Mayner

The canopy and roller doors in the West end of the goods shed and the blocking of the windows was most likely carried out in connection with the introduction of Liner Trains for bagged cement traffic in 1976-7. (1st pallet cement wagons introduced 1976) Loose coupled goods trains continued to operate for another year or so until sundries traffic was containerised using 10” & 20’ Uniload containers. One of the advantages of modelling Claremorris is that there was relatively little change in the track layout and general appearance of the station between the closure of the Ballinrobe line and the ripping out of the junction with the Limerick line in the early 2000s despite the change from loose coupled to liner train operation. Bagged cement trains to stations in County Mayo operated from the Limerick rather than Drogheda factory. The daily Limerick-Claremorris loose coupled goods ceased to operate after the closure of Tuam and Gort to sundries and wagon load traffic. The transition era from loose coupled to liner train operation would be an interesting to model, with loose coupled goods train carrying sundries and containers as individual wagon loads operating alongside the newly introduced Liner trains carrying Asahi, bagged cement, fertiliser and twice weekly North Wall-Oranmore-Claremorris ESSO oil train.

Hollywood Foundry & Steam Era Models (Black Beetle motor bogies)http://www.steameramodels.com/ will supply 21mm gauge power bogies at little extra cost if you order direct from Australia. I have a 21mm gauge E Class with a Bull-Ant and an AEC railcar with Black Beetle bogies

I had meant oil traffic was handled a the Southern Yard the old WLWR goods yard rather than the stub of the Ballinrobe branch. May 1969 edition of Irish Railfans News records that Galway and Claremorris were the latest stations to receive gantry cranes for container traffic and that all keg traffic except Belfast is now transported in special Lancashire Flats loaded by the gantry crane at the Guinness Sidings at Heuston.. Its possible Claremorris may have ceased to handle bagged cement traffic when IE went though one of its rationalisation processes in the late 80. The volume of keg traffic handled at Claremorris increased with the closure of Westport, Castlebar and eventually Galway to freight traffic.

Claremorris goods shed was converted to a bagged cement store with a canopy and forklift access through the gable end in a similar manner to Tuam and Gort as part of the Rail Plan 80. The yard layout and shed evolved with increasing goods traffic http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V2,533827,775117,12,9 Claremorris yard is interesting in that CIE modernised freight handling in the yard in the 70s with little or no track alteration, a gantry for container traffic was installed in the late 60s and ESSO oil traffic transferred from “The Southern Siding” to the yard in the late 70s.

The drawing on p71 shows the same seating arrangement as p70 but with the luggage compartment at one end. Drg © H Richards The drawings look GSWR rather than WLWR in design and the WLWR may have been listed with the GSWR composites because they had a similar seating layout. Drg © H Richards Some ex-WLWR composites had a luggage compartment, lavatory and 1/2 compartment ends, panelling quite different to the GSWR. The drawings in GSWR Carriage Diagrams were prepared in 4mm scale by Herbert Richards who modelled the GSWR

907 is included within a list of GSWR 1/2nd on Page 70 GSWR Carriage Diagrams TRA 1975 Richards and Pender. significantly Page 71 states that the information is incomplete for these coaches

Larne Harbour 1936 photo taken 3 years after narrow gauge passenger services ended. Irish Standard Gauge Railways (D&C) Photo L&GRP

Larne Harbour would be an interesting challenge with broad and narrow gauge running lines into the passenger station and goods yard, including mixed gauge platform roads and sidings. The Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners (LPHC) lines were interesting in that the LPHC used broad gauge locos to work narrow gauge wagons to and from the Donegal & Swilly over the port railway system. The mixed gauge siding and turntable at Strabane was originally provided for swapping wagon bodies between the broad and narrow gauge as part of an Edwardian Swap Body system that worked on a similar principal to modern roll off containers. There was mixed gauge diamond crossings rather than true mixed gauge track at Ballymena, Ballymoney and Maguires Bridge (CVR) where broad gauge sidings crossed narrow gauge running lines and sidings. Ballymena loco shed was used by both the broad and narrow gauge and would have been an interesting sight with BNCR Green or NCC Crimson lake narrow gauge compounds and Whippets. There is no evidence that I am aware of mixed gauge trackage or crossovers on the C&L at Dromad or Belurbet. One of the more interesting crossings was one where a BNM line crossed the Banagher branch line and BNM normally had the right of way!

