Niles

226's restoration over the decades is an inspiring tale of perseverance in Irish preservation. Well worth supporting https://www.irishtractiongroup.com/join

If we're applying Rule 1, I might repaint a Woolwich in 'might have been' MGWR tourist train livery (had they arrived a few decades earlier) - any excuse for a bitta blue & yella stripe.

There's a photo in Ernie Sheperd's book on the Midland Great Western of the first one in MGWR livery (complete with MGWR number) - it's a works photo so probably never left Broadstone like that with the GSR takeover.

Interesting - I've seen pics of Cravens and/or BR vans transferred on the back of mkII sets but not with pax. It would also suggest that the train changed from screw link to buckeyed couplings midway.

Just a stock transfer from Heuston/Inchicore to rotate the mk2s on the Sligo set.

Excuse the photo quality (I'd borrowed the family digital camera for the day but it wasn't the most advanced, nor was I ), but the stock formation might be interesting to some. 184 on a stock transfer at Connolly, consisting of: mkIId Restaurant, mkIId standard, BR van and another mkIId standard. 29th October 2005.

In furtherance to this, I actually remember the black ones being available in Marks into the mid 2000s (and I think they came out 2000?). They must have been there a good 3/4 years before selling out. That said, I'd love a J15 or K2, but with there only being 2 of the latter I appreciate that mightn't be a runner... Anyway, my layout-to-be will be set in a corner of the multiverse were a Woolwich was saved and runs with preserved coaching stock.

There's a few threads on these at the moment, here's 5233 in the consist of the morning Sligo-Connolly at Enfield, 23rd July 2005. I've another somewhere of such a coach added to the back of a Rosslare prior to a big GAA day, must dig out.

After a period they could end up mixed in with standard sets, I've a pic somewhere of 5233 attached to the back of a Rosslare to stengthen the regular 6+van set for a hurling match. Seen them mixed into Sligo sets too. The upholstery had a sort of lilac hue (very briefly considered retrieving the seats when we stripping parts for preserved Cravens back in the day as @mphoeymight recall). I quite liked them.

Hmmm... I've been looking for an excuse to get one.

The NOHAB is inspired... quite possibly what they should have gone with back in the 50s.

There's definitely footage of a 121 and and AEC pushpull set at Greystones on the Markle Irish Rail Archive - South East video.

There's a Westlife video featuring a mkIII pushpull at Limerick, can't remember which song off the top my head.

I see a Dark Stranger (1946) features a GSR liveried 800 arriving at Kingsbridge; rare enough to see moving footage of a loco in the livery of Ireland's finest railway company. (Whereas say the GNR survived as an entity long enough for the cine enthusiasts to capture it).

Received today. It struck me that many (bigger and with more resources) companies I've worked for or bought from wouldn't bother, a simple but lovely touch.