Mayner

Probably pretty much what it looked like in its last years before the departure of the afternoon passenger and the arrival of the C Class on the goods from Drimoleague. Ballasting the track has made a real difference, reducing the narrow gauge appearance and capturing that light flatbottom look so noticeable in photos of the West Cork stations and yards

I read some interesting behind the scenes material in a NZ railway magazine article when the local station was often a town or districts link with the outside world. The station's goods clerk would phone local businesses and customers to advise that their wagon had arrived and was ready for unloading or their consignment ready for collection from the good shed or out for delivery with road services. The traditional common-carrier railway provided a much more personalised level of service than today's logistic and railfreight businesses. Some American short line and Regional railroads still provide a similar level of services with local sales reps and offices rather than shippers having to go through an anonymous Call Centre 3000 miles from the customers business to order a freight car set out or pick up.

It could got very interesting if the Bawnboy Road-Maguires Bridge section of the Ulster and Connaught had been built with a Baronial Guarantee similar to the C&L and CVR. Under the guarantee railway shareholders were guaranteed a 5% return on capital in perpetuity secured by the Government & ratepayers in the area served by the railway. In the Free State the government basically bought out the Baronial Shareholding held by the GSR, in Northern Ireland CVR shareholders continued to receive their 5% dividend until Stormont bought out their shareholding allowing the line to close in 1941. Its just about possible that the section of line linking the C&L & CVR survived partition with its capital guaranteed by the Free State and Northern Ireland Governments, like the SLNCR Stormont would have had to compensate the Ulster & Connaght for loss of income arising from partition.

Using rail would fit in with Boliden's Sustainability Commitments & to keep within its existing carbon limits under the EU Emission Trading Scheme, and likely to continue until the existing wagons and loading/unloading infrastructure require replacement.

In terms of simplicity, scenic interest and varieties of rolling stock Carrignagat Junction-Sligo takes some beating, double track main line, Ballysodare Station compact layout with an interesting private siding (branch line) to Pollexfen's mill, WLWR(GSWR),MGWR & SLNCR trains, add in McAndrew's Sligo & Arigna if it got built operated with cast-offs locos and stock like the Athenry & Tuam & Ennis and Athenry. Interesting rock cuttings, nearby railway viaduct and interesting mountain backdrop. Nothing to report in terms of layout or rolling stock building, though the baseboard framing should be well seasoned before I start to lay the road bed and tracklaying. I have most of the softwood framing in stock for over 10 years and haven't got around to laying track

Seriously nice. Popeye!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It looks like Boliden are planning to extend the life of the mine beyond 2026. https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/tara-digs-deeper-underground-to-secure-the-future-of-europes-biggest-zinc-mine-jztbzf6g5. It will be interesting if Boliden invests in a fleet of new wagons or manages to keep the existing fleet in service up to 2036.

There seems to be scope for quite interesting operation whether you operate end to end or eventually manage to build a continuous run though 3 road staging/fiddle yard could be quite limiting. The line seems to have been at its busiest between the mid-late 50s & early 70s when goods/freight traffic over the Limerick-Athenry line was heavier than the western end of the Dublin-Galway line. 2-3 scheduled goods trains + overloads, seasonal beet and cattle specials. It might be worth trying JMRI Operations http://jmri.org/help/en/package/jmri/jmrit/operations/Operations.shtml for wagon routing. Passenger wise there was a loco hauled Limerick-Galway mail train operated daily up to 1963 (A Class hauled in later years), 3 car AEC railcar sets on the Limerick-Sligo passenger trains often with cattle wagons and vans as tail traffic, small GMs & a couple of coaches after the Sligo trains were diverted to run to & from Ballina. Are you looking at modelling the embankment and underbridge at the Limerick end of the station? it adds to the visual interest.

