jhb171achill

The whole route wasn't double.... I think at one time Killylea was, though. As for layour possibilities, they are endless. No border or no Stormont, would have meant this line very likely would have survived, certainly into the 1970s. So what would have run on it? Whatever was operating on the GNR main line under UTA and NIR is the answer. It's unlikely Inny Jct - Cavan would have survived anyway, as there's nowhere between Mullingar and Clones of note except Cavan. So, you'd be looking at either portadown to Armagh as a branch, or possibly an extension to clones, where it would meet the Irish North. It is hard to see any CIE activity in Killyleagh, but if you switch locations to the INW, and assume that Enniskillen has remained, you've UTA and CIE operations sharing the Dundalk - Enniskillen line, in much the same way as Portadown - Dundalk. So by the late 60s, you're going to have ex-GNR railcars in UTA green, then NIR maroon and grey, and a Dundalk-based set of a 141 and two (probably fairly mangy!) old Bredins or laminates and a tin van. What goods there would be - another 141 and mostly CIE wagons. All in all, a nice mix. If one wants to go to a modern era, there won't be much beyond a Dundalk-based 29 class 4-car, plus an NIR 3k 3-car. You could spice it up with timber trains from forests in Co Monaghan, of course; cue the 071s! Maybe in the 1980s, fertiliser and Guinness?

Ye beat me to it!

Talking of Stradbally, I've only ever been once before, until today. The previous time I was there was in 1972! Over half a century ago....... there was no loco shed like now, the loco was bnM green, and the carriage was that low-roofed grey thing they had (at the time) on loan. They did not have the two carriages they have now, one of which contains some bits and pieces off a Cavan & Leitrim coach. An excellent day out, and many thanks to the loco crew, my friend Tom and LNER of this parish - an absolute delight to meet you, LNER. Mr. Grandson enjoyed it too; the railway indoctrination continues apace. I intend to visit again at some stage, and I will not leave if 53 years before making my third visit! I would highly recommend a visit to this little railway for all here; you'll get your chance the day of the Tailte Tours trip there in two weeks' time. They have several other locos on display including a recent Wagonmaster addition to their fleet, and in working order. Also Guinness loco No. 15, a long-term resident there.

Having seen CIE green in both fresh and weathered states, it's the same as pretty much any other colour when weathered - it takes the "shine" and richness off the base colour, leaving it "flatter" - if that's any sort of description at all.

They practically need planning permission and endless investigations and enquiries just to make their sandwiches for their lunch break here these days! As I have said before, and again I preface by saying that I very much hope to be proven utterly wrong; I suspect this whole line is simply a white elephant, conceived to please the Green Party in the last government, then conveniently ignored by FFG in future governments, as has been their past habit.

I hope you rang Joe Duffy.

This is the beauty of that era - the contrast of old and new, steam and diesel. The loco is 1880s, the vehicle behind it is a MGWR ventilated van, then (as you say) a "modern" coach - laminate or 1951-3 series; followed by an 1880s / 1890s ex-GSWR full passenger brake, as the recent Hattons Genesis model, then the wagons. Unclear what's at the end - possibly a MGWR six-wheel passenger brake.

That green is fair enough, though IRM actually have a note of the RAL code for the CIE colour. I will try to find it - I have it somewhere!

That looks VERY well! Will try that myself in due course..........

If it's a loco shed or fuelling point, or works you want, anything can be there for repairs. Just have maybe three sets of stuff - when you want to be in Britain, use those two British locos and British wagons. When you want to use steam, use the sort of rolling stock that ran with steam. When you want 1990s Irish, use a 141, Taras and anything else from that era. So, make your surroundings suitable for Irish or British backgrounds. Avoid British Rail or CIE logos on signs or sheds, so that any model loco shed could be anywhere. Avoid buses in the background which give the location away. Overall, all that should be very easy to do. What you DO need to plan properly is your track plan if you have limited space.

What locos and rolling stock do you have?

Steam or diesel? If both, maybe base it around 1960-2, and use rolling stock appropriate for that era.

That has to be one of the very best collections of anything Irish I've ever seen - and THE best UTA / NIR collection. Very well done and hope to see you back soon.

