jhb171achill

While it was conventional to paint horse boxes in passenger livery, this was usually without any lining! So you're safe on that front! Just lettering and number; in the case of both the MGWR and GSR, a gold-yellow colour, shaded. I think I've seen a pic somewhere of one of these with a GSR crest added, but it would not have been typical; maybe a one-off, so you're safe there too! Because its passenger livery, black chassis / wheels / solebars is correct. If you wanted to have it in wagon livery, obviously the whole thing would be grey.

From photographic evidence, Mansell wheels on anything appear to have been varnished wood when new. However after a short time in traffic (like white lead carriage roofs), it was anything but - just a dirty grey / black colour. It is probable they were painted black or grey (depending on body colour, perhaps) at first repaint, as I inspected up to half a dozen samples years ago which were all of either MGWR or GSWR origin, and found what appeared to be black paint under all the gunk. The Ranks' grain trucks would as you say be a totally different animal, and didn't stay red long; apart from that, I was unaware of them visiting West Cork - if so, a rare visitor, I would think, as grain was carried generally in standard wagons. The CBSCR appears to have generally used a dark grey for all goods stock, somewhat darker than CIE. Older vehicles, back in CBSCR days - varnished Mansell wheel centres and white-rimmed wheels would have been delivery livery. After only days in traffic, that was no more to be seen! And, as I say, inspections of the real thing plus photos suggest early paint applied to these wooden bits. Black ironwork on wagons is an invention of Welsh preserved lines and Hornby. While examples of "oddball" one-offs and the very few private owner liveries in Ireland did have this type of embellishment, normal wagons in normal traffic would never have had ironwork picked out in black. Regarding the ones you describe - did you mean the CIE Ranks ones? For 2mm gauge, these vehicles - all of them - are quite simply the very best modelling in that scale that I have EVER seen. That pic would do credit to 0 gauge! The undercoat colour you have would indeed suffice, though it's lighter than the grey used. If you weather it badly - which would be absolutely prototypical - it'll match perfectly! As to the horse boxes - the chassis is fine. Horse boxes and carriage trucks were very usually painted by most Irish railway companies in passenger livery, hence MGWR ones were brown initially. After 1918 they were maroon, and from what I understand, it would fade quite quickly to match exactly what you have. So, the above is correct either for 1918-25 MGWR livery, OR GSR livery. Chassis would be black, as these were in passenger livery. The general rule for most irish companies is - goods livery has chassis same colour as body and ironwork; passenger livery has black chassis. So that horse box is fine as it is. SOME horse boxes could be wagon grey in CIE days, but most seemed to have passenger livery. (Laterally this meant exceptionally badly worn, bleached and faded remains of CIE green - and some grey).

Approaching Malahide this evening.....

Even by your “Almost-impossible-to-equal” standards, David, that is an absolute masterpiece in every way. Superb.

Dang. If I was 40 years younger.....

Small hint - "Portaferry" would do just fine on its own - it would only have "Something Road" or anything else added if there was a second station in the town - to distinguish it (as in "Portaferry North" or "Portaferry South").

At an absolute stretch, a 141 in black'n'tan MIGHT (hypothetically, anyway) have been seen with these things, but i don't think an "A". I took a film of the trial run of them passing Kildare one summer day, yes, I believe 1978. During the same week on a runabout ticket, I think I still saw maybe only one or two locos not yet "supertrained", but they were 141s. But I never saw a black'n'tan loco after that. Either that, or I'm mixing it up with summer '77; at which time no ammonias.

You’ve a great scope for variety there, Billycan. With those four, you’ve covered 1963-2003 - forty years!

I am not sure what Midland guards vans had the green livery, whether any that did were this shade, or as suggested in another source, something lighter (could have been this, badly faded). Fry was in Broadstone when vans like this were being painted, so I suspect the dark shade shown here is certainly how they started. This green livery was not applied to any other vehicle - only goods brake vans / drovers vans such as this. WLWR goods stock was, I believe, plain dark grey. The varnished wagons seen in Ernie's book were pre-WLWR, in W&LR days, and probably only like this on delivery.

Perfect! Here goes, then: IMG_7921.MOV IMG_7922.MOV IMG_7923.MOV IMG_7924.MOV IMG_7926.MOV IMG_7929.MOV IMG_7930.MOV IMG_7936.MOV IMG_7937.MOV IMG_7938.MOV IMG_7943.MOV IMG_7944.MOV IMG_7946.MOV IMG_7948.MOV IMG_7949.MOV IMG_7950.MOV IMG_7951.MOV

I took a whole pile of videos this afternoon, but none will load! I'll try this one. Someone let me know if it works. IMG_7921.MOV

IMG_7948.MOV

The above will reopen on 19th May. During the lockdown, further scenic work has taken place, plus a few glitches here and there worked on. More trains are operating now, and 121s have been acquired. A few shots from test operation today: Full details, times & prices from their website https://www.modelrailwaymuseum.ie/ IMG_7950.MOV IMG_7951.MOV IMG_7949.MOV Scenic aspects IMG_7944.MOV

Not even ten or fifteen, I would be pretty certain...... most definitely not with an "A".

