jhb171achill

Outstanding work!!!! Looks superb. ....presumably there'll be a number also on the rear of the cab?

In terms of the O & K locos at Downpatrick, I've never come across anything even remotely close. You're looking at a scratchbuild, I would think, and the wheels would be a challenge - they're very small.

The BR livery vanished in its entirety before entering traffic - the entire coach was painted in the standard CIE livery with black roofs from the outset. Nothing orange and black ever ran with grey roofs. Dirt, of course, can throw up many shades of many things.....!

Absolutely correct, Colin. In the 1960s, among the youthful pioneering RPSI preservationist members (to whom, it must not be forgotten, we owe the very existence of these things no matter what colour theyre painted!), legions of stories arose relating to GNR blue. When initially painted blue by the early RPSI, the sdahe was way, way too light, and the excuse given was that at Dundalk, "they'd just go to the local shop and get whatever blue paint they had" -or- "sure no two of them were ever the same shade of blue". The stories were as crass as they were ninsense; the one you quote above was indeed another! I personally knew the late Marcus Bailie-Gage, who was closely involved as Dundalk Works Manager with the paint laboratory, and the company like all other companies went to great lengths to mix their own paint to exact formulae. Such suggestions above would have certainly given poor Marcus the Heebie-Jeebies with multiple complications..... he would have spat out his jam sandwiches which he had for lunch...... In reality, a fledgling preservation movement was finding out the hard way that what's on a model won't work in real life, and vice versa - witness, for example, the current shade of green on 461 which I think I'm right in saying was copied from a model - it isn't accurate at all. The shade on 800 in Cultra is actual CIE paint. Blue, also, is a nororiously hard colour to replicate on models. A model is viewed in different lighting conditions to a "real thing". I know i don't have to comment to the very experienced modellers here on the pitfalls of getting "real paint" for a model. Sometimes it works, but it can't be guaranteed. A more "watered down" version is often better on a model, especially with wagons; whoever saw a shiny varnish-like sheen on a good wagon? To veer back towards the subject of the thread, I suppose a lost kit presents an opportunity to make a good looking new model from scratch and paint it properly! Tartan for GNR locos, black and pink for CIE steam, purple and day-glo blue for Mk 3 coaches, and (Pat, turn away;) NCC maroon for bubbles...........................................................................

To make "Harvey", a bit of alteration to the rear bunker would be necessary. Incidentally, she never ran in the (yet again!) fictitious preservation livery she has always carried at Whitehead. I remember her arriving - she was in the LPHC's livery of a very dark green and with utterly different lining. This may, fortunately, still be seen on LPHC No. 1 in Cultra. I really do wish that preservationists here would apply the same meticulousness to the accuracy of paint jobs as they do in Britain. There is no excuse - it's as easy to paint something red as blue. Time and time again we see models, superbly and painstakingly made, and the modeller is effectively misled by preserved inaccurate paint schemes. Probably the most garish example is the zebra-striped "Ivan", the colourful GNR brake van! Yellow flying snails, black wagon chassis.... I know, I know, many don't mind, but others are content with wrong bogies or buffers, while this would cause others again to reach for the smelling salts, the better to stave off attacks of the Screaming Fits, Convoluted Conniptions, and Multiple Allergies.......

The carriages were British, thus built to their lower, narrower loading gauge. The whole idea behind the white lines was to have it at an exact height from rail level, so that the disparate types of carriages, initially all green, would look more uniform if this was painted across everything at the same height. Due to a lower roof on BR vans, thus a lower cantrail gutter, the bottom of the white line would stay the same as on other stock, so wouldn't be as thick, as the lower roof got in the way! Perusal of pictures will show this, plus the absolute uniformity on other stock. The original experimental black'n'tan from its earliest sample outing in 1962, had slightly thicker white lines, but these didn't make it to production.

Those vans would have made a great place to put a layout inside, ttc.............................

Hi George I've one pack of track - I suspect about half a dozen lengths. They're somewhere in the attic! The points - two short-radius plastic frog, and another couple longer radius electro. The electro ones are new, the others used but serviceable. Some of the stock - in fact most of it - isn't in boxes so I can't be sure of catalogue numbers. I'll photo them for you and try to post them here, or probably better I email you. PM me your email address and i'll try to get that done in the next few days.

I have a 009 coach kit, not made up (and it's on my "for sale" list from the other day, I think). I bought it about that sort of timescale too, maybe not quite as old but thereabouts.....

Yes, those are plain black roofs, shiny from either rain or carriage washing plants. The black ends of CIE coaches ought always to be weathered at least a bit, bogies likewise, to achieve realism. While all painted black, they didn't look that way for long. It's a bit like a rake of pristine four wheeled wagons - they just don't look right if pristine!

jhb Senior was involved with this. The "supervision" was a looser term than on the DNGR, and in reality many BCDR loco matters were equally "supervised" by the NCC's famous Harold Houston, a good frien of my father's. One might wonder how Bangor ended up with so many GNR signals. look no further than Senior; he was GSR-trained, but latterly GNR through-and-through! He left the UTA in 1964 as it became a run-down, politically motivated bus company. He also took direct charge of PW matters on the BCDR, but only after the UTA had taken it over and turned it into nothing but the Bangor line.

I remember seeing a "tin van" on the Limerick - Ballina. The thing was in such a state that you'd have been forgiven for thinking it had a BROWN line above window level, not white....and the glass in the windows was the same colour, as were the ends and chassis! It had a bit of a "limp" too; looked like it was on its last legs. Incidentally, if anyone knows where a 2nd handy Mayner tin van might be had, I'm interested.........

