jhb171achill

The "freight hub" or whatever they called it, at Listowel, never materialised at all. However, a long wheelbase four wheeled "sundries van" with retractable sides and roof was built as an experiment at Inchicore. I've seen photos of it.

The "no shunt railway" concept dates back to the Rail Modernisation project, conceived in - I think - 1973, and thus probably reported about then. Unfortunately, its main achievement was the entire closure, on the one day (3.11.75) of the entire Burma Road, Loughrea and Ardee branches, and the North Kerry between Listowel (which wouldn't last much longer) and Ballingrane.....

In terms of accurate operation, that makes both very limited indeed, and possibly of greater interest to a collector rather than layout operator. There are other examples - De Dietrichs only for Dublin - Belfast line (albeit over a way longer period), and the light green Belmond 201 being another short lived loco livery. NIR briefly ran a Mk 2 still in BR livery in the 1990s, and some CIE locos acquired the IE "set of points" logo before they got a full repaint in tippex stripes. In one of my books there's a pic showing a loco in filthy Supertrain livery, complete with CIE roundel on the FRONT. On the SIDE there's a "set of points"! I understand that this was extremely short lived as the loco was fully repainted in IE Tippex shortly afterwards.

1509, yes, not 1507. I stand corrected!

.....in a black'n'white photo! And this common obsession with entirely incorrect Hornby-compatible black chassis! I'm going to get my smelling salts.

I saw one in a goods train parked in Limerick station once....

Red paint!!!!!!! Aaarrrrrgggghhhhh my eyes hurt.....

Not a corrugated one - unless it's arrived very recently indeed. There are, between Downpatrick & Whitehead, a couple of wooden ones of NCC origin.

18th is a Wednesday.... fine for me. Anyone else? Garfield - maybe stick up a post under "events" if anyone's interested?

I had thought of getting a couple to the DCDR at one time, but money for transport was tight!

No Cravens were ever kitchen or bar cars until the RPSI converted two standards. Belatedly, CIE put small food serverys in 1508 / 9. That was all. 1508 saw somewhat more use and the RPSI now has it. 1509 was scrapped.

Ok, Ryan's, 18th? Will check diary.

Glenderg, there will be many suggestions, so you decide date and time!

Brilliant! I can confirm that examples existed with black and white lettering / badge, as in the photo, and all-black as on the model. An absolutely essential addition to the mid-1970s scene.

I'd be happy with that...anyone else?

Might I tentatively suggest somewhere central and appropriate, like Harcourt Street Station Concourse (aka Odeon Bar)? Gets a bit loud though, so other suggestions?

After you, dear boy!

What about an IRM autumn gathering before the Xmas party season kicks off? Night out, nibbles, a few jars....? Garfield?

Always thought a model version of the North Wall goods yards and shunting / transfer freights there would be fascinating, though a lot of compromise in space would be needed. Such a thing would be an ideal home for B113 and B114 in the early 1960s, and would also allow both CIE and some GNR steam, as well as various CIE diesels.

It wouldn't be commercially viable (thankfully) to do a print run of an old ticket, thus authenticity is normal, if not inevitable.

Only in its very last few years, and not as closely as it looks. It had just as much cooperation from the NCC in relation to some matters. It was more of a consultative aspect, as the BCDR was of course fully independent in all respects. The SLNCR used the services of some GNR people from time to time, with regard to permanent way and diesel rail uses. The DNGR, on the other hand, ended up being operated by the GNR, often using their locos and stock.

Superb video. The RPSI simply painted green over the orange - never intended as a livery as such, but simply a stop-gap measure. I think about 3 carriages were like that in traffic. None were ever grey and black, unless one went out once in undercoat, possibly. Videos are notoriously bad at depicting colour, with much very distorted. Snails were often incorrectly applied by the RPSI. "Reverse" snails, that is with the upper part pointing right, were only put on the offside of buses and STEAM locos. Nothing else.

For the record, that paint scheme on 184 was a short-lived RPSI "makey-up" one. Snails on steam locos were never, ever yellow - only the gold-lined light green, and no J15s were ever black except in GSWR pre-1915 condition.

''Tis true, burnthebox... but... in my case at least, yer man was well known for skinflintism etc etc....

Many buildings of that era had broadly similar sized windows.....could be worthwhile looking for an existing building, which doesn't even have to be a railway one - and measuring both windows and doors too.