jhb171achill

In these winter evenings, early sunset (you DO know what “sun” is? If not, see me after class), means the last trains leaving Castletown and Dugort as the last light fades. Here, A12 leaves Dugort Harbour for the short run up to Castletown West with the last passenger train on 20th January 1963…..

The up 11:40 to "town" departs on a bleak January day in 1948.... . On the same day, the afternoon mixed heads off in the same direction....

I'm not either, but I was persuaded to try by a friend and colleague!

The West Clare had several carriages with concrete blocks under some seats, as a result of a train blown on its side, plus a wind anemomenter in Quilty station. If the wind reached a certain speed, only these carriages were allowed to be used. If it rose above an even higher speed, all trains were cancelled. The anemometer is at Malahide Castle in storage - Cyril Fry somehow got hold of it. I am hoping it can be displayed at some stage. Tis getting a bit breezy out, boys'n'girls. Time to put the kettle on before a power cut.

They’ll need West Clare carriages on the Ballina branch, with their concrete weights under the seats!

From opening until closure (to passengers) this line like several other MGWR byways was populated entirely by standard MGWR six-wheelers. Like Killeshandra and Athboy, originally a third, a 1st / 2nd compo and a brake third, but the Midland became the first major company to ditch 2nd class, and passenger numbers were never high, so from the mid-1910s the set was typically a 1st / 3rd compo and a brake third. All six-wheelers. Had it made it to the modern era, expect two standards and a tin van until the mid-80s. These would be typically: - Until end of steam - probably an old wooden bogie and a six wheel brake 3rd. - 1960s - same, or else an old Bredin or a new laminate, but orange & black and diesel hauled, so a tin van essential too. - 1970s - last old wooden stock gone, but Park Royals appearing on services like this - so one or two various laminates, PRs or old Bredins. - 1980s: same, but you might see the odd Craven. After 1986, and the wooden body issue, only Cravens, though PRs might get a by-ball for a couple of years. Laminates gone. Four wheeled tin vans replaced by BR or Dutch by maybe 1980 latest. - 1990s: only Cravens, possibly two, and a BR or Dutch van. Loco-wise, up to the end of steam, latterly J18 0.6.0s and rarely anything else, though in earlier days 2.4.0s and “E” class tanks. At whatever stage they dieselised it, expect a “C” from 1960-ish for a few years, then probably an exclusive diet of 141s after that until a railcar took over. Today, doubtless a 29 class set. An “A” could have appeared too, with gypsum trains running alongside passengers, and post-1972 you’d probably get the odd re-engined A or C (B201).

Can't find that website either - just a somewhat meaningless typed list..........

They weren't painted at all. Therefore, what passed as their "livery" was a mixture of old GSR maroon, by now faded to a dull nondescript salmony pink, newer unpainted boards, and bits and pieces of wagon doors in wagon grey. Some panels might still look maroon-ish. About 18" high would be about right.

Anyone know anything about this company? They used to make brass kits and also 3D prints (presumably via Shapeways) of various items from the land of Haggis, lake-dwelling monsters, men wearing tartan dresses and whiskey without an “e”. One was a brass kit of a six-wheeled first class saloon, which was very reminiscent of some similar vehicles on the GSWR. I believe that Mousa was a one-person operation, a bit like Provincial Wagons, Worsley Works or 00 Works. Their website has vanished lately. Was considering getting one of these saloons. Any ideas / info?

The line is officially operational but has no scheduled services. Intermediate stations are temporarily closed. It has occasionally been used for crew training in recent years.

If the plan goes well, I've one or two in mind!

Was doing it with expert guidance; more next week!

Hmmm - 1910! This became the "Loughrea Coach" in 1963, with storage heaters added!

Correct

Many rural places like this could find a little yellow biscuit tin on wheels reposing at the end of an uncared-for siding. So Dugort Harbour ought to have one. Hence my first ever attempt at a brass kit this morning.

Wondering about the 0.6.0 progress?

The Hattons Genesis stock have gaps between them which must be about 8 scale feet.....

Woohoo! My Time Machine is going to have to make one turn up in Dugort Harbour in 1962…..

Pic 1: Claytons on W & T: old dark green with lining. Pic 2: same on 2nd, 3rd & 4th coaches; lighter on first one. Pic 3: hard to tell due to light, but very probably older livery, but as with some secondary stock, especially round Cork and on the West Clare, with no lining. Pic 4: sunlight!! Pic 5: Dark green unlined and lighter green. Pic 6: Lighter green Final pic: Railcar in lighter green, old coach in background unlined dark green.

Two. These variations are all from lighting and varying survival of film emulsion.

Worth pointing out, too, in general for those with Hattons 6ws in both greens - by the time BnT came in (1962) no passenger carrying vehicles still had the “old” lined dark green, and all of the six-wheelers still in use were by now the light green. There were still a handful of old vehicles hanging about in sidings, though, in dark green. Last dark green in actual use likely to be on the Clonakilty and Drimoleague-Baltimore branches.

So, a BnT 6-wheel full brake has a quite different use to a green one. It is best matched with green or black & tan IRM Park Royals, and Bredins or laminates either in later green or BnT. An occasional Craven too in the midst of this, though an all-Craven train would stretch credibility. That’s the four, then! Slight possibility of one more though; I’d forgotten about 18.

Only 2 or 3 became black & tan, and after the passenger-carrying ones were withdrawn. So no BnT 6-wheel van ever ran with other six-wheelers! Only six of these vans were still in use when the BnT livery came into use, and two of these were withdrawn within about 18 months, so probably remained green. Nos. 69, 79 and one more (11xx) were certainly BnT; not sure about the other one. Last two were in use on the Galway mail until circa 1968, and while not officially withdrawn until 1970, certainly looked well out of use by that time.

I remember the donkeys too, often pulling turf trailers!