A respray of a grey one to Black and Tan might be a good idea especially if you use some maskol on the grab handles and bits on the buffers to expose the livery underneath just like the picture
https://www.geograph.ie/photo/3136304
Yes they retained the 1st on the doors as did the Mk2s /Mk3s , also of interest no TL on 1504 the cravens as with all other coaches were fitted with battery boxes and dynamos until the early 1970’s and the arrival of the BR vans .
If you look at the reference to RAL 6037 I think this is the lighter green
"A46 for a few years in between its silver and black eras). Both colour reference numbers match in slightly different light. They're as good as a match. RAL 6037 appears to be the same too."
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paintcolourchart.com%2Fral-colors%2Fclassic%2F6037.html&psig=AOvVaw2miKncRmu-68fur1pa-Mis&ust=1599825634442000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJiI-4bF3usCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAO
I don't remember any going via Kildare unless the line was closed for possession or some reason like that but normally via Clonmel , there was also a 1030/1040 ex Limerick Saturdays only to Waterford with Bell containers o it it .
Glad to hear your getting back to full health , we are all looking forward to seeing Murphy models grey and Black and Tan 121 class locos visiting Glen More in the coming months .
The coal wagons used on the weekly Foynes -Ballina coal /oil train were older 20’ Tso containers with the roofs cut off re purposed to carry coal painted with grey primer on the inside and black on the outside .
In the late 1990’s the grain was transported in modified 20’ containers from Foynes , Waterford and North Wall to the Conniberry siding in Portlaoise in block trains.
Not to sure what you mean by ‘back to backs’ but they would have carried everything in 20 ‘ TSO , containers , bell , coal , oil , bitumen, asahi, kegs , grain , 10’ uniload , half height wagons , also latterly timber frames .