jhb171achill

The tin vans shared a body profile (loading gauge) with the later "laminate" coaches, but nothing much else. To do justice to models, you'd probably have to do almost all of their design as one-offs - certainly, if Murphy / IRM standards were to be attained. Makes them appear less viable, but I've said it before - virtually all 1960s trains, and late 50s diesel trains, are quite simply as unrealistic without one as without a locomotive. The two BIG missing links in the 1950-75 period are AEC railcars and "tin vans". Many wagons too, but Provincial's cattle wagons, corrugated ("tin?") open wagons, and above all, the ubiquitous "H" vans, solved that through kits. Maybe when Leslie's sold out of them, someone will do RTR ones! Your idea about a run of British Mk 1s along with CIE's "BR Vans" is an interesting one, indeed; I am sure we'd welcome IRM's thoughts on that type of idea. One complication is that there was not a single type of "BR Van". The CIE genny vans were made from several different original varieties of British coach - thus, it would almost certainly only be feasible to do one type - but that would be fine. Generator vans truly are the next stage needed, hopefully.

What’s really needed are various “tin vans” for the era of grey 121s and black or green “A”s, or earlier black’n’tan 141s, as the BR vans didn’t exist until early 70s.

N O W you are talking!!! She could lift a fair load too, of course.......

I’ve only just remembered - I had forgotten all about this - I was in a 201 myself not long after they were new - which hit 102 or 103. Cork line....

Urban legends had the three 800s, or 800 herself at least, at 100. Senior used to say that it is very possible, indeed probable on trial, but to his knowledge (and mine) no RELIABLE account seems to exist. I can confirm that a 201 did do 105. Also, a retired driver told me that he often had 071s at well over 85 on passenger trains in the 1978-85 period when he drove on the Cork line. The Passage 2.4.2Ts seem to have been the fastest narrow gauge locos, with the NCC 2.4.2Ts not far behind them.

B101s were on the goods too, yes.

Those are CARD? Wow - they look very good indeed!

Very true - and of course no Cravens - either singly or in a train of ten of them - could EVER run WITHOUT a van..... nor could anything else going back to steam days!

I was on an 071 once which was doing about 85 mph on the down line between Templemore & Thurles......

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!! These fellas are buying up the whole country for overpriced apartments............!

Terrible shame the company couldn’t have survived at least in part, maybe just the busier routes from Derry to Buncrana and Letterkenny.....

Indeed - too true!

Yes - and there were several variations of these, but all BR Mk 1 outline, hence narrower and noticeably lower than Irish-built stock attached to them!

Yes, indeed - SO many rural trains in the 60s were 2 or 3 coaches and a van - sometimes just one. Trawling two photo collections last week (for a reason!), I found a Limerick - Ballina train with a 121 hauling nothing more than a single laminate and a tin van! Usually, though, that service was 2 or 3 + van. I was on that service with 2 + van, Loughrea with a solitary coach - the unique one on that line which had no need for a van as they plugged it into the mains at night in Loughrea, having fitted it with storage heaters, and 3 laminates with tin van Rosslare - Limerick. Just before the railcars arrived in Limerick, I went down to poke about in Ireland’s last city terminus with proper trains. I watched as the Nenagh train was backed into the platform, then the Rosslare one, awaiting their couple of passengers each....both sets were a BR van and just one Craven.

Recent discussions have focussed on what new (grey) 121s would have hauled. Above, from loco working backwards: - 4-wheeled luggage / guards “tin” van (silver) - Park Royal (green) - Four wooden bogies of at least two, possibly three types, all GSWR-origin, dating from 1902-15 builds (green) - Park Royal (green) - Another two wooden coaches, probably GSWR, inevitably green - Tin van, probably a GSV (heating van). Could be green or silver.

Baltimore, Co. Cork, Valentia Harbour, Co. Kerry and Westport Quay, Co Mayo are all perfect for a small terminus. There's even scope for a passenger train in all three - albeit a prototypically small one. And if the line leaves the station and disappears into an Albert Quay-like cutting........perfect. Two engines, half a dozen goods vans, an open wagon or two, a bogie coach and a tin van, and you're good to go!

Wow! Is it still in existence?

1361 and 1367 - Bredins? So, no catering on that Westport section? 2422 - one of the RPSI preserved ones!

There was always this dilemma with working steam: do you stay at the back to get decent photos on curves, or up front to hear the music!

I recall a story told to me by the late, great, road steam man Rory Wolff from north Antrim. Rory was coming back home from a steam rally at Shane's Castle one time in the mid or late '70s. He was driving his famous preserved steam lorry (I think Lord O'Neill might have it now?). It was the height of the troubles and in those times the police (then the RUC) often had more important things to do than worry about people speeding or driving with drink taken. Now Rory was stone cold sober, but in his steam lorry he was exceeding the speed limit - on a MOTORWAY! (The M2). There had been 12th July related trouble in the area, so one might expect the RUC to be even LESS interested in road traffic offences. Yet one of those armoured landrovers they had then pulled him over. Here we go, he thought, I'll get a ticket. Policeman, on getting out of landrover and approaching Rory: "What sort of thing is this?" Rory" "It's a steam lorry" - "A what?" "A steam lorry". - (Policeman summons colleague from van) "I never knew there was things like that. How old is it?" (Rory gives date). - "Where'd ye get it?" "I bought it from XCVCCFFG" - "Oh - and it's steam powered?" "Yep." - "Like an old train?" "Yep." - "Ye were doing a right speed in it. We clocked you at over 70!" Rory is thinking, OK, gimme the ticket, I need to to tend the fire...... - "Never seen a thing like that. I just pulled you over 'cause I saw the smoke. I thought yer truck was on fire!" "Ah, emm, no. It's just the coal smoke." - "Ah, OK, give'us a minute, I'd love a photograph of it, is that OK?" "Sure!" Policemen get Rory to take their picture beside it, on the hard shoulder. - "OK, thanks! Away ye go, then!" No ticket.

Yes, looks like it to me!

The second van is a standard CIE one - so Leslie does the exact one there!

The GNR wagon behind it is a long way from home!

First time I ever went to the Adjacent Island of Narra-gauge things, there were still quite a few green diesels and maroon coaches to be seen among the sea of "Rail Blue" - interesting times. Where I was, long trains all of Mk 1 coaches, and even longer loose-coupled goods trains.... very interesting times. And now they have gaudily-coloured plastic tubes, in which you pay the price of a detached house in Ballsbridge to travel in a seat designed for a nine-year-old of unusually small build, with no window to look through at overgrown bushes, graffiti, security fencing, concrete walls, crumpled supermarket trollies and burst black bin-liners and old mattresses. Just like the approach to Islandbridge Junction, in fact, or bits of the Belfast Central line.... Gimme the Ffestiniog, North York Moors, Swanage or Worth Valley lines any day!

Perfect, then - colour light shniggles!