The model is. But: "WARTIME GREY"!!!!???? What a ranting, raving, unholy mess! First; Ireland was not involved in the war, and even had it been, CIE was not formed until 1945! Second, the livery is as fantasy-based as a tartan, lime green and pink livery would be for a GNR 4.4.0. 1. The grey is even lighter than wagon grey. GSWR / GSR / CIE loco grey was a very dark grey. 2. Even if it was correct, smokebox should also be grey. 3. Cylinders and wheels would also be grey. It's described as being an "authentic" model. Rule No. 1, of course, applies to all modellers and layouts; if he wants to paint it up like that, and imagine that CIE existed during either world war, fine - but don't try to pass it off as "authentic" anything!

Rolling stock for branch lines........ To such extent as any survived into the post-steam era, the rolling stock could be anything, hence perfect fodder for a small layout - you can have nothing more than a small terminus-to-fiddle yard set-up, but with an amazing array of stock. Locos not so much. You're looking at a diet of 141s basically, with a "C" / B201 pre-1975 as well. If you go on into the modern era, like Ballina in the 1990s, you'll get an "A" or an 071 as well. The only time you'd get a 121 is as part of a "pair" in later days. Rolling stock for passenger trains in the post-steam branch line times: Either one or two passenger coaches: Partk Royals (either of suburban or main line origin); laminates of a zillion types of variation; an old Bredin; very occasionally a Craven, but they rarely strayed off main lines; or up to maybe 1969/70, an old wooden-bodued coach of GSWR origin - almost certainly a bogie corridor composite. Vans - Any type of tin van, either type of BR van, Dundalk "Dutch" van, or one of several variations of converted Bredins to brake gennies. The unique Loughrea coaches 1904 & 1910 too - and one of these was on the Ballina branch for a time too. With goods, branch line goods trains were mostly covered goods vans of all the myriad of variations. All grey until 1970, but with some brown ones increasingly appearing in the 1970-6 period. Brake vans (obviously essential for ALL loose coupled goods trains) were mostly standard CIE 20-tonners, but Loughrea and Castleisland held on to ancient ex-GSWR 10-ton vans for a long time after such things were extinct elsewhere. So all in all, plenty of scope, which is what brought many enthusiasts at the time from the Next Door Island; where many branch lines had a two-car railcar and nothing else. Just like a surviving branch line in Ireland (Ballina excluded!) would be today; on a different but related note, I always thought that for those interested in prototypical operation, a mini-West Cork system today would be an excellent exercise, as there would probably be no goods, and all trains would be two-car 26 or 28 class railcars! You'd operate the whole thing with three sets - one for the Banrty main line, another connecting for Skib, and a third connecting for Clon. Add a fourth on a Bandon commuter run, and away ye go!

Loughrea will feature at a book launch hopefully planned for Saturday 1st November, the 50th anniversary of the last train there. Quite a few rolling stock photos in it, too.

Precisely why oul wans like me cannot, will not, and never could have got fired up by a Ballina timber train having 11 identical bogies instead of 12, an ICR with 4 carriages instead of 3 or 5, a yellow plant machine on rails, or an orange 071 instead of a grey one! Bah Humbug!

Irish preservation has just as many lamenting the lack of "somebody"'s as the Isle of Brexit has also!

Trouble is, there’s no someone! There simply isn’t sufficient interest in this country. If it was England, and A3 was a derelict Deltic, money, volunteers and more and more money would come out of the woodwork!

Who owns 015? I thought it was the ITG too?

Wasn’t aware of that - I had heard of ley lines, but I thought they related specifically to ancient English history - hence my initial as l thoughts that this railway must be over there….. Mr google tells me we have “ley lines” too; but I’d still be certain that railway isn’t here.

I’d say so, yes.

I would be pretty certain it isn't here, to be honest. There would be bound to be at least SOME sort of reference to it somewhere. Has to be Britain. Mr. Google is silent on this location.

"Cross Ley"? Actually sounds English. Anyone know where this is / was?

I believe it’s been opened on a number of special occasions for pre-arranged groups.