jhb171achill

Looking at both the Studio Scale and Silverfox kits for B101s. The resin body for the former looks a bit crude - others have commented on this too - though there are sets of parts available to tart them up a bit. The Silverfox one, from photos, LOOKS a bit better, but the cabs are too angular - the wrong shape, makes the thing look more like the British experimental "Leader". So, my questions. In either case. what type of chassis would be the best donor? It strike me that such a short chassis, but with six-wheel bogies, is not exactly a common type of British chassis design. Maybe get bogies off something like a British class 31 and scratchbuild a chassis? Has anyone any decent photos from several different angles of either one of these models built and running? How easy is it to put Dreaded Confusing Circuitry (DCC) into one of these? Any thoughts / opinions / experience welcome. PS: On neither the S'Fox or SSM website, or anywhere else, have I ever seen a model of one of these yokes with fully correct livery details! But that's another story.............

It's an excellent-looking kit, and well made an finished. Tempts me to re-examine the SSM offerings.......

Looks good!

It’s mid-1965, and one of the last Park Royals to remain in green has emerged from the paint shop in Inchicore only two days earlier, and is still pristine. It is seen here as part of the fair day afternoon train from Dugort Harbour to Castletown West, in the company of B165.

Those little yokes were probably the ones in better condition. Passenger numbers were few - it was largely reopened for goods & cattle traffic which remained busy, possibly just as a temporary measure while roads were improved. Just over a year after reopening it was closed for good.

Here are Fry’s models:

Only two were ever CIE green.

Probably better posted under “models”? Anyway, I can do better; herewith the entire rolling stock of the line. Can post livery details and loco drawings too if you want. James Boyd prepared these years ago, and I know would be delighted to hear they were being used. I’ll get you photos of the Fry models in the museum tomorrow.

You have caused drooling in these premises..................!!

A thing of ABSOLUTE beauty! Pity one wasn’t preserved.

In one case I got petrol money, in another €100 in an envelope!!

I have drawings somewhere - will fish them out.

From where?

I ACCIDENTALLY included an NLI shot in a public talk I was doing, though not of a railway subject. I did that talk twice. I thought the image (of a stately home) belonged to another archive which I’ve full permission to do what I like with. …..I'm writing this from prison…….!!!

Plus the oddball torpedo-shaped one at Ballycastle…. One or two in West Cork, I think.

This very day I paid €20 for copies of two images, for a book. They didn’t ask for a copy. It’s quite a few years since I last ordered anything from them, but the only stipulation I recall was to acknowledge the source when publishing.

Yes, almost entirely J15s for most of its life.

Not so much, no. The GNR had a few, though, but on both sides if the border (as it didn't exist when these things were put up). Lisburn still has one.

I remember the "C" class being left idling for hours too - B209 at Loughrea when I went there.

Swillyish pic of Senior's - no idea where, 1940.

Looks very top-class so far!

Eagerly looking forward to seeing this beast in the flesh!

There’s virtually nothing correct about that van beyond the number of wheels! I'm afraid AI is absolute light years away from even the most basic accuracy in model design. Verdict: avoid, unfortunately!

I like many of your late cousin’s ideas, but that whole oul shtick about “the Brits built de railways to control us” - yes, I’ve heard it many a time! That particular one wouldn’t be a notion of mine!!!!

Indeed - you mentioned another important thing I had forgotten to mention - the absence of wealthy donors. Folks like this have been a HUGE factor in British preservation. Other than Lord Dunleath who provided massive support to the RPSI, nothing. A current start-up in the west has a wealthy owner, but neither money if its own or the slightest hope of ever being financially self-supporting. My prediction is that therefore it will ultimately fail when the owner gets too old. Thats happened before; West Clare. Tralee had local authority backing but still failed. Fenit, Cahir and Attymon never got off the ground. Westrail unfortunately went under too. Dromod survives because its overheads are a fraction of the others due to several unique factors - and an excellent outfit it is too. Let’s hope the T & D loco somehow ends up there. Small “pleasure lines” like Suir Valley can survive again because of low cost base, though calling it a “preserved railway” applies only to the trackbed. Long term, it might end up battery powered.