jhb171achill

I don't think they're supposed to be doing that - although - for many years, while A Post treats the north as local post, Royal Mail treats the south as "international". That's bad enough, but comparing like with like, Royal Mail charges (even internally) are well above those of An Post to start with!

In terms of the "high capacity" ones, will the seating plan internally be different in any of them?

You can contact Leslie here on this forum - he will see your message - or PM him via here?

Well, this stuff is now well-recorded and blindly obvious fact, so fair game........!

If I may be forgiven an unashamed plug.......... "Rails Through Connemara" by self, still available. We did the book launch last year at Maam Cross - in the middle of Connemara, the pandemic, and a washout rainy day - outdoors! Ping me privately for signed copies p;osted within Irealnd or the UK. An amazing journey, yes - though built with government assistance as the MGWR wouldn't touch the project - they knew the inevitable, which was that (sadly) like so many other similar routes, it never came close to covering operational costs in a single year of its 40-year life. West of Maam Cross, especially, some of the most amazing railway wscenery to be had anywhere in Ireland. But as emigrants from the west often said in post-famine times, "you can't eat scenery"!

For those who only have a few ferts, or only want a few, don't be put off by a "need" to buy a dozen! You could see them in smaller numbers as part of a mixed goods train along with cement and Guinness, as often the case on the North Wall - Dundalk - Belfast (Adelaide), and Dundalk - Derry goods back in the day. There were times when that train might only have 3 or 4 fertiliser wagons, with a few 4-wheeled Guinness flats in two. So if you've just one pack of bubbles and one of ferts, thats fine for a goods train within the realms of accuracy!

Certainly was! Doubtless one loco had rescued the other after it failed - they didn’t double-head in traffic ever. So that was a nice catch for you! A single 121 could certainly handle ten empties. Ten laden might have been a different story, though.

I suppose there's "Rule 1" which would allow a JM Design G2 2.4.0 or an 00 Works J15 in front of a rake of 'em!

Aaarrrghghg me too........ Stuck as I am in the 1950s and 60s on Dugort Harbour, I might be tempted this time! I always liked the look of those ferts. I'd need something in "supertrain" livery, though, to haul them, and everything I have is silver, green, black or black'n'tan; the latter would, of course, do OK.

Conversion of an old 1956-59 type laminate brake standard, I believe.

Indeed - on several counts. So many Irish layouts with superb (and Irish) locos and coaches, but BR wagons repainted. Undeerstandable at one time, pre-SSM, pre-Provincial and pre-JM Design - but there are many Irish wagons available now. On the subject of AEC railcars and their intermediates - yes, very many variations, but there are valuable multi-purpose crossovers. For example, a GNR K15 open third could be a loco-hauled option in six liveries (2 x GNR, 2 x CIE, 2 x UTA and 1 x NIR), and thus suitable for, say, a loco-hauled train on a layout based on the Derry Road. In black'n'tan, as some suvived to be coated in, ALL over CIE! A laminate is equally versatile, as is a Park Royal - RTR versions of all three badly needed. My point is that while no laminate was ever seen in a GNR, UTA or NIR set, nor some GN types in CIE sets, there is enough alternative use for all of these vehicles as loco-hauled stock, thus fulfilling many purposes and thus boosting sales.

The breeding programme for live 4mm scale Fintona horses has been successful?

AEC cars have, in total, eight basic liveries, with a ninth and tenth as variations of two of them. Add the de-engined ones as NIR secondary stock in the mid-70s and you’ve ten variations. I am led to understand that when commissioning a new model, the more liveries there are, the more viable the thing is.

That looks like a design that could be related to a British prototype, as you suggest. I wonder is there a “near-enough” RTR British loco which could be made to look like one with little more than dark grey paint and GSR-style numberplates?

Very well said indeed. Rest in peace.

I would absolutely agree. The “A” class were VERY much worth the wait. Between those and the Accurascale stuff, they’ve brought both Irish AND British models to a whole new level.

I should add that as far as I’m aware, all the locos used on the last beet campaign with steam (winter 1962/3) were J15s, and the last locos used on a CIE passenger service which was all steam (Loughrea, Ballinrobe, Ballaghaderreen) were the similar ex-MGWR J18 0.6.0s. Loughrea went diesel in April 1963. A couple of G2 2.4.0 tender locos were still on the Sligo line until almost the end of steam.

Agreed - a “C” fits well into the steam / diesel changeover period. Thr last steam engines in use anywhere in Ireland were N I Railways’ “WT” class 2.6.4Ts, known as “Jeeps”. No. 4, one of the very last two (withdrawn 1970), is preserved at Whitehead. The last in use in CIE (April 1963) were a mixed bag, mostly elderly 0.6.0 tender engines of GSWR (J15), and MGWR (J18/J19) origin, but a couple of “Woolwich” 2.6.0s and several old 4.4.0s of various origins also lasted to about 1962. Notable among the others were the last few 400 class 4.6.0s and a couple of the useful MGWR J26 0.6.0Ts. The last GNR locos, two 0.6.0 goods engines, lasted until about 1965 or 1966, under the UTA. I saw them often.

Joe put a huge lot of work into that. It shows! Awaiting my own copy.

DCC fitted or not?

How many are they getting? And what for? (Will the jax, as a revolutionary alteration to the design, have air (ideally fresh), ventilation, dry floors and toilet paper?)

Absolute brilliance! Superb stuff - keep the pictures coming!

Ah, but they were 5'3" gauge.

No. The coaches had corrugated sides, upon which it would have been impossible to display it properly, so they mounted them on boards and screwed them in, as the GSR had done before that with their crests mounted also on boards. Note, too, that the base colour is the darker green but no lining at all - that was the norm on the West Clare.

Now joined by some more model material - including the very excellent "Past-Avenue" layout of this parish, most generously donated for display, and the collection of "0" gauge models of the CDR made by the late Sam Carse for his highly intricate CDRJC layout at his home in Dublin. I was privileged to see this in operation once, over 40 years ago now......... these have lately been gifted to the centre by David and Barry Carse. The centre has amassed a monumental collection of images of the CDR and LLRS systems now. Some 250 of these will feature in the photo album lately prepared, and in final editing / printing now.