jhb171achill

Good to see ye! Looking forward to the pics........ (We can forgive the Liverpool stuff...)

Indeed they were, yes - but again they got filthy, especially in steam days.

Absolutely brilliant news, Leslie! Looking forward to seeing them. Yes, indeed, all brown-painted wagons had brown roofs, though these tended to weather to a nondescript dunduckety-mud colour!

There were no 4-wheelers (of old style) after the 1890s - bar one or two which made it to the 1910s, and which kept their footboards. In terms of the "new" 4-wheeled "tin vans", none of these, nor the handful of 1965-built 6-wheel equivalents, had footboards at all - these were only on wooden bodied stock. Six-wheelers - the default design of coaching stock from the late 1870s to the 1920s, with survivors in use until 1963 - all had footboards initially, though a very small number, usually specialised one-offs, seem to have lost them (Waterford & Tramore line springs to mind, plus one at least in Wisht Caark).

Wow! Has to be some sort of chemical reaction. Possibly, in order to expose the culprit component, do some experiments with the glue or the sand on the bent (scrap) bits?

Wow……..!! The AI thing will indeed revolutionise life - dunno whether mostly good or bad! My fear would be that it will be used commercially to try to make us buy certain things……

Indeed - jhbSenior was one - but of the “AND Sullivan” variety….

No, they’re in O’Donoghues pub; it’s the guard’s birthday.

Given that it’s supposed to be in the early 50s, perhaps this is better!

Many thanks, Gabhal Luimnigh! Dunno where she got the "expert" bit from!!! I had actually forgotten about that interview.... it shows the model railway museum off nicely though; hopefully more visitors. Serious point of course - people in general DO need to be more aware of their local, social and economic history - and the role of their local railway is a very important part of that - it's from where their Great Aunt emigrated in 1929 to go to Melbourne, Manchester or Massachusets............. and if you get a young mind engaged, IRM and others will produce more models in 10, 20, 30 & 40 years' time!

Wow - this is looking very promising! What area of the country are you planning to replicate? GSWR territory probably easiest due to the 00 Works J15s, and forthcoming Hattons Irish six-wheelers. Plus, the GSWR was the biggest company, covering the largest area.

I think that Mr. William Posters has got enough out of us all by now............

Murphy’s?

Party at your house, Westcorkrailway!

If I can eventually get Dugort Harbour to anything like that standard, I'll be very happy. What I like is to see just how much is going on among the scenery in the background. Those farming scenes are an absolute masterpiece, each one.

…………………………. Finally some rural scenes around both Macmine Junction and Rathmichael. Finally, I would very strongly encourage anyone living in the south-east to join this excellent club. Friendly reception, excellent clubhouse and excellent layouts too. Go see ’em at the next exhibition, details of which will be posted on IRM, I am sure.

……………………… Next, we moved on to Macmine Junction where we saw the Wexford Mail, consisting of a Park Royal, a laminate, the inevitable tin van, an an elderly MGWR mail coach. The Woolwich in charge had failed due to a dodgy injector, and had been sent in disgrace to the Palace East branch platform, while a goods engine had been commandeered from Wexford to take it on to Rosslare. Just as well the Fishguard boat is an hour late tonight.

————- Next, we hopped back across the Irish Sea and were lucky enough to get not one, but two, light engine movements in Ballybeg. It was August 1961. Quite a few lads in Ballybeg’s Railway Bar celebrating the local club’s win over Dugort Gaels in the club championships….. IMG_8229.mov

Thanks to the excellent hospitality of Gerry and others today, while Barry Carse and I were in Wexford to do a book launch for “Rails Through Wexford”, I was fascinated to see the wide range of 0, 00 & N modelling bith in the club and also that if Irishrailwayman, of this group. I was struck in particular by the very high level of work in the scenery, which I’ve attempted to capture here. Absolutely outstanding stuff, gents; very many thanks again! First, we’re in Wales…..

Very many thanks indeed to all who came today - especially to Irishrailwayman, the Wexford Model Railway Club, Eamonn Redmond and others who helped organise it and gave Barry and I such a great welcome. It was great to put faces to several names from this parish. Thanks also to Gerry for a tour of Wexford’s best layouts both at home and in the club. I will be posting some pictures under “layouts” of Ballybeg, Macmine, Rathmichael and Welsh-themed layouts. Truly excellent stuff, and I’m looking forward to seeing them in action at shows in the not too distant future.

Very many thanks, Leslie, yes, his books were an absolute masterpiece.

About 10:30! See you rhen!

Talking of which; if anyone here is in a position to put me in touch with the author of this excellent work, one Patrick O'Sullivan, please do so; I would appreciate it. I am anxious to contact him as I have some information he may find useful. I believe he lives in Brexitstan........

Probably an "8".

This thing was a purpose-built "Ballast Van", used only on PW trains and the like. Possibly used an old 6-wheeled chassis, as long-wheelbase four-wheelers simply didn't exist here. Unusually, it was painted bauxite brown - other PW stock, just like other non-passenger stock, was inevitably standard wagon grey. No such things as yellow machines until the 1960s - even the first automatied tampers and liners were grey. I have a notion that there was a second one of these vans, used for the same purpose, but not perhaps exactly the same. Will post details if ever I find them! This particular one, as you say, was used in West Cork after closure - but probably also the Newmarket and Kenmare branches when lifting was in progress too. As such, it is likely to have been based in Cork or possibly Tralee. That has to be the late Johnny O'Meara (with black cap) on the left in the coach!