Mayner

There is also the scenario of the Midland Great Western extending the Kingscourt branch through to Armagh to a connection with the NCC at Cookstown. The Kingscourt, Castleblaney and Armagh railway was planned as part of an inland route from Dublin to Cookstown and possibly Coleraine. The Carrickmacross branch appears to have been built as a blocking line by the GNR.

Sperry were famous in the US & Canada for using old Gas Electric "Doodlebug" railcars as inspection vehicles which got just about everywhere. Sperry crews had a reputation of being avid readers and excellent card players working away from home for weeks/months.

A CDU would probably increase rather than decrease the risk of blowing up one of the LS110s. Luckily enough I was able to re-use the old lever frames and cable looms from the old layout and one of the frames is now hardwired into the yard section of the new layout. Funnily enough I used Triang lever frames to control the Seep point motors in the main yard and DCC to control Peco point motors in the staging and a crossing place on the old layout. I still have a hankering (and most of the hardware) to build an American main line layout controlled by a JMRI CTC panel with the LS110s controlling signals and switches

I have gone back to analogue operating the points with some very old Triang lever switches salvaged from the old N Gauge layout. Apparently the Seep pointmotors can draw up to 4 AMP and potentially overload the Lenz LS110 decoders.

Interesting no obvious sign of a goods yard. Goods traffic seems to have almost been an afterthought on early passenger carrying railways like the Liverpool & Manchester, Dublin & Drogheda, Cork and Bandon and Dublin and Drogheda. Its possible that the Luggage Hall may have handled urgent or valuable goods traffic (wines, spirits, tobacco?) in addition to "Baggage". Early coupled engines like the Liverpool & Manchester "Lion" 0-4-2 were described as a Luggage or Baggage Train locomotives, the MGWR had completed its main line to Galway and had 23 (2-2-2) passenger engines on the books before buying 0-4-0 No24 Hawthorn for "Baggage Train" service in 1852. The original Amiens St terminus would make a very interesting and challenging model

The kits will be ready for shipping from 25th February. Currently completing the instructions. A limited number of kits are available at $250NZ + shipping for those that have not already placed an order.

Interesting the invitation to tender was issued by the NTA as the "contracting authority". The invitation to tender includes the option of leasing or purchasing the trains directly by the NTA or IE acting as their nominated agent. https://irl.eu-supply.com/app/rfq/publicpurchase_frameset.asp?PID=141241&B=ETENDERS_SIMPLE&PS=1&PP=ctm/Supplier/publictender. This would simplify things if the government decides at some stage to contract out passenger train operation to Transdev or a similar operator.

Eoin Lining the interior of the sides with plasticard appears to be a new development in terms of 4mm coach building. Did you cut out the window opening by hand or use some form of profile cutter?

Ernie Shepherd's Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway includes a chapter on the Timoleague & Countmacsherry and includes a number of photos of stations, locos and rolling stock. https://www.amazon.com/Cork-Bandon-South-Coast-Railway/dp/185780198 The Ian Allen "Irish Railway Pictorial" series includes Rails around Cork & Kerry ISBN(10) 0 7110 3158 4 & Great Southern Railways ISBN (10) 0 7110 3150 9 include photos of the T&C Irish Railways in Colour a Second Glance (Midland Publishing) 1995 ISBN 1 85780 019 2 includes 7 colour photos of the line in CIE days. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Irish-Railways-Colour-Second-1947-70/dp/1857800192

It may be easier to find a CNC Profile Cutting business rather than jumping in at the deep end with buying a laser profile cutter. Businesses that carry out laser or water jet profile cutting for industry may be prepared to take on one off and low volume work for individuals, a company like York Modelrail https://www.yorkmodelrail.com/ is probably the best bet option for an in-experienced designer. http://www.cnclasercutting.ie/materials/ http://cirruslaser.co.uk/cutting-services Members of our local Large Scale modelling group have had plasticard coach sides cut using water jet cutting for approx $20 for a pair of sides and have also used water jet cutting rather than CNC milling for profile cutting parts in metal for large scale locos. CAD takes time to master AutoCAD or SolidWorks are professional level programmes which is reflected in their pricing, Draftsight is a more reasonably priced option for 2D drafting for the casual designer, while Sketchup is widely used for 3D modelling by amateurs and professionals alike.