KiwiRail use side beams to protect railway over bridges from side impact damage. The basic idea is that the beams and truck absorb the impact rather than the railway bridge. The beams are large box section steel painted yellow supported by the bridge abutments or an independent structure.

All that's needed is an Irish Pete Waterman and an army of craftsmen and women to turn the dream into reality. A Scale 7 Cork main line layout in an aircraft hanger would be something else. I wonder does Bono or Dennis O'Brien like model trains?

Harry It might be worth while taking out a subscription to New Irish Lines and getting a copy of "Great Southern Locomotives" Colourpoint Books http://www.colourpointbooks.co.uk/more_details.php?id=261. The Nov 2014 and May 2015 issues of New Irish Lines included copies of GSWR/GSR weight diagrams for a number of classes including the 400s & 500. It looks like the initial proposal for the 500 Class 4-6-0 was prepared under Watson in 1916, which puts the GSWR on an equal footing with the LSWR in terms of developing the modern British 2 cylinder mixed traffic 4-6-0. The GSWR inside cylinder 4-6-0s were nothing exceptional by the standards of the time the LNWR had over 500 inside cylinder 4-6-0, the 170 19" goods built 1906-9 were close in terms of size and power to the Irish locos. A small number of 19' goods survived into early BR days, the majority of LNWR inside cylinder 4-6-0s were scrapped during the same time period as the Irish locos.

Healthy increase in turnover and return to profits compared with 2014. http://www.kader.com.hk/investor_relations/pdf/interim2015_e.pdf 1st rule of business use your political influence to squeeze out a competitor http://www.kader.com/our_company/senior_management.html

Hornby appears to be stronger association with model railways and someone wanting to buy a train set than Bachmann. Our local model shop dropped Bachmann in favour Hornby several years ago the model railway side of the business focusses mainly on parents adding on parents adding on to the train set bought at Christmas than adult modellers who tend to buy mail order from overseas. Hornby weak financial position makes the business a potential target for a takeover by Kader, who would probably drop the Bachmann Branchlines brand in favour of Hornby

Hi Tony I had to do a double take when I saw the photo of diesel No21,I did not realise the IOMR had an American diesel . No 21 seems to be based on a standard General Electric (GE)design, GE built a number of 3' gauge end cab units of similar size in the 1950s an interesting might have been if CIE, the Donegal or IOMR had gone shopping for American 3' diesels in the 1950s. [video=youtube;Xuyi2N-v7RA]

