jhb171achill

After decades, I've allowed myself to be persuaded by a friend who does a lot of brass stuff himself, to join what Galteemore of this parish calls the "Burnt fingers brigade"! Incidentally, for anyone making up those Aplhagraphix kits out of card as they are, every single one of the liveries shown above, true to form, is wrong, in some cases in every single detail, even the base colour!

By the end of six-wheeled passenger carrying days, the bulk of the remaining stock was passenger vehicles of MGWR origin, but brakes of GSWR origin! DSER stock had been purged already - a late 1940s CIE pogrom of much of what was south-eastern in origin had ensured that only a handful of DSER bogies saw much life in the 1950s, and rarely off their home turf too. Senior even remembered an influx of Southern and Midland stock onto the Harcourt Street line (on which he had commuted since 1922/3) almost immediately after the amalgamation in 1925. Wisht Caark stuff, boy, didn't stray off that system. I'm unaware of anything with a "B" after the number actually carrying passengers outside the CBSCR system to the end. Certainly, their 6-wheelers were exceptionally basic and in later days barely even fit for occasional excursions. So, a TYPICAL six-wheeled excursion train in the 1950s or early 60s, would likely consist of a GSWR full brake or brake 3rd, maybe one GSWR type and half a dozen MGWR types. As Mol_PMB suspects, several types' there were at least several Cusack-roof types (new, probably, about 1905 and among the last six-wheelers built by any compaby other than the BCDR) in Cork. One at least was a former first, which I've seen pictures of. We now have the Hattons Genesis stuff, which does as GSWR types, hence my comments elsewhere that the MGWR type, being more numerous in diesel days, is something we could do with. Worth adding that the few six-wheeled NON passenger carriages (full vans) which survived a few years longer (I think about 6) lasted in traffic until dates between later in 1964, and the last officially withdrawn in 1970. However, the last date there is proof of one in traffic is on the Galway Mail in summer 1968, and another possibly on the Cork mail the same summer, by which time only 2 or 3 were still nimibally in use. With the advent of the "Dutch" and "BR" vans imminent, they were gone. While the last was officially withdrawn in 1970, a 1969 photo I saw somewhere shows that it is clearly out of use for some time. Maybe they had just forgotten about it. Of the few that lasted after 1963, and least three were repainted in black'n'tan, hence the Hattons model being the only 6-wheeler offered in that livery. The ones withdrawn in 1964-66 had remained green. So, amongst our models - we may have a nice rake of hattons stock, but the van to run with them is green. The few painted orange and black were done so AFTER all the (green) passenger-carrying ones were torched, and in the new livery would not have run among their own kind. Instead, expect them to be surrounded by Bredin * CIE bogie mail vans, tin vans, and on passenger trains behind laminates, Park Royals, old wooden bogies in the new livery, the odd old Bredi9n, and just about possibly, a brand-new Craven. A black'n'tan loco or a grey and yellow B121 up front, of course, as they were gone before "Supertrain"..........

"The Hearse" was a relic which ended up on the Tramore line to carry parcels and prams on excursion summer Sundays. As an "everyday" vehicle it's not really a suitable prototype as there weren't many of them, and they weren't generally used in traffic. I'm not 100% sure about this - would have to check - but I think that by CIE days the isolated one on the Tramore line was by far the last of its type.

Well, I’d be up for three MGWR 6-wheel thirds (or seconds), so that’s half a minimum batch.

The glaring omission is the standard MGWR 6-wheeled third, produced in large numbers from the late 1880s to the early 1900s. These were extremely well built and after 1925 to be seen as far afield as Donaghadee and Bangor (several on loan for some years to the BCDR), Bantry, Baltimore, Rosslare, Fenit, Harcourt Street, Youghal and Birr, as well as every corner of their home MGWR territory - right up to the very end of six-wheelers being used to carry passengers in 1963. In fact, the very last set of six-wheelers still in passenger use that year was the spare set for rush hour and Youghal weekend excursions, based in Cork. And most of these were MGWR types, not GSWR. For any layout 1925-63, they’re essential. Fun fact; in 1964, the Record Society managed to persuade the powers that be to allow one - by now withdrawn for a year - to be used for society members going over to Albert Quay from Glanmire for an “outing”, as the society still quaintly refers to its jaunts…. (visions of the participants being “let out for the day”, closely monitored by men in white coats, with an all-important kit of compulsory medication at hand…..) As I digress and ramble; old age permits such things - I’ve been a member of the IRRS for 56 years, so I remember Drumcondra and the even-then venerably antiquated ethos of meetings, where instead of a member “giving a talk” or “presentation” about something, they “gave a Paper” on the subject. Yes, even then it sounded antique, and I attended many such “papers”….. and then started “giving” them in later life. It’s a wonder the jax wasn’t called a “flushing water closet”…. Jayyysus. If I’m ever advertised to the gricing fraternity as “giving a paper” on something, fer gawds sake don’t go - I wouldn’t! BUT; to revert. If he can do a MGWR 3rd, I’ll take three to start things going.

