jhb171achill

This might be of interest.... https://www.ebay.ie/itm/STRANORLAR-RAILWAY-STATION-CO-DONEGAL-RAILWAY-IRELAND-IRISH-POSTCARD-No-863-2/223314446398?hash=item33fe94083e:g:XB0AAOSwxSZbufBt:rk:21:pf:0

If anyone is still looking for a copy of this excellent tome, I believe the RPSI still has one or two copies for sale.

I very much like the idea of different periods of use. That's what I'm trying to do too - a layout that "never changed until closure" and eventually a complete set of locos and coaches to cover the early to late 50s, the 1957-64 period, and mid 60s to mid 70s,. A model of Sambo would be nice! An E class, too, perhaps?

True, John, but what I meant was that the "urban myth" suggests that the tender 186 is with now was "off" a 400 class loco, i.e. built for a 400 specifically. As you suggest, a lot of interchangeability was the norm, but this thing would have been paired with J15s and other odds and ends of 0.6.0 or 4.4.0 classes. Quite possibly, a 400 met it at some stage.

The story of the 400 class tender with 186 is one of the old "Whitehead Myths" like the idea that the GNR in Dundalk "just went down to the local shop and bought what blue paint they had"...... The tender was used with other J15s occasionally and would have come from some old 0.6.0. And yes, there have indeed been RPSI modifications over the years. That's a genuine Farranfore, Coleraine & Western Railway conservatory. They were fitted with jacuzzis after 1904.

Yes, I’ve been following railway artefact prices for forty years, buying and selling the odd thing. Prices on eBay for such stuff - including tickets and photos - are grossly overpriced far more often than bargain-based. The IRRS archive contains much stuff, but it’s only open on Tuesday nights, so research really requires time spent in Dublin.

I see the copyright is one James Payne. It’s not a new photo - it appeared in Dr. Patterson’s Definitive history of the CDR which was published about 1969 or so. I wonder where the rest of his collection went?

Colin, did you ask the IRRS for any unusual views?

Now THAT comment I LIKE! ”much more new stuff”! Yippeeee! Where’s me credit card?

Superb! Well done and well deserved!

The original grey, obviously, would only ever have runs alongside orange....

That’s the standard wagon grey up to about 1958-ish. The “H” vans and “Palvans” appeared after that in a lighter shade.

Interesting; first pic I've seen with a buffer beam number. The two DCDR ones are not from the same factory - one is Mallow, the other Thurles. None of the Tuam or Carlow ones survived. All four factories numbered their locos separately, so there were three No. 1s, No. 2s & No. 3s..... numerals varied.

For some reason, the “roundels” were of non-standard size, not only on this original grey layout, but on the orange livery too, as seen on the IRM models (accurately portrayed as such). I have no idea why. My recollection is that the wagons were slightly darker grey than the slightly lighter shade seen on covered vans after about 1960. Could have been cement dust, though.

I will delve. I have a notion I’ve seen no more than one or two. I had, indeed, thought Ernie had something, but I’m obviously mistaken on that. I’ll ping you privately if I find anything else.

I did the vote online already.... Vote early and vote often, as they used to say in Belfast! I believe you've sourced good quality colour pics of original grey in IRM Towers, correct? Must look at jhb171Senior’s pics to see if there’s anything there.

The original grey has another advantage in that no other livery suits the mid 1960s. I noted them still all grey (well, the ones I saw anyway) in 1969.

Wish list - IRM RTR AEC Railcar set 80 class set C class E class?? Jeep - BIg seller?

Ah... yes thanks!

At one stage an oil tank wagon went occasionally to Westport Quay with fuel for buses. Is this the type used?

They didn't have numbers on buffer beams, I believe. In use, any with painted numbers weren't quite as large as DCDR have now.

Ghastly, ghastly looking edifice!!! Be the way, I did them people's drive just down the road and I can do yours for a good price. Cash, sir.

They're long wheelbase, so unlike anything that ever ran here - but - For CIE livery, cattle wagons were plain grey all over: wheels up to roof, chassis, body and all. They didn't stay that way, like most wagons, and became grubby in no time. Roofs tended to darken a bit more due to exposure and exhaust fumes, especially in steam days. Cattle trucks spent a lot of time in later years in outdoor storage, so sun and wind bleaching was a feature of their weatherbeaten appearance as much as dirt. Some, but not many, were repainted brown after about 1971, but since cattle traffic was done away with in 1975, that wasn't long. If you want to go for that short brown period, I'd go for a ratio of one brown one to three grey, and at least one of the grey will still have a flying snail stencil. The brown livery, like the grey, was all-encompassing. Roof, body, chassis, couplings, buffers, the lot. CIE "snails" or roundels were always on the left hand side looking at them. A small number had a stencilled message to the effect that they were "VAC FITTED". With no British prototype looking anything like a CIE one, I am glad to hear that Provincial Leslie is planning one shortly. A long overdue and very necessary item for the Irish scene. I'll be looking for a load of them..... I would add, re-reading your post, it is remiss of me to assume you're modelling CIE, as you didn't suggest you were! If you are modelling a British prototype, keep the black chassis but ditch the white roofs! Virtually nothing that ever ran on rails (though there WERE exceptions) ever had white roofs! And, apart from that, a liberal coating of greyish-brown brake dust weathering. If steam era, sooty weathering on the roofs too.

Maybe a caravan encampment! I've seen them next to several stations in the 1970s.....! I went to a recently-closed station in the late 1970s to take photographs, as the track hadn't been lifted. A group of citizens who appeared to be living over the wall were obligingly assisting CIE in removal of metal components as I visited.

Hi I have a SSM goods brake van which is finished in (post-1970) brown, complete with yellow and black "wasp" stripes on the ducket. I wish to swop it for an equivalent which is either unpainted or finished in grey, as it will be used to represent the 1960s and late 1950s period. PM if interested.