jhb171achill

The letters “AEC” just came into my head for some reason.....

I wish I could say otherwise, PorkyP, but a well-meaning fledgling volunteer group was usurped a couple of years ago by a couple of local councillors. Despite great promises made, nothing whatsoever was done. The whole thing is now in ruins.

It’s in bits, well out of use and criminally neglected by Tralee council.

That trackwork looks amazing!

I think the rationale was that even refurbished, they would cost more annually to maintain, while eventually living on a shorter time than the ICRs anyway.

Much as I hate to say it, given traffic requirements on Irish railways, railcars are unfortunately the most efficient way of doing things. If IE were starting this again, push pulls as on the Belfast and Cork routes would be another way of doing things.

A 400 would be amazing! Anything passenger-carrying, 6-wheeled and RTR would have my vote.

I've developed a bit of a soft spot for the little 26's in Cork - the only trains left in which you can open the windows and get fresh air, thus the only trains in Ireland that aren't fixed at sweat-boiling temperatures inside! And the noise of them going up the tunnel..... I liked the 27s for that reason too.

Now THAT is something I’d love to have - 532 was a D16 4.4.0 “Achill Bogie”! And still in GSR grey!

Why can't they employ staff 24 hours to chase away the vermin who do this, and cover everywhere with graffiti!

I hear ya, Glenderg! (Glad it was long after jhb171Senior's time in the Inchicore Drawing Office! )

Thanks to Roderick Bruce for this, it might be useful to those modelling CIE steam.

Superb weathering job!

I think the IRRS may have track plans - certainly they'll have photos. Very welcoming for documentary stuff and visits, but they don’t let even members near their photo archive.

I’ve tended to read these mags the day I get them, and set aside to leaf through over coming weeks. After that, with a few exceptions they get recycled! I almost never buy them now, though Santa always brings me some....

I cannot provide numbers, but a few I recall, which may be taken as typical of the 1972-82 period, on the Nenagh branch, and Rosslare - Waterford - Limerick, Limerick - Athenry - Claremorris - Ballina, and Mallow - Tralee. I travelled behind 190 or 191 one sunny evening from Rosslare to Waterford. It has a Dutch van and three laminates. The service from Rosslare to Limerick often, in those days, had 4 or 5 bogies, but with enough passengers to put in one. I never saw a Craven once on that service at all, though of course the odd one might have put in an appearance. The service was almost always 141 / 181. The Limerick - Ballina was usually two carriages and a van. The van was a four wheel genny - in fact I think this was the last line they were used on. Latterly it was a BR or Dutch. No Cravens - here it was the last few Bredins, Park Royals and various laminates (usually laminates). Haulage was within that time almost exclusively 141 / 181 type. Mallow - Tralee could be an "A" or a single 141 or 181. I think they sometimes used an engine that had been on a goods - which would explain an "A". Bogie vans were here earlier, with up to five behind them. As well as the inevitable laminates and Park Royals, which formed most rural services (plus Cobh), this particular run might also include Cravens. In this period, main line services on all lines were indiscriminate mixes of Cravens, Park Royals (including former suburban types), the last few Bredins (up to about 1975/6), and all the variations of the laminate theme. 24XX dining cars were the norm everywhere, Cork and "Enterprise" included, irrespective of what stock was used - with the exception of the Mk 2s, the forst air conditioned carriages. From 1972, these AC stock were introduced as the "Supertrains", quickly taking over many main routes. These ran in sets, never being mixed with other services, except if a mail train of Mk 2 had an older TPO or other stock behind it, or in the case of an AC train taking locked-off stock trailed behind it. Even this was exceptionally rare, and it may be taken by modellers wishing to run accurate trains that for any period when both AC and non-AC stock was running, that the rule is - Supertrain - BREL Mk 2 stock ONLY, with appropriate genny vans. Not Dutch or BR vans, let along 4-wheel ones. Everything else - anything BUT Supertrain stock, mixed and matched. So - that means (in the BnT era), any four wheel van, BR van or Dutch van, can run with any Craven, laminate, Park Royal or Bredin. Up to 1974 in the Cork and Dublin area, an occasional (now BnT) old GSWR wooden bogie too. Sets all of one type would have been very rare indeed, even on the Cork line, where the dining car at least would be a wooden-framed 24XX type, as at Downpatrick.

May?

I see what you mean, DiveController. Several of these vans (four, I think but could be wrong) were actually used as brake vans for a while, so it isn't totally unauthentic. Naturally, in this state it should be technically only black'n'tan, while if converted to a TPO it could be silver or green. DCDR policy at the moment is to paint all coaches green, much the same shade which is close to earlier CIE, and lighter than UTA. The idea is uniformity rather than accuracy, much like the RPSI's Cravens. You know me - I think anything preserved should look the way it was, but that's just my opinion and I respect those of others....the RPSI's "Harvey" is now, I understand, being painted in Isle of Man apple green, to match a badly inaccurately painted GNR guard's van...there's "uniformity of inaccuracy" for you...but again, having been that youth with paintbrush myself forty years ago, I will never, ever criticise the work of any volunteer in any sphere. Just the colour! Rant over; back to the TPO: my understanding is that the DCDR will use it as a passenger brake, and to carry children's buggies in. A space for a wheelchair has, I think, also been considered, but I would advise against it as there are only windows on one side, and these vans were NOTORIOUSLY bad to ride in! Noisy and bumpy.....

Brake wheels are a good accessory.....

Aaarrrrrgggghhhhhh!!!! I want!!!! jhb171Senior knew it well - he was responsible for its upkeep......! His ghost would stalk the place..... Can someone lend me £190,000 brexitpounds?

In a cattle special, 25, 30, maybe 40! But you'd get small numbers like one or two fitted ones on the back of a local passenger train, or occasionally in a goods train. Empties would routinely be added into a goods train to be dropped off somewhere that might have a cattle mart the following day.

Fair enough.... just the bits on the bulkhead made me wonder.

Interesting pic - what's the source, do you know?

I can't answer, but I think that's the inside of an AEC railcar..... anyone know?

PorkyP you mention your interest in the C & L.... did you have a chance to see Flanagans book on it? .