jhb171achill

There were rules as such, burnthebox, but like today (think white logos on ICRs) there were the odd exception. Paint shades were as uniform as today. Wear and tear tended to dull some of them down, of course, and different lighting in photography made things look very different indeed at times. There was an old adage at Whitehead years ago, in regard to the GNR's loco blue, that "well, I've heard that they just went to the local blue paint shop and got whatever was there". Thankfully, this is abject nonsense, possibly propagated to justify the RPSI's earliest attempt at repainting 171 in a blue many shades too light. The same has been said of CIE green. Both Dundalk and Inchicore had actual paint laboratories (I knew the last surviving member of staff at Dundalk) who went to great lengths to ensure uniformity by looking at what additives the paint might have; they mixed colours themselves on site. In terms of logos, there would be a general rule that in 1945-55 (older, darker) CIE green, two snails were on bogie coaches and one on 6-wheelers. Post-1955, with lighter green, one was used always. Numerals were always on the left.....

Hattons it is then!

Many thanks, Glenderg. Due to amended Domestic Planning Permission, after some years of lobbying, there may be an 00 gauge thing made possible. I will have to count the shekels.

What's the difference between Peco's code 75 and code 100? Which looks more like 5ft 3? (To such extent as either might!) Which is better for running a model of 800 on? Is a curve of some 3ft 6 radius sufficient for a model of 800? Interrogation complete.

I couldn't agree more. It's been a fascinating place to gain inspiration and share information on all aspects of railway enthusiasm, not only models.

An actual GWR design was unlike anything Irish, so wouldn't do. The above looks like a brown and cream Mk 1, rather than an actual GWR coach. Mk 1's are really only suitable for genny vans. The outline is not only unlike anything Irish, but because British Railways Mk 1s are so commonly "out there" and obviously associated with Britain, they are an onbious "botch job" and don't fit in - in my humble opinion - with Ireland. If you WERE stuck and just wanted to paint one in CIE livery, I would retain the loo window vents but fill in the windows - at least. Now, the LMS style would much better suit both final NCC days / early UTA coaches, or GSR "Bredins" or 1950/1 CIE stock which was more or less "later Bredins". The circular window would have to go. Brake passenger coaches were more common in Britain than here, and there were no Bredin stock with half passenger accommodation and half van, and few steel-sided examples of the species until late 1960s conversions of earlier stock (for example the 32XX series CIE brake standards). Thus, I would use all-passenger stock for conversion to "roughly-CIE-looking" stuff. In place of the circular window, one might add a toplight vent like in the loos on laminate stock. Not an accurate representation of anything, of course, but a simple conversion that would fit in as well as anything not strictly correct.

Also, some photos will show them still in unlined GNR black.

Leslie, a CIE cattle wagon might be another idea....? They were as integral a part of the railway scene until 1975 as "H" vans and Bullied opens were..... Just a thought.

That would have been amazing, Leslie! Such a different railway then. Fond memories.

I would ring Joe Duffy on that one, Broithe. That'll sort 'em out.

Absolutely! It featured in every episode, and quite right it was too! I love these mushrooms.

Certainly, Tony, both 49 and any of its sisters would have been regulars on that line in both GNR & UTA days - a model of one of those locos would be ideal for your layout. The "U" class was also a common one on passenger trains from Derry through Omagh towards Enniskillen, though I don't think they'd have figured so much in the area after the 1957 closures. Reading your posts and plans for Omagh North, it had occurred to me that a couple of those locos would be the ideal thing for that layout.

Human nature never changes; always there will be some "Disgusted, Dunsandle" types whinging about something which isn't even unimportant - it's not even an issue!

Yes, Limerick, Inchicore and Cork - and even Albert Quay - managed to paint some steam locos as late as about 1961..... most of the few which ended their days in black were painted like this at such a late stage.

That would be Jackie "Ming" Ray-Healy, the King'o'the Culchies, boyo. Scandlas, boy.

And, an interesting name, as they were maroon initially, the UTA green (most green from new), then maroon with NIR! But always, it seems, so badly weathered they LOOKED brown with brake dust all over them! It seems that they were never brown! They are suitable not only for ex-NCC lines right into the 70s, a common sight tagged onto railcar sets, but also on the GNR section between 1958 (UTA division) and 1965, but occasionally behind railcars to Portadown after that. They were usually on the back of passenger trains, rather than being in goods trains, but would have made occasional appearances thus. Appearances on the Derry Road were possible but rare and short lived. I'm unaware of any heading south at any time. There are quite a few knocking about at both Whitehead (where there is a beautifully restored one) and Downpatrick - of both types.

Absolutely ridiculous, especially from a so-called postal person! I have to say the post office near me (yes, we still have one) is very good, but if a post office can't tell the difference between a British postcode an eircode; and don't know where Co. Laois is, hmmm...... They'd know where Normandy or Alabama were, without ever necessarily having set foot in France or the USA!

Arrrrggghhh!!!! Wish I was there. 49 was itself one of the clean ones I saw, in Lisburn, probably round that time. I think - but can't be sure - that the other clean UTA loco I saw was another of the same class, or maybe a "D" class 0.6.0. I never once saw a clean "Jeep"; to this day it seems odd to me to see No. 4 in pristine state at the start of a Railtours! And the only J15 I ever saw in steam was in Amiens St, and was filthy on the same level, the only paint surface showing under the rust and gunge being the drably faded grey paint on the cabsides......

Those coaches look really well.

I agree too!

It's an absolute gem of a layout, Noel. A layout which really captures a moment, an atmosphere, is art as well as, and as much as, technical skill.

I hope it's genuine Dundalk superglue, Patrick. Don't be putting York Road or Inchicore stuff on it, or it'll fall apart completely.

This captures exactly the atmosphere of the period. Rakes of carriages with no two alike, and no two in the same state of wear and tear, were absolutely the norm throughout the black'n'tan era. Our "two foot rule" (the meaning of the expression only being explained to me the other day!) applies here perfectly. The carriage may be far from authentic but it certainly looks right, especially with the other with it. It actually bears a vague resemblance to the most recently built MGWR bogie stock just before GSR times. Some of these lasted into CIE days, though probably not black'n'tan times - but they could have, and it certainly looks right for its environment. And it's a very fine paint job indeed for a 12 year old. Brilliant stuff. (Now all ye need is brown chassis on those goods vans!) ;-)

Excellent wanderings. Love the BnM stuff. A good main line there! Question: what's the longest continuous BnM line now, and do any trains traverse its entire length?

Get well soon! (I hope that's a 12" to the foot scale model.........)