leslie10646

David, I'm glad that you enjoyed our largest ever public meeting (we had the full 100 logged in for most of the talk). The committee will be discussing whether we need a bigger Zoom licence, I have no doubt. Yes, I liked the photo of your MGWR 2-4-0 at Bray in 1959. Fancy commuting that way! And possibly in a fairly modern coach hauled by a sixty plus year old loco. Did you notice the 121 Class in action literally days after it "got off the boat"? For the rest of you, it's time to join, then you can enjoy IRRS talks every fortnight or so, via the Internet. Ken Fox next month!

Galteemore, I'm don't think that the photographic evidence bears out the memory of your revered father. Surely the six wheelers had finished by then. I can't remember ever seeing them in use and I was reasonably awake to things railway by 1963. If you look at the photo above, you can see the bogies AND the coaches have eight compartments. Lance King has a photo of this train returning with 57 bunk first, with an elliptically roofed bogie, followed by a very low-roofed bogie coach - I think you can just make this out at the rear of the train at Scarva.

The cow as well off compared with modern passengers in the South East of England, who sit on BOARDS. We refer to the 800 Class IETs as "Ironing Board Seat" trains - some epithet for Britains "World-beating" trains? It was probably more comfortable in the Stockton & Darlington Thirds 200 years ago - apart from the smuts!

For the Class 57 fans: MAQ03665.MP4 In my first post on this thread, I suggested that the Heathrow Express sets were going into store, but it looks more likely that they get swapped out every so often, as I found the following movement. The Heathrow Class 387 in Wehrmacht Winter War camouflage - well it looks like that or Kreigsmarine dazzle paint - was being moved from Oxford to Reading Traincare depot and return, as you can see in the second video (both complete with IET leads-in. The loco is 57.310 on this occasion. 5 October 2020. MAQ03672.MP4

Sure, JB, Stannah Lifts are great!

Accurascale 37.425 in action! Drawn by a curious move from Didcot refuelling siding to Reading Traingle sidings (they are where the former DMU depot was), we rolled over to Goring on a grey morning. As demanded by my assistant, I went for the relief platforms and was caught out by the loco being on the fast line - another one that got away? Well, all but this ten second snatch of this DRS loco "Concrete Bob" which is still in Cross Country li 2020 10 09 MAQ03678.m4v Lads, I hope yours will include an automatic sound effect so that the loco horn sounds when a Co.Down Lass waves to it! That was followed on the slow line within a minute by a track machine moving from Plymouth - Norwich! Iffy video - I'll spare you that and two 66 hauled freights from Southampton, chasing each other's tail, each working hard with 30 plus boxes each - a busy 20 minutes!

This one is specially for a revered member - one of his former parishioners making a noise in the sky, allowed an interesting double take with the Wentloog - Felixstowe freightliner. The long tail was in the hope that the empty car racks to Halewood would appear round the corner. Needless to say, it came a minute later! I must find out how to join videos together! MAQ03674.m4v Of course, we were really here to see a Class 37, which appeared ten minutes later with two EMU sets (Class 315s?) en route from Ilford to Newport to be recycled as components for model Class 37s? The toot wasn't for me, but my blonde assistant who was waving to the driver. Neither of us could see the engine number and afterwards, she crossly insisted that next time we film it from the relief line platforms! MAQ03676.MP4

Likewise - like Ironroad, I take an interest in most things on the Irish Railway modelling tracks. So, as I've already told John, yes to everything except the S Class (of which I have three built from Terry McDermott's wonderful kits !). Good luck JM. Leslie

Apologies if this has cropped up before. Yet another CIE container! Photographed at Portadown (it's about 1% of the whole picture I scanned) on 14 July 1964 by Lance King (IRRS).

Ah, Ernie, I know exactly what you mean! I'm cataloguing Lance King's slides and he came through the Junction in 1957 behind PP No. 50. Now she did a complicated shunt on the "Main Line" and I've still got to sort that one out! At least Bundoran Jct was a fairly complicated place, but I'm having a nightmare with a series of shots at Portadown on 13 July 1963 - the Sham Fight Day at Scarva. Now ....... the sequence begins with the 5pm Derry arriving with the VS Class No.207, which isn't allowed up the Derry Road. She's relieved by S Class No.170, but in the middle of all of that a WT arrives with a train from Dublin and much shuffling goes on, so that there are not one shot on the Bann Bridge of No.170, but FOUR! By the time all this shuffling and dealing has finished she eventually sets off for Derry. I might add that Lance got off the Heysham boat that morning and by the time he retired to bed that evening, he had taken 51 memorable slides of a very busy day on the Great Northern. He was up early next morning and off to Warrenpoint for yet more steam photography, finishing the day by catching the Cambria back to England that evening. So not to lose the attention of you youngsters who like Infernal combustion we have A33 in Green at the Pier. Final, boring point, Mr G, that's TWO of my bread containers in Ernie's lovely BJ piccie. I have done both Stevenson and Brewsters bakery containers. Photos Copyright Irish Railway Record Society

First, must say I liked Arran's Tanktainers - when they appear on the liner trains in this neck of the woods (see Growlers at Goring) they make a nice break from the relative monotony of endless (colourful!) boxes. Now, the Uniload 10ft container..... MIR, back in the day< did a simple version of these and when I produced my 20ft flat, I thought of doing one with a bit more of Michael's careful detail. The late Anthony McDonald and I spent a happy morning measuring one up dumped at Heston ..... In the end, I chickened out of spending Michael's time on something which might not sell. However, if people are interested on having some, get in touch and I'll have a look again. Mind you the transfers won't be easy round all those "corrugations"! PM or e-mail me if any interest. Leslie (Provincial Wagons) PS Arran, can we buy your tanktainer?

