jhb171achill

Absolutely superb finish - very realistic! The original finish, believe it it not was a rich maroon, but it wasn’t just the painter - but more so outdoor storage, weathering, brake dust, the cheapest quality paint they could get, and even poorer undercoat, which got most remaining coaches into this state! The general manager told Senior that he was so embarrassed by them, he would prefer to borrow one from CIE or the GNR, if there was any sort of special train or “VIP” about….

This is what it would have been like. Some guards compartments on coaches like this were only 7ft long, the size of a normal compartment.

Me too, in reality. With many layouts based on branchlines, a “C” should be popular. Through the 1960s when most of the branches they were intended for had closed, they were to be seen on goods trains and shunting goods yards. Thus, one would be ideally suited to a 1960s small shunting layout too.

Sold sixteen of me “A”s to pay for them…..

I got all nine of my IRM “C”s this morning……

Just seeing this now. I have seen a copy of a map - but nowhere is it apparently online - which shows a siding sharply curving away towards the ballast pit further away from the line (now probably buried under the Galway Plaza service station area). However, the other day I went to the spot where the siding would have to cross the road as it left Dunsandle station. Far from there being any clue whatsoever to where this might have been, the motorway is now over anything there might have been. Not only that, but there are zero signs on the landscape of any sort of railway formation in google earth pictures before the motorway was built. To cap it all, despite the overall flattish nature of the surrounding countryside, this longer siding would have had to go round quite a sharp curve and also rise quite a bit in height. Jury remains out, as far as I'm concerned. If I find out any more I will post it here.

The green livery was gone by about 1913, I believe. Black, either lined or unlined (depending on loco type) for some 20 years after that until the blue started appearing in 1932.

Now THAT is one mighty looking yoke.......!

Exactly - and it was!

It was only 4.5 miles from Dromin Junction, with no intermediate station to generate passenger revenue. In the later days of the Loughrea line, more people drove to Woodlawn or Ballinasloe to get the train to Galway or Dublin than travelled on the line. It is likely that more people went even on foot to Dromin, with more trains there to choose from - plus a lower fare than if they went all the way on the train. Every penny counted in those days to most people. I wonder if Ardee had been twice or three times the distance from the main line, would the passenger service have survived? Edenderry was another. Quite big town, but no passenger train since the early 1930s, and even a modest enough amount of goods given its size, in later years. Same with Moate. In its later years it only had one train each way stopping there, and even that in late evening; light years beyond utterly useless as anything approaching a public service - but Athlone station was (and is) just up the road. I daresay the majority of people travelling by rail from Tipperary town today just hop in the car up to Limerick Junction which is only 3 miles away, where you have an hourly service, compared to the L Jct - Waterford route which seems to have two trains per decade, provided there's a good wind and they can find a driver.

Today marks the 46th anniversary of the last significant "round of closures", when, on 3rd November 1975, train services ended on the following lines: Dromin Junction - Ardee Claremorris - Collooney Listowel - Ballingrane Junction Attymon Junction - Loughrea. All but the last were goods only; Ardee since about 1931 and the other two since 1963. Loughrea was also the last place in Ireland to handle cattle traffic to Dublin, and the last in Ireland by some twelve years or so, to have mixed trains. The last traditionally operated Irish rural branch line, in fact. And of course, the last place (and only one of two ever) where a "G" class loco ever hauled passenger trains in public service! RIP the lot of yiz.

I'm not sure about that, Wexford70. I have seen one picture somewhere of one such clearly painted in that normal style, but I don't know where it was (as in, on what line / company), nor when it was. What I do know is that as far back as the 1930s, the BCDR at least used galvanising rather than paint on some metal surfaces. Then you had the GNR occasionally using creosoted telegraphy-style poles for some signals! You've got me wondering now - must start delving through pictures!

I absolutely love this layout - more and more please!

Poultry import regulations and so on…..

Yes, pretty universal white with black tops and bottoms, though some had white tops too. Silver ones seem to have appeared in the late sixties.

I’ve a silver and a green which will need to be done - once I pluck up the courage! In reality, Crossleys were almost always filthy….

Excellent little book, me of my favourites.

Wow! Really anticipating this one! Looks like an amazing concept!

The siding on the extreme right seems to have been lifted in the early 1950s, but the main goods road on the left was lifted not long before closure. The picture is very likely to be within September 1957.

Yellow on the grey and silver / black liveries. On the last iteration of the orange & black, it was day glo orange - however, this could fade to a dirty pink, while in some colour photos, if the colour saturation was too much, it could look red.

What’s that station building? Looks very MGWR-ish!

Excellent work, Tony!

Saw a few customer pipes today. Amiens St Station, GNR.

Wow!! P B Whitehouse was quite an expert on the line, so this should be good….

There’s 4 1/2 locos then! (No. 4 one side only!)