Irishswissernie

I've spent the last few days scanning the Casserley negatives recently acquired. In a mixed batch of Scottish and midland medium negatives there are also 8 Cavan & Leitrim views from 7 June 1932. Re-painting wasn't a priority as the stock is still in Cavan & Leitrim lined livery. Also No 9 King Edward was still extant in Ballinamore Yard.

THanks, bought one off E Bay although the article seems familiar and I've probably got the book somewhere in the loft. Somewhere I also have an article about the auction sale at Enniskillen of the assets in Northern Ireland. It was in one of the old Railway World Magazines when that magazine was going through a bad patch finance wise (before Ian Allan bought it) and the issues were reduced to a 6" x 9" format. Scanned this one yesterday 26 June 1937

It does Jim , top of page 53. I can't scan it at the moment because the scanner is full of Londonderry & Lough Swilly negs from 1937. There are 16 views of Fintona branch in the GNRI album https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/albums/72157626756740602

Working my way through the Casserley negs I acquired at the auction last Saturday and came across this one of a conversion to a Turf Van on the narrow gauge

I uploaded this one to this topic back in June asking if anyone could identify the location but without any luck! Well as usual I was checking out something else and the background right details corresponded with it. Pretty sure its Athlone near the loco shed with the junction for the Westport line in the right background Its that peculiar shaped set of cross members on the telegraph pole and also that building which resembles a signal box but is nowhere near the line also seen in this view below from 1961

The Portadown views are part of a few photos taken on 22 & 23 June 1957, he also filmed at Belfast GVS and York Road, Adelaide and on the 23rd at Connolly, Harmonstown and Sutton. I get the impression he may have had the family in tow and managed to grab a few minutes at each spot before being persuaded/cajoled or forced to move on; something I experienced when my brood of 5 were with me!

Its in the EU's interest to get some kind of agreement done. They export far more to the UK than the UK does to them and this imbalance has been getting worse. Figures from HMG The EU, taken as a whole is the UK's largest trading partner. In 2019, UK exports to the EU were £294 billion (43% of all UK exports). UK imports from the EU were £374 billion (52% of all UK imports). The share of UK exports accounted for by the EU has generally fallen over time from 54% in 2002 to 43% in 2019.10 Nov 2020

I acquired several more Lots of Casserley negatives at the second Auction last Saturday. The Irish includes SLNC GNRI CDRJC L&LSR NCC- inc some narrow gauge 1937, 1950 & 1953 and hopefully I should have them in my trembling hands in the next week or so. Meanwhile still plenty to upload to Flickr including the following views from Enniskillen, Newton Cunningham & Letterkenny Already uploaded but nowt to do with Ireland are a couple of videos of the Ffestiniog Victorian Gala in 2019 but I rather like them - a bit different and a reminder of happier times.

Mine arrived today as well. Excellent and very securely packaged. A quick perusal reveals only 3 Casserley views much to my relief as I have just used my Funeral Fund to purchase more Casserley negatives including a fair number of County Donegal and Lough Swilly originals at last Saturdays Auction.

Ah! Thats what has confused me because I also ordered the 2 silver ones on the same order and they have already arrived several weeks ago. No the 2' gauge South Tynedale railway doesn't reach Haltwhistle, its up the valley at Alston end of the old branch and in any case the operating company has gone bust (The actual line is a different organisation) No trains this year and nobody to operate it next year yet!

Hopefully my 3 Irish Rail models will arrive in Haltwhistle soon from IRM, seems to be taking a rather long time. If my 3 IE on order from IRM ones catch them up and Madame is around to see all 6 land here it could be a rather frosty Christmas!

I was wondering what the big cities like Dublin and Belfast did with it with many inner city terraces/tenements not having gardens/compost heaps. Sh1t here ont big island was much in demand by farmers for manure (its use in the Isle of Man) In the centre of civilisation aka Geordieland several of the big pit villages like Ashington (pop approx 40000) had a network of 2ft gauge lines running down the back lanes next to the backyard ash closets. They had a hatch in the back wall and the contents of the netty (toilet) could be shoveled out in the night into wagons mainly hauled by horses but some lines were steam worked and taken away. They could also be used to deliver the miners free coal allowance. Now that would make an interesting model! You can see the tramways on this : https://maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/#zoom=18&lat=55.18443&lon=-1.58571&layers=168&b=1

The discussion on milk traffic elsewhere and the mention of the Isle of Man railway brought back memories of that railways various Night Soil sidings at Crosby and Santon and I wonder how big (tonnage wise!) the traffic was in Ireland. Also did they use specifically allocated wagons and where was the traffic 'dumped' Did the narrow gauge lines carry such traffic? The WC in particular comes to mind.

The last few days have been tense and traumatic as Madame and one's youngest daughter who still resides with her husband here, have decided that its time the Christmas decorations went up and the house generally tidied/ dusted etc. I thought COVID meant that Christmas was cancelled but no its all systems go and when was I going to do my bit. Well they can't complain I have and here are the photos to prove it. Glengarriff has been spruced up and the piles of plastic bits tools, brushes paint pots etc tidied away. In addition the new layout is coming on. I can't really lay any track until the viaduct is constructed as I am planning on open topped girder spans with the rails supported on longitudinal beams laid on stone piers.

