Mayner

Several photos of Ballast Wagons with red bodywork in Wagons by Irish Railway Photographic Archive including a couple with snail logo! the majority of photos taken late 60s including a a 6w dropside ballast under repair and in service. Wagon album Page 3 Dropside Ballast Wagon (sides dropped) derelict Mullingar 86 ©Seamus Lattimer ref> SLR_CIE_X_Mullingar_23_Aug_1986 (2) Wagon album Page 6 Dropside Ballast weathered red/brown snail Logo + partially visible wagon with red bodywork ©Thomas A Davitt TAD_GSWR_Castletownroche_3_Sept_1969 (2) (Dungarvan-Mallow lifting train) Dropside Ballast 24514 1954 cattle wagon conversion red bodywork grey wooden underframe and ironwork ©Thomas Wall TMW_CIE_GNR_24514_2128N_Limerick_27_April_1969 (GN Bulk Cement in background) 6W GSWR Ballast Wagon 24103 under repair TMW_GSWR_24103_Limerick_27_April_1969 6W GSWR Ballast Wagon 24103 red bodywork tiny wheel logo! TMW_GSWR_24103_Foynes_04_June_1972 GSWR/GSR/CIE Ballast Wagon 8385 red bodywork stencil snail logo grey underframe marked for scrapping! ©Thomas Wall TMW_GSWR_8385_Wicklow_Murrough_04_May_1968

The ballast wagon MoL is referring to appears as a colour photo in the Wagon Collection of the IRRS Flickr album, its one of the 2415-24566 series Ballast Wagons converted from Cattle Wagons in 1964, the drop sides were red the underframe grey. Strangely there are also photos in the collection of ex-MGWR open wagons and vans (both Irish Standard types) in brown at a time CIE was phasing out/scrapping its remaining pre-amalgamation wagons There are other colour photos of PW wagons in red in the IRRS Flickr collection There is an old Irish saying saying that a person should believe none of what you hear and half of what they see, use a preferably colour photo if you intend to model a particular loco or piece of rolling stock.

The Cavan & :Leitrim was CIEs last entirely steam worked system and quite intensively worked to the end with the Arigna Coal specials in addition to the scheduled mixed trains. Ballinamore was a self contained railway works in miniature with running shed/repair shops, storage sidings and its own railway village adjacent to the sheds. Photo possibly mid 50s with 3T and 5T framing a pair of C&L 4-4-0Ts . 5Ts cow catcher was later removed after it worked loose and caught on a set of points on the Arigna Tramway. Kerr Stewart 4T and possibly 2L stored towards the end of one of the Carriage Shed roads together with a derelict C&L coach, and loads of coal wagons possibly the bunker of one of the Passage locos lurking behind the bushes towards the left of the photo. Ballinamore-Dromad the busiest section with three mixed trains daily during the 1950s (frequent by Irish standards) a daily mixed to Belturbet and Arigna and up to 4 Coal Specials daily Arigna to Dromad or Belturbet + empty workings.

Bitumen was imported through Dublin Port and loaded at a private siding into a Bitumen Terminal near the end of the Alexandra Road Tramway. Interestingly the Cold Chon siding at Sligo Quay was reinstated during the 1990s, Sligo Bitumen traffic transported on the trice weekly ESSO Oil train, presumably Bitumen traffic to other destinations were transported by scheduled Liner Train.

There is an excellent IRRS Journal article (Circa 1969) on the early stages of CIEs freight modernisation written by one of the CIE managers implementing the programme The IRRS Library may be able to assist with a copy, I donated my collection of Journals to the Model Railway Society of Ireland about 20 years ago! The article is headed by a photo of a B121 approaching Island Bridge Junction with a B&I Liner from Cork. The writer goes into detail on the introduction of different designs of Half Height/Swap Body for Keg and Fertiliser traffic and the adaption of ISO standards in the late 1960s. Sometimes Half Heights and Side Door Containers were treated as Opens and Vans (usually mounted on 14' wb flats) during the final years of loose coupled operation, I remember seeing Half Heights and Side Door Containers being loaded/unloaded in the goods yard at Athy scheduled for closure under Railplan 80 during a trip from Heuston-Waterford in 77-78. There are photos in one of Jonathan Allen's collections of containers being loaded/unloaded in the Goods Yard at Youghal during the mid-late 70s

Models are 21mm-friendly. Pre-Bullied era wagons in service up to the mid-70s, including 4 different versions of the H Van! I have ceased production of RTR wagons, but can supply 3D printed wagon parts to order shipped direct from our suppliers in China. I'll do an update on the JM Design forum next week with indicative minimum order quantity, pricing and potential lead times.

Not a lot different from Dundalk's 1937 'heavy overhaul' of the S & S2 Class incl. 171 as virtually new locos complete with new deeper frames The GSWR appears to have started the trend in 1918 by beginning the re-build of its large 321 Class 4-4-0s with new stronger frames and raised running boards (retaining original saturated tapered boiler and Coey Cab) , MGW picked up the trend in 1925 by re-building 3 (half) of its Celtic Class 4-4-0s with superheated boilers, piston valves, new frames with raised running boards and canopy cabs. Its alleged that the 321s were re-built with frames cut but not used for additional members of the 341 Class following Richard Mansell's resignation as CME and move to the South Eastern. One of the theories behind the rebuilding of 62,88-89 in 1925 a contemporary styling was that it was intended to use the locos on a fast Dublin-Cork Newspaper Train and the 60 Class had a reputation as a fast reliable fast passenger loco. I must get the finger out and assemble the set of parts I have had in stock for a D14 since February.

