BSGSV

May be a shunt, but still a train carrying passengers. If there's no facing point lock, then the turnout should be clipped. Starting a passenger train should also be by a running signal.

I take it you mean when heading towards Banbridge, they went to the Down platform first? Could be, although as the station building was on the Up side, it could be they used the south crossover first, then stopped at the Up platform, then used the crossover to access the branch. The GNRI seem to have held a mid-19th century view that the driver should be able to stop short of any obstruction for a long time longer than they should have. There were failures to put alterations up for inspection as they should have, and running passenger trains across turnouts with facing point locks doesn't seem to have bothered them either (think Mountpleasant), just to mention two items. So I should have said that the absence of appropriate signals does not mean things did not happen!

Aside from the flash, there is also a small headboard fitted I think, which would indicate the loco had been used on the "Radio Train".

I'm not sure about the wagon, but there is a section of trackbed still looking like that, with the sloped stone facing, not long after leaving Moyasta heading for Kilrush.

I would suspect the yellow background stuff is an inspection date - C exam, Week 29, 1998 in your sheet (or whenever). The small white lettering is about where the filler is on the fuel tank, so possibly says "Fuel".

I don't know, but the silver pole on the left is distinctive.

Cabin view blocked by water tank sounds like Boyle!

Lovely job this. Re signalling, the layout is similar to Loughrea or Ballinrobe minus one siding. The 1890 practice for those had a working distant (a practice later abandoned), home and starter (the latter on the platform before the fouling point with the loop crossover) and one lever operating the crossover near the tunnel to the loop, the facing point lock and a point detector on the turnout from the loop. A five-lever frame (four working one spare) would easily fit into the type of Railway Signal Co. (the usual MGWR contractors) cabin used at Ballinrobe. Such a cabin might be only 10' wide and 7' long, the dimensions of the 1918 cabin at Loughrea, would be spot on apart from the concrete blocks. Such a building might fit between the water tank and tunnel?

The remaining insulator is damaged, which is perhaps why it remains. The spindles are galvanised, so still fairly rust-free, as is the clamp for the stay wire, although the stay wire itself does not look so good.

That looks like an old-fashioned junction signal. Instead of a bracket, the arms are stacked on the one post. Normally the convention is arms top-to-bottom reads to lines/tracks left-to-right. But, as you say, only one lamp.

Spot on. Moate is a Railway Signal Company (RSCo) design cabin, of a type widely used on the MGWR (and elsewhere in Ireland). The design differs from the McKenzine & Holland (McK&H) cabin (of the Ratio kit) in operating floor windows, gable vents, gable bargeboards and locking room windows, aside from lever frame type. The original operating floor windows of Moate are shown in this photograph https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/4305633 "The Signal Box" book (https://www.amazon.com/Signal-Box-Pictorial-History-Designs/dp/0860932249) covers the UK signalling contractors designs, as well as basic terminology, technology and legislation affecting design. If they got contracts, the contractors generally used their then standard designs (or a variant) in Ireland. Unfortunately, the Irish companies own designs are not covered. As Mayner says, the MGWR approach to Civil War damage was to either wholly replace the cabin (Mayner has illustrated Ballywillan, the end windows are replacements) which featured internal stairs, rear lever frames, concrete blocks construction to floor and, most often, RSCo. lever frames. It also appears that a similar design operating floor was used to replace the top of older cabins where the brick base and frame were re-usable. These tended to have external stairs. Multyfarnham is an example.

The square window reflection at Spa suggests one of the first three G's on the train.

Looks like a dead C class behind 186 at Ennis.

The coach next to the one the photographer is in, looks to me like a 1356-71 series CIE built, timber framed coach.

IRM have been very good in supporting the ITG in this way, and the ITG is very grateful to all the staff in IRM for their kindness. The model is selling well, so thank you to all the buyers too, for backing this special edition with their money. Ken Manto, ITG Chairman.

The date looks wrong. The loco looks quite new - no snail casting on the side, sandboxes still fitted, no snatchers, both wipers in place and clean roof.

Now don't be upsetting a man who's clearly been enjoying himself. The distant appears to be for trains leaving the terminus, so it must be a gate distant, like the one just off the platform at Rosslare Strand heading for Waterford. Gate distants worked off the gate heels would be off in both directions. Gatekeeper just a bit slow closing the gates after the arriving train.

And they still are!

I think the electrical incompatibility between the NIR and IE stock may have been related as much to different connectors as load. As you say, similar outcome to the Cravens and Mk.2AC. 1991. Is it really that long ago?

I agree. The shed should also be next door if it was Bally, and the main line should be in the background.

Birdhill did have a turntable, not at the station. Appears to be up at the divergence of the two single lines, between them.

I'd guess Roscrea, but not sure. Other local sites don't seem to tally map wise.

I don't think there is a difference. I think it's just that the snatcher is covering the open droplight.

That's them. 40 first, 36 seconds.

Nice one gents. I think that's the first photo I've seen of those 10 suburban compos before they got converted to brake standards.