jhb171achill

More signal cabin stuff; more typical in style (though not in green!), and not in its original location. Note the screwed-on letters above the door - originally these were white with a rectangle of black painted behind them, as a "sign background" - and the rest of the wooden part of the cabin in a light sandy-beige colour usually, or sometimes cream. Look at the design of the eaves. This is the same as seen on many yellow-bricked station buildings. This was a REALLY strong corporate image; way ahead of it's time. Mills' architecture is grossly underrated.

See how the red-brick variation works; this is Malahide - the station master's houses of this design at some other locations survive too - Ballyhaise, Lisburn and Ballyroney come to mind. Malahide has an ornamental entrance - this may have been influenced by the adjacent Talbot Estate.

Typical larger GNR cabin, Lisburn, in railcar days. (H C A Beaumont) The protruding bit on the left was NOT typical, though - in fact, I know of no other example exactly like this. Knockmore Junction Cabin was of W H Mills-style RED brick, like many station master's houses and a few Mills stations (e.g. Mullaghfernaghan on the Lisburn - Banbridge line, and a couple of single storey structures on the Banbridge - Newcastle and Lisburn - Antrim sections).

.... Original GNR signs. Not too many of these left. Again, originally black with white letters and white edging. The GNR often used cast iron letters screwed to wooden backgrounds; virtually all of their station nameboards were made like this, including the famous one at Strabane with a whole essay on it about all the places you could change trains into, covering all of Donegal, hey. A reasonable approximation of this is now in Cultra. Disclaimer: Reasonable, not accurate. The "GENTLEMEN" letters above are of this ilk, and about the only ones still extant as far as I know. Anyone know of any others?

In the first picture, a standard GNR trespass sign - but it would have ben on a post, not attached to a wall as here (as an exhibit only) at Dundalk. The seat is a standard GNR one - very very few of these now exist (except one from Enniskillen in my sister's garden...). The letter box is actually also a GNR standard - there's one surviving in Lisburn station too, mounted upside down so the letters look like writing out of a Harry Potter magic manual. GNR signs of this type were also never gold and black - they were white on black, with the only exception being in some places, standalone trespass signs in red lettering on a white background. The UTA painted them yellow with black lettering usually, while CIE painted them usually the reverse of the GNR - white BACKGROUND, black letters. There were a few exceptions, but very few. The 12:45 to Greenore awaits departure one day last week. They've replaced the GNR 2.4.2Ts with these things, which can take three or four sheep, four mailbags and seven passengers, and run on eco-friendly kale, couscous and vegan broccolli juice.

The GNR's iconic architectural style with yellow brick (almost unique in Ireland) was designed by their engineer in the 1870s and early 80s, one William Hemingway Mills. It consisted of a distinctive coursed brickwork, usually red and black brick coursed through yellow brick walls, but often the reverse. Old stations on other lines were often replaced as traffic grew; thus the architecture of the Ulster Railway Company, the P D & O, and the Londonderry & Enniskillen Rly. disappeared from many locations. Mill's signature style may still be seen at Connolly Shed (the old loco office), Howth, Sutton, Malahide, Drogheda, Navan, Dundalk and Lisburn, as well as his equally distinctive wooden shelters at many Northern Line suburban stations in the Dublin area. His architecture also survives at a number of closed locations - at one time Mills designs in yellow brick could be seen all over the western district, from Sion Mills to Bundoran, and in Ardee, Oldcastle and Carrickmacross to Warrenpoint; while his reversed red brick with yellow and black coursing could be seen anywhere from Strabane to Knockmore Junction, Mullaghfernaghan and Ballyroney on the Newcastle branch. Many other places too. Here are a few details for modellers who wish to replicate this style. I'll post them over the next few days as I unearth them from pics I took recently. First, the weighbridge that was on EVERY platform of all but the smallest stations - often overlooked by modellers. Typical windows. Curved tops, sidtinctive separation of panes, and square at the bottom. The "station master" sing, now often replicated and reproduced by online frauds, is of standard GNR design and used (in this style) only on doors. Notice board signs, and signs on posts were different and did not resemble this style; they were more the responsibility of the PW people, with whom Mills would probably have had no dealings. Note the coursing. Only the black goes up over the door or window.

