jhb171achill

Fair enough; it seems, from various sources, that within the short term, our government will succeed this time......travel to Nenagh while we can.....

This is exceptionally low-brow and low-tech, but what I did on several occasions while trying to work out what quart I could fit into a pint pot, was to mark track sections and points out full size on old newspaper with a marker pen, but the bits out and lay them in place. This will show what fits very early! I know it sounds utterly ridiculous, but it's effective, and try as I might, no layout software is remotely intelligible to me!

Very true. Also, did you see the programme about the origins of preservation on just before it tonight? Truly excellent programme. It was the same type of treatment, only 12ins to the foot scale.

That really is some achievement. Compare the lengthy closures of the Nenagh branch for relaying seven metres of track, and cutting a hedge!

Excellent!!!!!! I heard that driver has made a formal complaint to the PHBTU (Peco, Hornby and Bachmann Trade Union). You may be getting a solicitors letter! :-)

Two photos up, same type of railcar. No other type of railcar ever ran on the line, toy than an occasional foray of the ugly Bullied design which ran with them, and of which there were mercifully few. This makes accurate modelling simple, as from their introduction (1953 to this line, I think) they formed virtually 100% of passenger trains into Bantry, the goods being "Bandon Tanks". On an occasional day off for maintenance, the railcar was substituted by (usually) an ex-GSWR 2.4.2T tank loco. A "Bandon Tank" might have deputised the odd time. While I've no evidence of it happening, I'm sure it probably did. Coaching stock is important for accuracy, and presents the biggest challenge, in the form of elderly GSWR and CBSCR stock. Bredins and Park Royals made occasional visits, but really only in later years, with PRs appearing sometimes as railcar intermediates. The oft-shown pics of the famous IRRS St Patrick's Day special has a steam-hauled train of then brand new laminates posing on the viaduct, but such carriage stock on steam train was certainly not typical - if it ever happened at all in normal service. Thus, if accuracy is to prevail, a three car AEC set (a Bredin being suitable as an intermediate) or a steam hauled train of a bogie third, maybe a six-wheel first, and a six-wheel brake third would be right. Most bogies in the period modelled were GSWR in origin, with at least two old, and very basic, Bandon coaches which were short wheelbase bogies. Most six - wheelers by that stage were actually ex MGWR, though I think I'm right in saying there remained at least one CBSCR one. None of these carriages are much like anything convertible or repaintable from British prototypes, and the railcars, while pure Southhall mechanically, were also unlikely British railcars. Thus, for passenger trains, either serious kit and scratch building, or serious compromise, is necessary.

Totally agree, Popeye!

Superb programme. It always beats me why railway enthusiasts - especially if interested in modelling - are seen by some as nerds who have never grown up, yet it's acceptable to watch overpaid, bottle-tanned spoilt brats spending ninety minutes running round after a ball, at the end of which the score is either 0-0 or 1.0. Or, those who like cars, motor bikes, ships or planes: all forms of transport, so what's wrong with us! Excellent programme, "caring" as Weshty says.

Anyone having problems? Top right log-in button won't work, whether I try to store it or not. In order to log in, I have to find a thread that I know I've posted in, then click on a post I made in the past, then look up "previous posts" for myself, and THEN the login screen appears, already populated with jhb171etc and password!

Ghastly. Poor fella. He needs to analyse very carefully who could have known what's there! It's certainly someone "in the know". Years ago, something of mine (not that valuable) was pinched by a colleague in one of the preservation bodies. I know who took it, and while it was only worth about €15, I was surprised in the extreme that someone I thought could be 100% trusted turned out not to be.

There's a vid clip somewhere of ballast dropping and ploughing on the DCDR's Inch Abbey line. If I recall correctly, it was being side-dropped by their ex-NIR bogie, and centre-dropped by their GSWR 4-wheeled ballast wagon. The GSWR plough did that end of it.

The prize is 1000 bubble wagons!

I'm with ye... ugly and not only that, rarely clean in traffic! I remember seeing a very filthy one in Heuston - contrasting with a pristine "tippex" one next to it!

A R-T-R "A" and "C" at the very least, along with a good kit or RTR fertiliser and cattle wagon would go a huge, huge way in the hobby. We're seeing the modern era, tipped era, supertrsin era and black'n'tan era very impressively covered now. A good set of green'n'silver and steam eras would give some great choices. We are about to get a RTR GSWR / GSR / CIE J15. This is the single most essential loco of all of the steam era, along with Des' excellent SSM J15 kit. A Midland 6-wheeler and a decent GSWR or MGWR six-wheel passenger brake would conclude the basics.

In "them there days", locos were prepared for a photo by painting in light grey, black and white, to emphasise features in the days of black and white photography. They were then painted in their "actual" livery. Above, we see wheels and motion picked out in white, a huge ornamental number, and a black smokebox. In traffic, from the start, the number (in light yellow / cream) was smaller and plainer, and the grey was very slightly darker, encompassing also the white bits and smokebox. On the CVR, the cab of the "Unit" and the railcar were interchangeable, though I am unaware of any evidence of this ever happening. The railcar and its cab unit were mid brown with white roof, while the goods unit above was a very dark grey with white roof; much darker than the goods stock.

Beware the colours on both of the Downpatrick vans shown. 1. Brown is faded now 2. Even newly painted, slightly too reddish. 3. They should have brown chassis, not black ever.

The number could either be on its own, or prefixed by "No." if the spaces round the vacuum pipes permitted it. The buffer beams were red, in GSR days very thinly lined in black, with the number as you say shaded. The red buffer beams were the only reluef to the grey! If you want to see the exact style of shading used, look at 461 and 186 as they are today. There were several colours used in it. The only other colour detail is the numberplate. Painted over in grey, with rim and numerals picked out in pale yellow. Numberplate backgrounds on grey locos were always grey themselves.

It's a steam-powered clockwork iPhone, made by Apple & Co. Engineering Works in Manchester in 1912, so it's ok...... Seriously, an absolutely amazing, top class job. Looks sublime in every way.

It's an absolute scandal that not one atom of that still exists - or has done, thanks to Stormont, for half a century.

A bendy-bus.

Haha!!!!!! :-)

Beware the Bantry Boys!

David, I've thought that your skills with Leitrim-world and Clogher Valley would lend themselves well to a quirky off-the-beaten-track CIE branch about 1959. That loco, and / or something like No. 90, plus an obligatory appearance of a dirty green "C", would make a fine sight tentatively bumbling through weed-grown track which hadn't seen too many PW gangs since about 1938! A six wheel passenger brake and about half a dozen wagons would be all you'd need - with one GN one, maybe, borrowed from "Arigna Road"! A grimy 299 fits that scene perfectly.

Interesting stuff. Gives me ideas for the next colour book.......! (That said, I'm an oul black'n'tan fogey.....too old to hear new chimes, etc etc.....!)

I'm absolutely with you on that, Noel! Was just curious though...... It's a pity when there's so very little of interest on the railways that a yellow machine is notable......