Mol_PMB

Definitely an odd one. It looks more like a shunt dolly, elevated for better visibility. Note also the track circuit diamond on the post. Would be interesting to work out where exactly this was, and what move this signal was for. Could it be signal 13 on this diagram? https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/49761789231

I've put some money in the pot too - these wagons are central to my memories of Irish railways. Just out of interest, which wagon number is it?

Frustrating indeed. I normally build my own boards but to give me a running start for my mini Irish layout I have ordered some laser-cut baseboard kits. Hopefully they will arrive complete, but there’s still the lead time of 6+ weeks to deal with. I hope your missing parts arrive soon as I’m looking forward to seeing this develop.

The Loch is quite unusual for a 4-4-0 in being outside cylinder, not many of those in Ireland except much bigger blue locos. Though I suppose you wouldn’t have to use the cylinders and connecting rods. The D40 has proportions and shape visually similar to MGWR A class (original) but I haven’t checked the dimensions. There may be some options to convert to 2-4-0 tender loco types too? But as noted above they are relatively expensive as a donor chassis and very tricky to regauge if required.

Some work is under way to produce a 3D printable version of the CIE alloy container of 1961/62, like the surviving example at Dromod: It is being developed by the same team who did these; I have provided prototype photos, dimensions etc: https://www.rmweb.co.uk/forums/topic/182716-big-4-pre-nationalization-container-diagrams/?do=findComment&comment=5345870 I will update this thread when more information is available. These containers are too long for traditional unfitted flat or open wagons, and need to ride on 25201 or 25436 series flat wagons. The 25436 series are quite well-known but the 25201 series less so - some photos and details here: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/17496-cie-ballast-wagons-late-1960s-to-1980s-not-hoppers-or-flats/#findComment-250654 It's a long shot, but does anyone have a diagram or drawing for the 25201 series flats? If not, I can probably work it out well enough from photos and known dimensions. Also, does anyone have any diagrams of CIE containers of this pre-ISO era? The 1965-built side door type shown in this RPSI photo would be of particular interest: Many thanks, Paul

That's looking great. It's a tight fit in the room - but good use of space as long as you can still get to those shelves somehow! I look forward to seeing this develop.

Some progress on painting and lettering the IRCH vans. These are intended to represent the period around 1960. The one lettered GN will have CIE stencils applied as well, but after I have done a bit of weathering so that they look fresher than the original lettering. All these have been lettered with a complete mish-mash of decals from different sources, but hopefully a bit of weathering will make them look a bit more consistent! Before anyone says I can't put a snail on a red-brown van, I have seen photos showing both 4166N and 2057N in this scheme in the early 1960s. Perhaps they were overhauled at Dundalk and came out in GN colours with CIE logos?

Well, happily, you can now be sure they did. The photos linked above show both the later sets in the simpler green livery with a single waist line with '2' class digits on the doors, no snails. Some of the images are in colour, and they are parked next to an older coach in the older darker green livery with complex lining. You need to be an IRRS member to see their Flickr archive of nearly 30,000 Irish railway photos - highly recommended. Wonderful - that is very clear and detailed, resolves my questions and confirms the repaint in simpler livery. I shall update my carriage register spreadsheet accordingly.

Many thanks for the extra information. There are some photos of the Drumm cars in later life on the IRRS Flickr: Older sets: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253405400/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54251301406/ Later sets: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53509040104/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53509080753/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53454365270/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54250396627/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53507224975/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53570664018/ Note that these received two iterations of CIE livery, the original 1940s scheme and the simpler late 1950s scheme. Originally the sets were lettered but the individual vehicles seem to have also carried numbers in the 250x series - some are legible in these photos, even when in GSR livery as here: http://www.industrialheritageireland.info/BookReviews/Covers/Railway/The Story of the Drumm Battery Train.jpg It looks like sets A and B were 2500-2503, and sets C and D were 2504-2507. But they may not have been in order - based on the photos 2504 seems to have been in set D. The later sets were classified as secondary stock in the 1961 carriage register and are shown at the bottom of this page. I assume the articulated pairs were 2504-2505 and 2506-2507. Note that one of them is listed as being through-wired for AEC railcar operation, which would be plausible as these were used as suburban hauled stock at the time. Also several photos of 386: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53509041219/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53507833502/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511681460/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53508678098/

Many thanks, very interesting. Is there any info on the numbering of the sets in later life, or of their period of usage as hauled stock? I’m trying to reconcile the vehicles listed in the 250x series in the 1961 carriage register with the original set letters.

