jhb171achill

There is - several vans of linen, the guy in the station tells me, due in on the goods tomorrow. So I’ll head down to the station to photograph the goods, as there are bound to be GNR wagons in it….

Finally, the 1966 goods seen shunting earlier departs…..

“That fella doesn’t THINK. Brake van in the MIDDLE of this lot. Always takes twice as long to shunt when he’s been anywhere near the place….” “…….just before Sragh cutting. Hot box again. Time that oul van was put out of its misery, sure the roof leaks like a sieve too…..”

In 1956, the branch loco brings a crew van into Dugort Harbour. This will be used by the lifting crew for the nearby Drumbane branch, which was closed in 1947.

The goods arrives and shunts at Dugort Harbour, 1966.

Absolute CLASS, Beano - superb stuff!

Decided to “block out” another window on each side when painting….

With nothing much else to do tonight, a new tube of glue, an old hacksaw I thought I’d lost, an old BR van body and £2.50 eBay “Thomas” coach lying about, I set about one of these old departmental oddities to be seen about the place throughout most of the 20th century. This one is obviously very freelance, but I think fits in. It could be a crew coach for fair days, an old tool van beside a loco shed, or a constituent part of the dreaded lifting train - a common sight in the period of Dugort Harbour. Took me ten minutes with bits which were otherwise destined for the bin…. In scale it’s 25ft long, as were a very small number of the older six-wheelers. As departmental vehicles many ended up on four wheeled underframes, or old six-wheel ones with the centre pair removed. I just need to put buffers on this and paint it properly. Naturally, it will also be weathered within an inch of its life…..

I tend to supply photos of a real one weathered to whoever is doing the work…..

I think it was other posts here which converted ME to it. Not everyone’s taste of course (few things are!) but it does indeed highlight certain details. My goal is the closest that can be got to photo-perfect realism, thus weathering of some sort - however slight - becomes as good as mandatory….

“….so why is Charlie getting promoted to driver instead of yer man, especially after that business at Farranfore….?”

On another evening, the same loco shunts empty wagons at the harbour….

“…..greyhounds, yes. I won eleven shillings on that race…. Jack is breeding them now….. gimme a hand with these sacks….” Summer 1968, and B188 shunts before leaving on the afternoon local with one of the last carriages still to be seen in green.

Back to the excellent work of Mr Dempsey:

Another masterpiece of weathering by “Dempsey”, A23R arrives with the morning local one day in May 1972. . A23R again, later in the day with the mixed train.

Three month 5-star cruise round the Caribbean in a private yacht with helipad and free bubbly?

Wonder what the “technical issue” was…. Anyone know? Methinks I’ll still go anyway to support the cause! Anything 071 is rare enough….

…….and it would take him days to cycle all the way to Wisht Caaark, boy.

Love the pristine brown wagons; must be 1970 when they were painted that colour the first time!

Neither my country nor era - but this is a fascinating thread. Absolutely TOP class work, Darius.

It’s actually an outstandingly great job! Among my earliest railway memories are of seeing a row of rusty wheel sets on a weed-covered track where they had been breaking up locos….

Love the withdrawn steam loco….. very much a thing to be seen at certain locations in the early 1960s. Very realistically “weathered”….

Superb as always!

Thank you, folks!

“….well, what I’d like to know is how he can afford to buy a CAR, sure that’s nearly three hundred pounds, an’ he’s on the same money as Charlie and me….”