jhb171achill

Bunclody…. Dromara, Co Down (though there was a proposal)

Indeed. If I were to do that in my "era" (1950s-1970), I would probably use a J15 or a "G" class and shunt a few trucks even if there wasn't even room for a terminus. However, as late as 1990, it would be fairly credible to have some sort of small freight terminal handling fertiliser and cement, for example - possibly a fictitious place that would have started life in 1890-something as a similar type of place top Westport Quay, all operated with a Murphy 141. Nice plan you have above there!

Some great period pieces there, DJ.

Westport Quay mentioned above.... the layout I have, "Dugort Harbour" was initially intended to be an exact replica of this place. It had everything as a realistic terminus for someone who lives in a house smaller than Rod Stewart's - sidings laid out in a less-than-usual way, enough to generate as much interest as anyone wants in terms of shunting, etc., plus a platform for passenger services, as there had very briefly been a passenger service in the early days of this line. Turntable one thing missing, though. The track plan I have still resembles WQ closely, but the major reason I tweaked it was not because of restrictions of design - it was because at time of conception nothing whatsoever of MGWR origin was available. Now there are Midland locos - though coaches remain glaringly absent. The concept of the layout is that passenger service hung on by a thread until the late 1960s. There were a number of very compact termini which would act as very good inspiration for a space-constricted layout. Fintona, with a passenger platform enough for a single double-ended railcar like the GNR / UTA Gardner car 101. Very compact and interesting layout, though again no turntable. Castleisland scores high - compact and has everything. Nearby, Fenit with or without its pier. As a small through station, rather than terminus, places like Belcoo and Dunsandle, or some of the stations on the South Wexford, would make a nice model. Wexford South would make an interesting and very compact station, as it was initially built as a very small terminus. And then you've Tramore! At the risk of starting a litany of lists of other places, the above could be taken as just a few of many. The narrow gauge has many compact places too, both termini and through stations.

The ones I worked on had only UTA sheet steel panelling. Whatever might been be been underneath was long gone. There were 9 & 114. The old nraa as JR third, 595, which fell to pieces from rot, I cannot comment on but I suspect it was the same. By contrast, most of the RPSI’s ex-NCC stock had aluminum panelling put on by the UTA, ageing without anything older underneath.

Don’t know - would be handy though.

On a related note, has anyone any idea where one CAN use these wretched things? I have €20 one which nobody accepts…

A quiet spring evening in 1970 at Dugort Harbour. A “transplant” arrives with the last train of the day, straight out of Inchicore. Meanwhile, the normal 141 finishes shunting the extra goods shuttle from “town”, and the several passengers who came in on the local drift off into the night.

Not a bad idea at all!

This particular one, for anyone interested who can attend the National Archives in Bishop Street, Dublin, is among the Office of Public Works (OPW) records, reference OPW 1191/26. Title is "Collooney, Ballina & Belmullet Railway" dated 1909-26. Yes, indeed, there were MANY proposals never built!

I was in the National Archives yesterday and by accident I came across a file dating from about 1900, in which a Collooney - Killala railway was suggested…

A man I used to know who was a senior under-writer in a large insurance company told me it’s always better value to have a collection of anything of value listed under a normal household policy - so if you’ve a layout worth, say, €5000, you just increase your “household contents” by that amount.

Not sure, LM. My dad knew him well, as he was a GNR man. I’ve a notion his origins might have been south of Portadown somewhere but I could be wrong. There was a PW Inspector Thompson who both my dad and William were very friendly with. Did you know him? (And who could forget Noel Scott!)

Indeed! The farmer you mention is Brendan Ferris - a true gentleman. As you say his sheep demo business is right ON the track bed!

Not within my modelling era preference, and something I confess to knowing less than zero about, but totally right. Your info on this thread is invaluable.

I remember “Mr McIntyre”!

Very nice job indeed!

Strange American train horn sound for an IE loco! Interior shots are a laminate.

Easy to weather too!

These are good quality and broadside, and show the original condition. The liveries are "works grey", not the actual liveries ever carried. For official photographs, the first of each was painted up in various shades of white, black and light grey shades to show detail. Contrsats, such as dark ironwork and pale bodywork, were not carried into real life. Livery notes for all of the following are: GSWR wagons: All-over DARK grey, ironwork, roof & chassis included. Lettering white. GSR wagons: Dark grey as shown on the GS grain hoppers, equivalent to LMS grey in England - again, all-encompassing. Ranks wagon - at that stage, all over dark grey. CIE grey after c.1960 was lighter than any of the above. Locos: 36 & 123 lined dark olive green, same as 90 at Downpatrick. The four in light grey, lined or unlined, would also have got this livery up to about 1900, and lined black between then and 1915, after which the all-grey appeared (in real life)! The coach - very dark "crimson lake", lined - as per the shade used on Downpatrick's No. 836, or the RPSI's 1142. Loco 850 - not sure. The white motion certainly wasn't used in traffic - the rest seems very dark, possible poor light (hence the white?) This locomotive would have been grey when new. The pics are from an old collection in the hands of a friend of mine: 204 appears to be standard dark grey, while the MGWR tank, with no lining showing, must be in the 1918-25 MGWR black.

Yes, they were indeed - the initial glossiness of the black, same as on other CIE roofs in green and black'n'tan eras, would last about four seconds flat before becoming matt!

Nice looking book. I wonder if it starts in the early days with photos of 121s when new, and both them and 141 / 181s in black'n'tan? Or is it just modern photos (IE, Supertrain), does anyone know?

That would be weathering. They were all painted black in actual fact. If you want them to look weathered, which of course would be far more appropriate than anything pristine, a grey background would be too consistent - I would paint them a way darker grey and weather it heavily.

Brilliant! And your painting idea is a very good one too. That size will give many possibilities as you have outlined. Best of luck with it.

You mean colour of roofs? That would be black.........