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When Morton became General Manager of the GSR in 1932, he was succeeded as CME by Arthur Harty. Apart from the early Drumm cars, no coaching stock appeared until 1935, however 32 bogie carriages were then produced within the next three years. These coaches showed some change from what had gone before, and while Harty has been criticised for his locomotive designs, the coaches produced under his tenure as CME were certainly a step forward in passenger amenity. The coaches would not have been much out of place on the LMS at the time, which was probably producing the best general service stock of the period, in these islands. The coaches were easily recognisable in having flush steel sides and metal skinned roof, although they still retained the somewhat old-fashioned rod and turnbuckle underframe trussing. The policy of having individual external doors to each compartment was abandoned, and access to compartments was now from the corridor only. Access to the coach was by external doors to internal vestibules, from which the corridor and toilets were accessed, and compartments were of decent size. They were all 60ft long over headstocks. 1935 saw the production of one all-first, two composites, eight thirds and one bogie van. These were all 9ft wide, and had relatively flat sides from roof down to waist level, below which was a slight tumblehome. In addition, two 1931-built dining vehicles and two 1919-built GSWR TPO’s were re-panelled to match the new coaches. Some of these carriages were used to form a new Dublin – Cork “Day Mail” set: bogie TPO, first, composite, the two diners, three thirds and the bogie van. And very nice it must have looked too, in the new crimson lake livery, when it went into service on Monday 5th August 1935. This “flagship” train, just like the 800 class later on, became a focus for publicity, but was not really representative of the general run of rolling stock to be found at the time, or for that matter, some time thereafter. Dublin suburban services received attention in 1936, with the construction of two 6-coach sets, each formed of brake/third, third, two composites, third and brake/third. While full access was possible within each coach, they were not gangwayed, but did have the same flush-sided appearance of the 1935 coaches. Unlike the 1935 vehicles, which were relatively flat-sided, these had a slight “bulge”, being 9ft 3in at waist level and 9ft at roof level. Unfortunately, these relatively comfortable coaches had too few seats compared to older non-gangwayed stock, and passenger compaints grew, as people preferred to have a seat of some description rather than stand. The coaches were therefore soon dispersed among sets, rather than being kept together. In later days, CIE gave them gangways and occasionally used them on main line service, like the later Park Royals, despite their lack of toilets! 1937 saw the appearance of further main line carriages, four composites and four thirds. It would be 1951 before Inchicore produced any more such coaches. The general layout of the 1937 coaches was similar to the 1935 versions, except that the “bulge” was even more pronounced, the coaches being 9ft 6in at waist level, 9ft at roof level and 8ft 10in at floor level. One composite was fitted with pressure ventilation, the first such application on GSR stock. Apart from the later Drumm sets C and D, these proved the last GSR coaching stock to be produced.

While other contractors, including McK&H, did supply equipment to the MGWR, the most significant contractor, and certainly from the mid-1880's onwards, was the Railway Signal Company. Achill, Ballinrobe, Woodlawn, Galway, Moate etc. etc. are RSCo. design cabins, more or less altered by CIE. The War of Independence and, especially, the Civil War, produced a signficant requirement for new and rebuilt signal cabins. Where a brick base and frame were re-usable, the MGW seem to have built a new timber operating floor to a gabled roof design, but retaining external stairs. Where a completely new cabin was required, the same design, but in concrete blocks (with the base having a mock stone effect on the outside), was used, with a timber top and internal stairs. The involvement of the RSCo. was still present as several cabins featured RSCo. tread plates on the stairs and RSCo. frames were the norm. The new cabins had rear frames and stoves in the middle of the front. The McK&H frames in Multyfarnham and Hill of Down are likely to be second hand ones fitted on singling in the early 1930's. The RSCo. frames employed by the MGW had 5.5" spacing between levers, whereas the McK&H ones had 4". It is reasonable to suppose that the cost conscious GSR would have looked to re-use servicable old equipment, in preference to building a new frame of the GSWR design (which also had 4" spacing). GSWR design cabins (with hipped roof) were also built on the MGW during the time of singling, Athenry and 46th Mile being examples.

Could be the Curragh on one of the test runs?

The book "From "The North Atlantic" to the "Crackerjacks" "gives timetable information and commentary on later NCC timetables, so there's informtion there on the Derry Central. In 1948 it is mentioned that the 2.20pm Portrush-Belfast went via the Derry Central, due to lack of paths on the main line - a train to avoid for those in the know.

Thanks for the photo. The Irish Railfan's News indicates the P7T sign was originally yellow letters on a grey enamelled background, so this one looks original.

Eight sets with four standards requires 32 standards, and there were 36. I believe the compo to standard conversions were done with a view to making up 10 sets, each formed of an EGV, First or Compo, Restaurant, 3 Standards, with nine in service and one to switch as a maintenance set, but I'm not clear whether that approach was implemented. I thought, as Mayner says, that subsequent timetables led to reduced numbers of trains, prompting longer set formations, and surpluses of such as Restaurant cars. In the 1973 timetable, the eight sets would have two unused Firsts to cover for a missing Compo. If one was looking for a small train formation, before the big changes of April 1973, the 18:10 Heuston-Tralee went to an AC set from 29th January, comprising EGV, Compo, Restaurant, 2 Standards. I don't think I'd like to be trying to get on the train on Fridays...

