jhb171achill

That’s actually as good as I’ve seen. Now I’m tempted again. So it’s SSM?

In a case like that, it’s as good as certain the SLNCR would have been eaten by the bigger company. It was never profitable. Cattle traffic just about kept it afloat, otherwise it would have closed by about 1930. The NWR, or whatever it would become, would have re-routed cattle via Cavan if it didn’t agree to a takeover, and it would have surrendered within months. Either way, this new company would probably have incorporated its services into a twice or three times daily Sligo to Omagh service.

That looks VERY well.

Now THAT looks like a brass kit - I thought the SSM one had a resin body? Is that wrong?

Looking at both the Studio Scale and Silverfox kits for B101s. The resin body for the former looks a bit crude - others have commented on this too - though there are sets of parts available to tart them up a bit. The Silverfox one, from photos, LOOKS a bit better, but the cabs are too angular - the wrong shape, makes the thing look more like the British experimental "Leader". So, my questions. In either case. what type of chassis would be the best donor? It strike me that such a short chassis, but with six-wheel bogies, is not exactly a common type of British chassis design. Maybe get bogies off something like a British class 31 and scratchbuild a chassis? Has anyone any decent photos from several different angles of either one of these models built and running? How easy is it to put Dreaded Confusing Circuitry (DCC) into one of these? Any thoughts / opinions / experience welcome. PS: On neither the S'Fox or SSM website, or anywhere else, have I ever seen a model of one of these yokes with fully correct livery details! But that's another story.............

It's an excellent-looking kit, and well made an finished. Tempts me to re-examine the SSM offerings.......

Looks good!

It’s mid-1965, and one of the last Park Royals to remain in green has emerged from the paint shop in Inchicore only two days earlier, and is still pristine. It is seen here as part of the fair day afternoon train from Dugort Harbour to Castletown West, in the company of B165.

Those little yokes were probably the ones in better condition. Passenger numbers were few - it was largely reopened for goods & cattle traffic which remained busy, possibly just as a temporary measure while roads were improved. Just over a year after reopening it was closed for good.

Here are Fry’s models:

Only two were ever CIE green.

Probably better posted under “models”? Anyway, I can do better; herewith the entire rolling stock of the line. Can post livery details and loco drawings too if you want. James Boyd prepared these years ago, and I know would be delighted to hear they were being used. I’ll get you photos of the Fry models in the museum tomorrow.

You have caused drooling in these premises..................!!

A thing of ABSOLUTE beauty! Pity one wasn’t preserved.

In one case I got petrol money, in another €100 in an envelope!!

I have drawings somewhere - will fish them out.

From where?

I ACCIDENTALLY included an NLI shot in a public talk I was doing, though not of a railway subject. I did that talk twice. I thought the image (of a stately home) belonged to another archive which I’ve full permission to do what I like with. …..I'm writing this from prison…….!!!

Plus the oddball torpedo-shaped one at Ballycastle…. One or two in West Cork, I think.

This very day I paid €20 for copies of two images, for a book. They didn’t ask for a copy. It’s quite a few years since I last ordered anything from them, but the only stipulation I recall was to acknowledge the source when publishing.

Yes, almost entirely J15s for most of its life.

Not so much, no. The GNR had a few, though, but on both sides if the border (as it didn't exist when these things were put up). Lisburn still has one.

I remember the "C" class being left idling for hours too - B209 at Loughrea when I went there.

Swillyish pic of Senior's - no idea where, 1940.

Looks very top-class so far!