jhb171achill

Certainly is. Another ridiculous dud. Sure dont you know that's the Jenn-you-wine Bombay, Calcutta & Enniskillen Railway?

That is OUTSTANDINGLY good!

Regarding livery, the one with the soldiers beside it will be carriage brown, as it has coach transfer shaded lettering. The one pictured on the SLNCR will be plain wagon grey as it has standard wagon lettering.

I doubt very much if the circular structure on the ground relates to a turntable - more likelky a base for a rotating defensive gun.

I believe it was some sort of short-lived tramway put there by the British Admiralty. I don't think there were any locomotives, let along passenger stock. Often thought it would make a great little tourist attraction, provided it could be very cheaply worked!

It’s summer 1954, and a rare early colour photo, probably the first colour view of any train in West Kerry. Gleaming Kenmare regular 170 has just returned from a major exam and its last ever repaint in Inchicore (or should that be 00) Works. It’s on the Dugort goods today to run it in, and is seen ambling away, back towards Castletown West, with the morning departure. In other news, a combination of babysitting duties and daughter’s entire life of luggage stuffed into the layout room now, means more photoshoot and less progress on the layout, unfortunately. And I’m not getting younger…

Superb stuff, Ken, absolutely brilliant. Great to see attention given to the more historic aspects of the railways here. With growing interest in the grey'n'green era before the black'n'tan one, maybe the GSR and pre-1925 eras are yet to have their day!

I see one is black’n’tan 147. In the normal course I’d be probably buy it, but I bought three 141s originally to renumbered one to 145, and another to 147, as I remember them crossing at Tuam!

I've two of the first batch, which despite having less space, I got DCC installed in them OK.

Me too!

I’d say WSVR put it there.

As well as Polloxfen's Mill siding!

Correct - that's exactly what it is.

What scale are these and are they DCC-fitted?

It would have made a very nice branch, but no, it never existed.

Hi Sean! I'm afraid I've nothing on Tinahely or Ballinglen, or even Woodenbridge, among my dad's photos....... I do like the one above, though. In terms of books, "Rails Through the West" has just gone out of print; I've the last half-dozen or so copies here. But there are loads of "Rails through Tipperary", and for DSER enthusiasts, "Rails Through Wexford", as these are the two most recent in this series I did with Barry. For the DSER, we have included several very interesting shots of Palace East (a VERY interesting station), Macmine Junction and New Ross, as well as Wexford itself, of course. When doing this book, we did consider covering the whole DSER, but within Barry's photos alone, never mind me writing all the history of it all, and background to the photos, we'd have had enough to fill a telephone book. The DSER / DWWR was a truly unique line, with a fascinating background and history, plus probably the most scenic main line anywhere on this island - thankfully, we still have this!

Possible inspiration for a DSER-based branch line - this was taken by Senior in (I think) 1944 - the DSER branch line terminus (their only one!) at Shillelagh. Very compact and easy to model.

Lovely stuff, Leslie!

How long is it?

What gauge is that contraption at Clonakilty?

The whaaaat? Pics please - wasn't aware of this!

Senior recalled that my grandfather (who died a few years before I was born) often spoke of a series of meetings which took place between various "heads" in the engineering and draughtsmen's departments in Inchicore in the early and mid-1910s; as one who was heavily involved in the re-boilering programme of those days, he was present. Also present, of course, were representatives from the accountant's department! Presumably these meetings were chaired by the CME of the day(s). When a youthful Senior asked him was there any record of what was discussed at these meetings, he said "Of course, there were copious notes taken". I wonder if anyone is aware of where these workshop minute books are now held? They're not in the CIE archive - I've looked twice - unless I'm blind with one eye and can't see with the other - and I haven't seen them within the IRRS. Maybe Seagoebox might have some info? (As an aside, Senior himself had many a testy conversation with Amiens Street's accountant's department when trying to get a decent budget in the 1950s to upgrade the track between Dundalk and Clones. He wanted to put down concrete sleepers along it, but was only able to put down a very short test section. I have forgotten exactly where he told me, but it was somewhere between Iniskeen and Ballybay....) Back to the J15s; I love these models. I agree that it's a pity they don't come DCC-ready, but they are such an indispensible part of the railway scene just about anywhere on the southern half of this island that it's actually surprising they were never done before. Hats off to Roderick & Rebecca for both versions. I have three; tempted to get a 4th. I also had already a SSM kit made up professionally from before that. Very nice model finished, but not happy with sharper curves. A layout pre-1963, south of a line from Dublin to Galway, simply cannot be credible without J15s, in the same way you couldn't do a layout based on the West of Ireland in the 1950s without AEC railcars, or in modern times without ICRs. (Only exception for J15s being Wisht Caark where they never trod...).

That's the one. It was narrow gauge as far as Cork, but the Enniskillen bit gradually widened out along the way. Now THAT is nice. Perhaps you might send me a pic of it without the label for the Loughrea book? Looks in nice condition..... Sean Browne has another in Castlerea.

This is just outstanding.

I like that!! Would make an excellent layout!