The selection of Irish/Isle of Man 4mm (OOn3) loco and rolling stock kits is quite limited. Backwoods Miniatures dropped the Irish 3' range several years ago. Sales of Irish models was poor compared to OO9 & American narrow gauge kits and imported brass rtr models. The owner Pete McParlin had not got around to updating the OOn3 section of the web site and may have retired and sold the business. Branchlines P.O. Box 4293, WESTBURY, BA13 9AA, UK Tel./Fax: +44(0)1373 822231 Mon.-Thurs. 9.30-13.00, 14.00-18.00 prefer t do business by phone or post rather than electronic media Branchlines may still produce kits for Isle of Man locos and coaches. The loco kits should be reasonably straightforward to build combining whitemetal bodies with nickel silver chassis. The kits were originally manufactured by GEM in the 1960s, and updated by Branchines in the 1990s with a more up to date chassis and drive system. Branchlines also produced an etched kit for the Tralee and Dingle Hunslet 2-6-0T loco, the kit was challenging to construct in OOn3 due to very tight clearances between the driving wheel, coupling rods and valve gear. Rolling stock included some very nice and reasonably straight forward kits for Tralee and Dingle and Clogher Valley coaches (CVR). The CVR coaches were very popular and usually built in OO9. The wagon situation is somewhat better Parkside-Dundas produce a number high quality plastic kits for Tralee& Dingle van and open wagons. The OO9 Society commissioned Parkside to produce two separate designs of T&D cattle wagons. Foxrock Models (Simon deSuza) http://newirishlines.org/2009/06/20/news-and-views/ produces a number of resin and etched brass for C&L coal wagons and ex Passage brake vans.. Worsley Works produce a large range of scratchbuilders parts for Irish narrow gauge including parts for some locos and coaches for the majority of 3' lines, but are not really suited for the beginner. You could follow the example of the late the David Lloyd author of Modeling the Irish Narrow Gauge, David built a very nice collection of static steam locos in plasticard and used Bemo diesels to haul the trains on his Coolcalaghta West Cork narrow gauge layout.

Trying to model Irish broad and narrow gauge with 00 & 00n3 or even HOn3 on the one layout is going to be challenging, it might be simpler to follow Merv Smith's example and go complexly freelance and use Liliput or Minitrains locos and stock in an Irish setting. Merv Smith used HO9 to model a narrow gauge coal carrying line in a distinctly New Zealand South Island/West Coast setting in terms of scenery, vegetation, engineering and building practice. The last of the common carrier Irish narrow gauge lines closed more than 60 years ago. A system linking Ireland, the Isle of Man and the British mainland had it existed or survived would be radically different from the Irish or Isle of Man systems and might equally have followed European or American practice.

The Tegral factory in Athy manufactured asbestos cement and later fibre cement products including water mains, wall and roof cladding. http://www.tegral.com/index.php?page=about-us Rapid hardening Portland cement with a more finely ground clinker was likely to be used in the manufacturing process, hence the need for a dedicated rake of wagons for the Tegral traffic. Depending on whether you take 1960 or 64 as the starting point the CIE "Standard" 20' flat wagon chassis evolved over a period of between 8 & 12 years, there is likely to be considerable difference in chassis detail between individual batches of bulk cement wagons. The running gear in the photo of the MPD shunting at Derry is similar to the flat wagons introduced in the early 1960s. The wagon is fitted with 8 shoe clasp brake gear with a handwheel to operate the handbrake similar to fitted H Vans, Cattle Wagons and Flats all intended to run as tail traffic on passenger and mail trains. CIE may have retro-fitted the initial 1964 batch with lever brake gear to bring them into line with the rest of the wagon fleet and reduce maintenance costs. Still an interesting variation for someone who likes to customise their wagon feet.

Flange Lubricator Its possible the wagon in the photo is one of the original 1964 batch, the hand brake arrangement is similar to the Guinness container wagons and other vacuum fitted wagons built in the late 1950s early 60s. The 12t container wagons/flats were later converted to PWD use.

Nice work David The 6 wheel saloon with its peeling fading paintwork was always a favourite of mine. I remember reading some where that the SLNCR manager was embarrassed at the standard of coach paintwork in the mid-50s as the company had to rely on a wagon painter and no doubt did not have the money to pay for an experienced painter or the paint. I am thinking of trying the David Jenkinson method for some MGWR 6 wheelers, though I am not sure if Evergreen do a small enough half round strip for 4mm beading

For someone without the money/space Individual and short cuts of bubble wagons were sometime marshalled in loose coupled goods trains in the transition era from loose coupled to liner trains. This seems to have been common enough on cross border goods trains to Belfast and Derry and the Limerick-Claremorris goods. In individual wagon loads of bulk cement may have been transferred direct from rail to road bulk cement tanker in Ballina or Derry for major projects such as the Asahi plant in Killala.

