jhb171achill

None of those figures surprise me, which is why a preservation outfit has to think of money, money, money first. Whims of enthusiasts often are put forward in the sense "why doesn't the ITGRPSIDCDR do XYZ?". the answer almost always is volunteer time, money, and the likely financial return from the restored loco. This is why, for example, the restoration of No. 27 "Lough Erne" will never take precedence over, say, Nos. 4, 171, 131, 85, or 461. Similarly, restoration of a diesel to working order, crew training and certification for main line running has to be very strictly analysed in advance; will the thing attract a few enthusiasts for a few trips before the novelty wears off, or will it earn its keep long term? If the answer if the former, no sensible treasurer would set a red cent near it. Personally, I suspect (and hope) that it's the latter. After some 20 years dealing with both RPSI and DCDR finances, I hear the cries of the treasurers.....

That's an interesting photo. Left to right: "H" van (grey, heavily brake dust weathered, snail) GSWR open 3rd of about 1902-5 vintage, black'n'tan Tin Van (silver; but for modellers beware - the roof is not black or grey - they were unpainted always - but it looks that way due to weathering and, remember, even then sometimes steam train soot / coal dust) Tin Van, post-'55 green GSR Bredin, post '55-green Unidentified van - either early CIE or GSR mail / guard van (post-'55 green) "C" Class loco, post-'55 green. The picture is right at the end of the steam era, so a work-stained J15 would fit in well with the scene, as would locos of A, B121 (grey), B101, or early G class. Within a year, 141s would be a common sight. Train make-ups then were not the boring fixed-set-of-same-type-of-stock that we've seen since the introduction of the Mk 2 "Supertrains" in 1972. Prior to that, it was very rare to get a train all of the same type of coach. Couplings were standard between all stock - something designers today have regressed on. It makes zero sense to have incompatible couplings sharing the same railway. The above also shows that to walk between the only two passenger coaches would require a walk through not one, but two, tin vans. I encountered this once on a Rosslare - Limerick train, which had a van between two carriages, then another carriage, then another van. The van had cardboard packages of something or other in them and made for an unstable and noisy short walk from one coach to the next..... For the benefit of modellers of this very interesting period, from recollection here are a few combinations on trains I remember travelling on. All were in the 1972-1980 period. Rosslare - Limerick; as above, plus on another occasion a Dutch van, three laminates and a Park Royal. Dublin - Cork; a Bredin, three laminates of two different types, two Park Royals and about three Cravens - all mixed up. A BR or Dutch Van was at one end and a six-wheel hot water bottle at the other. Tralee line - a train with one Craven in between several park Royals and Laminates. Loughrea - the one and only Loughrea coach, nothing else! Hauled by a "C". Lisburn - Antrim; a "70" class set with the centre car being ex-GNR open 3rd 727*, the very last GNR coach in traffic, now unchanged from from GNR condition but in maroon and blue. Also, at the same time (1978, I think) one of the last MED sets had the last NCC coach in traffic, which I think might have been 526*. (* These were the UTA / NIR numbers. Original numbers were different). This last NCC coach had been externally repannelled by NIR in tin, but its interior was still old NCC with wooden seat frames. A beauty.

Wow!!

Will the Belmond visit Tara Junction on its first journey, I wonder? It might cross the Railtours Emerald Isle Express, for all I know, though I haven't seen the circular, of course....... ;-)

A plain colour will always show the dirt, as will light coloured roofs. Dark blue, like black, is especially sensitive to this. I'm sure at the start of each trip it does, it will be absolutely spotless, but will it remain this way even before each trip ends?

Outstanding photo, Wanderer! Perfect scenery for it too. I'm hoping that in real life, and depending on the weather and lighting conditions, it doesn't look as drab as so many pictures make it out to be.............

Lets hope so. It would be good also to occasionally see some of Fry's originals running - maybe on designated days.

That'll be a real beauty, Paul.

That's an amazing layout. Love the Indian stuff - reminds me of narrow gauge travels on the Gwalior and Dhaulpur 2ft gauge systems in India in 1979......

It's almost as drab (but not quite) as the first "Enterprise" livery of tea leaf blehhh, grey, brake dust and grey. Oh, and a thin orange line. Or something.....! Great photos, though, Mr. Wanderer!

Re the links to photos of locos above.... The coach behind it certainly isn't a Pullman car, as the caption suggests. It is the single most luxurious carriage ever built in Ireland, the former MGWR Ddirector's Saloon, which survived until the early 60s, largely in storage, and retaining fully lined MGWR 1918-25 maroon until the mid 50s, when it got CIE's post-1955 lighter green. Disgracefully, CIE scrapped it about 1960-ish.

Worth having several 70th birthdays, Leslie!!

Wow!!!! Excellent!

Excellent. Captures perfectly a long forgotten era....

I've often marvelled at the scenic details on many American layouts. Those are absolutely fantastic. Of course, in the Rockies and other places, they're not exactly short of inspiration!

Their website is gradually under revision, Kirley. Their marketing person has recently left due to a career change and I suppose it's the old story of volunteers - who has the time! The rolling stock section badly needed to be updated anyway - it was out of date including one or two items long gone, but no details of some of the newer stock. All in due course, no doubt. If I was computer literate I might volunteer to assist, but I'm not, as my numerous upside-down photo posts here will attest....,!!

The BCDR and the SLNCR had many varieties of brake van. In fact barely two on the SLNCR were the same, thus neither line can be taken to have had a standard! For anyone interested in BCDR wagons, there's an old body in store at the DCDR, which will show the lettering style and shade of grey. Chassis and drawgear - same grey. I am unsure of roof shade. It was probably the same but possibly weathered darker due to loco smoke.

I hereby anoint you, Minister!

Maybe it's just me, but of all the various crimes that we see in cities, there are three that personally I would take a very exceptionally hard line on. Graffiti, joyriding and drugs. All graffiti - a year's jail, no visits. All joyriding - five years ditto. All drugs - ten years to life. Yes, even you with the "recreational" joint........ anyway; maybe just me but there ye go. I live in a newly built area and lately a wall between our estate and a neighbouring one has become defaced with graffiti. I'd happily run over the perpetrator in a jeep.....

Very good model indeed - and the right livery, unlike No. 30 in Cultra!

W O W ! ! ! ! Better than I think anyone ever would have imagined! Great congratulations to all concerned with its production!

Very well done, gents. Truly excellent addition to the Irish railway scene. (It's in the wrong shade or purple, though...)

I dealt with them years ago also, for a "G" scale West Clare "F" class diesel. Excellent kit, very good company to deal with. They offer to consider anything you want, providing that they can sell enough to others to justify the cost. The only thing is you'd need reasonable soldering skills with metal kits. When I contacted them re the "F", it wasn't on their list at all. Now they offer it in several scales. Midland six wheelers? Being the most common six wheeler in the 1955 - 63 period, it would be good to see some available.

Should be.

Pity that doesn't happen to the "artists" who cover stations and trains with graffiti!