The live steam loco has been challenging both in learning to drive because of the grades on my line and finding track defects. 278 turned out to be a good buy, although the loco was second hand she never seems to have been steamed running in nicely capable of hauling 6 cars and a caboose. 278 with slightly scorched smokebox door 278 is quite controllable by small scale live steam standards and not too hot to handle once you keep your fingers well away from the cylinders, smokebox and hot bits inside the cab. The biggest challenge like Waterford's Jumbo is to avoid blowing off and wasting steam while switching. On the trip that inspired the change to 1:20.3 the real 278 undergoing cosmetic restoration in a National Park Compound at Cimarron Colorado. The C16s were basically a narrow gauge equivalent of the J15, but largely replaced by larger 2-8-0 and 2-8-2 locos. The DRGW retained a few for lines with light axle loading, several sold to other railroads and industrial lines that fed the DRGW & RGS The two surviving DRGW C16s 268 and 278 were preserved locally when the DRGW abandoned its narrow gauge lines in the Gunnison area in the mid 1950s in 268 in a Gunnison and 278 on a trestle in the Black Canyon. 278 has since returned to her perch on the trestle, unfortunately we did not have time to check out 268 at the Gunnison Pioneer Museum https://www.nps.gov/cure/learn/news/pr18-22.htm

Belmullet and P J McAndrew's "All Red Route" is mentioned in P J Flannigan's book on the Cavan & Leitrim. The Belmullet scheme seems to have been the final 5'3" gauge development of the Ulster & Connaught Light Railway saga possibly linking Greenore with Belmullet as part of a transatlantic mail and passenger route from the United Kingdom to Canada. Mc Andrew and his backers offered to buy the C&L in 1913 and convert it to standard gauge and was "still hovering around" up to 1930-31. A bit like today's Public Private Finance Initiatives the Belmullet scheme would have been dependent on the Government financing the scheme and underwriting any operating losses. It would have ticked the box in terms of relieving poverty (by economic development and like China's Belt and Roads policy improving communication links within the British Empire, but became pretty much a moot point in the changing world after 1913. Still Mc Andrew's proposal just about opens up the idea of DNGR transatlantic Boat Trains working through from Greenore to Belmullet, the LNWR had something of a habit of throwing good money after bad on its Irish adventure, the DNGR working the line would have fitted in with the GNR & MGWR agreement to keep out of each others territory and more importantly avoid loosing lots and lots of money! The LNWR might have re-gauged some Jumbos to work the passenger trains and DX for goods traffic.

Snap Modelling the C&L I guess we were likely to end up with different models of the same locomotives! I would be interested in an ex-CBPR tank, though its likely to stick on the curve from the station to the roadside section on my layout-------------just like the real thing!

After a long hot Summer it looks like Autumn has arrived with leaves falling, (probably more from drought than shorter days) the end of daylight saving is two weeks away and the beginning of this years Autumn stock rush on the Jackson County Narrow gauge with every loco in steam and stock car out on the line. 463 hauls in the empties on the 1st special of the season with an empty boxcar and a laden tank car to make up a full load for the K27. A cut of cars for the Arboles Turn is stage in the yard in the background. 463 pulls into the yard while 348 waits to work the Arboles Turn and 464 waits on shed to work a Westbound freight. The turntable is a piece of decking timber pivoted on a coach screw and plate washer packers and really-really works. I re-ballasted the main line and through tracks in this area over the Christmas. 348 takes water before leaving on the Arboles Turn a locoal working. The DRGW used small 2-8-0s on branch lines and lines with restricted axle loading concentrating its narrow gauge 2-8-2s on steeply graded lines with heavy traffic. 348 arrives at Arboles before switching the yard. I am hoping to tidy up the area on the right with better screening between the outdoor work area and railway. Town is named after some trees planted 2-3 years ago. Upon arriving 348 set back with her train dropping the caboose on the other side of the bridge so the conductor could get some sleep/do the paperwork while the rest of the crew (2 brakemen, engineer & stoker) switched the train. The loco ran round the train via the siding to place the tank car on a dead end spur. I used JMRI Panel-Pro Operations Programme as a car sorting and dispatching programme. 348s cars came in on an earlier train behind 464 which included cars for Jackson City, Arboles and Utah Junction. 348 has completed her switching at Arboles , picked up her caboose and is ready to depart for her destination with a flat car, train manifest on the benchwork in the background.. The DRGW used box cars for metal ore trains on the narrow gauge (including gold-silver-zinc and radio active ores) so they can be used to serve many industries. 348 has dropped off he load and ready to depart her destination with her caboose, perhaps returning in a few days to collect her traffic. Departure time at Jackson City 463 wait waits with the 1st laden stock special of the season, 464 waits with a manifest freight. 463 bites the dust having split the points at Utah Junction not an uncommon occurrence on the full size Rio Grande Southern. Playing trains live steam Accucraft C16 passing Jackson City