ALWAYS white in the past on all railways; the silver only came about with CIE in the late 1960s or early 70s. Colour light signals usually galvanised (thus "silver") from the outset, but some older ones white. The GNR and some minor railways occasionally had signals mounted on creosoted telegraph posts. The bottoms of signal posts and (on the GNR anyway) the metal caps on top of them, were black.

Serious question - any plans for CIE buses of the 1950s to 1970s?

Is it DCC fitted, and will it run on 21mm gauge track?

The only way that's going to be Irish is if it's BCDR - the carriages are suspiciously BCDR-like. The location is also not unlike the Downpatrick marshes. However: The locos are not even remotely like anything the BCDR ever had. Saddle tank locomotives were exceptionally rare in Ireland; half a dozen in Dundalk, a shunter in Inchicore, a handful in Wisht Caark, boy, and very little else. The BCDR DID have a few in early times, but while they vaguely resembled the leading loco, nothing even remotely like the second loco ever ran in Ireland. Not on a single occasion did I ever see evidence of what looks like a main line train in Ireland hauled by a PAIR of saddle tanks. The church spire is not that of Down cathedral, I would also guess. Thus, the verdict is that it is not Irish. The carriages, though...............!!

Yes, that’s worth emphasising - red lead instead of paint; cheaper and way more long-lasting. Orangey-red when new but faded to a dull salmony-pink shade, and remaining that way as it lasted a lifetime.

The existence of the border changed everything. Had no border ever existed, the INW would have been of more importance, and ended up quite possibly as the main Dublin - Derry line; failing that, the Derry Road. Once it DID exist, however, the resultant stunting of economic growth in its immediate vicinity, and changes in local travel patterns, meant the immediate death knell of the Keady - Castleblayney line, only open 13 years, and the relegation of most rural stations along the route to relative backwaters. Thus, it is probable that “secondary” stock would have been used, with the Derry Road being the “main line” west. In the 70s or 80s, yes, 141s and laminates, or NIR 80s. While it’s tempting to think today of a shiny ICR doing Connolly - Derry via either Portadown or Enniskillen, and container trains galore, the probability would be 29s and CAFs, maybe the odd 3-ICR. This actually makes modelling of such a thing comparatively simple. In terms of routes, IE would likely stick to their own territory. It’s probably stretching credibility too far to expect Cavan to remain, so we’re looking at Dundalk to Enniskillen operated by IE, where it meets NIR railcars on Enniskillen - Foyle Road. Meanwhile, another NIR service does Belfast - Armagh, with probably two services a day extended to Clones and Enniskillen. Clones - Portadown could have an IE local too…. That would be my take on it anyway, based on probable realities.

The church spire in the distance might assist in locating it?

Took this pic at Dundalk last week. I was going to post it on the satirical website with a caption to the effect that it was the 12:50 Dundalk - Enniskillen. That got me thinking about “what-ifs”….. In truth, had the INW survived, we’d be looking exactly at this - 29s operating DDK - EKN, maybe on to Bundoran, with NIR 3ks operating Portadown - Clones - Enniskillen - Omagh. Maybe timber trains originating in the Monaghan area, but goods otherwise gone. Often, railway layouts are constrained for space, meaning stations on sharp curves are necessary, even though they’re rare in real life. Enniskillen, like Drogheda, Cork and Belfast Lanyon Central Maysfields, was on a very sharp curve. So; layout idea……! No goods yard needed - Enniskillen worked by both NIR and IE railcars…..

Many thanks, NWD, much appreciated….

If that’s what the number is (I can’t make it out) then yes, it’s one of the WLWR’s few bogie coaches. Don’t know what the “M” is - it’s a completely different font to anything used by the railway. Suspect it’s something “unofficial”.

Tis indeed an ancient "butter wagon" - but actually it's GSWR! It does resemble the Midland ones, though.

Very many thanks, PJR, much appreciated.

Early sixties, I think. I’ll check a few old timetables later today.

And there was me thinking that "Abtus Voidneter" was a nasty character out of a Harry Potter novel........

There's one about to appear from my end of things, relating to the Tipperary area (should be out before the end of October), and another after that which is in progress.......... I'm not the only one who spent the lockdown at a keyboard, it seems!

Looks good! Nice pic of the Loughrea train on the cover........

What IS it? What does it do? Personally, I've never even heard of it.....

Yes, thought so - the one in front also could indeed be a “Popular”, though I thought they had a slightly extended boot?

Close enough to 1961! The car on the left? Possibly…. I thought A35?