Niles

I would like to think 2600s will see quite a bit more of the country before all is said and done, subject to IÉ capacity. Our next mainline outing will be something different however, watch this space.

It must be 25 years or so at least since the last reformation took place... certainly 2617+2614 and 2610+2613 have been 'married' since fairly early on in the careers in 1994 (they worked an IRRS special as such in June of that year). I think 2605+2616 and 2615+2606 were later swaps, either late 90s or early 2000s? A few 2700s got mixed around too, at least one such change occurred after 2716 infamously tried to jump off the end of the carriage sidings in Connolly. 2800s have remained 'properly matched' but I think in the very, very early days there might have been some sets 'mixed up' during delivery. Not directly related but Tokyu nonetheless, there are two 8620 DART sets running 'mixed' at the moment, 8621+8521+8526+8626 and 8625+8525+8522+8622, I believe related to a signalling equipment trial but someone will be able to clarify the specifics. There were two misformed 29000 sets for a while for the same reason but these have since been 'corrected'.

There were three sets with the chevron, 2605+2616, 2610+2613 and 2614+2617. 2607+2608 was the first to get the full yellow end, based on the timeline of my own photos at least. It was quite striking at the time.

Decent of it to put on a nice suit for a funeral.

If you see someone in a Táilte jacket looking they haven't slept in days it's probably me. re: mkIVs, generally the 'odd hour' trains out of Heuston and 'even hour' out of Cork are mkIV worked, plus at peak times you should get one on the 08:00, 16:00 and 18:00 down. The 21:00 is an ICR set. I believe the 14:25 up this Sunday is an ICR though so you may or may not want to avoid that.

Yep, unforunately we haven't been able to procure a trolley service this time but obviously passengers are welcome to bring their own. In addition to the main lunch break in Galway there is a (subject to timely running) 40 minute break in Limerick on the way back and the station is close to some purveyors of liquor and other nourishment...

Just over a week to go and some places left but quite a lot gone, there always to be pent up appetite when we run a railtour from Cork! The onboard crew will include @jhb171achill and I, among others from this parish, so do say hi if you're travelling, we don't (normally) bite.

A further update on progress: https://www.downrail.co.uk/2025/03/volunteers-complete-ballasting-of-new-siding/

Worth bearing in mind that, in this day and age, the non-enthusiast market are your bread and butter. As some of you know in my voluntary life I look after marketing for DCDR and Táilte Tours, in both cases it's the non-enthusiasts that make up the critical mass to make events viable. What's interesting is the old notion that you have to have steam to win the general public isn't necessarily the case, both groups I work with have had to use 1980s/90s vintage diesel railcar stock and with the right proposition non-enthusiasts will and do travel. It's been a decade or so since I was involved with RPSI but the same rang true there too (non-enthusiasts being the main costumer base, not the railcars!).

Agreed. I don't think being able to remember them will have as much an impact for locos of this stature. I mean, how many of us ran big Hornby British steam locos without any memory of seeing them in the flesh? It would be different if it were say, an ex-DSER J1 or something like that (I'd still buy one!).

There's a report from the early 50s(?) which actually advocated the building of new steam locos, tied in with a proposal to cull a lot of the numerically-weak classes in an attempt at standardisation. Interestingly, the usefulness of the 2 K2 class locos (461 and 462) was noted and they would have been spared from the 'cull small classes' plan, had it come to pass. I must dig it out, but it suggests not all in CIÉ where necessarily committed to full dieselisation at that point.

I wonder was the livery influenced by the fact that the LMS had a seat on the GSR board through its LNWR/DSER stake?

There's a school of thought that the 800s did as much for the GSR in terms of PR and marketing than they did in terms of engineering, I suspect this will be the same for IRM and hopefully our little corner of the hobby in general. Two days in and I'm still deliberating which version of 802 to go for, though as I said to @jhb171achill yesterday isn't it a great position to be in, deliberating 'which' 802 to get.

I would say it's at least possible in the case of 801 and maybe 800. 802 was withdrawn in 1957 so less likely though marginally possible. (Open to correction but I think the first Park Royals in service were on the Dublin suburban which 802 most certainly would not have appeared on ).

I'm pretty certain I've seen pictures of a six wheeler stuffed between an 800 and bogie stock, so a head start for anyone with the Hattons stock. And, as pointed out, Bulleid opens work for 801...

Tickets now available at https://www.downrail.co.uk/event/easter/

Downpatrick & County Down Railway are operating Afternoon Tea trains on Mother's Day, 30th March, using the 450 class railcar set, advance booking a must (the Afternoon Teas tend to sell out fast). https://www.downrail.co.uk/event/mothers-day/

Thanks for all the bookings so far, the support is very much appreciated. We're already at the point of outselling our previous 2600 railtour out of Cork and there's still 4 weeks to go. It's quite heartening considering even a few years ago people scoffed at the idea of a 2600 or even a 201 being used on a railtour, whereas in the past three years there have been several popular tours using both types between ourselves (TT hat on), IRRS and RPSI. @Mol_PMB if you're doing the Tralee-Fenit walk on the Sunday, the 17:10 Tralee-Cork is normally a 2600 set on Sundays, if you haven't got enough of a fix on the tour itself.

Believe it or not some did receive it, the one preserved at Downpatrick has a black underframe with paint markings dated 1973 so it's a CIÉ job versus preservation.

yep, that's the one!

There was a brown 4 wheel van of some description in the Boston sidings near Grand Canal Dock into the early 2000s. Not sure if it was H or another type but I remember passing it, it had become one with the weeds.

Post received today. Even on a modern era layout an old brown H van hiding down a siding isn't necessarily out of the place.

That's more or less correct (1381 is DCDR's 1944, renumbered when converted to a brake in the 80s) and you can add 1424 to the list. The only presererved example to be scrapped was the RPSI's 1416, burnt out in an arson attack at Inchicore about 20 years ago sadly. 1381/1944 - Downpatrick 1383 - Inchicore 1400 - Clonakilty 1419 - Inchicore 1424 - Clonakilty

I know of one instance in 2005-ish when Cravens substituted, hauled by a pair of 141s of all things. By that stage substitutes tended to more mk2ds (often resulting in one of the Rosslare links getting the standby Cravens instead of mk2s). fmnut has footage of it here: