jhb171achill

So THAT’S why they wouldn’t let me LOOK inside their teapot the last day I called in!!!! (The choccy bikkies were nice, though....)

When will the next IRM item be announced? (Put me down for a couple, unless it’s an ICR!)

I'd say so, yes.

This is truly outstanding work. Can't wait to see the finished product!

Say you email them 2 or 3 images.....what sort of cost roughly?

Where did you get that nice gate with the traditional round stone gateposts? The stone walls look very good too.

Comments very much appreciated, Paddy. It is partly influenced by places like Baltimore, Co Cork, where things were indeed straight, or Fenit, likewise. The three-way point had been commented on as something not normally associated with rural Irish lines. I agree entirely; however there were a small number of examples - one actually being at Fenit. I think there was another somewhere on the North Kerry, and in various goods yards. From MGWR cattle-specials country (Edenderry) comes the news that the entire thing should be up and running by Easter. News here as it develops. Suffice to say, I am taking Dave’s advice regarding the chipping and DCC-ing of three J15s, two “C”, four IRM “A” and two Murphy 141 class locos. The future should see a B101, Murphy 121s, and a couple of “Mayner” Midland engines join....

Bland.

They've been digging up our road here (South Dublin) over the last week to put in "super-fast high speed broadband" of ten zillion trillion gazillion megateragiga-something per milli-micro-second..... you know the usual rubbish on the junk mail that arrives on flyers in your letterbox, just under the sign which says "NO JUNK MAIL". Listen, Virgin eir sky, go to hell. I'm not interested. Anything or anyone who pronounces "data" as "day-ta", and trots out such base inanities as "all you can eat"...... fer gawds sake, is this what nine million years of evolution and centuries of education has got us to? - is not welcome in this household! Rant over. But if you come near my letterbox, beware. I've put explosives in it...............................................!

A ballast pit might make an interesting addition to a layout, say on a corner where there's a bit of space for a short siding. This is as opposed to a ballast QUARRY, like Lisduff or Goraghwood; themselves worthy of a layout. Not so well known now, but tell-tale signs may still be seen, especially on the Midland, of places where there just happened to be a decent rocky outcrop at the side of the line. The railway would often notice this during construction, and acquire the bit of land and fence it off. At some stage, they'd lay a rough siding into it, install the most basic of stone crushing equipment, and dig out what they could. thereafter, it would be abandoned; in some cases old holes filled up with spent ballast and other rubbish. On the Achill line alone, there was a large "pit" or small "quarry" near Mulrany, which at one stage had two rough sidings in it. Traces may still be seen if you cycle the greenway there. Further along, nearer Newport, land for the same purpose was acquired but never used. On the Donegal and Cavan & Leitrim, wagons were sometimes dropped off the back of a train, handbrake on, and left there while men manually dug stone out from a suitable area at the side of the line. they would be collected later and tagged onto another train.

All we can say is that it’s not 4 or 56. There were about five, maybe six, at the end. Does that narrow it down to three? Or maybe the pic is earlier?

Silver: inception to early 1960s (last repainted out of it). Light (carriage) green: on carriages after 1956, extended to these locomotives plus C class from about 1959 onwards, due to poor weathering of the silver. Dark green: short lived and applied to only a few A class (and no C class); early 60s only. Black with high tan and no “R” after the number: 1963/4 repaints from green or silver. So in 1959-64 or so, green running alongside (VERY filthy!) silver. All black: 1965-68 repaints. Ran alongside green until last green repainted. From about 1965 yellow panels were added at the front of some but not all of the class. Same story with the Cs. Black with high tan band WITH “R” after the number, and also black with low tan band: introduced after each loco had its re-engining completed 1969-71 or so. About 12-15 had the high tan band, mainly those treated first, most having low band. “Supertrain” livery: CIE logos on ends only, no white lines: 1972-87. Same mostly orange livery with IR “set of points” logo and NO white lines: this was not an official “livery” as such - it was a quick way of “modernisation” by putting a new IR logo on the CIE “supertrain” livery. Locos of A, 141 & 181 types temporarily bore this variation pending a full repaint in the lE livery WITH white lines. So, 1987-1990 or so. ”Tippex” livery - nickname given to IE livery as, for cost-cutting reasons, instead of introducing a complete new livery, IE just amended the CIE livery by adding white lines! This was applied from 1987 onwards, when CIE was split into operating subsidiaries.