I am planning to use Lenz LS110 Accessory Decoders to control Seep Point motors. Does anyone know if it is feasible to control two point motors used in a crossover from a single accessory decoder output? The unit appears to be unable to reliably operate a crossover with the pulse set at the default 0.1 sec. Would increasing the pulse duration and or increasing supply voltage above 15V/1A DC improve operation or potentially burn out the decoder? The decoder load capacity 1.7A continuous 3A peak (max 20 sec) (individual & whole decoder) supply voltage 8-25V pure DC or 8-18v AC or pulsing AC. The pulse duration for solenoid operation can be varied between 0.1 & 15 Sec.

Omagh had a loco depot at the Dungannon end of the station There is a interesting tradition in New Zealand of local volunteer groups exhuming and restoring old steam locos that were dumped into rivers 60-90 years ago. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NZR_K_class_(1877) There is a great sense of self reliance in rural New Zealand most of the recovery and restoration of dumped locos is usually self financed and are carried out by groups that don't fit into the general category of railway enthusiasts or preservation societies Perhaps the boiler could become a s rallying point for a similar group in Omagh.

Pre-1900 would certainly fit in with the coaching stock in the 1st photograph. The 3rd & 4th coaches in the train look like 4 wheel coaches which had all gone by the 1925 Amalgamation. The GSWR & GSR operated through Dublin-Cobh boat trains in conjunction with the Transatlantic Ocean Liner services. Postcard of 500 Class 4-6-0 on Queenstown Mail. Does anyone know when the Transatlantic Boat Trains ceased running?

1905 Old & new Postcard

OO7 or James Bond christened by passengers on an IRRS special. In the late 1970s a returning Dublin-Youghal IRRS special was blocked at Thurles by an up passenger that failed at Templemore. 007 the Thurles pilot loco ran wrong road to Templemore to haul the failed train to Heuston.

Loco in the 1st photo most likely to be a 60 Class (GSR/CIE D14) the standard GSWR passenger loco of the late 19th Century or possibly the slightly smaller 52 Class (GSR D17) 60 Class No 95 52 Class No 59. The ex GSWR 4-4-0s went through major re-building which considerably changed their appearance after the 1925 re-building Both classes were re-built by the GSR & CIE with superheated boilers and larger/more modern cabs and lasted into the late 1950s. 60 Class No 89 rebuilt with superheated boiler, modern cab and raised running board. 60 Class 60 with rebuilt with superheated boiler. 52 Class 52 rebuilt with superheated boiler. As Eoin indicated no rtr model or kit is available for these locos and the Hornby T9 is a much larger loco and require considerable work. A Hornby 2P or Triang-Hornby L1 https://www.ebay.com/itm/HORNBY-R2099B-LMS-BLACK-4-4-0-CLASS-2P-LOCOMOTIVE-645-MINT-BOXED-nh/332408690831?epid=553125494&hash=item4d651a188f:g:5LEAAOSwrnNXP2 could be converted into one of the larger 321 Class 4-4-0s which were used on the Dublin-Cork main line and may have worked into Cobh 321 as rebuilt with superheated boiler modern cab and raised running board

JHB I would not dismiss the idea of 186s tender having run behind a 400 Class 4-6-0 as a myth. This type of tender appears to have been the standard for larger locos built from 1900 to the early 1920s including the four Inchacore built members of the 400 Class 400-402 & 406. Larger tenders were introduced for use with the six Armstrong Whitworth built members of the 400 Class & the 500 Class from 1922 onwards. 407 running with a 3345 gal tender similar to 186 before rebuilding in 2 cylinder form in 1937. This loco was the last survivor of the Class in its original 4 cylinder form before re-building in 1938 402 rebuilt in 2 cylinder form with 4500 Gal tender. The GSR scrapped a significant number of larger more modern GSWR locos during the Depression era including 3 members of the 400 Class, 6 inside cylinder 4-6-0s, and 5 large 4-4-0s and inside cylinder 2-6-0 locomotives. This scrapping would have freed up a number of 3345 gallon tenders for use with J15s & D14 4-4-0s and would have been useful on long distance work. D14 No 60 with 3345 gal tender

Tenders on 101 Class and small GSWR tender locos were not fitted with coal raves or extension plates in GSWR days. 134 looks very tempting with 4' boiler, cast iron funnel and wheels! 186s tender is of much more modern design than the loco and may have been built for use with the 400 Class 4-6-0s during the early 1920s. The chute arrangement on SSM kit appears to be an RPSI modification, the 1864 Gallon GSWR tenders had a low shovelling plate and appear to have had a snaphead riveted flat tank top/coal plate to make life difficult for the fireman/coal trimmers.

