jhb171achill

In the 1940s, when a small Austrian man with a narrow moustache, of non-"Aryan" physique, decide to drop bombs on Belfast, the carriage sidings of the NCC were obliterated, and dozens of coaches and wagons were reduced to splinters and atoms. As a result, the (parent) LMS in Brexitstan shipped in a lot of old 1920s wooden-bodied coaches, and some wagons - both, obviously, of standard LMS / Midland Rly designs. Thus, straight repaints of several types of LMS coaches will instantly fit on an NCC / UTA / very early NIR layout as loco-hauled stock. Wagons likewise; in Tony McGartland's (truly excellent) book on the railway in Omagh, a standard LMS goods van is shown in Omagh - having deeply penetrated GNR "Derry Road" land, well away from the NCC! (Left hand side, partially seen, p67). Another is seen in the same book of standard (English) Midland design, bottom of page 91, left. A similar vehicle again in the middle of a rake, p99. The Bachmann "CIE" set some years ago, with a "Woolwich" and three coaches in 1945-55 CIE lined dark green, are in fact LMS types. While they do not remotely resemble anything that ever ran on CIE (and more than almost all British wagons do), they are perfect for some of the types used on the NCC / UTA, with a handful lasting a few years into NIR days, even appearing behind a Hunslet on a handful of Portrush excusrions. Very often, if there's a mix of scale irish coach models (e.g. SSM kits) on a layout, they stand out amongst repainted British stuff, as the latter is noticeably narrower. It looks odd, but there's a prototype for everything; in reality this was the case. Look at how narrow the RPSI's BR van looks beside its Cravens. It was even more so in the north 1945-70, in the circumstances mentioned above. The coaching stock of the NCC in its last few years, and the UTA's ex-NCC section throughout the existence of the UTA, and the last loco-hauled trains of NIR until the early 1970s, had a mixture of the following: 1. Belfast built coaches to LMS NCC design 2. The last few BNCR stock, recognisable by their flat sides 3. British-built stock, brought over and re-gauged in the 1940s to replace bomb-damaged stock, to standard LMS desings - but noticeably narrower! After 1958, add to this ex-GNR stock. And - the GNR had a very small amount of coaches that were second hand ex-British stuff too - LNWR, I think from memory. The point here, though, in relation to British stuff which is usable here, is that a number of LMS designs can be used as NCC stock in the latter yerars of this company; repaint plain maroon (unlikely to have had lining, as secondary stock), or get LMS liveried ones and remove LMS crest and "LMS" lettering. For UTA, plain green, centre line of beige (not yellow) edged in red, and UTA crest; and a handful made it into NIR plain maroon, grey roof, black ends, with a 3" pale grey waistline. Mix and match with Worsely or SSM kits and Robert is a sibling to one of your parents. Now, where's this IRM RTR Jeep?

In the same way that nin final days, the 121 / 141 / 181 classes variously had dayglo lower panels on the front, or else didn't, in green livery days some of the A, B101 & C classes had an eau-de-nil waistline, and some didn't. If a re-run was being done, the black-roofed "Supertrain", perhaps 001 with the orange-shaded number on each end, and a green one with a waistline, would be the only two liveries not yet covered. Same with the C class and the B101s - some had the waistline, some didn't. To digress, we enthusiasts often dream up our own names for things, and also sometimes rarely use terminology that actual railwaymen used. In earlier operational days, the B101 class were usually called "Birmingham Sulzers" by loco staff.... (and no self-respecting NIR man ever referred to any type of railcar as a "fumper"!) .............................. Just edited this post to add - on the subject of the C class (hopefully an IRM project some day?), there was the very short-lived variant of one with a yellow buffer beam, and I've a notion another very briefly got an orange buffer beam. Two (at least) of the 121s got red buffer beams while still grey, and at least one 121 received grey again when it was first repainted - most went from the grey to black'n'tan at first repaint.

