Mayner

Knock and GAA specials often involved long distance empty stock working of trains that would have otherwise been idle on weekends. Sets that worked Mon-Sat Intercity links and Mon-Fri Suburban links would have been available for weekend specials but would have to work back to their original starting point in time to take up their regular workings on Monday mornings. Another practice was to operate a reduced outer suburban service on a Friday afternoon and use the stock released to operate a Friday evening extra to most Intercity destinations and the Monday Early Bird services to Dublin. These sets would also be available to operate specials on Saturday and Sunday. On a busy weekend a scratch set made up of Park Royals and Laminates off a Dublin suburban service might work a Friday evening extra to Sligo, operate an overnight ECS to Limerick or Cork to work a Saturday IRFU special to Landsdown Road and its return working, operate ECS to Wexford or Tralee to work a Sunday Knock special and return overnight to Sligo to work the Early Bird to Connolly before taking up its regular weekday suburban workings. Sometime during the weekend the time table planners had to fit in loco and stock servicing, cleaning and maintenance.

Looking for the unusual steam locos Italy is a good place. The Italian Railways seem to have had the most success in getting the Franco-Costi system to work, they also had the even odder habit of building inside cylinder locomotives with the valves and valve gear on the outside https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FS_Class_600#/media/File:Locomotiva_RA_380.jpg

Kits/batch built models of steam locos work out a lot more expensive than rtr diesels. A complete set of parts to build a small 4-4-0 such as the GNR U or PP from a kit will set you back at least £160, before considering labour, tools and consumables such as solder flux etc. It will be interesting to see how these locos sell, there is likely to be a reasonable level of demand considering the success of Provincial Models range of rtr and kit built GNR wagons.

In the 1st photo 548 has just passed under the North Circular Road on the approaches to Broadstone, the 1st vehicle is a MGWR fish van, second looks like one of the Attock bogie tri-composites, third a Pullman rest of the train probably a mix of GSR/GSWR/MGWR stock. 548 was one three Celtic (545 D5) Class 4-4-0s rebuilt in the 1920s with new frames, raised running plates and rounded cabs similar in general styling to the cattle engines. In the second photo 544 is on the approaches Broadstone possibly with an up Sligo train with the North Circular Road Bridge in the background, The houses in Great Western Square and Villas and the works on the right. The Connemara MGWR C Class were originally introduced for Sligo & Mayo line services from 1909 onwards,544 is one of 5 locos fitted with large superheated boilers and piston valves from 1917 onwards and classified as GSR Class D6 540-544. The first coach looks like an ex-GSWR Corridor Coach, followed by an ex-MGWR side corridor coach in the lake and cream scheme, followed by a 6 wheeler, a bogie van and a string of non-passenger coaching stock and vans

The loaders would have been experienced animal handlers and skilled in loading stock into wagons and trucks, apart from the animal welfare issues the railway would have been liable for substantial claims from the owners of animals that died or were injured en-route to the boat or slaughter house. There is the famous Irish Times report of 29 May 1893 "A consignment of six uninjured pigs, survivors of the dread crash at Camp on Monday was today received in the Cork Bacon Factory of Messrs Lunhams"

The extended smokebox doors were fitted when the MGWR rebuilt and superheated the Celtic & Connemara Class (GSR D5-7)4-4-0s and B & H Class (GSR J2 & J6) 0-6-0s during the WW1 period. The extending the door allowed the Cusack-Morton supeheater elements to be fitted within an existing smokebox, the cattle engines were built from new with superheaters and did not have this feature. Rebuilt Celtic MGWR As GSR/CIE D5 Rebuilt Connemara MGWR Cs GSR D6/7 MGWR Cattle Engine F Class GSR J5

Photo © CIE I have had a number of enquiries about releasing this kit. Based on a minimum of 10 confirmed orders I can supply a body kit for $27.50 NZ (£15) plus $4.00 international postage. The kit fold up no need for solder about 30 minutes work. I chickened out on the 3 way mechanism but the body can be posed in raised position supported by a strut.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]12732[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]12733[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]12734[/ATTACH] The assembly is fold up no need for solder about 30 minutes work. Based on a minimum order of 10 I can supply the Leyland Comet tipper bodies at $27.50 NZ (£15) plus $4.00 international postage. I have tweaked the CAD work so the body can be propped in a raised position.

