Mol_PMB

Watching this over lunch, a few more observations: 9:57: one of the early flush-sided boxes painted in the later blue and petunia livery (that's tempting to model!) 12:13: nice view of two different types of early alloy container, followed by a few more views of the sheet and post type. Note that initially they had non-ISO-compliant numbering. 13:33: a nice clean view of alloy containers with later ISO numbering. These are leased containers in BELL livery - note the ICS logo top right. 13:54: one of the ribbed boxes in simplified all-over-petunia livery. 15:08: the second container has a flush end but sheet-and-post sides. The lettering is on a separate panel fixed over the posts. 15:27: Bell Bulk 30' boxes, showing both ends. 19:27: the interior of the doors is painted petunia. Maybe on some containers the whole interior was? 20:37: very widely spaced ribs on the side of this 40-footer. (another at 22:40) 22:00: crane driver seems to have dropped the container on the cab of his own crane. Ouch! 24:30: a long series of photos of normal Bell containers being used for bulk traffic, being emptied by tipping. Includes some proper Bell Bulk containers too. Some of these images show good roof views. 26:40: sequence of insulated / refrigerated 40-footers of various types. Many of these are extra-wide. 27:29: combined Bell and Kerrygold branding 28:50: Bell tanktainers - a variety of BELU-registered examples. I'll look through the second half later - I'd better get back to work now!

I've only watched the first few minutes and already seen some excellent container photos, particularly the early 'silver' (unpainted alloy) Bells. For example, from around 4:55 there are some good shots of the flush-sided type which I represented with a simple repaint of one of your boxes, top left here: In the early days of Bell, there were several subsidiaries including Bell Ferry and Bell Lines, and some of the early containers were lettered as such. I chose a Bell Ferry example that I found a photo of in Ireland; some of the photos in that youtube link show the Bell Lines equivalent. Nice to see some good photos of some of the sheet and post alloy types used by Bell in the early days too. Most of the images do seem to be in the Netherlands.

I’ve not yet stumbled across definite evidence of ACT boxes in Ireland but I expect it did happen. ACT was strongly into the refrigerated / insulated container trade of meat from Australasia to Europe, so these white 20’ insulated boxes were a big part of their 1970s fleet. In the mid-1970s they had offices across GB including Manchester and Liverpool, but none listed in Ireland. They probably relied on Irish Sea feeder services.

I think this might have been associated with the migration from IRM to AS website?

I’ll look up more info on ACT tonight or tomorrow when I have my copies of Jane’s to hand. I’ll see if they had an Irish office. These ACT boxes certainly appeared on early Freightliners and at the terminals in Manchester. In the late 60s and early 70s they were common. Seeing the circles printed on the end of the box representing the chilled air connections, you could do the same for a Manchester Liners chilled container (white, with red and black lettering). I have a copy of the original painting and lettering diagram for them.

How rich are you feeling? https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/406011253132

ACT was formed by a consortium of British shipping lines and primarily traded between UK, Europe and Australia. I would expect that some of their containers would have been seen in Ireland. Certainly, containers of some of their parents (e.g. Ellerman Lines) were seen on trains in Ireland, there are some Ellerman Lines boxes here: This thread: Looking for bell line pics - UK PROFESSIONAL DRIVERS FORUMS / OLD TIME LORRIES, COMPANIES AND DRIVERS (INTERACT - Trucknet UK includes this image: where there are a couple of early ACT containers amongst the Bells. But I'm not sure this photo is in Ireland.

Ah, wonderful - many thanks!

Very nice work on the buildings! They look like two different incidents to me. 560 and 555 appear to be opposite ways round yet each off the track in the middle of the road. 560 is on my list to build (in post-W&T condition) and I do like a loco that's been in a bit of an incident!

Most interesting, many thanks!

Mine aren't for sale, I use them for reference. Others can be found on eBay quite often, both public and WTT.

That raises an interesting question of track gauge!

Probably not legible on the pic, I have just realised. I have: - CIE summer 1961 - CIE summer 1967 - CIE winter 1968 - CIE summer 1973 - CIE winter 1975 - CIE summer 1978 - CIE Dublin Suburban summer 1983 - CIE winter 1985 - CIE winter 1986 - IR summer 1990 - NIR summer 1976 Happy to scan specific bits for others.

The red confidential branding seems to have been a 1960s/early 1970s thing, though the later WTTs have an equivalent statement that is perhaps less obvious. For what it’s worth, these are the ones I have (and arguably should not have, if they are confidential!):

https://ebay.us/m/gktWWE if you haven’t found one yet

That's an impressive and ambition programme! I keep thinking I need to stop detailing wagons and start building baseboards and track.

Although it is partially dismantled, the wooden-framed tank container is fascinating. It appears to be resting on the underframe of a more conventional tank wagon. I found a few more photos of similar things, including the other side of the same one with different lettering: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252949956/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252053167/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511272051/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511702435/ I wonder what else these were carried on? Standard gauge wagons or road vehicles?

There can be quite surprising variation in the gauge of wheelsets supplied by model manufacturers. If they are a bit too close together on the axle, they get trapped across the checkrails of turnouts and crossings, and ride up. If they are a bit too far apart, the checkrail can't do its job properly and the opposite wheel flange can ride up on the crossing nose. The bumpy running over the double slip that your video shows, suggests that the wheelsets aren't set quite right. The gauge illustrated by @Galteemore is what you need to adjust the wheels a fraction so they will run smoothly.

Very nice! Have you checked the back-to-backs on the wheelsets? Looks like that might be the problem?

Most interesting - that makes a great deal of sense, especially once the maintenance had been centralised. I don't think I've seen a photo of one, but I'll have to have another look. Something 'different' to put in a model freight train!

Squint a bit, replace that upper orange band with a white one, delete the letters and edit the orange ring in the Beacon logo, and it could look quite Irish

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/396786582753

Nice to see! The first batch of class 99s have arrived now too. It will be interesting to see how the two classes compare when in service. Whilst they both have capability to run away from the wires, it's either at lower power (on diesel) or for relatively short distances (on batteries). OK for yards and depots, and short non-electrified sections, but not ideal for long-distance heavy haul. On diesel, the Class 93 is broadly equivalent to a 181 class, perhaps better in short bursts using the batteries as well; the Class 99 is equivalent to an 071 class. Of course, they're mainly intended as electric locos so are a great deal more complicated for no initial benefit in Ireland, but it all depends where and how quickly the knitting goes up!

Excellent- thanks John. I’d like etches for a luggage van and a heating van, plus a roof for each. I would also be interested in the 3D printed detail parts for these if you do produce them.

Ah, that’s very good news, thank you. Panic over! For some reason I’m not getting these emails from 4D.