jhb171achill

Livery wise, this is the way they went out. I have a cine of the trial train,but also remember seeing them in early years quite often, when they were clean! (They didn't stay that way).

Looks impressive though.... To close the original GVS was always madness. Like the Harcourt Street closure in Dublin, it'll be forty years before sense prevails and services are restored.

Incidentally, for modeller's, the lower part and the bogies and drawgear were a very dark green, similar to UTA green, not the brownish colour they look in this photo, which has become faded.

When I can find my Indian pics, I'll post some of the Patalia State Monorail Trainway (to give it the correct title!)

I took the pic at the time as broadside as I could, with modelling in mind.

Dave, one is fully restored and opeational on the Downpatrick & Co Down Railway, this being A39. A55 is static in Hells Kitchen pub in Castlerea, Co Roscommon, and the Irish Traction Group has A3 and A15 in store. The other 54 were scrapped.

Correct.

I'm not sure, Railer - I remember hearing at the time, but I can't remember. Even then, I was an oul philistine; the modern stuff didn't interest me as much as the loose-coupled, four-wheeled era, then drawing to a close!

Tis true, Broithe; I was a mere teenager and that's what those days were all about. Some months earlier, I'd been behind a C into Loughrea....

While I'd absolutely hate to see it, would there be any economic or technical impediments to replacing them with some sort of re-gauged UK locos?

No - but I was a plasser-by....

Excellent! The symphony continues...... More than a few locos got the "set of points" logo, some front only replacing the CIE one, some sides as well, BEFORE they also got the "tippex" stripes. This applied to all extant classes of locos. The last "C"'s had been withdrawn a year or two earlier, so none of them ever got a "set of points" let alone tippex; I always thought that such a thing would have looked well.

When I saw it, and a black'n'tan 141 in the same place, I thought they had white-rimmed wheels. It was actually gypsum dust from the half-buried sidings at kingscourt!

Days before the old GVS was disconnected and trains redirected into the truly awful Botanic and the awfuller still Belfast Central, spring 1976.

About 1975/6? Undated. They had their trial trip, which I have silent colour cine of, a couple of days later. And yes, it's probably going to be upside down. Prepare to stand on your heads!

A very reasonable price indeed for such a thing. I think they were over 100 new....?

Some mighty stuff there, Wrenn! Love the GSWR 4.4.0!

It was very much on its last legs when I travelled on it. The loco boiler was leaking like a sieve.

I have to say I don't think there was much difference each side, but I could be wrong in details. Dunno about roof. If you can get to the NRM in York, check out the John Click photo collection which show blow-by-blow photos of construction details. Every rivet is covered. Click was one of Oliver Bullied's sidekicks. Bullied was apparently an odd, and not very likeable person. When Inchicore technicians, drivers and staff engaged in building it pointed out various design difficulties, Bullied didn't want to know. "Well, FIX it!" was his standard reply as he walked off......

That's a nice beast!!!

I saw the sole surviving engine in steam in Delhi Railway Museum nearly forty years ago, and it's still there, though not workable any more. There is a carriage too, and I had a ride in it round a circuit of track (rail!) they have there. It was indeed a MOST peculiar thing - naturally the ride was somewhat rough, and that was with a "road" which was smooth. Where it originally ran, the road was a dirt road, anything but smooth. It would have been an extremely uncomfortable, and very slow thing to travel in. I have colour pics of it somewhere, in fact I may have old cine film of it in operation...must look.... Having said that, I wonder if any other IRM folks have ever travelled in an 0.3.0 on a railway with no gauge? Anyone here ever travel behind it?

Excellent useful info, thanks - will come in handy for a future project of mine.

That's a very neat idea!

Anyone? The paper recycling thing is beside me..... the stockbooks cost about £5 each if you visit those railways and contain much of interest regarding the narrow gauge stuff in England....