It was on a wooden board at first, on Maedb at least, according to jhbsenior (possibly only for works grey photo?) but soon replaced by a steel sheet. As for transfers applied over rivets, anyone who’s ever tried applying a waterslide transfer to an uneven surface on a model will have a lexicon of associated rude words……!

That’s what he gets for not specifying O gauge instead of N…..

A lot of bits and pieces are cheaper on Temu nowadays…. Scenery especially.

I recall a journey on the Pinzgau line in the late 1970s. We left Krimml behind a 2095 class diesel - same as that - with four bogies (still in the old dark green livery) on what was techncially a mixed train. No goods on the back, tough. But at Mittersill, after stopping to let passengers on and off, he pulled forward and reversed into a siding on the up (downhill!) side, and picked up three vans exactly like those show, before proceeding to Zell-am-See. Sadly, I missed steam on this line. They now have a steam loco on it for tourist trains, but it's not a "native" one; it came from the Gmund system further east.

White in CIE times, yellow in GSR. Red name & numberplates on 801 & 802 only in CIE times; all three dark blue in GSR times, and 800 retained blue to the end.

I am assisting a friend in clearing her elderly dad’s house. He’s in a home now and wants to sell all this stuff. Stock is situated in Dublin but can be possibly be delivered in and around the Lisburn / Belfast area too, though probably not till the new year. Postage is extra. Whatever it is that you want posted, I’ll find out the cost and advise you first. No stock has boxes but all are pristine unless otherwise stated. Locos are believed to be fully working unless stated but have not been tested and are sold at buyers risk. All are DC. Prices are in euros, and “lot numbers” will make identification easier. Locos €50 Carriages €20 (6 for €100) Wagons €5 Lot 53 is older, coarser wheels, €5 including two small model cars. Lot 51 is a genuine antique cast metal toy cannon (it works!) which dates from the 1920s. €25 for that.

Which is probably why the Society gave her a lick of paint fairly pronto!

But that was RPSI livery. It arrived in Whitehead in badly weathered dark grey. The red appendages and black paint are pure NCC / UTA culture! The story was that those in charge of such matters at Whitehead simply didn't like the grey livery.....

It always worked perfectly on the hottest and most humid days of summer in those abominable things..............

In 90's current state, it was never in any GSWR livery other than plain grey, as when it was rebuilt the lined black was displaced by austerity grey. But in its earlier iterations, the following. 1. As built: the way it is at Downpatrick. Dark olive greeen with light blue, red and yellow linibng. As Castleisland Railway No. 1, it is unkinown what sort of numberplate it had, but once into GSWR ownership, a standard Inchicore one with black background. 2. By the 1880s, same dark olive green but with black and cream lining. It is possible it carried lining only in cream at some stage. 3. After 1901, black lined in red. Numberplate background changed from black to red. 4. After 1915 or so, plain dark grey, including numberplate, which earliest photos of this appear to show just completely painted over. 5. Mid to late 1950s with numberplates removed and painted pale yellow number. 6. Last year or 18 months or so in traffic: appears to be repainted black with same pale yellow number. As you say, jury's out on the black. Personally, I tend not to count liveries applied to locos after being out of use, e.g. as ornaments (Fermoy and Mallow, both of which were completely makey-up livery, as was the hideous, gaudy Isle of Man-esque bright green they painted it up in for the 1996 Inchicore Open Day; or in preservation if unauthentic. Good to see DCDR going back to basics with it! It might be added that the three RPSI locos of CIE / GSR origin - 461, 184 and 186, never carried anything buit plain grey in their current state, though 461 may have been black for a short time before withdrawal. In RPSI operation, all three have carried incorrect black liveries, but 186 is now displayed in correct grey; whereas 184 and 461 both spent periods in CIE lined passenger green just to see what it looked like. 461 still carries this - personally i thought it looked quite well, though the green is not right, and had it carried green it would have had a pale green painted number, not a red numberplate.... A trusted volunteer friend tells me that they are cosmetically doing up 184 in the "enthusiast rail tour" livery that CIE put on it about 1960 while stuill in service - an unusual one-off.

