BSGSV

Yes, eventually. However, when the Dutch vans were built, they were only steam vans. The electrical generator was added in the 1970's, (about 1973/4?), when TL became increasingly used and more vehicles were converted to the system. The BR vans were the first to come equipped for both steam and electric.

A Park Royal and a Brake Standard Generating Steam Van, with the van against the further A class.

Would have been at the same time as CTC was extended through to Limerick, (from memory end of 1986?). One end of the pocket loop ended up in CTC territory, the other stayed within LJN's patch. The loop would only rarely have seen a crossing train by then, so full running signals weren't really needed. Shunt signals catered for freight reversal and running around from the Limerick end. The starting signals from the Pocket loop towards Waterford are, in my view, as Snapper describes. An old semaphore practice was to have arms one above the other, rather than a bracket, particularly where space was tight or speeds were low, and you didn't need to see the relative positions on brackets from afar to safely pass the signals. In such cases, the convention is arms top to bottom, read to routes left to right. Normal signals are cheaper than brackets - money talks.

My understanding is that Limerick Junction North didn't get moved/replaced. It was bricked up to provide a relay room (for the Direct Curve panel) and, possibly, the additional weight on the operating room of the panel etc. Moving the cabin location would have meant disconnecting the signals from the frame, and I don't recall seeing anything about such a disruption, but I stand to be corrected. The timber cabin at LJN is a typical GSWR hipped-roof cabin, extensively used for civil war replacements. http://jandjcottrell.zenfolio.com/f630709027 Some pictures here seem right in your period. Just the one Harper's in LJN, towards Dundrum to the north. The section between LJN and LJS had control levers. One of the photos shows two of these black/red/blue pulled forward. Limerick Junction South does seem to have been an old cabin, although even by 1980 the windows had been "got at" with aluminium replacements.

There was indeed a sub instrument at Milltown in a hut.

A word of warning about these books. I have a few of them. The pictures are indeed very good. However, apart from the spelling and grammar mistakes which are irritating, the author, more seriously, gets some of the basics quite wrong and has mis-identified equipment. You cannot rely on these books to give a wholly accurate picture of how Irish Railway signalling practice works. Given they are quite pricey, this is a bit of an issue. Given Ireland was part of the UK until 1922, not surprisingly, Irish railway signalling practice follows British practice up to that point, after which there were some divergences, both North and South. However, the basics are still very similar, indeed the current scene is very similar. For more traditional practices, British Railway Signalling by Geoffrey Kichenside and Alan Williams (various editions) would give some good basics, and Signalling in the Age of Steam by Michael Vanns is also good, but you may need glasses as the writing is small. For more modern practices Modern Signalling Handbook by Stanley Hall would be useful. All of these are relatively inexpensive on Amazon etc.

I think it will be 2016 and not 2015 before an 80-class turns up at Downpatrick.

Were these not the flats created from converted Park Royal underframes? All now withdrawn I think, if not also scrapped.

I have a very similar picture to Flange, we must have been on the same IRRS visit. The EGV's and Mk.3 driving trailers had significant design input from Inchicore given their differences from anything BREL had produced. I believe by the end of construction Inchicore staff reckoned they were building a good quality coach and by that stage they were fabricating the main elements themselves from raw materials using jigs and doing the complete fit out. Their ability to produce coaches by themselves led to their being disappointed not to receive further orders, for example when new stock for the Dublin-Belfast line was ordered from DeDetrich.

In fairness to Inchicore, the last coach was built in 1991 (I think), being 6105 and they built many of CIE's Mk.3's. The Dutch vans were originally just boiler vans and had to be fitted with generators in the 1970's for TL use. The BR vans heralded the TL era.

Took me a long time to figure out how CIE had created five super standards out of four standards, until I tracked down the dates the super standards were current. I still have no real idea why CIE didn't re-use the number 1148 and can only conclude it was an oversight.

I'm afraid I only have the Departmental numbers. The Spray Coach was 628A. One of the 4-wheel dormer coaches was 638A (which was apparently 2771 in a previous life), the other 639A. I suspect the pink colour may be the result of the application of orange undercoat, which has a tendency to go that colour unless covered. I would be interested to know the original numbers for the vehicles if anyone has them. The Spray coach appears to be an early CIE 9' 6" wide one, but the number would reveal its history.

By the by, the maroon versions of the LMS coaches appear to be only £11.80, against the crimson and cream at £12.90. Replica do kits of B4's that appear to be a direct fit to Dapol coaches (same Mainline lineage?) Is that right? And, yes, I would be interested too - in the BSGSV at least! Should have said so sooner.

John, I assure you I meant no offence regarding the compromises. I think many modellers would find them most acceptable, and, as you say, they would provide an excellent way to introduce the less learned among us to a certain level of kit bashing, as well as providing something novel. Speaking of kit-bashing, your drawings do show how adept Inchicore got at the 12 inches to one foot variety. Nice to see the BSGSV! I have happy memories of the last of the CIE design stock on Dublin outer-suburbans, in tandem with Park Royals and BR and Dutch gen vans, hauled by A's, C's and GM's, so much so that my "modelling" these days mainly consists of working on preserved vehicles.