Well, I’ve upped MY order to four....! I’ll sell the house, plus the neighbour’s houses willingly.

Superb, KMCE, thanks!

The Tralee & Dingle crews used to drink there!

So it’s really no more complicated than getting an A3 printer somewhere!

From selfless sacrifice, in the spirit (or spirits) of online community, I hereby volunteer. Don't mention it.

I think those large blocks on the old alignment were something to do with some sort or wartime* observation structure. (* sorry, "emergency"!)

http://www.gloversbar.com/ Certainly wouldn't want to be barred from here!

If it was a wooden building, that's exactly what it would have looked like inside! Great job.

Exactly. First class upholstery tended to be more ornate, often with flowery patterns or some sort of interwoven leaves pattern. The GSWR and GNR both used patterns like this. Second class tended to be plain and of course initially third class was bare boards, eventually sparse plain upholstery. Even as late as AEC railcar days, I remember the quite intricate leafy patterns in the first class in these - it was a light greenish-grey pattern, I think.

Very interesting points... In terms of urban -v- rural, it's simply a matter of choice. As a "townie", my personal preference is a "culchie" setting.... but that's just me... for those who like an urban setting (and we have many superb examples here, from the very different Fintonagh to Barrow St), finding inspiration is easy, as rural towns (and most of quite larger towns) have a basic streetscape the same as they did before the railways were built; look at 1st and 2nd floor level in your local town. The street-level sign might nowadays say "Costa Coffee" instead of "J O'Sullivan Victuallar" but the building is the same - the windows on the next floor up are the same, etc. So an urban setting in Tyrone, Westmeath, Kerry or Kilkenny can be researched by a wander round town centres on those areas. Same with scenery, and I very much like Mayner's ideas above. A BCDR-based layout wouldn't be the same without drumlins, and a west of Ireland branch without turf bogs and stone walls. In planning "Dugort Harbour", my initial scenic thoughts were to be very much based on Westport Quay, which in railway days* was a world of stone walls, small hills and gorse. (* It's covered in holiday homes and a greenway now...). However, with nothing much MGWR available, but on the other hand SSM GSWR 6-wheelers, and J15s available (and now the excellent 00 Works J15s as well), I began to look towards Valentia Harbour, Courtmacsherry or Baltimore for inspiration. The result will have the stone walls and boggy sort of fields around, with a small stone culvert under the line, and scrawny gorse against the perimeter stone walls. As for a backscene, I thought of going to one or other of those places and taking pictures of the distant scenery for a backscene. Has anyone any experience of putting together your own photos to make a (somewhat understated) backscene? With many layouts the temptation is to cram as much track in as possible, which may add operational interest for many, but almost eliminates the chance to make the thing look realistic with scenery.... so I would think backscenes are important.... Those old buildings - superb!

I have to say, Glover, I remain bowled over by your carriages. They absolutely exude atmosphere like few others. You got me curious about Des’ photos taken round Warrenpoint, so I checked a few of his pics, and consulted a few old copies of IRN. All GNR crests. The remaining GNR wooden carriages were never meant to have been kept long-term by either CIE (who got rid of theirs pretty quickly as they were building laminates) or the UTA - who wanted to obliterate railways entirely. The stencilling - an essential feature of any GNR-area layout 1959-mid 60s..... I think you’re the first person I’ve seen applying this to models - congratulations on your eye for detail! UTA roundels were applied to newer ex-GNR stock (e.g. BUT railcars) before a repaint for one reason only - being comparatively recently newly painted, it was deemed a waste of money to repaint fully there and then. This didn’t apply to older stock, so they either repainted in full at an appropriate time, or left it if the vehicle was unlikely to be retained long term.

Are the Silverfox and / or IFM ones still available, does anyone know? The IFM website appears to have been hijacked by some stuff about UEFA and pictures of American skylines....

A shame....imagine, today, a 3ft gauge Luas from Crosshaven to Blarney!