Flying Snail

The main thing is that it comes with its air wing. We can leave the carrier itself parked in Dún Laoghaire and the lads can use the jacks in the DART station

I think its a combination of factors. Agree that there's likely an impact from other IE stock being available. For me, in terms of CIE/IR/IE nostalgia both the Cravens and aircon Mk2s would be ahead of the ViC Berry Mk2s (all of which are behind the Mk3 for me). But also there's demographics to consider - in addition to the potential pull of NI for other UK based modellers, my understanding is that traditionally theres been a bigger modelling community in NI than in the Republic (the distribution of modelling clubs seems to bear that out) which would naturally lean NIR. Then there's the fact that the NI Mk2s came south of the border along the most heavily populated corridor in the Republic, so there's also a substantial part of the market down here that remembers them.

I'd be interested also - I'm thinking one or two might be suitable stock for my (on order) IRM model of Maeve in GSR Green?

That piping looks very tidy. Nice!

Back in the day, the station was called Kilmainham Wood. Today, however, its name is Kilmainhamwood as per https://www.geohive.ie/ and https://www.eircode.ie/

Also, the Irish Railway Record Society has at least 12 shots in it's members' flickr archive, including a couple of steam. Speaking of Steam, Ciaran Cooney from the IRRS posted this on Twitter: https://x.com/irishrailways/status/1428692043627483141

You'd be surprised - gricers will use any good viewing spot they can find. Eiretrains has a few shots from towards the end of the branch's life here: http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations K/Kilmainham Wood/IrishRailwayStations.html

Some of the books on the Midland Great Western Railway might have some older photos - I just had a look in Ernie Shepherd's book, 'The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland', but it doesn't have any

Thats truly awful, but glad to hear you all escaped

Thats very sad news Leslie, I have some of his kits including a few of the corrugated wagons and brake vans. My condolences to you, and to Michael's family and friends.

Always nice to see the C, but I have to say the little inspection car looks right at home there ... lovely.

Best wishes Ernie, I hope you're feeling well again soon

There some interesting footage of SLNCR cattle trains at 18:30 in the video also And the Enterprise (AEC railcars) at 22.30

Recently I've been getting some suggestions in my Youtube feed from the BBC Archive. This documentary from 1956 looks at the problems facing NI railways. Could ,or indeed should, anything be done to save the railways? We all the know what the answer ultimately was ... but this is a fascinating look at how the issue was presented at the time. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmjEgPbUGTQ Even more fascinating for someone whose parents were just toddlers in 1956, this video also shows in detail how trains and buses operated in the 1950s - have a look from 10:32 for all that goes into a journey.

I've very interested in how you're producing your plasticard masters - how do you handle the compound curves at the cab corners?

Walsh is the more common version of that name in Ireland - actually in my part of the country its not uncommon to hear Walsh pronounced as Welch/Welsh. (i.e. the name is spelled Walsh, but sometimes pronounced Welch/Welsh). That being said, there's lots of crossover between the two islands and English names do crop up so there being a Welch's Transport would not be impossible/implausible

Very nice, it popped up in my Youtube feed this weekend too .. the Lartigue Monorail gets a segment too at 28:29

... JHB is, of course, absolutely right - and Murphy Models did a very fine job of the only model that would need a yellow snail. The 1950s touring buses really pop out ... wouldn't they make a great model for a 1950s layout? They were Leyland Royal Tigers, and unsurprisingly got the knick name 'Banana Boats' https://www.nationaltransportmuseum.org/b009.html

Paul mentions (very briefly) in the video that Genesis gives them options for Ireland as well as UK. He also talks about plans for expanding the tooling for the coach bodies - chassis will remain as is. So as I see it: 1) we might get GSR or GSWR livered coaches based on the current tooling - I believe JHB had been in discussions with Hattons about that. 2) or, a little further down the line we might get something more protypically Irish to sit on the Genesis chassis ...

Just watching the video - Paul mentions the chassis and how it can be detached to allow modellers place their own body kits on it. This is very helpful to people building kits as the chassis is all important for good running. I wonder if Accurascale might consider selling the chassis separately? ... that might open up another part of the market.

Ooohhhh ..... Does this mean we might get GSWR and GSR liveries????????

The book 'Lost Railways of Co. Dublin and the South East' by Stephen Johnson has some shots of Abbeyleix and Mountmellick (two pictures of each) - the famous 1900s shot of a train at the platform and a 1960's view of the front of Abbeyleix station from the road, and a 1939 shot of a train and crew together with a 1960s shot of a railtour in Mountmellick. There's also a shot of Kilkenny loco shed.

Its a tricky one to judge - going by the various photos I was drawn to the lime 2 and 3 versions, but that doesn't really sit right with JHB's avatar No sign of the poor oul yella snail there anyhow

Abbeyleix always struck me as a very nice station, but I think this is the first colour photo I've seen of it.