Flying Snail

That's a top tip right there .. like all the best ideas its so simple when you see it!!

'Leaf-Fall Weapon' for me

This is excellent, truly it is a great resource for us to have!

Just to revisit the topic of the large open wagon. I've been flicking through Ernie Shepherd's book 'Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway' tonight and I've come across this in the section on Private owner wagons (see p121) where Ernie is discussing the Fenit Harbour Commissioners' wagons, which were leased from a number of manufacturers - " ... the Commissioners leased two tubular 33ft 10in bogie open wagons, built by the Lancaster RCW in 1900, which later became Nos 4050 and 4051 on the GS&WR. No 4050 was altered to a covered fish van in 1903."

I was trying to be subtle as I didn't want to cause any turbulence. Really we should be glad they used a 4000 and not a 29000

Ah lads .. a marketing image developed for an airport operator has messed up the running lights on a train. Is anyone really surprised? We're definitely heading down the wrong track if we let that derail the discussion on what (if it goes ahead) will only be the first air-rail link on the island

Sounds as good as it looks!

Well if all else fails, given the analysis Mol_PMB did investigating all the variations of the bubbles I'd say he could identify its number on sight ... from 100 yards ... on a dark night with no moon. No seriously, the man knows his bubbles - check out his thread: (Good cause - I through a few Euro into the pot too)

The lights make for some very atmospheric shots!

September's Railway Modeller just popped into my email inbox. Very nice piece David - really good, and in the 900th anniversary issue no less. It's nice to have an Irish connection to the anniversary issue - especially since Cyril Fry featured so prominently in the 1st!

Removing the roof reduced structural integrity of the sides, so there was also bracing installed from the roof level of one side to the floor level of the other - as shown by this interior shot from the Robin N Clements collection on the IRRS Flickr: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/3251-turf-carriages/#comment-270174 (IRRS membership required to view). There's a few more shots of the turf carriages in that collection if you're interested. And if you want to mix your turf trains up a little, there's also an interesting shot of a more conventional turf wagon (to my bogman's eyes anyhow): a GSR flat, complete with with creels, fully loaded in Inchicore: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53507832482/in/album-72157661623942928/

... surely we should be changing Kilkenny McDonagh to Cummins instead? Give it a nice blue and white paint job too while we're at it?

Naming after celebs could get controversial very quick ... would Mullingar get renamed for Joe Dolan or Niall Horan?????

Nice weathering - it looks well on the Hunslet but I'm really drawn to the containers and flats!

caused no end of trouble whenever a conductor tried to point it out to the engine crew

I think you'll find it was the right livery, just applied in all the wrong places

The Galway, Newry & Waterford?

That is a great picture - a nice shot in its own right, but it also really captures what the ITG and Downpatrick volunteers have achieved.

In addition to those listed above, a GSWR 4-4-0 like a class 52 would be one I'd like to see saved.

Where did you get you hands on the the GSWR carriage diagrams? Was that Downpatrick too?

Here's a couple of mining branches that did manage to get built around that time The Wolfhill branch from Athy was built at the end of WW1. More here: https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/ForgottenRailways/The-Wolfhill-Branch The Caslecomer branch of the Kilkenny Portlaoise line was one of the last built (1922). More here: http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations C/Castlecomer/IrishRailwayStations.html

Thanks Eoin - thats very helpful. Good job I don't smoke!!

For those of you etchers based in Ireland (Dublin specifically), how do you deal with the waste etchant? Do the local authority's' bring centres accept it? I know they take household chemicals, but ferric chloride is hardly a household chemical, is it?

Your drawing is impressive - you clearly did your homework on what to measure

Oh, this is intriguing and very welcome news! Looking forward to seeing whats in store here ......