Jonathan Allen

Good to see the station building still stands: Kingscourt station | Opened by the Navan & Kingscourt Railwa… | Flickr with a few additions from my time.

This on the IRRS Flickr site: JMR_CSE_1_Thurles_10_Nov_1951 (2) | [Photographer: John Maca… | Flickr JMR_CSE_1_Thurles_10_Nov_1951 | [Photographer: John Macartne… | Flickr Membership required to view.

That banging noise is my inflated ego trying to get through a door. Seriously good weathering, though. I remember hitching lift on a 101 from Knockmore Junction back to Lisburn - the loco was propelling a rake of spoil wagons! What (if anything) the driver could see forwards, I preferred not to think.

How about 10 on leaving Portrush on Easter Monday 1975! 101 leaving Portrush | 101 "Eagle" seems to have gained a co… | Flickr The 101s were on PW duties right from the start, not just with spoil wagons but ancient 4-wheel wagons as well. 103 Lisburn | Only 5 months old and already reduced to menia… | Flickr Plenty of scope to keep your models occupied until the coaches arrive.

Excepting this one: 102 leaving Great Victoria Street - ITG "Yankee Explorer" | Flickr which, being a special, probably does not count.

Didn't know that Blaine - I only photographed the things. Right to the end, the Hunslets had only one lamp iron - on the second man's side (left if looking at the locomotive, right if sitting in the cab). I last photographed a push-pull set south of Dundalk on 19 July 1982 101 leaving Drogheda | With arrival of the two 111 class loc… | Flickr but they probably worked south after that. The coming of 113 in August 1984 likely saw the end of push-pull working on the cross-border links, but if anybody knows different, I'll be glad to hear from you. Last photographed top & tail push-pull on 17 December 1988 102 & 101 Lisburn | A poor shot on a bad day, but this is be… | Flickr but that only got to Newry. Again, I'll be glad to know of any later workings. When it comes to lamp irons, the DTSOs are a different matter. I seldom photographed the a&s* end of a train (no imagination when it comes to photography), but this shot suggests there was a lamp iron on the left (looking at the unit) above the light and another just below the cab window. Those positions did not change during the service life of the DTSOs 101 Bangor | 101 "Eagle" propells the 15.00 Bangor - Portado… | Flickr as far as I can tell. My last photograph of a pair of Hunslets on a Dublin was 24 June 1989: 103 & 102 leaving Lisburn | To have had one 101 working by J… | Flickr - a when 101 also worked the sprayer and there must have been several blue moons in the sky. No issue with the lamp irons as 102 & 103 would have run-round in Connolly. If anybody can fill-in the gaps in my knowledge, it will be appreciated.

4 February 1963 according to "Baronial Line of the MGWR" (TRA 1972 - reprint and update eagerly awaited).

They did: 103 Connolly | 103 "Merlin" sits in Dublin Connolly station … | Flickr Just one, on the right hand or "second mans" side. 102 Dublin Connolly | 102 "Falcon" awaits departure from Dub… | Flickr 101 - Belfast Central station | The IRRS tour then moved to … | Flickr

Very probably - but if you enlarge this shot at Seagoe: 101 approaching Seagoe | No sooner had the cement cleared th… | Flickr there appears to be spray coming from the end vehicle and the boards are not fitted. Likely the crew just forgot. At the end of the day, Rule 1 applies.

You may want to check photo references before adding anything - I only photographed 101 on the sprayer and she did not carry warning boards: 101 Bangor | Some use could still be found for NIR's 101 cla… | Flickr 104 did, but you will have to wait for a B201 model!

IT'S ARRIVED! And very nice it is too - sadly, one that will sit in a glass case and be admired (drooled over), as it would look somewhat out-of-place on a GWR secondary line. However, it may get the odd run out. A couple of hopefully helpful tips for those planning to add detail - that light grey roof of 1970 is correct (see: PRU_NIR_101_Connolly_c1970 | [Photographer Unknown] This pho… | Flickr ), but only lasted a few days before exhaust fumes turned the roof various (and darkening) shades of gunge. If you are brave enough, weathering would be appropriate. NIR drivers of the 1970s ALWAYS wore their uniform jacket (and most also their caps)- they were ex-GNR and brung up proper. A shirt-sleeved driver would just not look right. My photographs also seldom show a second person in the cab - possibly a locomotive Inspector in a October 1970 shot of the "Enterprise" entering Portadown, but certainly rare on the "Enterprise". If there is a second person, it's probably me! More common of course on non-"Enterprise" working like PW or spoil trains. A really great model and a credit to all at Acuurscale - now, must return to drooling!

It just reminded me of something I saw somewhere sticking out of a signal lever - withdrawn, it would have prevented the signal being pulled. Don't seem to have photographed it sadly. If it is the Omagh "Shunting Staff", it is very rare - only one!

And just while I'm here - thought this looked a bit Irish: New OO GAUGE PLATFORM END SIGNAL BOX unpainted. suit Hornby and Peco | eBay UK Reminded me of Birr.

This could be the Omagh North "Shunting Staff" mentioned on page 240 of the GNR(I) May 1930 "Green Appendix": "A Shunting Staff has been provided, the withdrawal of which from the Signal Box locks the Main Line Signals. The possession of this Shunting Staff by the Guard or Shunter in charge will be permission for shunting to take place upon the main line between Omagh North Signal Box and the Down advance Starting Signal, and no shunting must take place upon the Main Line without the possession of this Shunting Staff". It certainly does not look like a GNR(I) single-line staff, which usually had a "key" on the end for opening sidings in section.

No.