Absolutely top class job - I've been following this one with interest. It's not often too, that accurate notice is taken of the thinner white line on these coaches. One small point though - nothing black'n'tan would ever have had a grey roof - always black; however, such were the deprivations of rust and exhaust, that roofs on these things tended to be sixty shades of black, filth, greys, browns, rust and general gunk! Unlike passenger-carrying stock, all sorts of genny vans from tin vans through to Dutch and BR types, tended to be washed less frequently, and thus show up often as more weathered than accompanying Park Royals, Cravens and laminates. So if this one is to be as pristine as the sides, a black roof would probably be better with very light weathering, depicting something just out of Inchicore (but not to stay that way, probably, for long!). If a weathered, worn, roof is preferred, a good degree of brake dust in the nether regions, and side weathering, would look more fitting. (NB: grey roofs with green livery, even then, in latter "green" days, sometimes black).

Many thanks, folks.

Late forties, I'd say. Clothing looks even 1950s; could it be around closure time? If it is, the loco still hasn't ben renumbered 214 by the UTA - most were by then, a few weren't.

I didn't notice it at first, to be honest. Your remedy will doubtless fix it. A third volume under consideration....... if anyone can lend me some days with 25 hours in them, and weeks with nine days.....!

OUTSTANDING! Well done gents!

Looks fantastic! Well done!

The three way point is a great space saver and invaluable for small-space layouts. Double slips likewise in some cases.

Superb stuff - how much has changed. The modern railway is little better than a graffiti-scrawled Luas set! Go back a decade earlier than the above and there's even more! The "black'n'tan" era!

I have found an old Worsley laminate brake standard (set of sides etc). Does anyone have any thoughts as to what might be a suitable donor chassis / bogies, both as a strictly accurate representation, and possibly a cheaper compromise that looks acceptable?

What sort of space have you available? I, too, am currently planning a small shunting type layout to amuse myself with. Prototypes I had considered were short harbour lines like Sligo Quay, or small termini like Courtmacsherry, Fintona or Westport Quay. I have a rough idea of the once-proposed terminus at Belmullet, which would have been long and narrow had it been built. One can retain the narrowness, but shorten it considerably if space dictates. Castleisland, again shortened, would also make an interesting small terminus. I had also considered the highly unusual Terenure terminus of the Dublin & Blessington, which was extremely cramped. Such a terminus, dare I say, has "Holman" written all over it!!!! In narrow gauge, a small terminus with shunting in mind would be well represented by Castlegregory.

Lever on left....

Awaiting with interest! (Or are they getting ready for Brexit!!!?)

LIST OF 009 / H0e EQUIPMENT FOR SALE I need to fund some 00 stuff! LOCOMOTIVES Original box (Y = yes, N = no) Price € 3 x Liliput 2095 class diesel (OBB 1980s red livery) 2 x Liliput 2091 class (centre cab) diesel (OBB 1980s red livery) 1 x Liliput 0.6.0T tank engine (repainted plain black) 1 x Atlas 0.6.0 diesel shunter (repainted plain green) 3 x “Varikit” 0.6.0T on Arnold chassis (need attention) plain black N Y N N N 145.00 each 155.00 each 40.00 40.00 10.00 each COACHING STOCK 1 x Liliput 4 wheel coach Austrian (brown; steel sided) 4 x Liliput 4 wheel coach (brown; vertical wood panelling) 1 x Liliput “Fiery Elias” bogie coach (green) 1 x Dundas orig. style kit built Vale of Rheidol coach (plain green) 3 x Liliput Bogie coaches (2 in SKGLB green, 1 OBB brown) 2 x Liliput Bogie coaches as above, hand painted, one green, one maroon 2 x Ref. 3411 Long wheelbase 4 wheel 2nd class coach 1 x Bemo Ref. 3009 bogie third (green) 2 x Bemo bogie thirds (green) 3 x Liliput Standard OBB bogie 2nd (green) 2 x Roco standard OBB brake 2nd (geranium / cream) 1 x Roco 1st / 2nd composite (geranium / cream) 1 x Roco Standard OBB 2nd (green) N N Y N N N 1xY, 1xN Y Y** Y** N N N 25.00 25.00 each 50.00 15.00 40.00 each 25.00 each 30.00 each 40.00 40.00 each 42.00 each 50.00 each 50.00 50.00 WAGONS ETC. Liliput L371013 OBB Packwagen (mid green) Liliput 4 wheel passenger brake van 4 x Long wheelbase 4 wheel goods vans (2 brown, 2 green) 6 x Short wheelbase 4 wheel goods vans (3 brown, 3 grey) 2 x 6 wheel goods vans (brown) 1 x Open wagon with coal load (grey) Y Y* N N 1xN, 1xN N 22.00 19.00 25.00 each 15.00 each 25.00 each 12.00 OTHER I have the usual boxes of bits and pieces – wheels, a couple of spare motors, and parts of kits. In particular, an Arnold 2.6.0 chassis in working order and most of the parts for a Tralee & Dingle locomotive kit. I will include the lot if anyone is buying a lot from me. 1 x kit of “Golden Arrow” productions Southwold Railway brass coach kit. Untouched and unmade. I have a scratchbuilt narrow gauge tender loco with “side skirts”, loosely based on a Javanese main (narrow gauge) line 2.4.0. Working order, but underpowered as it has a tender motor and there isn’t much weight in the tender. I have several lengths of PECO Streamline 009 gauge track and sets of points. N n/a 15.00 15.00 Points 7.50 each Track 5.00 per length . * Original box, but box not in good condition . ** In box, but not original Payment accepted via sterling or euro cheque, bank transfer or paypal. Prices exclude postage. Prices are in euros – deduct 10% for sterling equivalent. In all cases I am prepared to discuss a price for more than one item.