StevieB

The Irish Railfan's News of July 1960 carries an interesting article about Manulla Junction in its Station Survey. Apparently the Ballina branch train connected with the first up passenger train, the up and down Limited Mails, which crossed at Manulla, and the up Night Mail and second down passenger train which also crossed at Manulla. However, the down Night Mail did not have a connection to Ballina. I make this nine passenger trains arriving and departing Manulla, three up, three down and three branch. However, the article refers to thirteen passenger arrivals and departures. Were there four ghost trains in this part of County Mayo? Stephen

I didn't realise quite how much the track layout had been rationalised - thanks for the photos. Stephen

The post that has just closed on the topic of the forum's name could just as easily have been on the topic of realistic modelling - the forum covers all standards of modelling and there is some that would have its place with the best. Just to mention two, Mayner and Patrick have produced some of the most realistic scenes that I have come across in a long time. I love reading Model Railway Journal but sometimes the standard can be just too high! I'm all for realism but sometimes the detail can be too detailed to no real end, other than personal preference. Stephen

My original idea was to model the period late 80s/90s just after the creation of Irish Rail. Then there would have been a mixture of original and re-engined 121/141/181 classes in a mix of CIE and IR liveries, with some in CIE livery but carrying IR branding. This was carried through onto the Cravens with some carrying the two white stripes but of different widths! But then I was given Rails Through The West for my birthday earlier this year and my ideas went out the window. Going back a decade to the 70s/80s, I've got a mixture of black and tan and supertrain liveries, together with unfitted pick-up freights and the beginnings of the 'new' railway - liner trains! Stephen

The layout that Mayner alludes to is Hornsey Broadway by Kier Hardy. I've seen sections of it twice on display at local exhibitions and it is stunning. Stephen

Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway, Finn Valley Railway and Cork, Blackrock & Passage Railway. Stephen

There are some lovely photos of Ballyhaise Junction on pages 63-65 of Tom Ferris's Irish Railways in Colour. It looked a delightful spot where the peace of the Irish countryside was broken just a handful of times each day as mainline and branch trains arrived and departed over a relatively short period of time. Stephen

The only other railway that I know that has carriages with doors on only one side is the Talyllyn - note the present tense, since it is still open! Stephen

Waterford & Tramore? Stephen

A few years ago at the Warley Show at the NEC, Birmingham, the layout Greystones featured a loco in the fictitious IEWS livery - I believe the loco was a 201. It looked most effective. Stephen

Just to return to the car for a moment, my first motor was the Ford Angela, and it most definitely isn't that. No, it is the Ford Popular 100E. Stephen

Weshty I've seen your review of the same book on Amazon - must get a copy. Stephen

There are two interesting news items currently in Irish Railway News: IR pushing to begin DART Underground, including an airport link, when the next review of capital spending come along, and A new draft transport plan for the Dublin area, which doesn't specifically mention progressing DART Underground, rather the interim measure of re-opening the Phoenix Park tunnel line to passenger traffic. You would hope that different arms of government sing from the same hymn sheet! Stephen

In the period 1951-1959 CIE embarked on a coach building programme and, according to Irish Railfans' News, all were mounted on 61' 6" undereframes apart from the first batch of CK, which were to the GSR design mounted on 60' 0" underframes. The second and third batches of CK changed the seating from 32S/18F to 24S/23F, which meant that they were longer and this is where the 61' 6" underframe makes its first appearance. At the same time, three batches of SK were built and, in the belief that they were also to the GSR design, would have been mounted on the 60' 0" underframe. New design SO and BSO were also built and, from photographic evidence, would have also been mounted on the 60' 0" underframe. Can anyone confirm this, please? Many thanks. Stephen

A supplementary question - were the conversions of 1509, 1518 and 1520 done in the same way ie can the body of 1508 be used for the other three? Many thanks. Stephen

I have one of each of the panelled LMSR corridor coaches as originally produced by Mainline Railways, if anyone is interested for repainting in the CIE 1950s green livery - £55 the pair incl P&P. I also have a pair of the non corridor coaches as originally produced by Airfix, again if anyone is interested for the same purpose - £55 the pair incl P&P, £105 the four including P&P. Stephen

Hi guys Thanks for the information. Mark, the train service I was referring to was that which would have run via Youghal and Dungarvan if only the aspirations of the Cork & Waterford Railway had come to be in the mid to late 1860s. Then there would have been no need for the lovely from Mallow to Waterford. As it was, lines were built only from Cork to Youghal and Waterford to Tramore, but in my imagination the intervening length was built at a later date. I'd better start posting something in the layout section. Stephen

Murphy Models produced a version of their Cravens coach as buffet car 1508 in IR/IE livery. I have a couple of questions to those of you in the know: Did 1508 appear in its buffet car guise wearing the original CIE livery? Were there any other buffet car conversions at the same time wearing the original CIE livery? I need to know so that I can plan for the passengers in the twice daily boat trains that ran between Cork and Rosslare via the Cork to Waterford direct line via Youghal and Dungarvan. Many thanks. Stephen

I have two Cravens in IR/IE livery surplus to requirements, MM1521 and MM1523, £35 each incl P&P, £65 the pair incl P&P. Stephen

Thanks to all those who helped in my quest re photos. And now one more request for help. I have a signalling diagram for the original box when it was situated at the Athlone end of the down platform, IRRS Journal 163 Mayo Line Modernisation. However, the box was destroyed in 1922 and subsequently rebuilt at the Westport end of the down platform. There were track and signalling alterations in 1937. so does anyone have, or know the whereabouts of, a signalling diagram for the second box, please? Stephen

I found a short piece in the Irish section of rmweb.co.uk which you may find useful re n gauge modelling of the Irish prototype. Stephen

I thought that the description of the shortcomings with the IFM bagged cement wagon was very well put - surely no-one can find fault with this? Stephen

To date, my quest for photos of Manulla Junction pre re-opening has produced five: Lawrence Marshall (undated) Branch Line Album HC Casserley (1955) Irish Railways in Pictures MGWR & Irish Railways in the Heyday of Steam NJ McAdams (1960) Journal of IRRS June 1977 Barry Carse (1975) Rails Through The West Anon (1985) Wikipeda Has anyone got details of who holds the copyright of these photos so that I can get copies and also explore whether they have any more of interest. Also, has anyone come across a book called Railway Stations in County Mayo:| Claremorris, Manulla Junction, Foxford and Ballyhaunis, published by LLC Books in 2010? Stephen

Referring back to my original question, I have obviously mistaken a 20' container on a 4w flat for a Uniload container, but these photos show that you can only get two Uniloads on a 20' flat. not one. The fixings don't allow for it. Stephen

Thanks for that. It never fails to amaze me how much information there is out there, and all you have to do is ask. Stephen