Westcorkrailway

My first question is would it be possible to run a few railtours where the profit of which goes exclusivly to the DCDR flood damage fundraiser the other question is if finances one day opened up. Could a second mini base of operations be made at ballynoe. If such a place is of a higher ground then the Downpatrick.

The bridge might need strengthening due to the erosion . very well represented rapids

Photo Posted on IRM Facebook: Our latest announcement around the CIE Bulleid LB flat wagons have certainly struck a chord with modellers, with the pre-orders flying in fast! To get the juices flowing, check out this little piece of prototype inspiration thanks to our friends at Irish Railway Record Society from Albert Quay in Cork, showing the varied traction that these wagons operated with during their careers, which were not just limited to diesel traction! I will say I am not sure why both 90 and 552 are in Albert quay months after the West Cork closure. Interesting none the less. I can’t believe I never thought to check the IRRS archive for photos of these. one thing I found in the archive is below. What wagons are these? And are those snails???

Ironically I sold my ferts to justify a 2nd pack of bullieds

On a real note does anybody have some good alternatives to IRM’s LB flats. For my Ford train I’ll have 3 bullied flats but I want a few other types mixed in (because as mayner said the LB flats were far far outnumbered by older types)

Yes, I forgot. Tractors also were transported new from the factory. I presume it’s a Ford Supermajor.

And not exclusivly fords either.

Well I’ve seen so much Ex-GNR stuff working the west cork line I thought the gnr flats were a genuine possibility!

In the Oxford website there is a few light blue anglias in 1:76. Marks models had olive green ones before. escorts and cortina’s went across the city railway apparently, even after the west cork was closed. Only C class could venture down there though as the Victoria road curve was very sharp. The 141s could not do it….only done in case of overflow Zodiacs, zephyr, consuls, Thames vans, anglia 100e and 105e would have ran there in the late 50s and early 60s

In the Oxford website there is a few light blue anglias in 1:76. Marks models had olive green ones before.

Myself and scahalane have probobly sold a few of these IRM wagons at the mere mention of the Ford train! Roughly page 17 for those who want to investigate themselves. It includes an S class shunting around cars and the fords train in Albert quay. Among other goodies

I heard from somwhwre that Ford in cork provided the police in the north (RUC) with there cars. They came across the border in a tarp or something. I can’t remember the details.

Another GSR Era photograph. This one from 1929 (see the much older cars) on the wagons on the left) I have pre-ordered 3 flat wagons I hope to mix in some other 4w flats such as 2 generic CIE flats made from British ones and maybe one of the GNR ones Leslie had if they can be found.

Is it a greenway in 2023?

Above is a joe st ledger film from the IRRS archive posted online by Ciaran cooney. Looks like E429 did make it to the waters edge! But I think your location is correct @scahalane

The first arial photo was from 1937, the 2nd with the silver E shunter is July 1959. The third photo is sometimes in the late 60s to early 70s and the final photo is also 1937.

I think it’s Cork. The church in the backround way high up on the hill would make me think so. The E’s did not last long on lee side as Tom Ryan said 2.Yeah I should have cropped that Blackrock bit out!

I’m one step ahead of you there JB. A certain man who worked for Fords down here donated these. Two zephers and a 100e anglia….maybe a very small 3 car rake is in order….

most of my photos of the ford cork operation are not digitised. These are a few more shots of the area. I’m sure many people get a taste on what ran on these trains.. ivatt shunter 201, 207 or 208 was often down here as were J26 Ex MGWR locomotives. The bandon peckett 495 was purchased by the GSR for cork city railway use. Though more for the tight curves of some sections. Arigdeen, St mologa, 100 and 90 ect would have also run on this train. As you can see above even the original E401 class ran in the cork city railway. Some cars would go down the bandon system, but most of them headed across the rest of the city railway to Kent station. And up the mainline. Ford traffic continued after the fall of the west cork railway. 1966 is reported to be the last time a ford car went to Kent via the cork city railway/Albert Quay but by this stage, cars were taken over to Penrose quay and loaded from there (likely the case in the 4th photo) One night the ford train was left in Albert quay. All the hubcaps were stolen and from that time all the hubcaps were locked in the cars overnight something worth noting that ford were seriously considering opening a factory in Ballinascarthy. much much bigger then then one in Cork. Locals blocked it though. I often ponder how that factory could have saved the West Cork railway!

From memory it was always 4 wheel flats. (Including some EX-GNR ones) but I have no idea if these more modern Bullied wagons ever were used on the Ford train. Needs more investigation

Is there any chance at all these wagons would have been used for car traffic?

Damn. Was not aware they stopped making those. I was expecting many more A’s of the silverfox era to be for sale after they became essentially obsolete.

In my opinion, the above is actualy a viable model. If the Jinty is viable enough for 500 units from Hornby, and that GSR sentinel shunter and Hornby make the Peckett. I think this varient is perfectly viable. Not to mention this little engine was working until 1949 on paper meaning twas a CIE Loco too. I’m sure many of us in this forum could make some story to justify it on our layouts. the only differences between the standard 0-4-0 peckett in my rather crude photoshop above is the steam dome, open rather the closed cab, and adding the number plate (I think there are a few more minor differences) the only thing is I have no idea if that was the green peckett delivered the loco to Allmans distillery in the 20s however from contrasting with the few photos i have. The lining looks spot on.

what’s crazy is you were by far from the only one. I met about 5 or 6 young fellas on the cusp on entering the hobby or were only knee deep that day. I wish I had held my marked down ferts a while longer…..i was happy to see 90, 467 and my BR mark 1s pull in the crowds for questions! I had forgotten about this thread. But it’s very valuable to the kit basher. I’m still considering doing the below idea…although I’ll need to dust down the workbench, it’s been a while.

I personally don’t think so, but Gerry’s Hoeys stuff is by far the next best thing. Sure certainly some of the locos don’t look as they should but just from a quick look at his adverts page. An NIR C clas for 100, a G class at 30 quid. Irish cement for 25 a wagon. Bulleid wagons for 20 ect. The dickie taras are the closest we will ever see in terms of a “railroad” range. It worked out at 10 euro a wagon. looking back on where I started. I worked the entire summer of 2019 to buy C212 from silverfox. I was buying tri-ang wagons at a fiver each at my locoal antique store and painting them with a grey spray can. It was just way to expensive for me to even think of buying anything modern. As much at it would be somehat advisable to be patient. You have to start somwhere