jhb171achill

I'm familiar with this project. The organisers have acquired the site of the station and a short section of the trackbed. A new replica gate has been installed at the level crossing, of the type unique to the line. While the entire station building was demolished in the 1960s, the platforms, base of water tower, and goods shed are intact. The initial plan is to make up a small museum relating to the line and Connemara in general (which has a fascinating social and economic history otherwise). Eventually, rolling stock is planned. Initial discussions have taken place with organisations who own 5ft 3in stock, with a view to establishing what is practical to go there, and under what conditions. Excavations have revealed the base of the signal cabin and down platform shelter, both of which will be rebuilt in the long run. In theory (and this is my input), four MGWR six-wheel coaches are potentially available; the ones at Whitehead and Clifden, and two at Downpatrick. All four would require a rebuild from ground up, but such a task - while time consuming and expensive - is feasible. Again in theory, the ITG own four "G" class locomotives which would be suitable, though substantial renovation would be needed. The DCDR's "E" class locos have been surplus to operational requirement for many years and are likely to remain so. In terms of steam, and again very much hypothetically, either the "Guinness" engine, or "R H Smyth" at Whitehead, would be theoretically suitable. The line was operated almost totally by J18 class 0.6.0s, the MGWR's equivalent of the southern J15s. At Whitehead, 184 and 186 remain, neither in traffic or likely to be. Of these, 184 would require a total rebuild - basically a new engine, as little is suitable for further use. This would be impractically expensive, and in any event operation using J15s would be beyond hopelessly uneconomic (which is why the DCDR has never requested a loan of them!). Beyond this, there is currently nothing further to report. Once "Rails Through Connemara" is published, it is hoped to hold a book launch in the area.

They were delivered in light grey and yellow. On first repaint black’n’tan, then subsequent CIE liveries. As far as I’m aware the last one still in grey was repainted in 1967, so this livery didn’t last long.

Great concept. The second hand C class locos cane just after the 70 class cars were withdrawn, though there wasn’t much in it. A Hunslet puttering about with a ballast train, maybe?

I presumed that you meant that, David, in saying nearly finished. If it’s not TOO fiddly, when you’re adding the red to the white on the boiler bands, you could take that opportunity to narrow the white bit? Beautiful job. Imagine Tuam shed when the late Billy Lohan started work there in 1917 - he said that the loco allocation there at that time was six J15s, and he was told to polish them “until the lining shone”!

Actually, that's a point. Post-Brexit, the solitary 5'3" gauge preserved railway on this island will potentially find it prohibitively awkward and / or expensive to rescue something from the "other side of the border" - i.e. where most of the railways and railway vehicles on this island are situated! The RPSI might run into extra expense or paperwork if they want to move stock, for example a Dublin-domiciled vehicle to Whitehead for major repair, or vice versa.... Thanks, Arlene & Boris.

IRM boyos designed the poster for CIE, when they were very, very, very, very young.....

That's a real beauty, David! First time I've seen a J15 in pre-1915 lined black.

Very underestimated - prior to 1950 on many lines they’d have outnumbered “hard top” vans. They are as completely indispensable in any pre 1955 layout as track is - main line, branch, broad or narrow gauge,

Something like that, yes. Obviously, the GNR objected...

“Not to be moved” boards are, ehh, not there; thus moved...... Maybe the Little Yellow Man there knows something about it. Maybe, indeed, the PC taliban don’t like me calling him a little yellow man......

It will be in original light grey and yellow.

The Inchicore Lifeboat is finally launched.

"It's your railway"........ I agree with Mike. However, if anyone turned up at Blacksod Bay in real life and suggested they rename the location, they'd be sent away with a very aggressively put "flea in their ear" (to which I would enthusiastically add my voice!). The Arigna track plan is indeed not unlike what would have fitted into the proposed station site at Belmullet, and I suspect I might have called a layout Belmullet - but I would say to any PC folk, it's Blacksod Bay (if I wanted that name), and if you don't like it you can blacksod off! Like Fintonagh and Arigna Road, this promises to be an absolute masterpiece, and the best case the modelling world has yet seen for Midland six-wheelers! (What about the 4 wheeled Achill Railbus, one if the world's first internal combustion passenger vehicles?)

