jhb171achill

Branch lines in 1972

They’re not going to be in the right order, due to problems uploading, but you’ll get the picture! These are from the June 1972 WTT.

Several posts follow, to accommodate this lot as it won’t transfer in one go.

Ah! I’d forgotten it was “G” scale. I’m not sure.

Will do. To follow.....

Well spotted, you’re absolutely right - NCC (well, possibly BNCR) it is!

And he sells more 201s....

I'd be up for that, John. Put me down for a few.

Wow! Would love to see that! What era did it cover? 1980s to present?

I’ll try to put together a rough guide to what could be mostly expected to be seen in most places. With so many classes of loco having but one or two examples, the exceptions will far outweigh the norm, however few of us will have an example if every GSR loco in our possession. Obviously, the J15 being by FAR the most common loco, was in many ways the 141 of the past. Few West Cork locos ever left their area at all, even as one-offs, though of course one of the famous “Bandon Tanks” ended up on the DSE suburban. The J15’s and their neighbours, the MGWR J18s, tended to stick to their respective areas, though J15s were very common on Tralee - Limerick - Sligo after the W & L came into the GSWR fold. Most ex-Midland branchlines had J18s or G2 2.4.0s from opening to closure or dieselisation. Most ex-GSWR & WLWR branches ended up with J15s; many having them start to finish. Michael McMahon’s GSR loco “bible” fills in the many, many blanks and exceptions, describing the operational habits of the lesser classes. Certainly, just as any layout based on UTA simply can’t be realistic without a UG or a Jeep, anything NIR must have an 80-class or three, and CIE / IE from 1963 to 2000 simply won’t cut the mustard without at least one 141, nothing CIE 1945-63 looks right without a grubby J15. The forthcoming “Dugort Harbour”, despite being just a small shunting terminus, will have three J15s and three 141s.....plus a few Cs, as befits many branch termini on CIE between 1955 and 1963.

I think a lack of exposure is certainly evident. Perhaps, with such a bewildering array of locos, differing uses, and differing routes, confusion puts some people off.... but nowhere better for an Irish model layout than any station on the South Kerry, Mallow - Waterford, or the ex- W & L lines (Limerick to Tralee, Sligo & Waterford). A prototype of Cashel, or a station on the Thurles-Clonmel line would make nice layouts.

Any thoughts on production, folks?

Wire brush, yes, then decent black undercoat. Finish is correctly black with white lettering for GSWR, and most GNR. In GNR(B) days, some were white with red lettering, and station and lamp nameboards were yellow with black lettering. I actually had a very large collection of all sorts of signs years ago, but unfortunately had to sell them.

Wowww! drool worthy....!

Hard to see from the google image - have you inspected it close up? Looks early GN to me but I haven't seen it close up.

Thanks to some research by 00 Works, and comparison with what as far as I'm aware is the only surviving sample of original paint, the correct shade of grey has finally been identified / matched. My understanding is that Roderick will be able to supply it for anyone modelling steam.

Certainly is. There's another, more complete, near Banbridge on the main AI road in a field up on the right when travelling north. It's been there for fifty five years at least.

That's an absolute beauty of a layout. I like the realistic ground cover and backscenes especially.

Finally - a correct paint match for GSR / CIE locomotive grey Thanks mainly to Roderick of 00 Works, I think we can now be sure of the closest match to what as far as I am aware, is the only surviving original sample (from about 1925 or so) of the loco grey introduced by the GSWR about 1915/8 and continued through GSR days and into CIE, right to the end of steam days in 1963. A remarkable 45 years in use, more or less equalled by CIE's various variations or orange and black 1962-2006. The model, as many will know, was built in early GSR days (and is "0" coarse scale). The paint on it is original. Roderick sent me numerous samples of greys blended from this and that. The piece of plastic seen here against the model has been sprayed with what seems the closest match, and as you can see, it matches in daylight, artificial light, and half-and-half. Presumably Roderick will now be in a position to sell this paint to anyone who wants to paint a GSR / CIE model. Naturally, upside-down reproduction of images is a necessity.....! I understand that this will be used as a model for the eagerly-awaited RTR J15. I have been trying to find, for ages, the list I got from Bob Clements years and years ago of what classes of locomotive received all-black paint in the 1955-62 period. I just can't find it! Most remained grey, as we all know, but some got lined green or black.

To go back to the original topic, I am advised that due to the three layers of heading etc., it’s not as easy to do MGWR stuff as brass “scratch-aid” kits. Thus, it seems they could be exceptionally fiddly to produce and / or make. Currently on hold, but not forgotten about!

There would be major surgery required. In theory, a loco like this could be rebuilt to resemble (even vaguely) several GNR or CIE prototypes, though in this case the amount of work needed would just as easily be done as a new-build,

Bono? So there’s one for me and U2?

I didn't know that BR still used them that late. I think - but can't be sure - that the GNR(I) was the last to use them here, and that their practices ended some time between 1919 and the mid 1920s. Edenderry lost its passenger service very early, yes, 1931 I believe. It would seem that towards that date, slip working had ceased there. I didn't know that the "oul crate" had been a slip coach - interesting. So: quiz question: where else in Ireland were they used? The GNR used one on the up Belfast - Dublin (I think it was brake tri-compo No. 19) and it was slipped approaching Amiens Street so that it could cruise downhill into the LNWR North Wall terminal.

The speed van would look better being driven at speed itself - over the Cliffs of Moher!