3D printed 1946 & GSW Versions once available.

The GSR/CIE rebuilds of the D14s is somewhat complicated. The GSR rebuilt 3 of the 15 D14s 62, 88 & 89 with new frames, running boards and canopy cabs in the mid-20s 62 & 88 were re-built with extended smokeboxes retaining the original saturated boiler. 89 was rebuilt with a saturated Belpair boiler (later used in the 700 Class 0-6-0s) and re-classified as D13 from 1925-33 65 was rebuilt with a 700 Class boiler and a canopy cab but retained her existing frames and curving running board in 1931! 62,88 & 89 were later re-built with Z Superheated boiler same as used on the J15. 61 & 65 appear to be the only members of the class that were not superheated. D14s like several ex-GSWR classes locos ran with tenders with diffent https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-FWNJ8dc/A 62 Inchacore Superheated boiler high capacity Type C Tender https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-bKSrFvc/A The ugly duckling 65 https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-TTc9HH8/A 88 Superheated boiler small Type A Tender https://transportsofdelight.smugmug.com/RAILWAYS/IRISH-RAILWAYS/CORAS-IOMPAIR-EIREANN-STEAM/i-L8CzXDF/A 89 Early CIE days being prepared for the road Superheated boiler medium capacity Type B tender.

The Midland 6 wheeler appears to be a Cusack outline 6 Wheel Full Brake 2 introduced 1908 & a further 8 in 1924 so not that old by Irish Standards Most likely A35 is on a Tuam-Galway local, there is a 1957 Sam Carse photo of A40 at Tuam with an almost identical consist with a 6w GSWR rather than a MGWR Full Brake leading the consist. I wonder whether the trailing vehicle is a fitted van/cattle wagon or a non-passenger vehicle (Horsebox or Meat Van)?

Not quite correct at one stage coaches without the TL suffix ran with 3201-3212 Series Brake Standard Generating Steam Vans on Dublin outer suburban services during the late 1970s possibly into the early 80s Sometimes travelled on Connolly-Drogheda suburban trains in the late 70s/early 80s, the consist was usually 3-4 non TL coaches and a bogie generator/heating van converted from earlier stock hauled by a B201 Class loco. Coaches tended to be a mixture of early 1950s Inchacore built, stock, Park Royal and Laminate coachs. The Park Royal Suburban coaches 1379-1418 are listed without the TL Suffix in 1979 edition of Locomotives and Rolling Stock of CIE & NIR which claims than details of CIE coaches are corrent for 27 November 1978. My impression at the time was TL fitted stock was primarily used on long distance Intercity services out of Heuston and Connolly, while stock in use on suburban and branch line services continued to rely on the traditional dynamo and battery lighting system possibly into the early 80s. Park Royal suburban and some late 1950s Laminate stock were later fitted with TL lighting.

Amazing progress Alan seems to be evolving into a master class on layout building.

Can anyone identify the railway/tramway company? 411 looks like some sort of freight/luggage motor van/loco. Besides the DUTC hauling Dublin & Blessington wagons onto its system, Dublin Corporation used to transport 'municipal waste" from its Stanley Street over the DUTC system for dumping in the landfill that later became Fairview Park.

IE phased out Sundries traffic and the use of 10' containers between 1987 and the mid 90s as it struggled to make a profit on its freight business. IE closed its smaller depots to sundries, container and some to all freight traffic shortly after its formation in 87 concentrating traffic on a few major terminals. As far as I recall Ballinasloe, Roscommon, Castlebar, Boyle were stations/depots that were closed completely to freight traffic in 87, Tullamore remained open for Bulk Cement and Fertiliser, Westport Logs. Longford, Claremorris, Ballina, Sligo and Boyle remained open for Sundries until the traffic ceased. Galway was served by a trip working from Galway that connected into the Claremorris Liner at Athlone.

The thing that impresses me about the RM Web Irish Railways Group is the strong focus on modelling together with the variety and quality of modelling. Group members do not appear to be deterred from modelling a particular loco or piece of rolling stock by the absence of a rtr model or a kit. Members appear to have persuaded Worsley Works and others to produce parts for several of the designs of railcars and rolling stock introduced by UTA and NIR incl. (a) UTA AEC cars 6&7, (b) MED, MPD, 70 Class railcars. In certain respects the railways in Ulster are/were quite different in character and operation than the rest of Ireland, compact, with intensively worked passenger traffic and a technically innovative approach. A good example of the contrast was Cavan where the GN(i) treated the Cavan Branch as an extension of the Ulster Railway main line with 4 through Belfast-Cavan trains (made up of modern stock) daily to the ending of passenger services in 1957 while the CIE line from Inny Junction was a mouldering goods only branch with 1 train daily from Mullingar. Besides the loco hauled passenger and goods trains, the GN also regularly ran Railbuses on the branch and 'coal specials' from Belturbet to the Drogheda Cement Factory. For those who like a challenge of modelling the GNR SSM produce suitable Loco and Rolling Stock kits ably backed up by Provincial Wagons while the Worsley Works NCC Mogul and WT can be assembled into fine models, Worsley also produce parts/sides for both GN and NCC/UTSA coaches and if someone likes to model 'something completly different' there is always the SLNCR, County Down and the various narrow gauge lines and tramways.