Very true; forgot them. True! In the passenger brake world, Dutch vans, and both the four and six-wheeled "tin vans", though the six-wheeled ones mightn't be commercially viable as there were only about five of them, and they rarely strayed off the Cork line, as well as being pretty short-lived. But the four wheelers were on virtually every single train in the 1960s, and many in the 70s. Wow! Steam or diesel, I wonder! What a wish-list I could dream up...........................

This is long overdue. For ALL freight trains prior to the late 60s, and most up to the late 70s, brake vans at the back are as essential as the loco at the front. And no matter what repaints or alterations we do, there's not a single British RTR van that looks even remotely like any that ran here ever. We've JM Design's excellent planked ones so far, and both GSWR / GSR and GNR types from Provincial Leslie, but an IRM RTR CIE one is badly needed! Several body design variations, several livery variations for different eras; bring 'em on....! Also in dire need of: Tin vans!

Correct, galvanised rather than painted. But chassis remained grey up to just the final years as in the model above. Anything in the modelling world based on real life before, say, 1985-90, will require purchase of the grey chassis ones.

I think the carriages are a long lost cause - I’d be more worried about the fate of the engine!

I believe D&M are long defunct.

This is possibly posed; it is certainly not an actual train, as the carriages are of 1890s design. At that stage only three "singles" remained, and they were long gone from the main line - just shunted around Broadstone. In this view, if not posed, he's lifting an incoming up Galway / Sligo (two portions combined in Mullingar; Sligo part rearmost) out of the arrival platform.

Superpower on the branch local…and some of the new IRM Bullied opens in late 1980s / early 1990s sugar beet guise . The standard of these excellent wagons has to be seen to be believed… IMG_1057.mov

....just running to catch the bus here............

A most unusual looking vehicle! It will look great when done...

My understanding is that it will be ICRs.

Received my Bullied opens today. They are absolutely stunning. The level of detail and overall realism is outstandingly good, as we would expect. Top marks, yet again, to IRM. I would snap these up if you want them, folks, as they're bound to be a top seller!

Putting an oul crate like these things on the Enterprise service is just awful. I've made a note on the new Enterprise timetable of which services are railcar-operated, and will make sure I won't be using them. DDs only for me!

To be fair, major work is being, or has been, undertaken in several important city termini - Galway, Limerick and Cork in particular, and more suburban stations are planned in Limerick and Cork areas.

Correct, yes. Or loaded from chutes to one side, under cover.

At the very end, Waterford had the middle layout and Tramore was just a dead end….

They need mobile phone sockets in them at the least. Last time I was on one they didn’t have it. This is as good as expected nowadays; same with the 29 class.

Do we know the paths for the CAF? Presumably it’ll be advertised as no 1st class or meals? I need to know what services to avoid! I’ll only use DDs.

Senior had been using it as a PW inspection car at that time. He told me that its brakes were also dodgy by that stage, so that was another reason for the stick!

Excellent work as always1

“Yes, I know it’s DEAD… Barney threw stones at it and it didn’t move. But where did it COME from?’ ”It's that oul weedkiller, whatever they’ve put in it now, makin’ em all grow, or the myxomatosis or something….. ye think it bites?” ”I'm after tellin' ye it’s DEAD, ye thick. Any sign of the guards yet?”

On a typical day, there will probably be about 4 or 5 trains running. Mallow station is on a separate circuit - today that had the Executive train with a zebra-liveried 201. The two-car 26 is often on that too. The main circuit today had the NIR train shown, the 2-car 26, a grey 121 + bubbles, an "A" with cravens and a Mk 4 set (as shown). So five sets today - that's fairly typical - plus the 0 gauge overhead. There's a 29 class set now too, forgot to mention that one. I posted pics of it a while back. Nice repaint job.

Many thanks! There can be up to half a dozen or more trains operating at one time. Also present today was a 121 with cement bubbles, and an "A" hauling Cravens. On the upper !O" gauge track, a durty silver "C" class had a late 1950s train of cattle wagons...... In storage, among other things, are 201s in various liveries, 071s likewise, Mk 2s and Taras. With the new IRM announcements, hopefully we'll have some 4-wheeled stuff out'n'about soon! And, of course, eventually bring on the ICRs!

A CAF??? They might as well use a 2600 as one of those.