Mol_PMB

They do look stunning! I try hard to avoid 'Rule 1' purchases so I held back on this which doesn't fit any of my modelling interests but is nevertheless a loco I've always been fond of. I expect that one day I'll spend the price of a model on a ticket to ride behind the badger.

Here's another photo I've found in the RCTS archive - a nice view of GNR fitted van 2024 at Limerick in 1962, still in GNR bauxite livery but with a CIE stencil. Also a board marked 'Return to Dundalk when empty' which is a nice detail. Note the screw couplings and very long spindle buffers on this fitted van: https://archive.rcts.org.uk/shopviewer.php?pg=44347&code=CH06457C The RCTS archive also has this image of GSR 16342, a double-skinned van, in CIE brown livery with roundel at Limerick in 1974: https://archive.rcts.org.uk/shopviewer.php?pg=44305&code=CH06415C I've been struggling for enthusiasm for modelling recently, but yesterday I had a day off and decided to leave the computer turned off all day and build some wagons instead. I assembled the bodies for three of these IRCH wooden-framed goods vans from Leslie's kits, although I added extra internal bracing and weight to them. Although leaving the computer turned off meant that I actually made something, it also meant that I didn't have a good selection of images of the prototype in front of me. I wish now that I hadn't been in a hurry to glue the roofs on, as now I've looked at the images in this thread I think the arc of the roof is a bit high compared to the prototype. I'm trying to decide whether I can live with it, or whether I need to take the roofs off (likely to be a destructive process) reprofile the ends and fit new roofs from thin brass sheet. Mulling this over is likely to procrastinate any further modelling! It's not too bad, and more visible from the ends than the sides. Maybe some gentle sanding of the roof profile will ease my conscience? I have many more small details to add to these bodies, also the chassis to build for 21mm gauge. Having done the research documented in the thread above, there are more than 3 variants I'd like to model, so with these 3 vans I'll have to choose carefully. Leslie's kits represent the GNR vans, whereas the IRCH designs used by the GSR and MGWR had a some detail differences, and of course there were plenty of variations among the GNR vans too. At present I think I'm aiming for: 1. ex-GNR 4166N (vac fitted), in CIE bauxite with white snail, CIE stencil and number: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257197990 2. ex-MGWR 3188M (convertible roof), in CIE mid grey with snail and number in eau-de-nil 3. One of the vans with the sides (and perhaps the ends) covered in sheet material, but I haven't yet decided whether it will be a GSR or GNR vehicle, but it will be in CIE grey with white snail and number: As well as one of them being vac-fitted, all three of these vans have different buffers, door bolts and bracing details, also different roof surfaces and spoked/disc wheels. There are several others I'd consider adding to my rake of vans, including one or two later survivors with CIE roundel, a GNR fitted van with drop door, and I am sorely tempted to modify one into the grain hopper version. Plus of course some double-skinned variants. But first I'll need to find my modelling mojo again!

Varied traction on Ian’s ‘Rosslare Rambler’, and my ticket for the ‘Chunkrail Challenger’. Not so many photo-opportunities on that one as I recall - it was a long trip! Ian was great at making unlikely things happen!

There's also some info in this thread over on RMweb - several different approaches it seems: HELP - SHUTTLE END TO END - DCC Help & Questions - RMweb

1965. 28hp Deutz KS28B Allocated to Boora.

For those who think that one Queen is enough, I just stumbled across this photo at Limerick Junction in 1954, featuring two: https://www.rail-online.co.uk/p488187786 A nice selection of coaching stock too, from an ancient 6-wheeler to a couple of 1950s CIE coaches.

I love the buffer art!

Excellent - many thanks. I thought that was the case. There are some aspects of the livery that are non-standard compared to what Inchicore was doing at the time (e.g. number 3 on the doors) which made me think they had arrived fully painted. At the time they were ordered, Inchicore wasn't even painting a waist line on their carriages. I was also wondering whether AEC/Park Royal used the same paint as Inchicore did - photos suggest that the railcars seem to have a slightly brownish tint in their green (like brunswick green) whereas the original CIE dark green can look more bluish. Having said that, lighting conditions have a huge influence on shades of green. The original Wedgehead livery looks more consistent with how Inchicore were painting carriages in 1951 (dark green, no waist line) which is odd considering they were built in 1957! They did have both class indications 1 and 2 on the doors though. Also of note on your photos (which I hadn't seen before) is the original headlight configuration, which I think was used on the first 20 cars? There were at least 3 different arrangements, 4 if you include their later life as push-pull cabs.

