Old Blarney

GSR 800,

I have just returned home. I shall endeavour to load the Time Table tomorrow morning. Stephen, thank you for your advice. Should I find I'm unable to do that which you advise, I may consult Eircom Directories and telephone you .

Good night to you all.

GSR 800,

I have a working timetable for the year 1949. I do not wish to sell it however, I could scan the Cork-Dublin-Cork pages or furnish you with times of required trains.

Someone on this forum will need to instruct me on how I transfer the scanned document from my machine into this Forum's pages.

Sacred Cows!

Perhaps it is time to re-evaluate Irish Rail. There are questions that should be asked of this organisation and its masters CIE. This holding company controls - the Railway Company, the National Bus Company and Dublin Bus. Each of these companies has their vested interests; however their master, CIE is wholly owned by "The Government of the Day", There lies the problem in one word, VOTES.

Business need to be run on the basis of "The solution to this problem is", not the all to often statement " We have a problem."

Solutions to problems seldom come from those who hold a vested interest in retaining the "The Status Quo", the existing state of affairs!

If memory serves me correctly, some years ago there was a company who successfully competed with CIE/Irish Rail. This business chartered trains from CIE. They provided a regular service at week ends to transport passengers to and from various locations that included Limerick and Galway? They were extremely successful but, I believe there initiative was thwarted by those, who wished to see the removal of any competition to the State Company.

Unrestricted thinking and an attitude of "Can Do" will often provide the solution to that which others see as a "problems." For too long the transport sector in Ireland has been safeguarded from its own follies. Too many excuses on why things cannot be achieved. Freight being the classic example, and yet, the railway company do run a successful short distance freight service from Navan to Dublin Port.

Look for the solution to the Customers Requirements. Provide the service and you have a viable business.

Must, Needs and Wants are three words that spring to mind. Find these for your customer and they will come with you.

Perhaps the Railway Company and the Government need to ask themselves a series of questions?

Who are we serving?

Why are we doing it this way?

What would happen if we sought to change?

What changes are possible?

Where are the business opportunities?

When can we start to change the way we do business?

How can we make these changes?

When can we start to re-evaluate our business?

When can we start to implement these changes?

All parties who work for the railway need to consult each other. For too long there has been an attitude of Them v Us. No, it should be an attitude of "We"

We will work together to provide a service that is Second to None. This should be to attitude of each employee.

Long may the railways of Ireland survive, but lessons are there to be learnt from.

Remember this. Failure rewards no one

Support!! Jealousy - more the likes!

Nelson,

You deserve a "Personal Thread"!

Congratulations on your recent Birthday. Only seems like yesterday that you were15. Long may you continue to be a valued member of this Family of Modellers.

My thanks to you for your work.

Belated "Happy Birthday"

Old Blarney.

Ten days to reopen this line! Hate to think what might have happened to this country had "Nowork-Rail" been in existence during WWII.

Raymond,

You have made my day. Wonderful work. Love the signals you are installing, and how these will add authenticity to your railway.

I had planned to run a railway today but, thanks to BT and their incompetence, I spent most of today speaking to their employees in India. Ve vill by Turdsday, 6th July, 2015, have an engineer to resolve your fawlti lynes problem! Some service, I think not.

D,

Unfortunately you are a year too late. We exhibited Old Blarney at Falkirk last November and came away with two of their trophies. Better make sure we return them for their show this year.

Evening all,

A wee report.

Old Blarney was invited to The Cupar Model Railway Show this week end. We in the Perth Model Railway Club had a most enjoyable time there and Old Blarney came away with yet, another Trophy.

We ran a general Irish Railways theme but for "Ye Bhoys in Nordern Irelund", I decided to run five Enterprise sets. GNR 206, (Colm Flanigan) with six coaches in Painted Teak, one reciprocal CIE set in Dark Green and Eau-de Nil livery, but had to cheat on the motive power and use a Woolwich at its head. These sets were followed three NIR sets. Hunslet Maroon, with matching coaches, Hunslet Blue, with Blue Grey coaches and last but not least a Light Blue 111, No 111 (Murphy Models) with the blue yellow and black coaches, (Murphy Models Lima Coaches). Each Diesel locomotive is fitted with sound decoders.

