Mol_PMB

New Accurascale Invisilock:

I can see your point. The tension locks aren't so obtrusive in the larger scale. Whilst the back end of the railcar looks very convincing, I can see it must be a right pain to do. I wonder if it might be better as a one-piece overlay in thin brass? Incidentally, have you seen that Accurascale have introduced a transparent tension lock coupler on their latest GB release?

This 1994 photo from Colm O'Callaghan on Flickr appears to show one of the bogie flats with steel floors as the second vehicle in a Bell Liner. If so, it had lost its chain pockets by this time. But this 2012 photo from Karl Rose on Flickr complicates the situation. Here is 30081 (not one of those originally fitted with floors) with a floor added. Presumably this was done after it was transferred to the Engineers' fleet. The floor overhangs the solebars, which is a distinguishing feature compared to the original 30091-30098 batch which were built new with floors:

Recently while looking through archives on Flickr, I've found several photos of Irish railways that surprised me - "I never knew that happened". So I thought I'd start a thread to share a few of them, in case anyone would like to justify some unusual moves on their layout. Feel free to add examples you've found too. Here's a nice starting point given the forthcoming release of the Park Royal coaches from IRM, but the current absence of a BGSV to heat and light them. From Colm O'Callaghan on Flickr, a Connolly-Drogheda service formed of an A class and three Park Royals. Only. The date is 3rd September 1988. There is guard's accommodation in the last vehicle, but I don't see any battery boxes on the underframes so there wouldn't be any light or heat. Perhaps in early September they could manage without? I'm pretty sure I can make out some passengers inside so it's not an empty stock move.

Ah, so I'm not the only one then! That's reassuring. The research and the rolling stock construction are my favourite bits, though I also enjoy landscape scenery. I'm not sure whether my best achievement today is making a load of progress building a couple of etched wagons, or finding three photos of LMA vans in service! I do feel I need to get something moving (for more than a foot or two on my photo plank), so I ought to regauge one of my locos and make a more comprehensive test track at least. One of the tasks I need to address with the wagons I've built/rebuilt so far is to go back through all of them, make sure they have the same wheel standards and fit them with couplings. But it's not on the priority list at present because they don't need those things to sit in the display case, and I haven't quite decided what wheel standards or couplings to use yet. Anyway, I'd better get back to the soldering iron...

Good thoughts! I like the idea of a layout where I can watch the trains go by - the loft is the only space big enough but it's a lot of work to convert it to a comfortably usable space. I may well end up with another shunting plank instead, which would at least be portable. Fenit Pier definitely appeals for that. But before I get anywhere with a layout I need to master 21mm gauge pointwork, and reliable couplings. They're my next challenges. Having said that, maybe I should just admit that the bit I most enjoy is building wagons, and keep filling up the display cabinet with trucks that will never run anywhere!

Sorry, my mistake. It was right on the original. I'll correct my post.

Just a couple more: Cattle train at Claremorris, 1972, from Paul Taylor: Wexford by the same place and photographer, 1975, a line of withdrawn bulk grain vans. Note a different livery variation on one, with large 'BULK GRAIN' lettering on the panels either side of the doors, rather than the doors themselves: From Tom Ryan, enough steam heat vans to create an impressive sauna...

Not IRRS photos, but I did notice that the IRRS Archive account 'follows' some other Flickr members, and I'm having a bit of a look through them too. I'll have worked out by now that I'm a wagon and container nerd, so these photos mostly follow that theme, but there are a lot more worth looking at. I spotted a rare beast in the siding in this photo from 'Carrickmacross Rare Ould Times' - an LMA van: From 'Frank', it's possible the third van here is also an LMA van. It has a corrugated end, and the lack of shadow at the eaves compared to the two nearer vans would indicate it's more likely an LMA than an ex-GNR cement van (2 photos of the same train, dated 1975): From 'Frank', A12 in trouble at Waterford in 1970 not long before it was re-engined: From Colm O'Callaghan, a lovely shot of an Acrylonitrile wagon, and a barrier: Colm's got some fantastic Irish freight train photos - well worth a look through his photostream. From 'ML125r', a nice clear colour view of two of the 10' bulk glucose containers: From the same source, some interesting containers here. Look at that massive CIE roundel on the white 40-footer! Some CIE open-toppers with a choice of roundel positions: Mmmm - Guinness, Bell and baby GMs! Another container feast, lots of CIE and some CTI, several of 'my' MOL too:

Wonderful - thanks again. It looks like a couple of the 001 names were transferred to 141s later on. So once I've renumbered my locos to my preferred examples (mainly ones I travelled behind back in the 1980s) I should have: 007 'Paula' or 'James Bond' 055 'Sarah' or 'Sulky Susan' 156 'Principled Priscilla' 192 'Venereal Vera' 155 and 158 always seemed to turn up on my travels as well, maybe I need a 'Negligent Nellie' or 'Hilarious Hilary' in due course. Edit: having just checked my photos, 172 was the one I had a cab ride in, in later years, so 'Stinking Stasia' is another option...

Many thanks! Interesting that some of the names changed over the years. Names for the other classes would also be of interest!

Very nice! Plenty to keep you busy by the looks of it.

That’s a nice idea for a trip, and to sample the unusual ferry route. Great photos too.