I imagine this one will take advantage of advances in model technology and detail since the Bachmann model was produced, and will have finer detail and more variants, plus more gadgets like sound and firebox glow. Bit it’s likely that many of those finer details will be incorrect for the Irish variant, and gadgets don’t appeal to everyone. Neither will be easy to convert to 21mm gauge. So, pros and cons. You might find some cheap Bachmann ones on the secondhand market as a consequence?

It’s remarkable how many new products they have announced recently, especially with rather niche locos.

Many thanks John, that’s very helpful.

Super attention to detail. Add a couple of firsts and a gen van and you have the Wexford Opera Train!

An excellent talk this evening by @airfixfan of this parish - many thanks! Two for the price of one really - a fascinating review of the effect of partition on all the cross-border lines and communities, followed by a focus on Strabane. Thanks again! The IRRS has branches in Manchester and Cork as well as the better-known Dublin and London centres. Talks are available online too. See the IRRS website for details of the local programmes.

It's taken me a while to get these physically complete, but I've finally achieved it this afternoon. With a brief sunny spell between the torrential storms, I was able to get a few photos. Trio: GNR vac-fitted: GNR unfitted, sides overlaid with sheeting: MGWR convertible (tarpaulin will be added after painting): They are now having a good wash and dry, and will then move on to the paintshop stage. But that's for another day - I might see one or two of you in the Waldorf this evening?

Rapido seem to be having a splurge of new annoucements recently, including several classes of pre-grouping 4-4-0 locos: https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product-category/uk/oo-gauge/oo-locomotives/lner-d40/ https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product-category/uk/oo-gauge/oo-locomotives/secr-g-class/ https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product-category/uk/oo-gauge/oo-locomotives/hr-loch-class/ https://rapidotrains.co.uk/product-category/uk/oo-gauge/oo-locomotives/mr-483/ Whist not directly relevant to Irish modelling, some of these might be useful conversion fodder, or provide good chassis for 3D-printed Irish bodies. At a push some could be repainted in Irish livery and be 'close enough'. The most recent announcement (the GNoSR / SECR type) has some features in common with the MGWR A class, for example. The cab and firebox would need some work...

Newly uploaded to the IRRS archive, this shows a 3-car AEC railcar set hauling another bogie carriage, in 1961: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778381281 However, this may be slightly-off-topic as I think this is a former GNR AEC set (600N class) rather than a CIE railcar. That may help to explain the hauled carriage, as the through-wiring for the GNR railcars was not directly compatible with the CIE railcars.

There are some more E401 class photos in the latest batch of IRRS photos uploaded by Ciaran. These are the ones where the loco is actually a main subject, there are more where they pop up in the background. Mostly these are early 1970s, black or BnT livery, before the exhaust cowls were removed: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778606939 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54777524327 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778380831 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778606924 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778380866 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54777524317 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778614868 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778614908 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778714950

Thanks to Ciaran at the IRRS Archives, a super selection of views of these wagons when new. I really must get on with building my model of one! https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778714835 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778607654 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54778607924 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54777525192

G602 was still silver in mid-1963, there are several photos of it at Inchicore that summer including one with B177 (which helps to confirm the photo dates) https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54255052946/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511153446/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419865730 Highly unlikely it would have been painted green after that date, especially considering that Inchicore had already painted the new G611s from green to BnT. I have not seen any photos of G601 or G602 in green. If they exist, I’d love to see them.

Indeed. And a timely reminder that subs are due this month.

There's another big upload at the IRRS photo archive on Flickr - several hundred new images: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/ (as usual, you need to be an IRRS member to view them) Many from the 1960s and 1970s. Plenty for those who like the black and tan livery on diesels, some lovely E class pics and quite a few G and K class too. Plus all the more common types. Some interesting views of the early days of NIR. Some excellent photos of Fenit. Newly-delivered rolling stock and parts at Inchicore, and newly-built ones including bogie flat wagons A very nice selection of AEC railcars. Plenty of treats for me, and hopefully something in there for everyone. I'll spend some time working through them over the next week or two and update some of my threads and livery tables as appropriate. Thanks Ciaran!

There's a wonderful atmosphere on this railway. It's really naturalised into the landscape. Superb work!

Yes, that does look fairly good, I suppose the regular heavy freight traffic has ensured that it has been kept in fair condition. Hopefully the weedspray will continue to run.