The original premise is very thoughtful and clever. LMS Period 111 carriages are 60' long and 9' 3" wide. Most early CIE stock is 61' 6" long and 9' 6" wide, and the roof profile looks different, so clearly there are some dimensional compromises to be accepted. I would think that CIE 10' 2" wide stock is going to be too "fat" to represent. The LMS underframe isn't going to pass for a GSR one, given the GSR remained faithful to round rod and turnbuckle trussing, but the bogies aren't a million miles from GSR/early CIE ones. The LMS underframe is also not going to pass muster as a Bulleid triangulated CIE underframe either, and I've never felt the BR Commonwelath looks much like a CIE one. While all this may appear to narrow the field, as John has pointed out, quite a bit of stock was built that could be represented, if one accepts a 61' 6" x 9' 6" envelope with "normal" underframe and GSR type bogies. All below are 61' 6" x 9' 6" with "normal" underframes and GSR type bogies unless stated. Compo 2124 - 2129 of 1951, 60' x 9' 6" 2130 - 2136, 2139, 2144, 2152, 2155 of 1952/4 Third 1339 - 1355 of 1951/2 Side corridor 1356 - 1371 of 1953 open Brake Third 1904 - 1908 of 1953 of which 1906/7 became driving trailers for AEC railcars for a time Diners 2405 - 2418 of 1953/4 buffet, fitted with Hoffman roller bearing axleboxes. Later fitted (late 1960's) with B4 bogies (without dampers like the Cravens). 2407 later became a kitchen car (1969), 2412 and 2416 later cafeteria cars. Conversions were 2126/7/35 to radio studio coaches, later numbered (from 1966) RS22/3/4 The remaining compos were downgraded to all-third class in 1972. In 1974 these were converted to vans in the 257x and 258x series, as were five of the 1339 to 55 series thirds (258x and 259x). The remainder of that batch of thirds became BSGSV's in 1977/8, 3201 - 12. Some of the compo vans seem to have become BGSV's 3213-8 at the same time. Some compo/vans also became BSGSV's 3219 - 3224 in 1980. Arrival of DART and Mk.3's meant that withdrawals were rapid from 1984 onwards. As I said at the start, a very well thought out idea.

Not an ex-Mk.3, as it is still a Mk.3, if you follow me? RPSI bought a Mk.3 sleeper, 10651, from the UK for use as accommodation for volunteers at Whitehead. It is due to be refurbished as part of the GROW works this year, I believe. The Mk.3's being hauled from North Wall to Inchicore are some of the so-called VSOE coaches, with 6105 acting as brake van as there's nothing else. Should be at least one more run to/from North Wall to collect the rest, at some point. As Killucan has previously stated in this thread, 6105/6402 are intended for preservation. Not by ITG though.

You're probably already aware of it, but just in case, British Mk.4's (which are available rtr) and Irish Mk.4's (which aren't) were built by different companies and simply repainting a British one won't give you an accurate representation of an Irish one.

https://www.facebook.com/IrishTractionGroup#!/photo.php?fbid=565306873558769&set=ms.565305150225608.565305736892216.565305716892218.565306873558769.bps.a.408628702559921&type=1&theater One shade?

I can see the stripes on the cowcatchers on both locos in that photo. Given the yellow numbers look similar to the grey body colour (but the near, three stanchion handrail does not), I would suspect the yellow is present elsewhere too and has just blended in too well.

The inspection door on top of the bonnet is a feature of both types of G. http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/ITG_locos/loco_601.htm

Not seen one for either Sulzer. A and C classes had three thick manuals each. Part 2 of each was mostly about the engine, and I've not seen a C class one of those. Part 3 of each also seems relatively less common, not that Part 1's appear to be all that common. Those preserving them tend to need the manuals to use, rather than being collectors' items.

141 class versions seem quite common. The JL18 (181) class ones rather less so.

Large ETS also had a "D" pattern, which was yellow.

And Castleisland! 601 v 611 601 is shorter in length, 20' 8" versus 21' 2", cab windows front and back different, different cab door handrails, cab is constructed on 601 in two halves, with beading horizontally covering the join just under the cab windows, engine exhaust cowl on front of cab is flat and square on 601 but somewhat cone shaped on 611, no marker lights on 601 front and rear, no vacuum pipes front and rear on 601, as no vacuum system on 601, the isolation valve underneath the left hand cab attached to the framing on the 611 type is missing, front footsteps are different on 601, also 611 type has a cut-out in the running plate at the front steps, but 601 does not, front side bonnet doors are solid on 601, but have a grill on 611.

As one who has...I agree!!! Nicely done though.