Having mostly been working in plastic recently, I've gone back to metal for my next 3 wagons. These are 25436 series container flats from an etch produced by John a few years back, which he kindly arranged to have another copy etched for me. The deal didn't include castings or instructions and I'm sure I'm not building them quite as intended! But the first one is coming together quite nicely now and hopefully I'll get the other two caught up with it tomorrow. I've been trying some options of axleboxes and springs: I've got a nice solution for the roller bearing variant, and I think I can adapt the spare plain bearing axleboxes left over from my GNR brake van kit. I plan to build two with roller bearings and one with plain bearings. Now that I've acquired some IRM 42' bogie flats, I'm not quite so desparate for ISO container carrying wagons, so I might load one of these with a pre-ISO container, chained down and with the stakes deployed. The other two will probably be equipped to carry ISO containers or 20' swapbodies. I must go digging through the older parts of the forum and see if @Mayner has any other interesting etched kits in the portfolio that might still be available on a similar basis?

Ernie has a picture for that one, though A7 is the second loco here: Corcaigh Royale (Ernie's pic again - I think James looked quite smart as a teenager in Black Tie dress!

When were the A class given their unofficial names? If they all got one it must surely have been pre-1974 when 008 was destoyed.

Very nice! It already captures the character of the prototype.

Quantum of Sallins A View to a Kildare: (Illustration from Kevin Lane on Flickr)

From Roscrea with Love

Agreed. Spare triangulated coach underframes would also be useful, unless IRM plan to do ALL the coach types put on them. Some even ended up as NIR PW flats, as shown in this photo by Jonathan Allen, linked on Flickr:

Many thanks John, that's useful to understand the differences in the panelling. 1. I agree that the 'silver coach' in the railcar set in the Killiney photo is a Bredin, it's a 1331-1334 series GSR suburban composite, and the particular spotting feature is that the end doors open into a seating bay (with a small window each side of the door) whilst the middle door has a vestibule. I can't decide whether it's really silver but it certainly looks that way. There's another colour photo in one of my books of a GSR suburban brake standard in the late 1950s, which also appears to be silver. 2. Agreed, it's a 2162-2171 series composite. 3. The TPOs are interesting, they are definitely a different body profile and I think you've hit the nail on the head for the reason why. Here's another of Ernie's photos with a closeup of one of the 4-wheel ones in silver: That photo and this IRRS one clearly show the cover strip at the waist: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257008899 Somewhere I have some photos of the interior of one of the preserved bogie TPO's, I'll have to dig them out and see if the framing is visible. This photo of Ernie's dated 1959, and the IRRS one linked below it dated 1960, I think prove that the later laminates, specifically these two batches delivered in 1958-1960, were painted green from new: 1449-1496 standards (8 bays of 8 seats) 1909-1913 brake standards https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53499133230 The first photo also nicely illustrates the lack of horizontal strip at the waist as you mention.

Quite a few seem to have been bought by people who are immediately offering them on eBay at even higher prices - well over £100 for a single coach!

Yes, you're correct for the bodies. The underframes were steel so they must have been painted. Most people describe the livery as 'silver' which is why I used that term.

I have been trying to work out which CIE carriages carried 'silver' (more accurately aluminium) livery. I'll start with this lovely 1959 photo from Ernie of the 'space-age silver' TPO, luggage van and carriage contrasting with an ancient 2-4-0 kettle and an equally ancient wooden van: I think I've worked out the following: Carriages built up to 1953 on the traditional underframe and GSR-style bogies were green with black underframe (matching the AEC railcars). Carriages built in 1954/55 on the triangulated underframe and commonwealth bogies were green with silver underframe. This includes the Park Royals. Carriages built from around 1956 to 1958 were all silver (matching the newly delivered Metrovick locos). This includes: 1429-1443 and I think 1444-1448 standards (7 bays of 10 seats) 2162-2171 composites 2700-2765 4w tin vans 2962-2971 4w TPO (but with black underframes, and silver carried up onto edge of roof) 2972-2978 TPO (but with black underframes, and silver carried up onto edge of roof) 3101-3141 4w heating vans Buffet cars 2419-2422 were also built in this period but I'm not sure whether they were green or silver? I haven't found a photo of a silver one. The carriages introduced from mid-1958 onwards reverted to green livery with black underframe (as did the diesel locos). These included the later-built laminates and tin vans: 1449-1496 standards (8 bays of 8 seats) 1909-1913 brake standards 2172-2179 composites 2549-2558 bogie brake/luggage vans 3142-3152 4w heating vans After that, I think it was black and tan. So, to the questions: Have I got this right? If so, then there weren't actually very many silver passenger carriages - only about 30 of them. Many more vans of course. Were all the silver carriages true 'laminates'? The TPOs in particular do not have the normal bulbous 'laminate' cross-section. Some of the silver carriages had their numbers and class designations in red. Was this true of all of them? Were any older carriages repainted or reclad in silver/aluminium in this period? Asking because the 1331-1334 series GSR suburban composite, nearest carriage in Ernie's photo below, looks rather silver! (note - there is a silver laminate towards the rear of the train for comparison) Thanks to Ernie and IRRS, a couple more images of silver carriages, mostly in colour, just to make sure I've illustrated all six types listed above: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257008899 Nice mix of 3 silver and 4 green carriages here, with a black and tan 141 on the front: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257002708 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257198895

Thanks for the update and photos - though it’s sad to see them cut I guess the cement traffic is unlikely to return. I guess they moved them so they could be cut well clear of the running lines. Both for the safety of the people doing the cutting and to avoid any risk to passing trains. Perhaps they were shunted by rail across to the south side siding and then a road crane brought in to lift and turn them?