BSGSV

I thought the beets were 12' wheelbase Mk.1 flats and the timbers were 14' wheelbase Mk.2 flats, but someone could well correct me.

Fuelling in Inchicore is done on Roads 1 and 2 of the Running Shed (those nearest the running lines), just inside the Dublin end of the Shed. Oil and water is available there too. Windscreen washing was at the far end of the same roads, again inside.

Not sure if you can access this thread from Irish Railways Past and Present Facebook Group, but there is a bit in this about Cabra that may be of interest: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2023219001234153&set=gm.886205991532760&type=3&theater&ifg=1 If the cabin being referred to is the old hip roof GSWR one, that wasn't a cabin from the 1930's but I would guess was used by the local staff as accommodation. One of the huts nearer Glasnevin was the 1930's "cabin" which housed the equipment relating to the then new colour lights.

I know this is a "fun" thread, but just for information, there's a good photo in Keith Pirt's first volume, showing the Turf Burner in geen, with a green carriage parked on the adjacent road. The stripe on the carriage is eau-de-nil, and the handrails, ladder and end stripes on the Turf Burner aren't.

Both 1518 and 1520 were converted c1986, with what were probably minimal buffet facilities, but don't seem to have lasted very long. I've never seen a photo of either in that state. Does anyone have any?

I would agree that a hint more yellow is needed. As regards the glossy finish, I've seen a freshly painted coach look lovely and glossy, and it is now, several years later, rather less so, due to being out in the weather. I've also seen paint from the same tin applied to another coach, and it looked (and looks) darker, compared to the one done some years previously.

The loco was 124. No coaches were done. Michael McMahon's book "Irish Railway Rambler" has a pic of it, which is the second I have seen of this short lived (and not very pretty) livery. Edit: Apologies. I just see from the caption to Michael's photo of 124, that he says one push-pull coach DID get a green stripe, and it was even shorter-lived than the loco. No details as to which coach, which I've never seen a photo of.

CIE had a few ambulance coaches, created at various dates from at least 1950, or possibly before. They carried their original numbers for a long period, but were renumbered into a special series in the Autumn of 1965. AM10 to 13 were formerly 94M, 163M, 1097 and 1900. They were joined in early 1966 by AM14 and AM15, converted from Park Royals 1380 and 1408. The latter was the driving trailer from the Waterford & Tramore and had been in store since returned to Inchicore, following closure of that line. The extra two were probably there to allow withdrawal of some or all of the earlier coaches. Edit: I see from notes that 1097 replaced 346 about 1957, so perhaps there were other "Invalid" coaches that didn't get re-numbered as "AM".

Beside the cinema was built one of Dublin's first automatic telephone exchanges, opened on the first day of 1936. The orientation of that building (on my only visit some 30-odd years ago) appeared to me to be towards the Templeogue Road, so I would imagine it was built on the tramway yard. Edit: Having just checked Maps, the exchange was just to the north of the Tramway yard. The cinema is now an Enterprise Centre.

Not occasional that one! Every weekday for several years. Down Day Mail at 11:10 (or so) from Heuston carried the TPO and Van down, and the 15:10 (or so) from Galway brought it back up. The Mk2AC set did the 05:20 Up from Cork and the 20:35 Down to Cork, before and after the round trip to Galway.

Here's a link to get to photos showing the G611's when newly delivered to Inchicore: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=inchicore&type=AllFields&page=4&view=list and then type "Dutch" in the search field. G611 was similarly painted in preservation to provide some variety from the otherwise black or black and tan options, as G617 has carried both those liveries. The green looks well, even though the locomotives don't appear to have carried it in traffic.

AEC sets certainly did feature interesting compositions as you say JHB. Railcar sets could even turn up as part of loco-hauled trains as the following shows: Irish Railfan's News, August 1970: "With the advent of the summer timetable the last railcar working outside Dublin finished. This was the set which worked the Wexford/Rosslare locals. When it was necessary to change the set on these workings the replacement used to be hauled down attached to the 09:00 Pearse Station to Rosslare, the “old” set coming back on the return 15:10". The last day of the Thurles-Clonmel line also had an "A" hauling a two-piece railcar set, that acquired an additional ordinary passenger coach during the day - presumably to cope with the crowds. In the 1950's, before CIE had built the 24xx series buffets, an interesting selection of older catering vehicles was wired for railcar use, including a clerestory one.