(Had to break off to "have me tea" .....). Back to yesterday and the 37 which got away. Two minutes later, the train of boxes swept by - at least that shows you why I was standing on the Fast Line platform ..... in hope. Two minutes earlier and I would have freight on both lines! MAQ03659.MP4

Ever since the three 37 sightings at Goring, I've been asked (daily) when the next one will be by! They appear on stock movements, of course with Rail Operations Group, Europhoenix etc. Invariably they are taking unwanted stock away (a lot of that in UK after a deluge of buying). They appear on Realtime Trains as paths for that day only and you don't always see what you expect. Recently, this turned up - giving a whole new meaning to Superpower - a 60 with ONE coach. 2020 09 26 60 plus one.MP4 But yesterday, I spotted a move from Ilford EMU depot to "Newport Docks Simmsgroup". A bit more searching came up with the news that Simms are Scrap Merchants to the Gentry. Other searches showed that a loco was leaving Leicester at about 5am, making its way to the West Coast main line, then via North London to Illford. There it picked up a four car Class 315 Electric set (superceded on the Great Eastern) and now rejected for further use. So, this sixty year old diesel loco was going to pull a forty year electric set off to meet it's Maker, so to speak! Anyway, I expected it to be on the Relief Lines at Goring, so I went over to the Fast Line platforms to try and get a more side-on view of the cavalcade. However, it got checked in the Reading area and seemed destined to come through Goring either just before or just after a Freightliner, also heading West. So, I positioned myself and before I knew it, it was hurtling towards me ON THE FAST LINE! Sorry about the shake part way through (remember my injured arm ....). 2020 10 01 37 800 plus emu for scrapping.m4v 37.800, by the way. She later made her way back to Leicester via the Birmingham area.

Alas, Sean, my "usual suspects" haven't produced the same nuggets of information on your Dad. Being a Northerner (I was 17 years old when steam finished in the Republic) I'm afraid my experiences South of the Border were very limited before RPSI days.

No, I put the photo up to show you the sort of engine your grandfather was driving when he did 60mph in reverse - that is "tender first" - see my earlier post - such a speed was a rare exploit in steam days. For a driver to die in service would be unusual and I would have thought it was reported in one of the railway journals of the day. I'm away from my IRRS Journals, but Irish Railfans News may have reported it - that's on line somewhere. JHB has copies of Cuisle. Have a look Jon, please - 1965.

Mr Geraghty, this is as far we’ve got - I take no credit for this, for I “Phoned a Friend” – in this case David Houston of Dublin, who reports - “Your Grandfather, Joe Dennis, was a Dublin Amiens St. driver. A very cheerful guy, always good for a laugh and a bit of craic; always said yes for a footplate trip. Joe turned up frequently on local runs, and was quite a lively runner. On one occasion he did 60 tender first down Rush with 199 Lough Derg (a GNR “Old” U Class) on a Mosney turn. Interestingly that run was mentioned in the Railway Magazine Traction Performance article when they asked for any interesting tender first runs, and I submitted that run. 199’s sister, 196 Lough Gill, restarts a train from Newry Dublin Bridge, Sunday 26 June 1959. Photo by the late Lance King, © IRRS "David was, until recently of the view that Joe died somewhere in the Donabate/Rush area when he got out of the cab of a railcar to attend to a defect, and was hit by an oncoming train. He wrote – “However, strangely, in recent months I came across a memorial to Joe in the Enterprise waiting room in Amiens St which I think is of recent origin. From memory I think the inscription says that he died at Lurgan - open to correction here - in the service of the company. This would tie in with the Enterprise aspect you were told about. One thing is clear - he was killed whilst on duty. So whilst I can't confirm where he died, the basic story you related is true”. So, Mr G, you’ll have to pay a visit to Connolly (or Amiens Street as it was in your Grandfather’s day) and have a look. OR, one of you brave lads could pop into the Enterprise waiting room and take a photo for us? Regards Leslie

We've found him! I'll post a full reply shortly. And yes, he did die "on active service". Leslie

Last Saturday at Didcot: Sorry about the wind noise, but a nice sound despite the "Divine Interference" - MAQ03616.m4v We used to have these in Ireland, but they weren't a roaring success. Kernow announced it was going to do a GWR one about four years ago, still at the CAD stage, from their website. For the younger folk among us, you're looking at the ancestor of the Rotem railcar! MAQ03622.m4v Putting it to bed. The lady fireperson wasn't worried about getting her hands dirty and was underneath encouraging the ash out of the firebox five minutes later!