In the hope you might know, I know Mayner and myself would be interested if you would have any information on whether the original panels used woodfibre or asbestos insulation board (or something else) between the exterior aluminium sheet and the internal veneer? Did the replacements use similar laminated panels, or did the re-builds get done in more traditional coach building manner? Did the original laminate framing also get replaced? Any information would be gratefully received.

Started on 2nd April 1973. The Galway and Westport trains also went over to Athlone - Portarlington to Heuston. Sligo, Rosslare and Dun Laoghaire Pier trains went to Connolly, along with the Galway Mails, except the Galway Night Mail started at Westland Row. Boat trains from Rosslare started running to Limerick rather than Cork. Lots of changes, with associated infrastructure changes beforehand. A full description is given in IRRS Journal No. 61 of June 1973. If memory serves, the timetable only lasted the one year? The AC sets were all seven-piece, EGV, Super-Standard or Compo, Restaurant, four Standards. Eight sets in service, four on the Cork road (with Super-Standards), one each Tralee, Limerick, Waterford, Galway (with Compo). The Push-Pulls had started on the Dublin Suburban in February too.

I have looked at 2977 and 2978. An Post's 2977 poses some difficulty, in that the body was re-skinned in preservation, and, given it is in the Carriage Gallery at Downpatrick, scraping away paint is not encouraged! The narrow panels at the inset doors are still original, although only one offered any flaking paint. A flake from the inner edge of the panel had green paint closest to the metal, but could be just paint creeping through a crack, as a flake from the middle of the same panel got down to bare metal with no sign of green beneath the golden brown. DCDR's own 2978 offered more scope for samples, and no evidence of green beneath either black or brown. The first coat of B&T seems to have directly on top of the aluminium, with no primer, which would make sense given the aluminium had weathered. I also noted that as 2978 was next to 1918, that the official width of 10' 5" clearly related to the vehicle with nets. I measured the end of 2978 at 9 ' wide. The four-wheel TPO at DCDR was also measured at 9' wide.

I would agree. The contemporary IRRS and IRN journals, and Kennedy's paper to the IRRS in 1965, all say 61' 6" long. The triangulated underframe was produced by John Thompson Pressings of Wolverhampton, and it seems unlikely a special batch of ten made 60' long would have been produced, just for these vans. As to the width, the TPO's were 9', so 10' wide for the luggage vans seems odd. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305576 doesn't seem to show much width difference. Doyle & Hirsch (which presumably quotes official records), also says that 2548 was 10' wide, which also seems strange given the other carriages of 1935 were all 9'.

Volume 6, Number 2, April 1960. Also says the max. load is 6 tons. Given what the official records show though...

Irish Railfans' News, on introduction, has 2549 - 58 as 61' 6" long and 9' wide.

You're right, not a Cravens with Commonwealth bogies. A laminate in the 1429 to 1448 range, that would have been "silver" when new and looks freshly enough repainted into B&T.

Something along the same line in this link, for those who are group members of Irish Railways Past & Present on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=938113889924658&set=gm.1574808962672456&type=3&theater&ifg=1

Meh. Straffan. Strabane. Just down the road from each other. As JHB says, we all make mistakes, and I am very grateful for James O'Dea for taking the photographs and NLI for getting them visible to the rest of us.

A rare one to see, many thanks. 2559 to 61 converted from 2115, 2120, 2121 corridor compos in early 1971. 2115 was 1935, the other pair 1937, so a change in width between the first and the other pair, the bulge at the waist is easy to see. All 60' long. The later conversions, 2562 etc., were CIE 1950's composite conversions, some of the composites having been downgraded to all third in the interim, starting in mid-1973. The four wheel tin vans were going fast in the early 70's.

Another great spot. Another of the same type behind 2554 as well. They were new then, and still with the Guard's ducket. James O'Dea did write on the back of his prints, but sometimes the translation to the NLI title can go a bit astray.

Thank you for clarifying which photo. As you have surmised, the issue is that the second coach is in green, but is a 2549 series luggage van, not a TPO. I will be following up on JHB's comments re the preserved examples in due course.

Can you clarify if this is the photo you mean, please? http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305576 I'm seeing a dirty aluminium TPO in that.

A narrow side fixed window too, and footsteps on the bogie. Great spot.

None of the photos above shows a CIE built TPO in green in CIE service. Has anyone any evidence that such existed?

I suspect none of the CIE bogie TPO's were green. The O'Dea photos look like they are still in the original silver, and would have gone to black/tan/white next, while the 1968 conversions would have been painted in that from the start.

Mechanical exchange of mails ceased in 1968, and 2979-81 appeared in Nov. 1968, so didn't get nets. They were converted from 2114 (of 1935), 2116/9 (of 1936) so originated under Arthur Harty's time as CME. I suspect some of the sorting frames of 4-wheel TPO's 2962-7 may have been used in the bogie conversions, as 2962-71 were stored out of use at that repository for redundant stock, Sallins, by 1968. 1297 at DCDR today still has one of those GSR bogies with Hoffmann roller bearings.

The cooling systems in the Crossleys had separate engine water and engine oil cooling sections. When rebuilt, an EMD oil cooler was put in (heat exchanger between engine oil and water), so the radiators became all water. With the increase in engine size, the number of radiator elements on the C class was increased. The C class retained its load regulator, but got EMD motor field shunt contactors, and various EMD electrical relays, pressure switches and air brake valves. The A got an EMD load regulator.

I would understand a comment about a lack of power regarding the original C class, but anything I've seen suggests the Crossley A's were able to shift a good load. If they were working! That said, I have no personal experience of the original A's.