Hi John, Just wondering with regard to the bogie coach etches, my impression from this thread is that there isn’t enough interest to do the bogie coach ‘kits’ you propose. Is that correct or have you had a flurry of interest behind the scenes? Presumably there might be a lower bar to resurrecting the 60’ etched sides on their own? Is that a possibility and if so, which types of coach would be feasible? Many thanks, Paul

Sad to hear, thanks for sharing the news. I travelled on a couple of his railtours and thoroughly enjoyed them. Edit: I think the 'Chunkrail Challenger' was the most memorable, I think I still have my ticket somewhere. Waterford to Sligo, out via Kildare and back via Rosslare. Various combinations of baby GMs through the (long) day.

On these links are are two similar photos from the frontage which do appear to show an overall roof: https://www.craigavonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/rev/sleatorportadownstation.php https://www.craigavonhistoricalsociety.org.uk/rev/mcintyreoldrailway.php This photo from Jonathan Allen is from the same angle and the roof is missing:

Many thanks, that’s most interesting and gives some more variety and a late-dated example - there are several options for vac-fitted container flats by 1969. Incidentally I’ve even found one or two examples of tail traffic on the AEC’s in their final push-pull mode. I understand that the IRRS are working to digitise all their old journals and papers, and put them online on a new members’ website. i have a few dozen IRRS journals but nothing like a full set, so this will be a very welcome development. It will mean that we can read articles like the one you mention without having to seek out and purchase originals.

Nice work - definitely looks the part.

I have! And the advantage of the ferry is that I can take a big case full of paint, which wouldn't be possible on Ryanair...

Maybe next time it ends up for maintenance in Belfast, a bit of guerilla painting by the York Road staff could put NIR on the side?

Indeed! Thank you!

Just paint a big white NIR logo on the side! (photo from Darren Hall on Flickr)

I'm presently working from a list of coaches wired as AEC trailers, which is given in 'Diesel Dawn' (Flanagan) and is credited to Colin Holliday. I suspect the list may have been based on the CIE carriage register - flange lubricator has a copy of the 1969 register (with annotations to update it to the mid-70s) which I hope to cross-reference with the list in 'Diesel Dawn'. I think the lists are accurate for 1969 but may not be complete for the 1950s - for example 1907 is not included (it appears to have lost its control equipment in the 1960s) and diner 343 is not included (because it would have been scrapped before 1969). Anyway, at present the list in 'Diesel Dawn' and photos are the best information available to me. The list includes only three GSWR normal passenger vehicles wired to work with railcars. All are corridor seconds (which would have been corridor thirds before 1956), numbers 1300, 1301, 1308. There was also a variety of old GSWR catering cars, plus one DSER. GSR normal passenger vehicles through-wired are the batch of suburban non-gangwayed open seconds (ex-thirds) 1331-1334, and suburban non-corridor compartment composites 2111-2113. Again there were a couple of GSR catering cars through-wired too. Of course it's possible that there were more old vehicles through-wired which haven't made the list, perhaps including corridor composites. Most of the photos that show GSWR corridor stock in railcar sets seem to be of the corridor side, which was very similar on both the seconds (ex-thirds) and composites.

I have another thread in preparation on the intermediates. There were a few GSWR corridor thirds (as shown in your pic above) as well as the old catering cars. Even a couple of non-corridor suburban compartment stock.

Super - thank you!

Finally for now, a group of photos showing tin vans as tail traffic. The luggage version of the tin van (2700-2765) were introduced in 1957 so they post-date most of the photos we've seen upthread. But they dominate the tail traffic from 1959 onwards. 'Railways in Ireland' part 3: DSE/MGW etc (Bairstow) pages 26 and 28 show two photos of a Rosslare-Dublin train formed of a Wedgehead railcar, a GSWR corridor second, an AEC railcar and a tin van as tail traffic. 'Rails Through the West' (Beaumont/Carse) page 83 shows a Limerick-Sligo train on 7th June 1961. The formation is a 3-car set with a GSWR corridor second in the middle, and a tin van as tail traffic. Ernie provides us with a nice colour photo of a 2-car railcar set with a tin van behind, at Limerick on 15th March 1961: The IRRS archive includes three photos from the mid-1960s and the black and tan era, each of which comprise a 3-car set and a tin van on the back. https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53445962837 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419866325 https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53447203394 All of these appear to have a CIE corridor second as middle car (1350 to 1355 of this type were through-wired) That's all I've got, but there's quite a variety amongst them. What we need now is some IRM AEC railcars, but I got the impression yesterday that we might have a long wait.