The Cravens wired for AEC railcars were 1514, 1515, 1517, 1519, 1520, 1522.

Irish Railfans' News, October 1965. "Goolds Cross Crash.....At times of heavy traffic, especially during Horse Show week, the evening mainline departure for Kerry at 18:45 is divided into two portions, one for Limerick only at 18:45 and the second for Tralee at 19:00. On August 5 the latter, an eight coach railcar set comprising railcar 2634, second 1361, Diner 268N, Seconds 1515, 1514, P.Is 2661, 2660 & railcar 2637 struck a herd of cattle being driven across the line...". A few Cravens were wired as AEC railcar intermediates and do seem to have worked as such. Sorry JHB!

Does the sound not also depend on the exhaust arrangement? Or the body around the engine? Where do you stop? Very different sound from a C compared to a 181, despite both having an 8-645.

I think there were distinct variations of the 4-wheel flats? The original Mk.1's had a steel floor and oil axleboxes (some refitted with roller bearing in the 1980's) but (or so it was by the 1980's) rode too high for containers, as they had springs and spring links under the solebar but could be used for kegs and such. The same chassis was used as the basis for hoppers, tanks, barytes, pallet cement, and some acquired a couple of Bulleid opens and became the double-decker beet wagons. The Mk.11 flats had springs and spring links beside the solebar and were used for containers as they rode lower. I think these had roller bearing axleboxes from the start, but no steel floor, and they seem to have come in 12' and 14' wheelbase versions. All the 4-wheel flats were vacuum braked.

The 121's didn't get 645 engines until the 1980's, when they were available from withdrawn C class. Both 567 and 645 equipped locos were fitted for Mk.111 push-pull operation, and (as far as I know, but could be wrong) all 15 were made able to work the AEC push-pull sets, when they were fitted with MU equipment in the 1970's.

There's a picture in Nigel Mundy's collection of 385 (ex-184) taken at Antrim 28/10/67. UTA green, opposite side to the one in Des Coakham's book. No horizontal stripe apparent, just numbers and symbol.

I think the Day Mail was the 11:10 Down. The Mk.2AC set started on the 05:20 ex-Cork, went down to Galway on the 11:10, Up on the 15:10 and back down to Cork on the 20:35 Heuston-Cork, ready to start again next day. Times could vary from year to year, but it was like that for several.

CIE had many more TPO's than that, but over a long period. What era are you thinking of? The mail only ran to Wexford from Westland Row, I believe, and was taken off in the early 1970's. A couple of other comments. It's nice to see a photo of the Galway Day Mail (leaving Clara?) with BR Van and TPO at the front of the Mk.2AC set. Aside from the Galway trains, I thought all the mails had gone to combined GSV+TPO+air braked liner flats by the end, already sorted mail being carried on (10'?) containers on the flats?

Regarding "silver" coaches, my information is that the following were involved: Heating vans 3101-41 appeared in 1955/6, in unpainted aluminium. 2nd's 1429-43 of 1956 were unpainted aluminium, complete with a red "2" on the doors. Such was the lack of wear of this finish that repaints in green started in 1958. Compo's 2162-71, Luggage vans 2700-65 and 4-wheel TPO's 2962-71 of 1957 were unpainted aluminium, as were bogie TPO's 2972-8 and 2nd's 1444-8 of 1958. Coaches before and after were in shades of green.

I'm afraid you're being misled by the incorrect caption. Those are CIE Inchicore built suburban compos.

See post 62 in this thread.

I would suggest you're probably better off starting with the free to look at Irish Railfans' News, helpfully reproduced by RPSI at: http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/IRFN/ It's mostly text but there's lots of information and it's much more accessible than trying to find IRRS Journals, good though these are.

It looks like one of the GSR 1936 Dublin suburban brake thirds. These were flush sided vehicles, like the main line coaches of the period, but non-gangwayed. The end windows would be for the Guard. CIE later fitted gangways (see another of them in Des Coakham's Broad Gauge Carriages book), and they wandered on main line trains despite, like the suburban Park Royals, not having lavatories.