jhb171achill

An excellent van. These things are just as appropriate to modelling the early years of the 20th century - an era not often covered - right through GSR days and on through CIE times. The last such beasts were still to be seen into the early 1960s and one or two even managed to make it into the black'n'tan era. They can be used alongside the more modern standard CIE vans. Until closure in 1961, West Cork had some truly venerable vans of various types.

The only carriages they never ran with (and just wouldn’t look right with) would be anything air-conditioned - Mk 2 & 3. Laminates of every type, old wooden stock, Bredins, Park Royals and Cravens, certainly.

Saw it.... a bit plain in detail, but I suppose OK for some as it is, to be fair, a limited interest. IGNORE above; it was a remark on an entirely different issue, posted here by mistake! Dohhhhhh

Exactly! You can run it with Stephenson's Rocket if you want! Actually, several were still kicking about in the 1980s, one out of use at the buffer stops in Heuston where platform 6 is now, and I think another in Inchicore. Two more, of the ex-TPO style, were converted and would see many years more in the weedspraying trains. So, a little poetic licence and away ye go!

Yea, they did run with Cravens, but mostly in the 1960s. By 1970 they were relegated to branch lines after the BR vans were introduced, and in the same branch lines laminates and Park Royals were the norm. Even then, however, up to the withdrawal of the last one about 1976, a train of mixed laminates, PRs and Cravens might still see a tin van occasionally.

I suppose that it’s (a) just a matter of opinion and (b) the degree of realism someone wants on a layout - a whole pristine train is in almost all respects inaccurately untypical, to those seeking 101% realism. The way I see it, for what it’s worth, is this. If I am prepared to spend €130 on getting a loco for a given layout scenario which isn’t too far away from what actually operated, or €190 on an accurate model if same, then it boils down to the fact that when given a choice, I will choose accuracy and be prepared for my wallet to become €60 lighter than another modeller might be happy with. Fine. Then IRM (for example) bring out a new wagon of the type I need. I have three choices: 1. Buy cheap Hornby things that look vaguely reminiscent of what I want. Slap’o’grey paint and yer grand. 2. I sell my car and buy 20 of the IRM ones, as they are outstandingly accurate, and keep them and their boxes as they are. 3. I sell the car, buy the 20 IRMs and weather them within an inch of their lives / because they ALWAYS looked like that in real life. Summary: if I’m prepared to pay well above what I COULD have done, just to get decent accuracy, which I will enjoy operating, then I may well be prepared to accept that by weathering them, I’m dropping resale value. In my case (and please don’t tell Leslie or Garfield, who I’m sure aren’t reading this), all of the outstandingly excellent items of theirs which I’ve purchased, will be weathered to some extent - in the case of wagons, prototypically very heavily!

Was only in it twice..... bought two Hornby open wagons, all I could afford. Perfect wagons to stick behind....... a Murphy 121!

Couldn’t agree more. Very well done and very many thanks to all concerned.

I spoke to a former Dundalk Works manager and Senior some years ago, who was friendly with SLNCR management. The very strong probability would have been steam until the mid 60s, then hiring in diesel locos from CIE. It’s likely they’d have bought one or two withdrawn CIE bogies, most likely of ex GSWR designs as they were most sturdy. Had they lasted into the 70s, you’re looking at hired-in CIE diesels and hired-in laminates, possibly one or two ex-UTA coaches of either NCC or GNR origin. CIE wagons would by now be the norm. Into and through the 1980s and 90s, same. Eventually they might buy a couple of cravens and a couple of 141s when these start being withdrawn. A second-hand two-car AEC set might have been a short-term option in the mid 1970s. From 1975 on, probably to today, they’d probably have a G class to shunt their workshop, unless they had outsourced this to Inchicore. Maybe there would be two others there, covered in brambles and off the track, having been bought for spares. If it survived now, I’d be fairly sure they’ve bought the two 2700 “bubble cars” and re-liveried them. Railcar “B” would have seen out the 1970s at least. If the GNR had closed, it would probably now be a line just from Collooney to Manorhamilton.

Symphony in orange and black..... superb.

I'm done with the "Aussie views", Noel!

More..... IMG_8427.MOV IMG_8426.MOV IMG_8430.MOV IMG_8431.MOV IMG_8434.MOV IMG_8435.MOV IMG_8433.MOV IMG_8436.MOV And more..... IMG_8448.MOV IMG_8450.MOV IMG_8474.MOV IMG_8475.MOV

I love the stream full of rocks and bits of logs.....a little scenic cameo. Highlights: absolutely what Leslie describes as “Great Northern-ness”. Ballyconnell Road is absolutely the most accurate layout of any prototype I have ever seen. Everything handmade - EVERYTHING - due to non standard scale. The track looks so realistic too. Working shunt signals..... in basically 3mm scale. Locos, coaches, wagons, everything. Pure and accurate GNR heaven. Welcome, Ballyconnell Road, to Ireland. And of course we had IRM with the unbelievably superb “A” class, and the legend that is Paddy Murphy with his 121. I came away financially a good bit lighter than when I arrived, but money well spent. I’m looking right now at a dozen of Leslie’s cattle trucks, among other things.... And then there’s Eoin’s excellent DARTs! Folks, if you haven’t been, GO!!!!

Superb show today! Good to meet so many of our “clan”....

Yes, he does. Usually to be found in the archival section (downstairs).

I’d be fairly sure anything delivered in 1972 was orange new.....? However - one thing is certain. IF the last ones were grey as new, it didn’t last long!

Tony, that is looking really amazing now - superb work.

I can’t remember where I took that pic above, but modellers might note a few details. The chassis is roughly painted the standard brown. This was actually rare - very rare - which is why I took the pic. Secondly, modellers might like to note that until “doubled” in height, the bodies were never brown - just the dirty unpainted metal as when built. Chassis originally grey, of course.

Absolutely superb - looks like a selection of Barry Carse’s photos! Best era of CIE - lots of freight and numerous mixtures of locos and carriages all over the place, and still a few sleepy branch lines.

The emphasis in Malahide will be on Fry’s actual models in display cases, and an 00 gauge operational layout. Currently there is no plan to display the non-Fry-made models and they remain in storage. They will be properly sorted and catalogued over the winter.

Yes - I suppose there were TWO grey liveries! 1. Original grey paint 1960s- c.1972 2. All-over cement covering, which was variously light or dark grey according to whether it was wet or dry weather - the damp soaking into the concrete "paint"!

Me too. I will definitely take 5 or 6 minimum.

The grey wagons were all repainted orange LONG before the ivory started. Thus, while at the dawn of the “supertrain” loco livery, there were probably still a few grey bubbles, (a) most were now orange, including the later ones delivered NEW in orange, and (b) all grey were long long gone by the time the “Tippex” striped loco livery appeared (1987).

That's correct, Leslie - the vast majority of those wagons were built well after the first few years of CIE. White was the norm from the early to mid 50s! So it's very much correct for your vans and cattle trucks. In fact it's the only show in town. I only ever saw the light green on old wagon bodies in fields, where a hedge had sheltered a side of a vehicle possibly sold off i before 1954.....

Initially, all "snails" were very carefully hand-painted, even on the humblest of wagons. The stencil appears to have been introduced sometime about 1955, as any newly painted wagons from then on had the stencil only. Obviously, they would have replaced it with the CIE "roundel" in 1963, but I recall seeing "snailed" grey wagons well into the 1970s, to the end of loose-coupled goods, in fact. From 1945 to 1950, "eau-de-nil" light green was used for numerals (and probably snails) painted on wagons, but white replaced this in the early 1950s. In addition, the shade of grey used lightened considerably in the late 1950s.