jhb171achill

The AEC 2600 cars were very comfortable seating wise and very solid and steady. Like all older railcars they were noisier, though, especially in later years. They did all the routes you mentioned above, plus others. The GNR used them in Belfast - Clones and Belfast - Portadown - Derry as well as Dublin - Belfast. CIE used them to Kerry, both the Mallow route and the North Kerry Line, also Waterford - Limerick and Limerick - Sligo. They appeared on Dublin - Wexford too and, of course, Cork to Bantry. (They only did that one route in West Cork). Indeed, immediately before the “A” and “B101” classes were introduced in 1955/6, they were the principal main-line power.

In the mid 1930s there was MUCH less traffic on the roads compared to today. Or - is the coronavirus in full swing?!! This is Glanmire Road, exact date unknown but likely to be 1936-8. The station, of course, is on the right. The two carriages were across the river at Albert Quay station. Such were the necessities of “austerity” in those days, that rolling stock could often be just “touched up” instead of completely repainted. These two will be in the maroon GSR livery, though mostly faded and dulled - no lining, as befits much of the secondary stock.

Indeed, right enough..... I wonder why? New one to me!

There was some sort of half-hearted local idea some years ago (maybe in the 1990s) when ACE funding was obtained to build a replica of the luggage truck for display at Fintona. The lower deck of an old Belfast tramcar was also found in a field somewhere and brought to Fintona to be rebuilt as a sort of "Fintona Tram". It would actually have been a very nice attraction, if a "Dick" could be found! The tram was vandalised, but has later been restored and is now on display at the former Clogher Valley Railway's Maguiresbridge station not far away. Had anything some of it, the station site is now a Tesco car park, but a bit like the reincarnation of the station at Downpatrick, a replica building of sorts could have been provided at the "throat" end of what had been Fintona station, and the track relaid on the original route of the 1.5km line to the junction. It would seem that the junction platform remains, buried under sixty years growth of bushes and trees, and a run to there and back wouldn't take people anywhere - just a "spin". I was tempted to think that it would have made (and possibly still could make) a nice little low-cost (and very unique) "preserved railway". If anyone knows who owns the land, I'll assist them with the grant application!

Yes, nothing more than that - local traditions!

As Wrenneire has said, "if it looks to good to be true, it probably is". In my previous life as a collector of Austrian 009, I got stung a couple of times, in one case buying a locomotive whose motor was banjaxed, and beyond repair...... Less than €50 for an 071 or 201 looks - - - strange.

Can anyone throw any light on what this is? The picture is taken at Newcastle West, apparently c.1953 and is on page 46 of “Chasing the Flying Snail” by Anthony Burges. Appears to have van doors (?) at the far end?

This was 1947, obviously. The article does not make clear whether the ones seen were in traffic or not, or if so, how many were. I think that at least a few were kicking about probably for loco coal until Broadstone said goodbye to its last steam engine about 1962.

I love those scenes, Ernie - very "atmospheric"! At this time of year, I have been since teens, and always will be, conditioned to thinking that it is "May Tour Time", as for most of my life I've been preparing for whatever role I would be volunteering for (nowadays very peripheral!). Obviously not this year, but scenes like this always make me think of what I would see about me as I wandered across sidings where the train was parked overnight, after cleaning out the dining car or something....

News in 1947 from the fledgling IRRS, and one of their early “outings”; what one wouldn’t give to repeat it today, almost three quarters of a century later.

Revisiting the Fintona tram A 1947 Cuisle article, when it still had a decade to go, and another photo of it getting ready to be hitched up to a steam engine to leave a Fintona for the last time, to go to Belfast to the museum. Staff had pushed it to this position from under the canopy. Senior travelled with it as far as Omagh. Its small luggage wagon can be seen bottom right.

Must have been a one-off, then, that's fair enough. Your pic above shows it in blue and cream, with black ends, and it's 1956....so back to blue and cream, then UTA green, presumably, rather than back to brown? An interesting one.

That's exactly what it is, Lambegman. The GNR had started painting a FEW main line carriages in dark blue and cream, and the ends were indeed black. The 1953 "Royal Train" was a mix of NCC and GNR coaches, but all were painted in the then-newish GNR railcar (and Fintona Tram!) livery. Do we know for certain that it was painted CIE green? The GNR stock working through generally remained in GNR livery - I've seen pics of a full GNR brown train sitting in Cork on this service. While I cannot be certain, I had never heard of a GNR coach being painted in CIE livery until, obviously, after 1958 when the GNR was dissolved. I can't help feeling that it's more likely that once repainted dark blue / cream for the Royal train, it remained in that livery until UTA green made itself known. I have seen a pic somewhere of a two-coach local Lisburn - Antrim loco-hauled local in the very early 60s, in which one coach is dark blue and cream, the other either UTA green or brown (it's a black & white pic).

