jhb171achill

Correct. It was stabled mostly at Goraghwood. My dad used it as his "runabout" when inspecting the Irish North lines.

I wonder what's going on with the GNR railbus as late as 1960? I'm presuming it's at Dundalk? The best thoughts I can assemble are that it's being re-done for Cultra, cab removed - BUT - I do not think that ever happened to what was then 8178. CIE certainly didn't rebuild any of these. Is it possible that GTR inadvertently included a photo from, say, a few years earlier when these things were still operating to Oldcastle and Bundoran? Or, is it possible that it's been left, half-rebuilt but now abandoned, in the siding for the three years since the GNR closures took place? It's got new sheeting on the side and the cab is missing.

Found it! After much perusal of Gaelic script fonts, the closest to what the GSR used that I can find is: bunchló ...which can be downloaded from the Interwebnet. On this basis, the forthcoming Dugort harbour will have a sign saying: Ceide Dhubhaigh Gort DUGORT HARBOUR Or something along those lines. Incidentally, my earlier post suggested "arial narrow" as the best font for the English version - I meant, of course, just "arial"!

Yes, that's the type of thing. I'd go a bit smaller with the English name, a bit bigger with the Irish, but that's just a detail. Overall, looks amazing. I have a note of what the closest gaelic script on computers is - must delve. if I find it I'll post it. But that sign looks the business. Supports would be rusty-ish light green painted lengths of rail, or wooden posts with faded green that have definitely seen better days! The SLNCR, by the way, used navy blue enamel signs with English-only capital letter names. The WLWR had the same - the Collooney (South) one surviving until after closure.

The GSR introduced black enamel station name boards* in the late 1920s. By 1945, when CIE took over, they covered much of the system, though a few locations never had them at all, with older monolingual (English) wooden boards lasting into the 1970s CIE era. These were bilingual with the Irish name in gaelic script above, and in block Roman capitals below, the English name is a slightly smaller font. CIE continued with this. From about 1962, new CIE signs started to appear, These had white plastic backgrounds, with black lettering - a reverse of the colour scheme. the Irish name still appeared uppermost, with English below it, but both were now written in a script not unlike "arial narrow", and both written in ROMAN (not gaelic) characters of the same size font. If it's of any nitpicking interest, the posts and wooden surrounds of the old GSR enamels were normally painted GSR station green / CIE green, and usually found looking very faded, so don't use bright shiny green gloss! Some posts were wooden, but by the time most of us are modelling, uprights were usually rail. In post-1962/3 days, the surrounds to the plastic signs were normally varnished wood, with the posts grey of varying shades. (* as opposed to "running in boards". This is a term never ever heard of in Ireland!)

Lucky we're not in the UK, then! Superb photos, great layout. Those flats look the business.

That gives a much better view of the wagons. From camera, the first is obviously a standard CIE corrugated open, then what you suggest, almost certainly a Downshire one (wonder when they were scrapped?) and beyond it some sort of standard wooden-bodied open - could be CIE but probably ex-GNR.

Should add, also 0.6.4T “Lough Melvin”.

There are two SLNCR locos, a brake van, and coaches 4, and two of the bogie trio, plus Railcar B. All very nice. If I make headway with the master list of descriptions tonight and tomorrow, I’ll be back in there on Monday morning. I’ll photo them individually for you if I’ve time.

The wagons look GNR to me - the East Downshire ones were, I think, somewhat shorter height. Great photo!

More from Malahide ....please don’t re-post.

More from Malahide

A few pics from Malahide.... please don’t re-post anywhere.

“Soft” opening now not going ahead tomorrow. Various display cabinets need alteration, staff trained on cctv, last minute stuff. Layout almost ready and looking amazing. Artefacts almost all placed in cabinets, labelled, catalogued and ready to view. Exterior garden being tidied - admin office now furnished. Updates will follow....

Correct. Final ungarbling of Castle “storage” emm, “system“ for Fry’s models tomorrow. Final positioning in display cases now that missing items found.... Need to set me alarm for 05:45....... eerrggghh

Greetings, all. The final frantic work is in progress now at the Malahide Fry museum for the “soft” opening on Saturday. It’s likely that finishing touches will still be required before the main public opening, which is planned to be in January. Finishing me coffee for another 13-hour day there! Dave & team are doing a stupendous job on the 00 gauge layout. Everyone else is running about looking after different aspects of it. It’s looking good! If I get time I’ll post a few pics later.

Absolutely superb stuff, gentlemen - very many thanks!

Many thanks!

Vaguely related to modelling... Once "Dugort harbour" is up and running, I am considering ideas for something else. I have tended to grow an interest in the railways of some countries I've visited over the years, especially South Africa, India and Indonesia. Just being back from South America I have seen that there's a huge amount there that isn't hugely known of here. For inspirational purposes, does anyone know of any decent books about the history of the railways of Brazil, Peru, Argentina or Chile?

If you can find one under the graffiti.....

And these tubes are "trains"...... gawd 'elp us.....! Gimme a leaky-window, unheated Park Royal any day!

Wow!!! I thought that was a real photo!

Narrow gauge steam, if Irish, and if the preference is actual accuracy (it may not be; different opinions rule), would require everything from station paintwork bro anything running on rails to be very heavily weathered! Again, since you ask, for me the preference is realistic weathering on everything, but each to their own.

This was indeed standard in Ireland, or possibly “standard”! I’m unaware of any exceptions though I won’t swear there weren’t any!

Left to right. The train is of laminate type (late 1950s) carriages, although the middle one might possibly be one of the 1937 Bredins. Thd vehicle parked in front of the loco shed is a standard MGWR 6-wheeler, but with a re-panelled end in non-standard style and foot boards removed. This means it’s in departmental use. The grounded coach body is probably a DSER suburban third class 6-wheeler.