on it or snatchers fitted, so snatchers probably fitted after delivery or when they appeared more frequently on the single line tablet controlled sections. I need to try and locate the original neg and see if there is any info on its cover (this could take as long as it took for the Model 'A's to materialise!)

Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties today HC Casserley views from 18 May 1950. Sir Henry at Manorhamilton and 'Leitrim' which although Casserley has it down as Sligo shed, JW Armstrong has a similar view of it at Manorhamilton and given the look of the shed and the 'junk' etc in it I have amended the title to Manorhamilton as well.

Sorry yes its Coleraine, its amazing to see how many photos were taken with no station staff in them. Platform staff/signalmen probably had white shirts and black waist coats as well.

Done a bit on the river and vegetation

I'm checking through my files unfortunately most are black n white but the guy on the left is hopefully a porter and not a burglar. Doesn't show his shirt unfortunately 24 Feb 1968

The Donegal today 20 April 1948 Drumboe at Castlefinn & No 2 arriving at Strabane from Derry.

I am somewhat 'overstocked' on new Cavan & Leitrim images and there are more in the pipeline so have uploaded another 6 to flickr today. Here's two of them at Drumshanbo 10 June 1957 , 5T & 4T crossing and a close up of an C&L Brake van with metal sheathing.

In this photo the casting stands out a bit better. I think the castings were possibly used on other items of infrastructure etc. When My JM Design Brake Van arrived John had included a set of etched Relay boxes with the snail on as I think mine was the first van order A38 Ardee 18 May 1963

The lined green one must be a bit later then, unfortunately the negative didn't have any details.

A couple from 27 Sept 1978 today. Athlone ex M&GW station with a number of locos on shed in the distance & 047 on an up oil train at Limerick Junction (not so good quality wise)

June 1960 on the West Clare at Kilkee. Even at this late date there was still a fair bit of freight traffic.

NIR ex Belfast & Northern Counties railway, trains at Belfast Skegoneil (description on slides) 27 April 1967. First WT 51, second view railcar on right is 62 , 3rd view WT 53

NCC today with negatives from John G Dewing. Belfast York Road ca1939 withdrawn F Class probably 46 and Ballyclare Bank, W Class no. 95 , 12 May 1948

A return to Limerick in June 1960. J15 and crane working on track. A33 on a direct Dublin service.