Intriguing idea, Colin, regauge a 5ft loco - maybe a Russian L Class 2-10-0? Just make sure it's not one of the EIGHTY I've travelled behind already! ----------- Someone needs to win the Euromillions and do a NewBuild MGWR 2-4-0? Or maybe an L Class 0-6-0. With Flyaway Cab, of course!!!!

Stunning shots, showing that Drones CAN be useful. Shows Connemara at its very best - better than I managed with five different Great Rail Journeys groups there. Railway looks good too! Jim, you'll have to persuade Peter Liney to include your line on the GRJ Irish tours.

Easy, Hex. Repetition doesn't make an inaccuracy any more correct! For example, City of Truro - possibly a speed in the nineties, but NOT a hundred mph. You miss mileposts down Wellington today with massive BR posts, but the tiny GWR ones of that time and in the dark ....... That said, probably the first reasonably authenticated run around 90mph. Flying Scotsman? Cecil J Allen made it 99mph, but being a LNER employee, said nothing about the claim. Like it or not, the first authenticated British "ton" was 2750 Papyrus which did 108mph (Dynamometer Car reading) while testing the possiblities for High Speed Trains before the Silver Jubilee service. All that said, I agree that a loco of the size of an 800 should have been good for 90mph. We need a Time Machine.

Hexagon asked: Based on that if an 89mph geared 071 could do 116mph and a 165km/h geared 201, 120mph, then what sort of speeds could the likes of a 141 or even an 'A' Class manage? Presumably an 'A' could manage at least it's maximum speed on re-engining of 85mph but could they go faster? One of the uprated 1,650hp might have enough grunt for a 'ton' I would've thought. Or an 89mph geared 141, possibly 89mph would be pushing it for a single 141 but a higher-powered 181 might be just about able with a very light load but a pair would have enough power to get into the 90s I'd think. Now, I don’t time diesels, but have spent a fortune timing steam around the World (over a couple of dozen countries). So, as in “Who wants to be a Millionaire” – I ASKED A FRIEND who does time all forms of traction and has done so for over fifty years. He has timed an 071 at JUST over 100mph, and suggests that a 201 may have managed close to 105mph. As for the others, 83mph a few times with a 141 and once only with a 121, but the mid-seventies were the norm. He timed a re-engined A Class ONCE at 80mph.The originals were not much faster than the steam they replaced, but could accelerate much better, of course. And is 96mph the overall Irish steam record or purely the record for a GSR B1a/800 Class? Plenty of Myths and Legends about the 800s and the 96mph is part of the story. For what it is worth, the late Drew Donaldson had a max of 89mph driven by the famed Mark Foley in 1939. Not the last word, by the way, as neither of us can lay our hands on our copies of Decade of Steam, which covers 800 Class running pretty well. In the same way as we count the rivets on our models (no need on Paddy's locos which stand for themselves), no-one should believe a speed out of the blue, but as part of a methodical log (ie looking at averages between stations, or, in my case mileposts, before claiming a maximum speed). So, NO HORNBY DUBLO SPEEDS WITH YOUR NEW 121S, LADS - THEY DIDN'T DO THEM IN REALITY, BUT HAD A VERY DISTINCTIVE SOUND, WHICH I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING AGAIN.

Lord White commented in his opening post of this thread that his B Class arrived just after his 78th birthday. Mine was a present for my 70th - four years ago! No complaint, mind you. Paddy raised the bar way above the heads of the prevailing standard of British model diesels when he produced the Double-ended Yankees. This long-awaited, but superb model, is in a different league to any 4mm diesel I've seen. As Old Blarney says, we owe Paddy a huge thank-you, for bringing Irish Railway modelling out of the darkness and into The Light. I would have suggested that Paddy had done more than enough to get a major Irish Award for services to the State - but there ain't ANY! There was an Order of St Patrick created by the Brits within The Kingdom of Ireland (Wikipedia says), but it has lapsed. Paddy you are, and ever will be, The King of Irish Railway Modelling. Thanks very much Leslie

Ditto, my RPSI one. Took it out, looked disbelievingly at the incredible amount of detail, excellently executed. The colour looks much, much better in the flesh, than some of the photos I've seen. Puzzled like others by the Bag 'o Bits - thanks for the explanations above, gents. Back into the box. I've no intention of running it. When I get a suitable display case, I may put her on the wall! The "Runner" - B121 - was ordered from Chris Dyer during a chance meeting on the Central Wales line last year. It will be put to work, never fear! MY outer packaging will be recycled by being used to send one of my fine customers half a dozen kits! Very, very well done Mr Murphy. Worth every minute of the wait.

Nope, on that occasion it was just to get a window seat on the milepost side! Nowadays, given the chance, I'd go for the front and be deafened!