jhb171achill

The CDR did indeed avoid any expenditure when it could. While I can't be certain that the seats it has now are the original ones, it's a fair assumption that whatever it DID have on arrival in Stranorlar would have stayed put unless re-seating was necessary. the engine of the thing WAS at one end as you depict, but I am not sure about bench seating.

n a s t y !!!!!!

Aaaarrrgghhh!!! You've given me a toothache! Did the dentist put you up to it? :-)

That will actually be an amazing prototype, Andy. Loads of interesting and very unique stuff there. I will delve into Senior's stuff to see if there's a pic of that van from one of his two visits there. I'm pretty certain there isn't, as he wasn't a prolific photographer, but no harm in looking. Where did you get the carriage drawings, as a matter of interest? I will try to find out for you, if you're interested, what colours the wagons would have been. Most, obviously, would be have been of C B & S C origin. Visiting GSWR ones were either all black or very dark grey at that stage. CBSCR coach livery was olive green, possibly similar to one of the shades the English Southern Railway had at one time, though nothing like CIE green. Lining and lettering on CBSCR stock was yellow. In early GSR days, everything was a very deep maroon, with a distinct brownish tint. Within your period, chocolate and cream appeared but only for main line stock, and certainly nothing that would have gone anywhere near Courtmacsherry! "LMS"-shade maroon only appeared - again on main line only - in 1933, so that wouldn't have been about there until the late 1930s. The CBSCR painted locos the same olive green as coaches, but I have no idea if the aforementioned locos had it. Pre-1925 "St. M" & "Argadeen" may have been black, but obviously after that all was grey. The J26's were never anything other than grey in post-MGWR times. Just an aside - hope it's helpful!

The 0.6.0 is described as being "in CIE colours"...... it's black......white snail, white number..... Yes, yes, I know....... ! In truth, anything was better than nothing at that time and it ably illustrates how superbly far Irish modelling has new come. Hats off to messrs. Murphy, SSM, Provincial, JM Design, and all the rest!

552, St Molaga AND Argadeen! Wow! Talk about a symphony in grey! Those three alone, let alone the rest, will get a sight to behold. Do you have drawings / plans for the original coaches? Is it set in T & C (CBSCR), GSR or CIE era? Presumably the latter, if a "C" and 552 are involved? (Always thought Argadeen or St M would have been ideal on the DCDR!)

That's it! Excellent stuff.

Stunning realism!

Perfect for 7mm. Locos - 90, Argadeen and a "C"; a dozen wagons and two or three ancient 45ft bogies.... Off topic I know, but I always thought that Fintona or Westport Quay would make ideal track plans for a small terminus.

Best not to declare purchases to the Domestic Authorities!

....or 50cm per hour in grades like that!

A well known person of this website told me that his new copy of "Rails Through North Kerry" had been "confiscated" in lieu of a reappearance on Christmas morning. MY new copy of Joe Coleman's substantial new book on the railways of the Limerick area has similarly been "confiscated" by the Dept. of Domestic Matters, for the same purpose!

Over a season, Hurricane, the delays do work out in favour of the RPSI. However, the real issue is a combination of intelligent planning of timetable paths, crew familiarity with relevant engines, and mechanical reliability. Over the years the RPSI has built a strong and successful relationship with first the UTA, then CIE, then NIR and now IE. Long may it last - it's actually at its best in recent years. ......yours hopefully Disgruntled, Corofin.

If someone gives me 10% of O'Leary's money, I will comment further on minorities, customers, regulation and the underprivileged! :-)

There is a slight chance, if certain matters go certain ways, that one might eventually end up on the DCDR.

The Derbyshire one was exactly the one I had in mind, but I had thought it was about 1:22. I think a few other British industrial lines also had exceptionally vicious graduents.... Working model rope incline, anyone? Derreenavoggy?

Yes, it was lack of steam. One possible solution is to operate Santas out to M3 Car Park Pace, or whatever they call that halt near Dunboyne, where at least it's out of the way. However, IE might bear in mind that if ever a system is brought into being which involves one operator having to compensate the other, the number of minutes of delay caused by the RPSI to their trains, is heavily outweighed by the number of minutes where the RPSI is delayed by IE issues! And we tend not to hear much about that... This year's May tour at Claremorris, for example. Yours sincerely Disgruntled, Bunclody.

I remember well the Castle Rackrent article all those years ago. Got to be the best I've ever seen, and W A Y ahead of its time.

They couldn't afford me, Broithe! To be fair, I heard tonight that among the trains delayed was the already VERY pedestrian up Rosslare, which must have arrived some hour and a half late. To be fair to anyone on board that....stuck maybe 4.5 hours in a stuffy overheated ICR with stale ICR air, can't be anyone's idea of a fun day!

It was - but probably the same limit (12-15 mph) as applied to the roadside sections of the Cavan & Leitrim's Arigna branch, and the Castlederg and Schull lines. The maximum gradient was indeed extremely severe for an adhesion railway; this is often overlooked and must have made steam working very difficult, slow and interesting to the observer. Britain often mentions a colliery line somewhere as the steepest railway in these islands, and it's about 1:22 from what I recall. This section of the D & B was way steeper, and I am sure must accurately hold this record. Is it even possible to have an adhesion worked line steeper than that? A lot of this section was curved too. Much steeper and it could have been Ireland's only rack line!

And look at the twitter comments from the Great Unwashed on the darts. Crowd of petty minded scrooge whingers. Stuff 'em and their money-grubbing compo culture refunds. They should just sit there and stare blankly at their iphones like they normally do.

Yes, rich....and it served an area which THEN was rural, though now largely built up. A fascinating line, neither tram nor railway, a sort of hybrid. Senior recalled it as being painfully slow, and his experience was of one of the two 4 wheeled railcars which were the nippiest things on the line... The "nickname" it is said to have acquired was possibly posthumous; "the longest graveyard in Ireland", as Senior never heard that term until some years after it closed. That book is an excellent read - I bought a copy when it came out.

Either, I suppose; traditionally, carriages.

It does indeed look new. If anyone else knows, I'd be interested in the origin of that picture as I'm interested to see what way Terenure terminus looked inside.

Looks good in real life, and better on a layout! Also good to see the right shade of brown paint for the period!