jhb171achill

Johannes, you ask what colour stations were painted then. Woodwork was a darkish leaf green an cream, or occasionally darkish leaf green and a very light grey. Doorframes, window frames and doors darker green. Station nameboards yellow with black letters. Ironwork of gutters same dark green, downpies too. Metal supports for, say, notice boards or station name-boards, black or dark grey usually. Sometimes cream colou with bottom half-metre black. If you had any small corrugated iron huts at the lineside, these were usually light grey painted, possibly with lack at bottom near ground level.

It is indeed a crazy price for those. However, even then the design of those carriages is nothing like the one train set here that ran in that livery. OK for a "fantasy" layout - I don't know what level of accuracy you would prefer to go for - but as suggested above a kit-build would be needed for total accuracy. Maybe one or two of those coaches might pop up on fleabay individually some other time?

WOW! SO realistic - excellent. I am always greatly in awe of your scenic skills!

Hello Johannes, and welcome. You ask about authenticity of models for Larne Harbour. It depends on what period you are modelling. From the mid-1950s, passenger multiple units have monopolised, with locomotives rarer. General goods traffic ended by 1965, but parcels traffic was retained, sometimes in container wagons, on into the 1980s. If you want a pre-1950 scenario, the dual narrow gauge track is essential - you don't have to have narrow gauge models, though! Steam engines were supreme. You can amend several British (LMS) prototypes to make a decent approximation of the standard 2.6.4T tanks engines which operated on the line. Equally, an LMS 4.4.0 can approximate, or be amended to, a "U2" class 4.4.0. Few other steam engines were ever seen there after 1950. Bachmann do several LMS (English) coaches which are very very similar to several NCC prototypes, so steam-hauled carriages won't be a problem. In terms of wagons, Provincial Wagons and SSM do several wagons which might have gone there - an occasional CIE "H" van - VERY occasional - might have worked into there between about 1958 and 1965. Provincial's GNR goods brake van would suit, in extremely dirty condition. Ballast trains and (poetic licence?) the UTA / NIR's "spoil trains" might make an appearance (1967-70). Other than that, the big challenge is passenger stock. In the 1950s, 60s, 70s and early 80s, the various MPD railcars reigned supreme. There's no way round scratch-building these, as hardly two were alike! Then, from 1974, the 80 class railcars would monopolise all services, with the assistance of the ghastly "Castle Class" sets, until about ten years ago. Nowadays, the CAF railcars - a half-reasonable approximation can be had by a repaint of some British prototypes - don't ask me, as I'm not a "modern railcar person"! But I've seen some models which look very convincing. The NIR "Hunslet" locos would hardly ever have turned up in Larne, and when they did only with maintenance trains. The same is true of the three NIR "111" (or 071) types. You could employ another bit of "poetic licence" and have a Hunslet (there's a kit somewhere) with a three-coach push/pull Mk 2 set. The very last time I travelled behind a Hunslet was in the early 1990s with 101 pushing a three-coach Mk 2 set on a suburban all-stops from Central to Lisburn. Such a set could have gone to Larne at that time. Nothing to stop the odd RPSI train turning up. Maybe a set of RPSI Mk 2s and a "preserved" steam engine? Hope this is useful.

An aside - years ago, I was discussing with jhbSenior what times he travelled that line. Was there a "C" class on the train? --- "Not at all. It was a "J" class". (Translated meaning "what on earth would I want to go in a diesel train for?") "What type of carriage was it" --- "An old GSWR bogie". "What sort of upholstery had it?" (Me being always interested in colours / liveries) -- "No idea. I always went on the footplate...."

I don't known about the first one with C214. The others are of the up Galway day mail, and the grey / yellow 121 will be hauling it. They ran singly at first. I am unaware of EVER seeing a pair of 121s in any livery before 1972 (on an nearly "supertrain"). For modellers awaiting Murphy Day: grey ones singly, pairs in later times / other liveries. interesting re the couplings. I had forgotten about that. Re. Glinsk / Gleensk viaduct.... can't have been long out of use then - presuming you took that pic early 1960s? Looks like it's going to become part of a cycleway.... we'll be able to go up there again!

Me too..... two 121s (maybe more!) and four A's! Ouch €€€€

You're ok with authenticity, Colin - the C class entered service in 1957, after the A and B101s in 1955, while the narrow gauge still was operating. The Cavan & Leitrim and the Co. Donegal lasted until 1959, and the (by now all diesel!) West Clare until 1961.... so there ye have it! It would actually be interesting to know where the least known places were that 121s visited. They got into Ballaghadereen. One might presume New Ross or Ardee? Certainly they got to Ennis, and to Listowel via Tralee. One got to Loughrea, I think. Had there never been a border, they'd have been over the Derry Road, and Dundalk to Enniskillen, I am sure. Cue a separate topic, what would have operated over the Irish North if it had lasted even until 1970.......

I have to say I'm not a fan of this at all.....

In THAT case, between Ballysodare and Sligo, 60 with passenger coaches only, was certainly feasible at a pinch.

Indeed, Angus, nor do I. On the Ballysodare - Sligo stretch, a modern train, say an AEC railcar, would well do 60 - the track was for for it. But cattle trucks....no, definitely no. Such stock was normally limited to 30mph.

Under no circumstances could a SLNCR train have attained 60 miles per hour, or anything close to it. After 1930, the track was in woeful state. jhbSenior inspected it twice or three times in the 1950s in his own time, as he was friendly with the SLNCR Traffic Manager during his time with the GNR in Enniskillen, and the SLNCR couldn't afford to retain their own civil engineer. His thoughts on the track would probably have had a speed limit of 35 mph at most, maybe 40 on a few stretches. The railcar might have done that. Perusal of the timetables then show roughly two hours for Enniskillen to Sligo, or some average 25mph. That would equate to a top running speed of maybe 31-32mph. Apart from this, if anything attained even 45mph, it would have been Railcar "B". The wagons were certainly not fit for anything above 25-30mph. Leslie, your reticence in believing anything about 60mph would be very well founded! Colin Boocock may have been referring to when the line was first opened, but again, not with loose coupled wagons on a line with many, many, short and steep gradients.

Which it probably has!

All Dave’s work. Scenery to follow! Then..... it’s 1963!

The latest; things begin to take shape at Baseboard Dave’s. Hopefully near the end now! And it’ll be 1963 again.....

In the long term, there are models available that are not a million miles from NCC prototypes. A little poetic licence and an Isle of Man 2.4.0 in NCC maroon would make a nice sight sitting there... Superb little cameo as is, though!

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.