BSGSV

I seem to recall seeing something in passing, and with no details, about a proposed "cut-off" line from the MGWR to the GSWR line near Lucan, after 1945. I don't know if there was any truth to it, or just a mis-interpretation about something else, as I've never seen any further reference to it.

Downpatrick's 836 was a gangwayed Open 3rd, but the corridor connections weren't re-instated by DCDR. 836 was gas lit, 1124 seems to be electric.

As the railcars were vacuum braked they could be loco-hauled, and were at times. From memory, IRN has pieces referring to use of railcars as loco-hauled coaches for a relief train from Waterford to Dublin, and on the final day of the Thurles - Clonmel line.

Singling on the MGWR started on the Navan branch during WW1 (to get rails). On the main line it went west to east, then the Mayo and Sligo "branches". It carried on in the 1930's. There was also GSR singling Limerick - Limerick Junction, Waterford - Fiddown, Sallins - Naas, Newcastle - Wicklow and probably a couple of others I've forgotten, mostly before the MGWR was done, so that probably accounts for the GSR records you were looking at. The IRRS archive in Dublin holds GSR weekly circulars which include the dates of singling of individual sections.

I don't know what the doom and gloom is about. Re-opening closed railway lines at significant costs per kilometre, for the taxpayer, is currently very fashionable... ...as Greenways.

Double, Portadown Junction to Armagh, and later also Clones to Monaghan. Single elsewhere, and the double line appears to have been singled in the early 30's, except from Portadown to Richhill.

1915 is the date for carriages according to a Brendan Pender article in the IRRS journal (61), in that 1290 appears the earliest built in the new numbering, and was 1915. Don't forget the TPO from 2950, and the GSR brake compos 2490/1. The Park Royals went to 1948. And 1949 was the last (RPSI, GNR 9) in the 2000's.

Didn't work between closure of the W&T and conversion to an Ambulance carriage.

Yes, It is Gort. The shunter "missed" dropping the handbrake on it as it went into the siding, and it hit the stops with a bang, which left one axlebox bent out. Couldn't move then... The delights of unbraked stock.

I'm more familiar with mainline locos, but pipe colours would be blue for water and green for fuel oil, as you say. Air is yellow, electrical is brown. Hence the yellow air receivers. Exposed pipes might well lose their paint.

I may be wrong, but I think I see a number just to the right of the works plate.

The C class was bought for branch use, and closures reduced the need for them, so a lot were out of use by the end of the 60's. A branch surviving would probably have had one in preference to a 141, which would have been out on main line work. A railcar set was used on Thurles - Clonmel. 60's carriages GSW or GSR or early CIE built, with 70's early-CIE. Alas, most of these are not RTR - yet! However, what RTR is available would not be much hardship while you wait. God bless all the manufacturers, who continue to amaze with the gaps they are filling.

Not sure about model intermediates, but for prototype information you could try here: https://www.railcar.co.uk/

I think oil gas was still used in one or two of the carriages of the old set that would come out on the Dublin Suburban on Summer Sundays and the like? Also, there were probably older diners which needed it for cooking/heating, even CIE built ones, which got converted to calor gas in the 1960's.

As I understand it, the guys in NIR tried very very very hard to get the money to make it a double track structure at the time, but couldn't swing it. Alas, with the way it was done, it now also seems very difficult to double without building a viaduct throughout for the extra track.