In response to several enquiries, and from Cyril Fry’s models, here are the dark green colours used by the above-mentioned: The first four are what Fry had for the Midland goods brakes. However, some reports suggest a lighter colour; maybe both were used. I am unaware of any way of confirming this. Others were certainly grey, like the wagons. CIE green is shown (Maedb) as a comparison, albeit necessarily in artificial light. The County Down green is certainly accurate. It was darker than UTA green, and not remotely like No. 30 in Cultra. The LLSR green - something tells me it could have been darker (certainly not lighter) but that was possibly due to the dirt and grime which darkened its appearance in use. I include it for completeness.

Not sure precisely, but I'd guess about 7 or 8 years ago. In "brown" days too, the whole thing was brown - it didn't have little blue and green bits. I reckon these, plus the black, aren't a "livery" as such; just manufacturer's colours which they no longer paint brown themselves before using in traffic.

As others have said, much of the items you'd need to run with a silver or green "A" are not commercially available, and most of those that are, would be in kit form. However, for information: To run with “A” class locos in silver and green; the two overlapped. Year OTHER LOCOS (Also AEC Railcars with ALL) PASSENGER GOODS 1955 All silver B101, steam Old wooden bogie Green Old Six-wheelers Green Bredins Green Early 1950s Bredin-like CIE Green New “Tin Vans” SILVER New Park Royals SILVER New Laminates SILVER All wagons grey prior to 1970. Flying snails on all 1956 B101, steam Same as above, but silver coaches repainted green from c.1958, and all new stock after that green instead of silver. 1957 C, B101, steam 1958 Gradually repainted green 1959 1960 1961 Grey B121 plus above 1962 Grey B121 plus above 1963 Last few silver Black livery starts (Dec 62) Steam ends; Grey B121, C, B101, B141 1. No more six-wheelers. 2. Cravens introduced. Very gradual replacement of flying snails with roundels 1964 Grey B121, C, B101, B141 Coaches gradually repainted black’n’tan from early 1963. “H” vans painted a lighter grey 1965 Last few still green B121, C, B101, B141 Last green coaches finally repainted black’n’tan c.1967 Palvans introduced, lighter grey 121 liveries - Delivered in grey 1961 - First repaints into black'n'tan circa 1964 - Last repaints into black'n'tan circa 1967 - "Supertrain" livery (no white lines) 1972 - 1987 (Last repaints out of old black'n'tan into "supertrain" approx. 1976/77 - "Tippex" white lines added from 1987 onwards - several retained older livery for several years afterwards. The final livery WITH white lines was of course, initially with the "set of points" logo, and later the "three-pin-plug" logo.

Very much so. Black bogies on anything are a comparatively recent thing: for example, you wouldn’t have them with the likes of Bell containers.

Anything of the Newforge Siding? That seems very elusive photo-wise........

Oxford Diecast had a few items at about £5 sterling.....I have what's supposed to be a garda van, though i don't know enough about policing vehicles to know whether it's authentic or not.......

Hope those gloves are day-glo.......and she has her PTS......... Child protection pass, first aid cert........

And no rationale as to why you shouldn't be making them? I couldn't be 100% certain on all types of vans, but the ones I remember earliest were, I think - Ford? They had a narrow cab and a radiator on the front. I'd say they were of mid-50s vintage onwards. (plus orange Ford transits in the 70s with white doors)

Out of curiosity, upon what perceived basis did they try to tell you this? And, again out of curiosity, and if it does not compromise privacy, were these people also in the same business? I would like to see a typical 1960s post office van. Often seen at stations picking up mail vans.

Oh, INDEED I can! I worked with galteemore-senior for years, and often had the conversation. Initially, we tried selling "enthusiast stuff" on trains, but the few enthusiasts on board would pick over the railway books on offer, reading them cover to cover, then sidle off to eat the sandwiches they'd brought with them. G.Senior and I started selling instant raffles and teddy bears and toy tractors to the kiddies, and the money machine was born........ The only time the RPSI sells many books is on the May tour - and who buys them, to this day? Mostly the Englishmen, who will then tell you to put the £20 change in the "kitty"! Disclaimer: There ARE notable exceptions to both, so please don't take offence if you're one of 'em!

100% right!