That was quick. I posted your kits on Saturday. The Mashima 10X20 motors is probably the best option for a small 2-4-0 or 0-6-0. I prefer the High Level "Road Runner +" & "Load Hauler +" gearboxes driving on the rear axle leaving the cab interior free. I used a Branchlines "Slimline" box in a J15 but it may encroach more into the cab Vertical motor in firebox High Level Road Runner + gearbox (excess motor shaft requires cutting off) 10X20 Mashima motor with flywheel horizontal in boiler firebox High Level Road Runner + gearbox

The lighting system depended on the railway. The MGWR seems to have used oil lighting on 6w stock with top hat lamps, some coaches appear to have had ventilators others not. Attock 4 compt Lav 2nd 1908 4 Compt 3rd with brake Compt. WLWR had introduced electric carriage lighting before the GSWR takeover but may have been restricted to new bogie stock. WLWR 4-4-0 at Junction oil lit stock. Photographer unknown. GSWR 6 wheelers had gas lighting with large torpedo ventilators and converted WLWR stock to gas lighting following 1900 amalgamation.

Most of the Mayo video seems to be earlier than the 1950s possibly late 1930s. Style of clothing, MGWR style station nameboards at Claremorris, Manulla and Westport. Enamel advertisment signage on Claremorris good shed. Cast number plate rather than large numerals on 650 Class arriving at Westport, 1st coach in train possibly in early 1930s livery with cream upper panels, glimpse of an Achill bogie at Manulla Junction most were out of service by late 1940s, GSWR coaches in GSR livery in colour clip.

Movie seems to have been made the same year as Harold McMillans "our people never had it so good" speech. A prosperous post War Britain with near to full employment with no shortage of reasonably well paid unionised jobs in transport and manufacturing. Interesting movie no hint of the coming changes in transportation and manufacturing that soon changed the face of shipping and the railways and de-industrialisation that contributed to a lot of today's problems with social and political unrest. Within the next 10 years the British Railways sundries business was transferred to National Carriers Limited which eventually evolved into a Lynx logistics business. In a way CIE/IE was more successful in holding on to its sundries business, but totally ill equipped to compete with the private sector once the Irish road transport was de-regulated in the early 1990s.

The 9 Lines CDR wagon kits are available from the manufacturer in OO9 or 12mm gauge (Irish 3') http://www.nine-lines.co.uk/PRICE.htm. The kits are simple to assemble. Not so sure about the 3D printed Phoenix. Australia is an expensive place to buy models much cheaper to buy from nearly anywhere else, even allowing for import charges and taxes..

Alphagraphix focus primarily on 7mm scale (brass and card kits) where setting up a website may be more bother than its worth as the majority of sales are likely to arise from exhibition sales, specialist societies and magazine advertising. While on-line selling is ideal for fast moving rtr models, it can be very expensive and in-effective for low volume slow moving items like kits and components like wheels and detail castings. A bit like the railways and the big cattle fairs in the West, specialist suppliers like Alphagraphix are likely to make their profit (or at least cover their costs) through exhibition rather than postal or internet sales.

