Westcorkrailway

For the pictures Colm actually took. There are some negatives about. I’ve seen about 300 negitives of his photographs at a certain west cork man’s house. God only knows where the rest of them are. But that evening echo 1954 article….i wonder would they have better versions of them photos

I would like to think that the weight bridge was always there and the office added later has nothing to do with it and is some sort of administration office/building ??? Only another theory based on nothing but the photos

Over the years there appears to have been some confusion as to what Rocksavage works actually was. The sheds you see behind this A class and UTA coaches (probobly needs explanation in itself) is the works. The CBSCR did need a works as they were a pretty extensive company and were completely independent of the GSWR rail system until 1912. Rocksavage works built a locomotive in 1901, a charming 4-4-0. CBSCR No.7 - GSR 478 1901-1934 the mobile caravan! CIE The link - August 1951 the works was utilised up to and beyond closure. The below photographs from the Colm creedon collection The last use of the workshop I recall is about 1963/1964. As stated before it was used for painting certain stock Black and Tan

If I’m correct it gets really bad north of claremorris. There is 3 crossings of the n17, mostly around Ballendine. I think all of which in some form or another could be bridged if necessary and are level crossings of this nature unheard of? there is one on the R445 just outside of Limerick which I always considered on a busy large road

There is a 00 gauge CIE flatbed truck on the market. I have one at home that’s “roughly the right thing” no idea if the lorry itself is accurate to CIE that time. once again, I might get onto Ray. After the West Cork, he worked with Irish Rail Road Freight in cork until that closed

Yknow, with something as obscure as a D class. I don’t think most would mint a simple repaint with some tooling changes. Can’t have been to many of them around and all gone by the mid 1970s

3 Beutiful EX-CIE PAL Vans. The frame is actually in decent nick in these so somone could have had a go at restoring them into sheds. Unfortunately as far as I know, they’ve since been lost to history

I was just looking at that first photo you sent about to send it in. the other side of the wagon is in much better nick. Unfortunately it’s completely inaccessible. Though for the fun of it I might try again some evening it would be unusual to me to buy a cattle wagon body as a pose to a covered wagon body. What could possibly be the use? Yes maybe animal storage but at that stage it’s a bit ineffective. in the last days of the west cork. These wagons were parked in Albert quay. I wonder if one of these wagons is the one that ended up in crossbarry. The other again itself is only about 200 meters from a LC https://flic.kr/p/2pwjsTY

Yknow, I was thinking exactly that looking at it….but then I thought “nah couldn’t be”. Now that is an interesting find! the key to identifying is the fittings, and matching that to something in the IRRS or something

It’s hard enough to come across colour photos of CIE green in actual use. A rare livery but I do think it’s a shame it was not adopted wider due to its impracticality. Fry’s model of 670 I think show how it looked ex works. 2 types of locos got this livery. Tank engines on the DSER doing the commuter work. Or Cork-Dublin Express locos. And even then not all of these were repainted green. Express locos 406 in weathered green (credit unclear) This unidentified mogul shows the extent of identifying being a problem. The loco is black but the tender shows it must be green beneath the grime! DSE area locos 455 at bray head 467 was moved to Albert quay after Dublin and retained its green under layers and layers of muck. after all these years of course. 800 was never repainted when it was received from CIE in 1964.While the paint has no doubt faded a little over the years. It’s a nice example none the less

The Cork and Macroom railway is one Irelands most underlooked railway companies. So much so that I used to joke at every announcement “I hope it’s a CMDR inspection van”. It’s been over 60 years now since the last publication about the railway. I’d love to tackle it someday if no one wants to get there before me. most photos of CMDR stock that’s findable on the IRRS archive is of passenger coaches in use for other stuff (per way, peat wagons, one even ended up as an ambulance). The policy at the time being to keep the MGWR and GSWR ones going to make the 6 wheel range a bit more standard. Even so the CMDR’s coaches were on average already ancient at the time of amalgamation. But they did seem to travel. I beleive the two Macroom coaches in Dungarvan had been transferred to tramore at some stage

Went to check it out and it’s barley recognisable as anything!

There is an S&S van in Drimoleague village there is a H van near Skibbereen there was 2 H vans near kilrush, I bet there both gone now though I have seen There is a grounded van near crossbarry. I’ve never investigated it but maybe I will soon