jhb171achill

That would be easy - these vans were mostly all grey, top to bottom, all of their lives. The few that made it past 1970 got all over brown. The wasp stripes on the duckets started appearing about 1964 - plain grey before that. This would be just after "snails" had been replaced by "roundels" - which were the all-white type, not the ones with the tan surrounds, which were only on palvans and H vans. By late 60s, all grey, roundels, and wasp stripes. Roofs often looked much darker due to exhaust weathering but when new were same grey as sides and chassis. Brown starts to appear in 1970s, complete, of course with wasp stripes.

Like me........!

Where we were coming from - Barry Carse has been taking pictures of every aspect of Irish railways, almost entirely in colour, since 1964. I’ve know Barry for over forty years and we often talked about doing a joint book on one thing or another, over the years. His pics, my writings. In both books, the overwhelming majority of pics are his; only one or two of mine, but a few from Barry’s frequent travelling companions in the 1970s, Richard Wall and his brother David Carse. Over the years, I’d go round to his house the odd evening and he’d get the slide projector out and run through a few boxes. Many (indeed, most) pics would be analysed for a million things..... ”What’s that wagon on the right?” ”I never knew a 101 went there - when did you take that? What was he doing there?” ”Look - that’s an old GNR van in the train.....long way from home!” ”See that second carriage? Must be one of the last in that livery - what date was it again?” ”Who’s that fella beside the signal cabin - what’s he doing?” .........and so on..... So “Rails Through The West” was born after the pair of us cycled the Achill branch......dunno if my back could cope with that now. ”North Kerry” followed. Next? Well, should time permit........we MIGHT have a serious treat for rail freight fans of the 1970-90 period.....

Indeed, me too; steam engines were NEVER pristine in traffic, and the above job looks 100% realistic! Absolutely brilliant job! Lovely engine - I'd love to have had a spin behind one..... fastest narrow gauge engines in Ireland, and they look it!

Mogul, should you wish to use pics from either of those books on here, and for the purposes of illustrating a point you're making like the above, you are very welcome indeed to do so. (I'm one of the two named on the cover!) It's still in print but running low. If you want a copy please PM me - I still have a few new ones. Alternately, contact the publisher direct - Colourpoint, Newtownards, Co. Down. Malcolm or Wesley Johnston are the people to speak to.

Naughty diseasel people! I posted a few pics a while back, I think....

Where do you buy that stuff?

When I saw that headline about voting, I was worried in case it was Trumpty Dumpty joining IRM.....!

The views along the line are just magical. As 142 comes out of the tunnel and goes along past the telegraph pole, the scenery is especially realistic - the sort of hillside covered in ferns that you see all over the place. How did you do the ferns type of stuff on the slope? (I can feel the midges coming after me already.............!)

Good to see the loco plasticene is blue, Ernie!!

Mighty stuff, Galteemore! And, of course, Ernie!!

I have spent from before 10 this morning until 8 this evening writing lengthy captions for a selection of photos like this! Here’s how realistic this layout is; I open this post, see the first picture and without thinking, my mind starts saying: ”OK, what date, what loco, where’s he going, anything interesting among the wagons, what time did he leave Waterford, anything unusual?” ......then onto the keyboard and me eyes are cross-eyed as I type: ”On 3rd December 1986, Locomotive no. 142 approaches Glenmore with empty beet wagons for Wellington Bridge. Later that day this loco was seen passing in the other direction, paired with 188 and with a maximum load of 43 laden wagons for Mallow.....” I’m even still scanning the train of vans to see if there’s one worth commenting on specifically..... Yes, lockdown has me scribbling again. Keeps me off the streets. ”Rails Through Glenmore”!!!!

They changed the painting method around then. The idea was that the colour would be the same. No change was planned, but the new method resulted in a brighter, more “orangey” finish! Thus, for a while, both could be seen.

No, quite normal for the time! Priceless stuff, Ernie, keep 'em coming!

Looking at the design, the closest relative they would have here would be GSWR. For the several of modelling the Mayo - Leitrim - Sligo area, that would fit, as they'd have come up the WLWR line! What they are entirely unlike are GNR, DNGR (sorry!), BCDR or WLWR types. With a VAGUE but very satisfactory GSWR feel about them, the good news is that they'll do everywhere south of a line from Ballyshannon to Dublin!

Ah! Now THAT is nice. However, thinking in particular of Shapeways, often the computerised mock-ups are way better than the real thing... but i think that for any of us wanting to model the pre-1963 "green and grey" era, a few of these would be a godsend. I will accordingly order one now. If I like it, I'll order more...........

That would be an ecumenical matter.

Those will look good enough in "2-foot" rule, as others have commented, however: 1. A convincing paint and weathering job would be essential - I would be concerned about them looking a bit toy-like otherwise. 2. More importantly - is the panelling detail PRINTED on or embossed / raised / 3-dimensional? If the former, not much use in any paint scheme. I emailed Hattons to see if the detail was raised. No answer, came the loud reply.............. While in ranting mode, despite the Covid situation and the attendant necessary shortage of staff to answer queries, it just beggars belief that so many businesses that one emails these days don't bother replying at all. This has happened to me so often in recent times, that I was actually surprised to get an answer to an email I sent to a crowd about a new garden shed, the other day. Do they WANT business? Rant over.

There will be a publication coming down the line showing some weird shunting moves, that included, a wee birdy tells me...... To model Wellington Bridge fully, three trains would be needed; in single-deck wagon days, that would entail up to 3 x 43 wagons! (129), maybe four "A" class (I hope I'm on commission from IRM Towers & Provincial Wagons for mentioning that!) - and, of course, a 141 toddling through with one or two trains a day of two Park Royals and a genny van......

Priceless! Love the "back to back" wagon - can we see it closer?

Innovative! Well done..... If it’s self contained like that, you could have it as something inside a factory complex....

Will the whole thing be self-contained, or is it your intention to have one track go off to a fiddle yard?

Could be wrong, Ken, but I think I've seen a pic somewhere in the IRRS, from the days there were drawers of old b&w prints that one could browse to pick up historical details. Were they externally wooden framed with two passenger compartments at one end?

I would love to have a Sulzer! For a producer, seven options would be there - silver, green, black, black'n'tan with full height tan, and with low band, and a few ended up in "Supertrain" livery, though most assuredly never pulled any "supertrain" - nor, probably any passenger train in that livery, apart from the IRRS special in 1978. Also, of course, with and without tablet snatchers.

Anyone know (this is admittedly off-tangent a bit) if any ex-GSR white collar staff are still "to the good"? I think jhb171Senior may have been the last.