I also ran my new LMS NCC Mogul, built by Colm Flanigan, this too has a sound decoder, and it along with its rake of LMS NCC coaches was a popular set, attracting many comments.

Provincial Wagons were much in evidence too, mixed trains of Cattle Wagons and CIE and GSR Coaches. A long rake, 27 wagons of GNR, BCDR, Downshire, UTA, Bullied and GNR Guards Van.

The RPSI were represented too by a set of Six Coaches pulled by my Colm Flanigan No 4.

Should any Model Railway Club wish to Have Old Blarney, at their Show, Please contact me.

David White.

Information copied from Model Rail Forum - Richard Johnson.

"December 2007 'Backtrack' has a two-page article on the 'Silver Princess' including the photo of it still with its original body

panelling and doors, in crimson and cream. There are also two interior shots, one showing the bar area fitted after

its rebuild. A further external shot dated 29/6/56 shows the vehicle in maroon, having been repanelled and lost its middle door.

The vehicle was tried between King's Cross and Edinburgh then fitted with 5'3" bogies and tried on Irish

railways for three months in 1948. It was then stored and later purchased by BR in 1955. BR used it as 'The Ulster Bar' on the

Euston-Heysham run. It is suggested that withdrawal took place in June 1966."

There is also a photo of the vehicle in June 1963 Modern Railways, showing it in maroon and minus the middle door.

John,

I could well be interested in your "Black and Tan" locomotives. By B&T I assume you are meaning the original livery!

David,

Ps, Try sending me a Private Message.

John,

The Seltzers were originally Silver too. B101-112.

Oh great one of knowledge,

Having applying a "Flying Snail", coloured Eau-de Nile, to a black tender, I was horrified to discover the colour of my green snail now looked as if it is CREAM. This happened today, 23/07/15. Perhaps the same optical illusion is the case in real life. Thus many of the photographs of a cream "Flying Snail" are as a matter-of-fact Eau-de-Nile.

On the basis of my experience, I can now understand the reason why the snails on the Murphy Models "Woolwich" locomotives appear to be cream. Might they too, be "Eau-de-Nile "Green" however , they appear to be cream because of the black background?

Am I the only person to experience this illusion?

Red Numerals? Yes.

Don't forget - Greystones, Co Wicklow. Now that has to be a natural!

Station Name?

Great Bricktoria Street! - For a Station in Northern Ireland!

Brocklands or Bricklands! - For a Station in Dublin!

Open doors, shut doors. Well I have just received one of the latter and nine of the former. I have to say I'm as happy as a "Sand Boy." These wagons really do make a model railway look authentically Irish. I am doing my best to make some of the wagons look a little tired and well used. These will be seen at Cupar Show, Cupar, Fife, KY15, this week end.

Thank you Leslie and your chief assistant for these wonderful wagons.

Evening to each of you,

I found this link this evening. If it is already known to our members, I apologise. If it is unknown, then enjoy. I certainly did.

Old Blarney.

Regarding the transfer of the dry cement powder from the Bubbles to the Silos, I do not know the method of transfer but, I suspect it was carried out using some form of suction. Hence the pipework at the silos and the attachments on the Bubble wagons. I am unaware of any Port facilities where these wagons were used.

Knowing our fellow members I am certain there will be someone out there who does know the answer to your questions.

Might these links be useful to you?

http://irishrailwaymodeller.yuku.com/reply/10370/Irish-Cement#.VavOCdzbLIV

Charlie Pettie trades under the name - DC Kits

http://www.dckits-devideos.co.uk/shop/kits_modelling/c_rail_containers_in_4mm/.

C-Rail details - http://www.c-rail-intermodal.co.uk/

Wonderful wagon - so, so realistic.

Fir-knot = What a female does when questioning a chap whom she has suspicions of!

Could the crude and large letter "B" have been put on the wagon because it was BANJAXED?

Senior moment?

Can't count, can't see, can't hear, can't remember - I know how it feels! Oh, walking and bending are also becoming a problem too.

Regards to each of you.

David.