Good thinking.....

Days

I think the grey/yellow and black’n’tan are coming first, with “supertrain”, “tippex” and “3-pin plug” liveries later. As mentioned above, a couple of number alternatives for each livery is what I heard.

Clearly, the Brexit nonsense is going to impact on price in no matter what scenario things are priced or sold.....

Worth every cent - unlike some of the rip-offs on eBay! My wallet will be seriously melted this year......

You're absolutely right, Ernie, I had forgotten about that. They'd load a pallet full of fert bags, and sometimes this entire pallet was coat with some sort of strong cellophane-type cover. That's the stuff you see. The weathering details in your pic will be very useful to those who model these wagons. Incidentally, that "48 TONNES" on the side of them was a late addition. It was not in them when new, or for a long time afterwards. And NO CIE roundel on the side - normal for IE (later) days, though you'd still see a few CIE logos to the end. None ever carried IE logos. If we wanted to be REALLY pedantic, and rivet-counting, it might be observed that the "48 TONNES" bit I see best matched with no logo. If you have that wording, and a logo, the latter is going to be old and workstained. When new, all markings were, as on ALL brown CIE wagons, white. But they didn't stay that way, any more than white markings did on grey wagons!

Exactly. Fish was also conveyed in that unique Irish wagon, the "soft-top"; the convertible van with an open centre section on the roof, which was left open for cattle traffic, and covered with tarpaulins for other traffic. These were wain stock, unlike (as Mayner says) horse boxes, and dedicated meat and fish vans. As for livery, it's not certain that all were in passenger livery on all lines, but as above, most were. Usually this was the base colour but without lining. Rarely was a crest added, though the GSR certainly applied it to to some vehicles. The last incarnation of a wagon in passenger livery would have been the NCC / UTA "Brown Vans", which despite initial fitted WAGON brown in NCC times, then got UTA green, and finally NIR plan maroon. Even on the narrow gauge, while I'd need to look this up, there was a horsebox or van of some sort on either the West Clare or T & D which the GSR painted maroon, and CIE painted the six wheeled brake vans on the West Clare in green, though a brake van made from a T &.D passenger coach was painted grey. There were exceptions. While the GSWR used their extremely dark claret, and the GSR their own maroon, and the GNR used mahogany on bread vans, it seems the GNR used wagon grey on other such vehicles. I am unaware of information on horse box liveries on the DSER and in West Cork, but there is some evidence that the MGWR used GREEN - not unlike their loco green - on horse boxes. The WLWR had a unique livery for them, though I don't know what I think was at this stage....... Unlike normal-liveried non-passenger stock, when horse boxes and the like received a passenger livery, the chassis was black, same as carriages.

Ah! G ot you - yes, I misunderstood. Of course, they also had Mullingar - Cavan - Portadown.....

He can keep them as far as I'm concerned - I can't stand deliberate rip-off merchants, and this is one! 141s for an average of about €190! If potential buyers ignore sellers who overprice, maybe they'd drop their prices...... Similar issue to some of the railway stuff in Purcell's Auction in Nenagh.... We'll bill Boris Mogg-May-Farage for it all......

Basing it on the early 1960s would allow a greater track plan than today, plus steam and/or diesel. And in steam days it would be six-wheeler heaven! A couple of Roderick's J15s will sort out the steam era, as they monopolised it in steam days..... then 141s, if you can get them at a half sensible price, and IRM's A class when they're out this year. Ferts, bubbles.....

What was he thinking of..... Sligo - Ballyshannon? I wonder was the idea to do 3ft gauge from Sligo to Derry via Strabane? An interesting concept for a model, of ever there was one! 3ft gauge American-built diesels coming in, maybe in 1943/4?