Sorry, Galteemore, missed that. Once I get back in, whenever that is, I'll get those for you.

Most Donegal coaches were, over buffers, about 32ft. No. 1, the surviving 6-wheeler, was shorter, and obviously the NCC ones were longer. For 11 coaches you could be looking at very approximately 115 yards platform length.

There was nowhere to stop! The line simply consisted of the two stations, Waterford and Tramore, nowhere in between. Three locos were converted like the one shown, and the trio replaced the older Tramore locos, until the diesel railcars arrived in the fifties. Then they went back to the main system.

In those days, nobody worried unduly if a train was a bit longer than a platform - I recall getting out of a long train, down onto the ballast, even at Finaghy, outside Belfast, one time! Thus, you might get an 11-coach train in a station designed for nine! I looked in the Patterson CDR history to see what the platform length was, but it is not mentioned as far as I can see. An actual scale model, as you will know, of even a moderate-sized platform would be long on a model.

Ooooops!!! Tramore, 1947.

I couldn't swear to "never", but I certainly didn't ever either see or hear of a container like that with "BULK" written on it as well as "Bell", in Ireland.

You're right about some getting into the Bretland train - I suspect that the one I saw in the late 1960s was one such - it certainly looked as much like the above as I am capable of remembering. War surplus makes perfect sense - I had an idea in the back of my mind about them originating about then - must have read it somewhere before!

Yes, and if we look at that parapet, it seems that the left hand side of it is old stone masonry, while the right is newer block masonry. Clearly they are rebuilding a bridge. Could be anywhere. It is possible, that once I match up his notes with all (rather than just some!) of his pictures, I may be able to find out. I wonder can anyone, meantime, help with 3406M? Similar to the wagon to the right, very "American-looking" bogie rail flats. I recall seeing one derelict many many years ago somewhere round the North Wall area. Senior pointed it out to me.

Almost ten years before Todd Andrews and the massive railway closures of 1959-63, this article was written. It’s in a 1947 Cuisle issue. Then as now it appears that the government was suffering from what I call “Clonmel Syndrome”; using any means possible to get people out of trains and onto buses! (Look at the rail service Clonmel - one train a month, weather and horoscopes permitting, from that day to this......! Will the coronavirus finally finish the Limerick Junction - Waterford Line? Well, a vintage green CIE bus might provide a little compensation!

A few 1970s wagons and a puzzle. 1. 1978 - Heuston 2. The bubbles need no introduction here! This one has been factory-weathered by IRM.... 3. I think I’ve shown this before, but anyway..... GSWR guards van, Tralee, 1978 4. Barrier wagon - a silver painted container. Lurking in a siding at Heuston goods (I think), c.1968. Were these on the Asahis? 5. Grain wagons, Tralee, Rock St - again, I may have posted before. 6. The puzzle. One of Seniors. Other than the fact that it’s obviously a MGWR wagon with those distinctive bogies, all I know about this picture is that it dates from the late 1930s / early 1940s. I’ve no idea where it is, nor what the new concrete beams are. I do know that senior’s first ever job in his career was having some concrete beams installed at Mullingar station, but they were smaller than these.

The thing is, I believe, that each layout is it's owner's kingdom. Some prioritise scenery, some operational accuracy, some the engineering accuracy or complexity of a model, some crave absolute visual accuracy. None are wrong and none are right - it's a matter of personal opinion. Lately, the late Drew Donaldson's huge layout has been mentioned. The one time I saw it operate, I don't recall any scenery at all, yet the models were built to a very high standard indeed, for the time. Yet, almost all were in the wrong livery - a bit like much of the real-life preserved stuff! Personally, as will be very clear from anyone who reads my demented ramblings here, the visual aspect is what I personally enjoy - that can mean highly realistic scenery, and well-proportioned models which would naturally be in an accurate livery - but that's just me. Arising out of that, on a website such as this, if you've an engineering issue, the likes of Mayner and ecmtrains and others here will be along to share their expertise and knowledge. various among us who have a good historical knowledge can share that too. If I have access to information about liveries (and I have a huge lot of such stuff, because I've been making notes of it for forty years) I am pleased to share it! But, as I say, that's only my take on the whole hobby which as others have noted, is a very varied one. There are a million ways to skin a cat, and the creation of an overall atmosphere, I think, is yet another great skill that the hobby includes; your outdoor layout has that in lorry loads!

Looks superb, DSERetc. Really captures the steam era!