Irishswissernie

Yes, a few railways had what was basically a 0-6-0 with a pony truck added as an afterthought/solution to compensate for a too heavy front end. They just didn't look right ; I can think of others in that category such as the LNER Thompson pacifics where the cylinders were between the bogie and the driving wheels.

2 from 4 September 1954 .850 at Broadstone and 361 at Inchicore shed with the coaling tower behind.

Ever Given

Not much modelling done lately as I have been scanning negs and slides plus Mother in Law can't really be left on her own so I am stuck downstairs with only my computer and a fertile imagination to keep me sane. Many years ago I used to write a modelling column for Narrow Gauge World magazine and I used to work out possible layouts based on the prototype. Recently I have been thinking about possible layouts based on Irish locations but trying to restrict the compression of the prototype as much as possible thereby increasing the realism. If you want to model expresses, heavy goods banking/pilot engines etc and a main line well how about just doing the up end of Cork , Kent from the end of the overall roof to the tunnel. The scenic bit would be approx 4 feet x 2 ft with the tunnel at one end and the roof hiding the goods lines running round the back. The tracks would easily form a circuit. Standard and narrow gauge ? well how about Ennis from the footbridge to the road bridge , scaled down about 6 feet from footbridge & Goods shed natural scenic break to the overbridge and about 3 ft wide at the narrow gauge works etc bit. 3 points on the standard gauge and four on the narrow. I once built a layout of Carlisle in the UK for a friend who lived in a bedsit but wanted a workable diorama to run his locos on. The scenic bit which covered the overall roof (pre 1959 one) to the road bridge measured 5 feet x 2Feet , had four platforms plus the middle roads and was to scale. Ennis. Cork from tunnel to overall roof, goods lines hidden by wall Carlisle, from the road known as Victoria Viaduct to the old roof which ended on the wall to the left.

The Hill of Howth tramway today at Sutton 18 May 1959

Views of the West Clare are always harder to acquire than the Donegal & The Cavan & Leitrim no doubt because of the survival of steam on them, however I have managed to get hold of some more negs and have uploaded these two of locos on trains crossing at Ennistymon in June 1960 Quite a decent load on the goods train.

OK Not Irish but I am quite taken with this view at Edinburgh Waverley probably taken early Summer 1960. 60510 Robert the Bruce (Hammer of the English I believe!) in the foreground was withdrawn in the November and the Class 26's D5301/5 would be almost brand new. Also in view A1 60161 & K3 61917. Looks to have been taken from the top of Sir Walter Scott's Memorial.

Two from the 1960's today. Connolly with UTA WT54 sporting an extension to the bunker to increase coal capacity, on a Belfast service ca May 1965. Tralee station before modernisation and platform re-arrangement ca 1960

5 uploaded to Flickr today ex GNRI from 10 June 1961 . 65 Adelaide on the 9.35 GVS to Newry and Warrenpoint. Tour on the Belfast Central at Maysfield. (Nagging feeling this might have been posted on here before) Rosslare Harbour CA 1960 C203 Finally 2 views at Derreenavogy on the C& L June 1957

Yes I had an inkling that I had put it on here but not on flickr when I was doing the Link yesterday, unfortunately my incontinent Mother in Law diverted my attention! I am making an effort to add a Link each day to the daily uploaded Flickr Irish images. As a penance I will , with the cooperation of M.I.L. add an extra image today

GNRI today, Belturbet 8 June 1957 and a bit of colour, Derry - Belfast through coach Portadown 1 October 1958 (I might have interpreted John Dewings coded record book incorrectly on the date)

There was no or hardly any info on the original slides but a fair number were on the Bangor line and at Carnalea

Just noticed this DVD on the Blackstaff Press web site. https://blackstaffpress.com/ireland-s-railways-9781913555085 Has anyone seen/got it ? So much these days is just a re-hash of existing footage already published.

Early Preservation today , 186 on the ex D&SER at Killiney, Wicklow Goods & south of Greystones 4 May 1968.

About the best view I have Ballingrane 1963, looks more of a dirty white rather than silver.

Back on safer ground today, definitely NCC origin! WT's at Coleraine in 1967 & 1968

I have been sent some more negs and been asked to identify this one as the sender is convinced its Irish. I don't think it is! The locos are outside frame 0-60st's and have a peculiar shaped combined Railway Company name and number on the saddle tanks which was a style favoured by the Rhymney Railway which also had outside framed saddle tanks. I can't find any Irish locos of this style but would just like confirmation from anyone in the know!

I can scan them no problem apart from that I am in the UK, they may possibly be Dingle engines on the Cavan & Leitrim rather than on the Tralee & Dingle.

There isn't a siding next to the wall on the late 19th century 25" map but there may have been before the signalling was up-dated to include interlocking etc in the 19th century

There is a sketch map in 'The Life & Times of a Railwayman, Limerick Junction' where there is a structure marked as Coal Yard. Probably a walled yard for storing coal for the station, hotel. water tower/crane heaters etc.

Definitely Limerick, the Tower is St Michaels Church on Barrington Street with the trees in the Peoples Park to the right of it. Another one solved! Today views are A Class at Limerick Junction A15 and A59 both ca 1960

The spire is in the right place but I think the clincher is a tower which appears above the cab of the loco and I am pretty sure you can see it on google street view.

I am thinking this could well be Limerick with the Goods shed that used to stand on the south side of the line opposite the one that I think is still there. Most stations wouldn't have the amount of junk or sheds that appears in this view.

Cavan & Leitrim Railway today. I have some 50 odd 'new' negs taken on 8-10 June 1957 during one of the last coal 'booms' with at least 3 locos 2L, 5T & 4T in use on the Arigna line' Drumshanbo would make a lovely little model particularly with its curves lending itself to a 'roundy roundy' type layout. I looked on Google Earth and whilst the track bed is now a road the Water Tower on the left and Goods Store on the right are still extant.

Enlargement from a recently acquired neg. Cavan & Leitrim Also have this one at Listowel. Not so good for the cart but the lady (the one holding the donkey) reminds me of my Mother in Law.