Up Claremorris Liner ESSO tank wagons attached Jully 2005

Most likely 26628-31 & 26636-26652 series tank wagons visually similar to the 26570-26589 tank cars built for oil traffic to the cement factories. Short of scratchbuilding a wagon the Bachmann 14t anchor mounted tank wagon although shorter would make a passable model of the tank wagons used by CIE for heavy fuel oil traffic to the cement factories and Ballinacourty.

The CIE diagram indicates that the length of the tank barrel or underframe length was not altered when the wagons were re-gauged for use in Ireland. Presumably 995-999 were the re-gauged Type B tank wagons which had a shorter tank barrel than the Type A wagons. Before block trains were introduced in the mid 1970s these wagons ran individually or in small cuts in loose coupled goods trains to Sligo & Mayo. The J Hangers may have been fitted at some stage after the wagons entered service, I had a photo of one of these wagons at Inchacore with the same same suspension and tank mounts as the Heljan model These may have been the first modern Irish private owner wagons an some may have ran in ESSO livery when 1st introduced in the late 1960s. The CIE traffic (Burma & Cement Ltd) and stores oil wagons were considerably shorter than the ESSO wagons running on the "standard" 20T wagon underframe. JHB Unless the Dugort Harbour line survived into the mid late 70s the CIE stores oil wagon is a bit too modern. Before the introduction of the "modern: stores oil wagons CIE transported its fuel oil in a motley collection of company owned and private owner shortwheel base tank wagons. Many of these tank wagons were basically 5'3" gauge versions of standard British tank wagons similar to the Bachmann rtr models.

Something I hadn't noticed. Heljan have introduced a OO gauge model of the Charles Roberts Class A tank wagon, ideal for the ESSO North Wall-Sligo & (Oranmore) Claremorris oil trains. https://www.hattons.co.uk/203086/Heljan_1154_4_wheel_A_tank_44290_in_Esso_grey_with_1980s_Hazchem_symbols_weathered/StockDetail.aspx Lot simpler than trying to extend the tank barrel on the old Dapol/Airfix tank wagon Apart from re-gauging the wagons appear to have ran in original condition until CIE fitted anchor strips between the tank barrel and underframe at some stage post 1980. ESSO also imported a small number of Class B tank wagons. I saw one North Wall late 1990s in same livery grey barrel and red solebars as the Class A wagons presumably converted to carry Class A (petrol or diesel rather than heavy fuel oil.

The 1970s was a revolutionary period for CIEs freight operation during which traditional loose coupled goods trains were replaced with fixed formation Liner Trains made up of high capacity long wheel based wagons (by Irish standards). Apart from sugar beet loose coupled goods trains were eliminated by the late 70s and traditional unbraked wagons and vans withdrawn from service and scrapped. General goods traffic was transported by container on scheduled Liner Trains between the major centers. Bulk or single commodity traffic like bagged and bulk cement, fertiliser, oil and mineral ores were transported in block trains of specialist wagons. Mixed consists of different types of wagons sometimes operated where there was not enough traffic for a particular company, this became more common during the 1990s. Heljan have released a OO gauge model of the ESSO Class A tank wagon https://www.hattons.co.uk/203086/Heljan_1154_4_wheel_A_tank_44290_in_Esso_grey_with_1980s_Hazchem_symbols_weathered/StockDetail.aspx CIE re-gauged a batch of these wagons for ESSO oil traffic from Dublin Port to Sligo, Claremorris. Irish Freight Models https://www.facebook.com/Irish-Freight-Models-1252098201500518/app/251458316228/ produce rtr models of many of the more modern wagons.

Keeps taking me back to when I last worked in Dublin around 2002 our offices were at the corner of Grand Canal Street & Harmony Row. The staff canteen was on the 2nd floor overlooking the line between the Boston Yard and Pearse Station, explored the area around the Pearse Station and the Dock during lunch time. Amazingly our relatively new 1990s? brick clad office building which was in keeping with the existing street scape appears to have been demolished and replaced with a more modern open plan office block with curtain wall cladding. Interesting times 201s and MK3 Push Pull stock replaced the 2700 railcars on Northern Outer suburban services were stored during off peak periods on the running loops between Pearse and Grand Canal Dock, the occasional single 141 working Connolly-Rosslare passenger services if an 071 was not available. On weekends the Platin-Cork Bulk cement train regularly ran to the Boston to run round as the North Wall freight yards were normally closed Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Happy Times!