There is evidence that AEC railcars hauled ex GSWR clerestory stock. There is an April 1953 photo of an newly introduced 2616 & 2617 with what looks like an ex GSWR clerestory roofed diner as intermediate coach on an up Waterford passenger at Portarlington in Anthony Burges "Chasing the Flying Snail" colour point books. The railcar set is also hauling a 6w van. The supply of engine and transmission parts for the AEC railcars became a major problem that eventually lead to their withdrawl. Leyland seems to have failed to understand railway asset life and the potential market for spares, New Zealand Railways had to re-engine a class of 52 heavy shunting locos with Cummins engines when Leyland ceased to supply engine parts after less than 10 years

I am sure if you ask nicely SSM may be able to supply the correct pattern ventilators or even a complete coach kit.

The term "Long Toms" was used by both Drew Donaldson and Jack O'Neill in a "Decade of Steam" to describe the inside cylinder 4-6-0s. The term was also used by Jeremy Clements and Michael McMahon in GSR Locomotives. Drew was likely to have met and Jack have worked with men that had fired or driven the 362 Class. The Long Toms rode like buckling broncos and crews with dentures removed them before a trip. They had all gone by 1931 but not before they had broken the hearts and a few bones of the unfortunate crews that had to man them. The K3s and K4s, which had piston valves and a long sloping firebox, were easy to fire and light on coal. They were very powerful and had a good turn of speed, being used occasionally on the Cork-Rosslare Boat Trains Jack O’Neill “A Decade of Steam While nicknames were probably rarer than the UK the NCC had it Whippets and Jeeps, CIE/IE Yanks and Yankee Engines individual GSWR/GSR/CIE Woolworth/Woolwich individual steam locos had nick names Waterford's Nelson & Three Little Ducks

Harry Funny enough how taste and perception changes, at one time I though the Inchacore styling of the GSR era was the bees-knees, but now I prefer the combination of power and elegance of the Coey-Maunsell era and big 4-4-0s with tapered round top boilers nothing like them in Ireland or the UK. Any to the Long Toms there were 6 supposedly nicknamed after a Boer artillery piece used in the Second Boer War, co-incidentally the GNR 0-8-0 of the same era built under Henry Ivatt, Robert Coey and Richard Maunsell's former boss at Inchacore were also nicknamed long Toms. The Coey locos seem to have had more in common appearance wise with Crew than Doncaster in design, though mechanically the Irish locos were totally different and in certain respects more modern 362-367 were designed for heavy goods work, the 4-6-0s appear to have shared common parts including wheels, motion and possibly firebox with the 355 & 368 Class inside cylinder 2-6-0s. The wheels were the same size as the J15 or 101 so not really suitable for mixed traffic work. Its to the Coey and Maunsells credit that they quickly rebuilt the 355 Class into an inside cylinder 2-6-0 and followed up with the 368 Class rather than inflict more 4-6-0s on the operating department. The GSWR & GNR (England) Long Toms seem to have been nicknamed after a Boers artillery piece in the Second Boer War. The Long Toms were built during an era when the majority of British engineers were struggling to design a 4-6-0 that would work, it says a lot about the calibre of management in the Coey-Maunsell era that they quickly developed the inside cylinder 2-6-0 rather than build more 362 Class 4-6-0s on the operating Department once the problems with poor tracking and rough riding were identified. 1948 CIE Running Dept assessment of the 355 & 368 inside cylinder 2-6-0s “Very useful heavy goods engine, powerful and with a low axleload enabling them to be worked over many lines. A type that should have been developed”. The 500 Class 4-6-0s Woolwich Moguls appear to have made the 362 Class 4-6-0s and some of the 355 & 368 Class 2-6-0s redundant. The GSR had a surplus of heavy goods locos, and it would have been difficult to justify re-building the 362s while scrapping similar locomotives.