jhb171achill

That’s a superb prototype - might it find a home for your spare motor? There seems a growing interest in GSR locos now - not before time, as they were the largest company in Ireland by an extremely long way, and had an almost unlimited array of stock - a modeller’s lifetime dream. I look forward to seeing progress.

Superb weathering!

This reminded me of a moment of delusional inspiration in my teens. One of my first layouts beyond the "train set" stage was an eventually unfinished 009 outfit, based on a fictitious CIE narrow gauge line which had survived to the 1975 closures. West Clare railcars would have been evident, and alongside an "F" lass diesel would have been a couple of locos based on a 3ft gauge version of a 121! I did out the drawings for it, and I must say it looked quite a beast. Must delve to see if l still have them....

Number 6 is doing his number 2.....

That's possible, Fivefootthree, and I had wondered myself. When the loco was painted grey at Whitehead some 15 years or so ago, it was correctly painted grey all over. Subsequently, on enquiring why the chimney and smaller kebox looked darker, I was told that since the Whitehead folk thought a grey chimney looked "odd"*, they had allowed it to get darker by not leaning it, whereas they DID clean the rest of the loco. I would be disappointed to hear that it had actually been repainted black, as this is categorically incorrect. Irish preservation, unlike the U.K. or beyond, has an unfortunate history of livery inaccuracy, with virtually every preserved coach or wagon, across the RPSI, DCDR and Cultra, in wrong liveries. There are a number of reasons for that; as a one-time carriage restoration volunteer in the RPSI, I can confirm. Comparing 186 with other locos would not be relevant; it's a different livery - indeed, the plain grey is the livery of the vast majority of steam engines. Between the mid 1910s and the early 1960s - half a century almost, grey locos on the island of Ireland outnumbered all the others by about 3 to 1. 186 should be all grey. So should 184 and 461, as these locos were this colour throughout their lives in their current state (though one photo strongly suggests 461 as one of the small number which got a coat of black in its final few years). In current form, 184/6 were entirely grey always. Lovely model above, Eoin - grey possibly slightly light - however - while the grey used, like all livery colours, remained pretty standard, jhbSenior recalled seeing a J15 or possibly J18 (I can't remember which he told me), being shunted out of the paint shop at Inchicore in a lighter grey, same shade as wagons. Also, when brand new, the loco grey tended to look lighter though it didn't stay that way long! So your model is in "ex-works" condition. Hope this is helpful. Incidentally, Eoin, where did you get those buffer beam numerals? They are absolutely perfect!

You'd think they'd have used a proper Craven.......!

But will the Dubs do four in a row?

Might I suggest that you DO get it right - very right!!! The most nit-picking rivet counter would have difficulties here.....! One thing though - I went into that Temperance Hotel of yours and they wouldn't give me a pint of Guinness.......

Yeah, it's "remember 1966" all over again! "It's coming home".....! You could understand this if England had won it 17 times. You could understand that sort of sentiment from Kerry in the Gaelic football, having won the All-Ireland 37 times, or almost a quarter of all the times it's ever been won. But - England won the World Cup.............just ONCE!

I'd probably go for a smaller version of that - one tank, perhaps....

That's exactly the type of realism I'm planning for, Mayner - thanks. I've this idea of a once-daily bus heading off to some place in the back of beyond, but to justify its existence it probably ends up somewhere - like a Clifden - Westport bus would. I like the fishing boat idea too!

Oil cans it is.... I was thinking about getting a pack of them, actually, to use as a load for one of Leslie’s corrugated opens....

Oooooooooooohhhhhh!!!!!!! Where's me smelling salts!!!

I'm thinking something like the two smaller tanks in the foreground in that pic..... it would be a comparatively small-scale thing and based in the 1960-3 period when health and safety matters weren't taken as seriously as now......

An update from Baseboard Dave has boards complete and work proceeding. It had occurred to me that one of a number of excuses for short workings into this terminus would be the fortnightly tanker of diesel to feed the CIE bus based locally, for the once-daily service to Slievemore village. I am aware that such practices existed at Ballina and perhaps elsewhere. In order to provide a realistic environment to where this wagon will end up at the end of a siding, does anyone have photos of anything of the sort? Presumably there would be a lineside fuel tank and all the associated gubbins. What would be adjacent to it - would it be an open tank, or a small brick building enclosing it all? I'm sure they didn't just unload fuel from a tank wagon directly into a bus!

The above, mint and boxed, never used, €100. This is not the same ad as the one for a V65 which I posted the other day.

That works very well, by the look of it..... The new track plan looks better, too.

Given that passenger buildings, like Cork, are sometimes on curves, it mightn't look out of place even though I'm unaware of anything prototypical. As long as it "looks right", it's your gig!

They'd never manage to have it in the right livery..... they'd probably paint the ironwork black....

Withdrawn; it has a new home.

Odd question perhaps - but do you have a photo of the tanks / storage facilities at Ballina for the buses?

New, boxed, mint; not required. €100.

Result: England 2.14, Galway 2.23.........

Bought it on eBay; not wanted now as it would look out of place in a 1960-ish south west of Ireland setting! Original box, mint. €100

Ken That’s absolutely correct. The thing never had a repaint in its entire life! Along with the 800 class trio, it’s the solitary engine that the GSR didn’t paint grey! The exact shade of green is unknown, but if it were possible to research in England what the makers generally used, you’d be ok with that. The only thing the GSR did was to add a number plate, and since the engine was never repainted, it’s probable that the number plate was just unpainted metal too. Those Peckett photos above would probably be correct, but in GSR days s heavy layer of weathering, almost obliterating the livery as in some photos above, would be more appropriate!