Unidentifiable 121 class on Enterprise arriving at Gt Victoria Street, 9 Feb 1965

I am continuing to add Irish views daily to Flickr. This one added today B133 at Balla 18 July 1969 with badly faded white line on Bonnet door grills

Over the last few days I have constructed the baseboards for the Sligo & Donegal Junction. All that is holding up construction is some wire and tube for the points as this has to be included at the same time as track laying. Sourcing a couple of points took some time as there is a great shortage at the moment due to an upturn in layout construction during lockdown. The original detailed track plan and wiring diagram appears to have been eaten by one of the dogs so I am sketching it out on the boards and working out running/shunting moves etc whilst waiting for the wire & tube which has "allow 28 days for delivery" on the advertising. Well parceling up 5 yards of 2mm tube and wire and then squeezing it into a large envelope and then finding a courier or perhaps Royal Mail with a delivery slot to send it can be quite daunting. I struck it lucky with the pack of 10mm track pins and the 2 rolls of cork underlay from 2 different dealers who both managed to get them to me next day.

Can I join in on the 20 or is it 200 question time? I have 3 IE liveried 121's which may not arrive until post January pre-paid plus 2 A Class pre-paid. Does this mean I will now be liable for import duty to the UK from IRM in Dublin. I think I probably will be but the Mrs has been dropping hints about her Christmas presents and it could well be that she will have to settle for a Mars Bar and even the dogs might end up with a couple of dog chews. I'll be a bit upset if the dogs have to go without!

I've just been going through the photos on the Archive and it looks as if all 3 of the large tanks had wooden front buffer beams certainly in their later lives. There are a few on both the front and bunker ends on the smaller locos as well.

Contact Tommy Brady, Irish Freight Models via Facebook. The Website shown has been hacked so don't use it, send him a personal message. https://www.facebook.com/Irish-Freight-Models-1252098201500518 Found his email ; tommybrady@eircom.net

Work continues on the 'dereliction-ing' of the cattle loading bank. I need to get the shrubbery and small trees planted. As regards the Sligo and Donegal Junction, the wood has been acquired and the building site cleared. The actual size of the base boards established and detailed work on the track plan underway. Here are a few views of the proposed layout with a revised scheme which uses the Glengarriff fiidle yard and with a few alterations to the off scene trackage it should be possible to run Sligo fiddle yard , - S&DJR station - hidden loops - Glengarriff - Glengarriff fiddle yard giving a running route of some 60 feet without any point changing. The actual location is envisaged as being at the crossing of the Drowes River at a place now known as Four Masters bridge south of Bundoran. In the past it appears to have been called Mullanaleek Bridge and the site of a Corn Mill and Kiln. Mullanaleek for Bundoran could well be the layouts eventual title.

I will order one through you next week plus a few wagon kits. The photos should be great but I might be a bit more cautious about any text judging by the Publishers blurb; quite a few geographical boobs. https://lightmoor.co.uk/books/irish-narrow-gauge-album/L8818

Trade Shows and Stalls were the main net income flows in the old days when attendances were much higher and stand fees etc in real terms far lower. Nowadays (Well pre Covid) I worked out with various traders that their actual profit or hourly wage worked out at about £3 per hour taking into account time taken in packing the van, driving there, setting up, possible B& B expenses then packing the van and driving back after the show plus wear and tear on the van etc. There are the hidden benefits of course , meeting people , enjoying the 'craic' OH! and away from the missus for a few days, Yeh come to think of it - definitely worth doing!

Not really a good idea anywhere especially in the current pandemic. I spent over 40 years in Banking and when I retired worked in a Model Shop for approx 7 years covering for the Owners when they were doing Shows or on Holidays. For several years I watched over some 8 accounts for various model shops none of which are trading today. The problems with an actual shop are the fixed costs, Rents, Rates, Insurance , Heating/Lighting and the running costs mainly staffing. You would need to ensure that the Shop maintained its advertised opening hours otherwise customers will soon give it a miss. This really ties up your time. A shop will also need a large varied amount of stock in order to hopefully generate enough sales and profit margin to sustain the above fixed costs and also buy the odd loaf of bread. Just to fill out your evening there will be Vat returns, Accountancy and Income Tax, National Insurance etc to sort out. Finally after you have decided to retire, if against all odds the shop is a success you will then have to find someone to buy it. I would suggest if you want to test the market then start On-line and see what interest there really is "hard cash" wise.

I attended via Zoom as well although my Webcam has gone the journey and enjoyed an excellent set of films. There were some fascinating scenes of the demolition Contractors working on the Clonmel-Thurles branch using what looked like one of the ex GNRI railcars D E F or G ( can anyone confirm ) with a makeshift wooden board Driving end. I have another Webcam on the way and look forward to the next Show