I would check with the manufacturer whether the body is whitemetal or a zinc die casting, he seems to have a reputation of being open and helpful. Haulage power should be reasonably good with a whitemetal or diecast body, back in my BR modelling days I built a number of whitemetal steamers from DJH & Comet kits 20-30 wagons was no problem to a goods loco

Several full sized railways including the adhesion worked Cass Scenic Railroad in the USA at 11% or 1:9 appear to have defied gravity. John Armstrongs Track Planning for Realistic Operation recommends 2% for general use and a maximum of 4% where the grade is an operating feature. On the garden railway I operate on a ruling grade of 2% (1:50) over the main line and 3.1% 1:30 on the 18 metre branch to the storage shed. Most of my locos will haul a reasonable train up the 3% the main issue is the risk of damage to stock if a coupling fails and a train runs back from the summit.

Many years ago we had a robbery on a London construction site. The security guard who was not the brightest was approached by two men who introduced themselves as Detective Inspectors Bodie and Doyle, produced Warrant Cards, advised the guard that they were on an undercover operation, and instructed him not to leave his hut or contact control until end of shift. The thieves had a busy and productive night removing ovens, hobs, fridges and washing machines from about 20 completed apartments, not sure if the Met caught up with the perpetrators, but the time and date of the encounter with Bodie and Doyle was recorded in the security guards patrol log book.

I think the layout would be more convincing as a mountain railway in a German or continental setting than British outline where the railways tended to take the line of least resistance and loops and spirals to gain height are virtually un-known. German locos and stock tend to be higher quality and are probably a better investment than British Outline. Like OO & HO there is also the little matter that British N Gauge models are made to a larger scale than American and Continental models. While a number of companies produce rtr models in OO no Irish rtr models are currently available.

Looks suspiciously like L Sullivan wonder have they chalked up the name of the buyer/dealer on the wagon? This would make more sense in an era when cattle were bought by a large number of individual dealers rather than a handful of large meat companies Before the marts fairs like Puck, Ballinasloe, Loughrea and Roscommon could generate upwards of 100 wagons in 4 or 5 special trains. Many loading banks were long enough to load a train of 25-30 wagons minimising the need to shunt loaded wagons and risk of injury to livestock.

There is a great John Langford colour photo of a BUT railcar set on the 7:25 Westland Row passenger at Macmine Junction in June 1962, every vehicle in the set is in a different livery! The train is lead by a single ended BUT car c904n in the later CIE lined green, followed by a GNR brake 3rd in blue and cream, followed by a BUT railcar in black and tan, the fourth vehicle appears to be a 4w TPO in the unpainted aluminium livery. The train is at the Rosslare end of the Waterford platform and what looks like a diesel loco and coach are just about visible at the Northern end of the platform. Its possible that the railcar and loco hauled 10:00 am Wexford-Waterford passenger have drawn into the same platform to exchange mail and parcel traffic or possibly attach a parcel van with traffic for New Ross and Waterford.

Both the GNR and CIE built 20ton Gypsum Hoppers of broadly similar design in the 1940s & 50s. Both types of wagon ran on a 9'6" chassis of similar design to ballast wagons introduced in the early 1900s. Diagrams of GNR ballast & gypsum hoppers and plough vans appeared in the Nov 2008 IRN I have a faint dyeline print of a CIE general arrangement drawing for a 20 ton Gypsum Hopper dated 9/7/53. The GNR built 6 wagons 6015-6020 in 1944, CIE appear to have built 4 wagons 23963-66 in 1953. The main difference between the CIE and the GNR wagons seems to been that CIE used a short 16' underframe compared to 18' on the GNR.

Like the UTA in Northern Ireland, CIE had a near monopoly of surface transport in the 50s & 60s. It was almost impossible to obtain a road haulage license, a business had the choice of using CIE or buying their own trucks. Moracrete had a fleet of grey dropside Comets with drawbar trailers for delivering concrete pipes and blocks from their Crumlin factory, as a child the factory was one of the highlights on a journey on the 50 Bus to town or to visit relatives.

Price the loco are more likely to be assembled from cast metal parts to speed assembly than brass. Wheels, motor gears alone would cost around £80 a professionally assembled brass or whitemetal kit for a similar loco would cost around £500.00 RM Web Thread on OO Works locos http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/41670-who-are-oo-works-and-what-do-they-make/ Ian Js July 2011 post indicates that the Southern "Black Motor" was assembled from "heavy metal parts" and that the only plastic part used was the tender top. Its possible that OO Works have gone for a Irish loco as a rtr manufacturer of commissioner is unlikely to bring out a U or UG, several locos in the OO Works back catalogue are available in rtr form including the Southern Arthur, SECR C, LSWR Radial and 700 Class.

Kevin You would be better off with the Dapol kit rather than the rtr model for the conversions. There are photos and links to articles showing what's involved on the JM Design Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/jmdesignmodelrailways. You basically need to remove all raised detail from the coach body before cutting out the window openings, leaving a thin strip of plastic along the top to attach the roof. There are two schools of though about building coach bodies one is to glue the roof to the body before removing the floor and cutting out for the window openings, the second is for a removable roof. The glazing is best discarded apart from a thin strip along the top which can be used to secure the roof. Two sets of interiors are required to complete the corridor second, seating for open coaches can be purchased from suppliers like Comet, Ratio and Southern Pride. The coach sides were 'shrunk to fit" the Dapol shell to avoid distorting the proportions of the coach which works out at 1:74.1 or 3.9mm Foot not a serious issue when the modelling Irish Broad gauge on 4'1½" gauge track.

Birdhill-Roscrea is very interesting from a signalling perspective. The morning Limerick-Ballybrophy train divides in mid section at Nenagh with the rear portion returning to Limerick as a commuter service. Trains that divide at Nenagh carry a banking staff in addition to the Birdhill-Roscrea ETS to allow the train to divide in midsection and allow the Limerick commuter train to return to Birdhill. The release of the banking staff is controlled by modern industrial safety interlock switches interlocked with the ETS instrument in Birdhill and Roscrea cabins.

If you want something a bit different model the loco in mid 1930s virtually same as the English locos apart from the grey livery, name plates no smoke deflectors . No need to change the smoke box door or other CIE modifications. Bachmann or Dapol LMS corridor coaches would almost pass for a GSR mainline set in the new Maroon livery

Well done Kevin for spotting this one the first enquiries after nearly two years ! I will have a look at the figures, but the cost of an individual body may be high as I would need to spread the tooling costs across a small number of enquiries.

http://forum.signalbox.org/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=6953 appears to be a reasonable summary of the current situation Cork(possibly), Waterford West, Clonmel, Birdhill, Roscrea. The Cherryville Junction-Waterford CTC scheme excluded Waterford West which controls the junction between the Waterford and Limerick Lines, connection to the goods yard and the now single running line to the passenger station. It might be worth while contacting Oliver Doyle of the IRRS and a senior IE operations manager for further information, he published several IRRS papers on mechanical signalling and CTC including the Waterford Line Mini CTC scheme in IRRS Journal http://www.irrs.ie/Journal%20154/154%20Waterford%20CTC.htm

Seems to be a tractor and draw bar trailer arrangement possibly for un-sealed roads, wonder if they were any built in that format. There are some interesting photos of GSR lorries and busses in Donal Murray's book including a 1934 Leyland 4 ton twin rear axle dropside with removable side extensions and upper livestock deck. The twin rear axle and high ground clearance may have been for use on un-sealed roads

http://www.3news.co.nz/tvshows/campbelllive/rail-bridge-jumpers-want-safer-solution-2015020319#axzz3xxD0Tyd8 Even in Ireland the railway has no legal duty to trespassers, but families, local politicians and coroner would be calling for blood if anything happened.

Looks like a perfect next 7mm project for David complete with MGWR locos and coaches. Probably no turntable and minimal loco facilities because of the short distance from the facilities at Westport station. The harbour siding does not appear to have extended to serve the warehouses and grain elevator on the quay. Crew protection in the case of a collision was one of the main factors in favour of long hood forward running of diesel locos on some American Railroads and the retention of short hoods on the majority of American diesels. One of the oddities in recent years was that crews began turning newly introduced double cabbed locos at the terminus of a central North Island line in preference to changing ends and driving in a cold icy cab until the heating kicked in.