Next, a few examples of passenger coaches as tail traffic in the late 1950s into the early 1960s The book 'Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway' (Shepherd) page 38 shows a nice photo at Clonakilty junction in 1957. The same photo also appears at lower quality in 'The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway' Vol.3 (Creedon) p67, which also includes another photo of the same train. The formation of the Cork-Bantry train is an AEC railcar, a Park Royal coach, a Wedgehead railcar and finally a CIE corridor second as tail traffic. Of the early 1950s corridor seconds, 1350 to 1355 were through-wired for railcar operation but 1339-1349 are not listed as being fitted to work with the AECs. It's possible that the one being hauled in this photo was not suitably fitted, but there may be another explanation. Also in West Cork, Ernie has a nice pair of photos staed 5th June 1958 with a railcar set strengthened with a pair of 6-wheel coaches as tail traffic. Clearly the Park Royal intermediate was insufficient for the traffic on offer: Working north, Roger Joanes has a nice photo of a train at Clonmel on 28th March 1963, just a pair of railcars and something else coupled behind that is well-hidden behind the footbridge: And so to Sligo on 21st June 1961, with a 3-car set (CIE open second in the middle) hauling another unidentifiable CIE coach as tail traffic. This colour photo shows different shades of green in the rake; the leading car is light green with large numbers on the front: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53570702493

Looking elsewhere in the country in the 1955-1956 period, there is only a book reference for 1955: 'Railways in Ireland' part 4: GS&W (Bairstow) page 71 shows a Sligo-Limerick train at Ennis. A pair of railcars with no intermediate are hauling a bogie passenger coach and 6-wheel passenger brake van. It's a roof shot so a little hard to distinguish the vehicles, but from the long curved rainstrips and the pattern of roof ventilators I think the coach is likely to be one of the 1930s GSR main-line compartment coaches (which were not through-wired for railcar operation). This IRRS photo dated 6th January 1956 shows a lengthy railcar train entering Mullingar. The formation probably includes 4 power cars and several CIE-built passenger coaches between, but tacked on the back is a 6-wheel passenger brake van: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53498866623 Here's another shot from Ernie showing just a pair of railcars, again with a 6-wheel passenger brake van on the back. This is a Rosslare-Dublin train on 4th June 1956: We've already seen the horsebox at Limerick in the first post, so I won't repeat it here. Again from Ernie and it's 28th August 1956, probably the Sligo-Limerick train at Ennis again. A new Park Royal coach is between the railcars (replacing the GSR coach as tail traffic in the equivalent 1955 photo), but the 6-wheel van is still needed on the back. To complete 1956, there are two more book references to look at: 'Railways in Ireland' part 4: GS&W (Bairstow) p2 also shows the Sligo-Limerick service in August 1956, the same formation as above but with a different railcar leading. 'Rails around Dublin' (Murray) p14 shows a 3-car railcar set (CIE open second 1356-1371 in the middle) with a 6-wheel van on the back, forming the morning Kilkenny-Dublin service on 9th June 1956. Indeed! I decided to limit myself to the CIE railcars for now.

Moving on to 1954, AEC railcars were introduced on the West Cork lines. 'The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway' Vol.3 (Creedon) page 27 shows the first regular railcar service leaving Albert Quay for Bantry - it is a pair of railcars hauling a 4-wheel goods van. The detail of the van is indistinct. On page 30 of the same book, and also in 1954, there is a photo of a railcar set crossing Chetwynd viaduct. A pair of railcars with a CIE compartment third (1351-1355 series) haul two goods vans. They're not entirely clear but I think they are cattle wagons. Staying with the CB&SCR theme, this photo from Ernie also shows a pair of railcars with a 4-wheel van on the back at Bantry: Whilst this IRRS photo from November 1958 at Clonakilty Junction shows a fitted H van as tail traffic on a railcar set; a CIE compartment second (1351-1355 series) is the middle car in the set: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253199453

We'll stay in 1953 and move on to a couple of interesting photos posted by Ernie on Flickr. It's 19th August 1953 and 2604 leads a Sligo train. Two vehicles form the tail traffic - a 6-wheel van and something else beyond that which may be a horsebox or fitted goods van: I have not yet identified the middle carriage; I think it is another GSWR catering car. Any ideas? 21st September 1953, and 2616 leads a Rosslare-Dublin train. The middle carriage is one of the open thirds built in 1953 specifically to work with the AEC railcars; these were the 1356-1371 series. The tail traffic on the back is indistinct but interesting. I think the first vehicle is an old 6-wheel travelling post office, complete with net. Beyond that, I think a bogie van or possibly bogie brake third, but unidentifiable at this distance.