NIR hauled parcel traffic in ISO containers between York Road Belfast and the Larne Harbour "Gantry Siding" into the 1980s. The wagons (bogie & 4 wheel ) were converted from redundant coach and Brown Van underframes adapted to carry 20' containers and the trains were hauled by 70 Class & possibly 80 Class railcars. The containers were fitted with side doors used internally in Northern Ireland only and not lifted off the train at Larne Harbour. NIR also converted a number of MED & AEC railcar trailers to parcel vans by sheeting over some of the windows and fitting double doors, these were again hauled by railcars rather than a diesel locomotives.

Going by their track record Kader would be likely to acquire the Hornby if the business goes bust. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Williams_Electric_Trains Kader would probably drop the Bachmann brand name in the UK and market its British outline models as Hornby.

Diesel Dawn Colm Flanningan 2003 is a useful source of information ( including drawings and photographs) on diesel railcar development in Northern Ireland https://www.amazon.com/Diesel-Dawn-Northern-Ireland-Development/dp/1904242081

Fertiliser wagon loading may have been increased to 48 Tonnes when IFI started to supply fertiliser in bulk 500 or 1000kg bags. https://www.bulkbagco.co.nz/bulk-bags The wagon in the second photo may be carrying this type of bag.

Sudden burst of activity in the works after the holidays (Christmas through to Chinese New Year) including annual trip to the beach and a model railway exhibition. Seriously full workbench, MGWR tenders on left, J15 frames and running boards on right. Assembled J15 main frames. GSR replacement frames similar to 186 on left. original GSWR/SSM frames on right I replaced the original bar section frame spacers with my own turned spacers and added some scrap nickle silver to stiffen up the rear of the frames/support the motor. I have to add reinforcing strips above the training hornblock cut outs and install brake hangers. I am planning to design new photo etched brake hangers and rigging as I require brake gear for 4 locos as the gear supplied with the kit is basically un-usable Test assemble High Level "Load hauler' gearbox, these are designed to allow the motor to operate at maximum efficiency and a high torque for slow speed haulage. Temporary packing piece below motor, possible lead block?. One option is to bed the motor in silicone sealant as a resiliant mount to reduce vibration and noise. The piece of rail is basically American Code 250 "finescale" Large Scale narrow gauge rail, LGB rail is a lot larger in cross section With a horizontal motor set up the motor and flywheel will project into the boiler, not exactly leaving much space to add weight or a decoder (whatever that is). Gearbox basically fits in the firebox leaving the cab free. I will probably line the sides and top of the firebox with sheet lead. Reconditioned replacement mainframes for 193 and Branchlines Slimline gearbox dismantled for cleaning. The frames gearbox and motor came from a half built J15 I picked up at a swapmeet in the UK nearly 20 years ago and bring 193 into line mechanically with 191. I basically used the Slimline gearbox with a Mashima motor as standard for narrow gauge and industrial locos very smooth running but a tad noisy. Next job will be to fit the hornblocks, suspension system, and assemble wheelsets and gearboxes.

The majority of Irish fish and meat vans were classified as non-passenger coaching stock and were painted in a simplified version of the company passenger livery. Fish traffic also appears to have been conveyed in ventilated, insulated and standard goods vans. In CIE days the up afternoon mixed train from Valencia Harbour was classified as a "Perishable" and connected at Farranfore with the Up Tralee-Mallow which in turn connected with the Up Cork mail at Mallow. Presumably a similar pattern operated for traffic from the MGWR western lines. There are several photos of ex-MGWR meat/fish vans as tail traffic on the Mayo Line and Sligo Branch in late GSR and CIE days.

A very distinctive and scenic line, small stations with staggered platforms, distinctive bowstring viaducts and a fascinating riverside section through Rushbrooke. The railway was quite "rustic in the 60s and 70s most of the intermediate stations still had a short very rusty siding still officially open to traffic into the mid 70s.