Niles

Touché

I wish... but we're not ruling out such a possibility of that some day. (I hear the lads involved with restoring a certain RH are very handsome ).

Táilte Tours is heading up to Down! We've organised a bus trip from Dublin (Connolly Luas stop) to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway on Saturday 5th August. Our ticket includes both the bus transfer and travel on DCDR steam services that day. Planned loco will be ex-Irish Sugar Company steam locomotive O&K No.3. Dept Dublin Connolly Luas stop @ 09:45, back for 20:00. Pick up at CityNorth Hotel (Matthews Coaches stop) at 10:05. One of the carriages will be restored Park Royal No.1944, so a great chance to sample the real thing before IRM's hotly anticipated models arrive. There will plenty of time in Downpatrick to travel on the steam trips, visit the Carriage Gallery and get food in the town at your leisure (and maybe even a sneaky bit of retail therapy). 30 places available, advance booking essential. https://www.tailtetours.com/event-details/downpatrick-county-down-railway-day-tour

121s wouldn't have been unknown on beets. They also appeared on passengers, sometimes in pairs but sometimes single (using Rosslare turntable at the end). Few photos here of 121s on the Waterford-Rosslare passenger run in 2000: https://www.facebook.com/groups/259793900804215/permalink/440591499391120/ (you might need to join to view)

The footbridge used it Wellington Bridge is oddly similar to the standard Hornby footbridge, or at least would give the right 'feel'.

I was discussing this with @jhb171achill the other day, there's reference out there in the Boocock book about one of the Bandon tanks carrying 'dark blue-green', anyone have a picture of this? My wild guess is that it refers to the darker late 40s/early 50s shade CIE used but pure speculation.

Not a bad idea...

That Macmine one is just gorgeous, haven't seen any from that angle before.

Our latest blog article recaps the "Suir Lee Knot" railtour from Cork to Waterford (More photos on our Facebook page). You might even spot a few heads from this very forum... https://www.tailtetours.com/post/the-suir-lee-knot-railtour-recap

I know what you mean. 209 requires putting the new numerals up slightly higher than where 206's are, and had no nameplate. Why 209? When I was 12 a kindly NIR driver invited me up to its cab in Connolly and its been my 'favourite' 201 ever since. We shall see...

I was going through some of my own gear last night and copped that my Lima 206 (which I intend on changing to 209 but as an aside) box actually has Paddy Murphy's signature on the label, had it ages and only twigged. Wonder what the story there is... (not posting a photo as I'm not wild about putting people's signatures up online for obvious reasons...)

1944 in the early green at Downpatrick. And yes, I know that technically it wouldn't have carried this livery as a brake conversion or with the plated over windows but it's actually one of the very early ones (originally numbered 1381, so the 3rd in the batch) so quite likely would have been one of the ones to carry it. Given the RPSI ones generally carried the lighter green it's something different anyway.

A few of the early ones indeed seem to have got the dark green and eau de nil. Most photos I've seen show single stripe but have come across one which shows a second stripe above the windows too. Some of us put several late hours researching this for the Park Royal at Downpatrick, was not good for the OCD. Should we go with one stripe or two etc. You can actually see one of the single stripe dark green ones on the cover of Chris Larkin's West Cork book.

Something different, if the mammies and daddies want an excuse for a train day out with the kids. (Marvel and trains, what's not to like?). From DCDR site:

190 (ok a 181 technically) too for good measure. Compared to steam classes there's more than enough 141s preserved, plenty to keep potential volunteers busy between ITG and RPSI if someone wanted.

One of my Táilte colleagues will be there with a selection of badges and some of these mkIV mugs:

re: turntables, Rosslare was used as recently as the early 2000s on occasions when 121s worked the evening service from Waterford.

Based on photos I've seen, even early on they didn't seem to religiously keep the suburban ones off mainline duties and vice versa.

1400 and 1946 (I think they were the very last set in service, straight off the Limerick-Rosslare).

The Táile stand will have some exclusive merchandise, including a very limited supply of Suir Lee Knot railtour mugs. And if that's not your cup of tea, we'll also have our full badge range.

I often don't know that I'm going to give an update on something until David announces that I am. The 071 KitKat was a nice twist too

Great show from Chris and that @Westcorkrailway fella assisting him. Lots of interesting insights (from a railway, human and even dog and cat point of view!).

Chris Larkin (author of West Cork Railways, Birth, Beauty and Betrayal) is joining us on Zoom on Tuesday, Apr 25, 2023 08:00 PM, for a talk on the railways of West Cork. Log in details are as follows.... Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3040263673 Meeting ID: 304 026 3673 One tap mobile +35361639031,,3040263673# Ireland +35312408941,,3040263673# Ireland Dial by your location +353 6 163 9031 Ireland +353 1 240 8941 Ireland +353 1 536 9320 Ireland +353 1 653 3895 Ireland +353 1 653 3897 Ireland +353 1 653 3898 Ireland Meeting ID: 304 026 3673 Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kZF472fpc

A few new Irish badge designs added to our shop following Saturday's railtour. https://www.tailtetours.com/shop (Original Irish Rail livery 2600 class Tokyu railcar, Clonmel signal, Suir Lee Knot railtour logo) This is addition to our existing range (Enterprise 201, mkIV Control Car, CIE green 800 class and GSWR No.36).

A sound for sore ears, the ITG's 226 in song at Carrick-on-Suir during the visit of the "Suir Lee Knot" railtour to the station. 20230415_125347.mp4