OCD? We know of the A, B, C, D, V and Vs classes. But when will IRM do an "O" class?

GNR(B) cement van, early 1950s; treated as a "common fleet" later by CIE with their essentially-similar "H" vans.

They do indeed, and I had thought it was. However, I was fortunate enough to acquire one of the cast numberplates (which the three Tramore ones kept, as opposed to haveing painted numbers) about thirty years ago, and it was still in original condition. The rim & numerals were what would be expected, a very pale faded nondescripot creamy-pale-yellow colour, but when scrubbed, the background was unmistakeably very dark grey. Would you believe, at the time I was unaware that 560 had originally been "Achill" (115), so I ended up selling it some years later when finances were tight... pity, I wish I had it now. Anyway - it seems to have been a bit like the famous West Cork tank No. 464, so often seen in colour pictures of that last finale gricer's express in 1961 (it arrived back at Kingsbridge just about in time for the youngest participants to claim their pensions) - very definitely looked black, but wasn't. What often happened was they rubbed them down with oily cloths, which made soot stick to them. The dark oil also tended to colour them. The matter has, of course, been discussed many a time! What we DO know, though is that in its very last 12 months or so, No. 90 actually WAS repainted black! I think I've mentioned it before, but in the last conversation I had with the late Bob Clements before he died, he gave me details of what engines hye claimed were actually black. It was a case of ("none of class X, Nos. A & B of class Y, about half of class Z", and so on.....) Naturally (if you saw the state of my study), I've long since lost that list! Having four steam locos myself painted in actual colour matched GSR grey, and heavily weathered (you'll see them on the Dugort thread), they actually look like weathered black. So I suppose if a model was initially black, and covered with seven layers of gunk and filth like they had when they ended their days, for all a viewer of either the model or the real thing might know, underneath it all they could be painted in pink, lime green and gold, with red and white spots!

Mine would have to be 115 “Achill”; not only named after my favourite branch line, but which worked the line regularly in its first few years. After 1925, 115 became the famous 560, the last of the class in use. Right to the end of steam in 1963 it was the Tralee pilot, far away from home, and making the odd trip out to Fenit, and (even rarer) to Castleisland. During its career it had also worked on the Tramore line and as such, was one of a trio of the class which had an extended cab to increase coal capacity. Between its sojourn in Waterford and Tralee it also spent a couple of years in and about Wisht Caark, boy!

Further delay, unfortunately. Publisher has been unwell.

Yes, it was, by CIE; only they got the shade of green entirely wrong…..! In its current form, 184 has only one authentic livery other than this short-lived one - plain grey.

Interesting, though sadly absolutely littered with errors, including the oft-repeated and tiresome "legend" about the first and last trains bringing the dead to Achill*, and the old rural chestnut that "the British built our railways" surfacing here and there. Much journalism in today's rural newpapers ios of that ilk; it seems that journalists nowadays, just do a quick 40-second search of tiktok or twittergram before writing their articles; whither actual research? (* The first one did, but the last one didn't - the 1937 coffin train was a full 12 days before closure - normal service resumed the next day. Plus, the prophesy said nothing about trains (they wouldn't be invented until a century later), nor a "first" or "last" of anything. Exact words of prophecy were: "The day will come, when fire carriages with iron wheels will bring death". Nothing more, nothing less.....) The Killala branch was a small but fascinating one. Having done a book on both Achill and Clifden, I always though Killala would make a fitting companion - but in reality, it only had one station beyoned Ballina, and nothing ever happened on the line! It would be a very small book.... and photos of the line in use, especially decent ones, are virtually non-existent.

There is a photo of tjhe W class, I think in the likes of the Colour-Rail archive. The colour rendition, due to time, is very poor, so not to be relied on for colour matching, but it gives an idea. I have a notion theres one of the 4.4.0 too, but not the Jeep (that I am aware of).

That loco looks VERY nice!

I’ve seen a couple of these made up and they look great. A word of caution on Alphagraphix coach kits; in almost all cases, the liveries are badly wrong!