jhb171achill

Not sure, josefstadt.... worth investigating....

Indeed, Eiretrains, forgot to mention that. That was the only locomotive WITH "supertrain" livery, but WITHOUT those lights! It should also be of interest to modellers to be aware that the latter day marker lights are way bigger than the originals. I'm not sure of exact dates (maybe someone here will know) but the marker lights as on 071s now, only came into use maybe in the early 1990s. This obviously applies to the other GMs as well.

It's mad to think of ALL the ports which either could be or were rail connected.... some aren't even ports any more! But we will always be an island.....! Rosslare (I wouldn't call that "rail-connected" now!) Arklow Dublin Drogheda Dundalk Warrenpoint Greenore Belfast Carrickfergus Portrush Derry Killybegs Burtonport Sligo Westport Galway Foynes Fenit Tralee Bantry Cork and surrounds...... Yes, I know there are more..... And actually meaningfully rail connected? One - Waterford. Just one.

While from a cultural point of view, it's a great shame that the Irish language declined so much in the 19th and 20th centuries, and in recent decades has been incorrectly seen by some as a political issue, it bred a generation of "language snobs" who mean well, certainly, but occasionally will sanctimoniously lecture the rest of us about not using it, or using it incorrectly. I knew two folks of this ilk, one with a degree of railway knowledge. He often told me that the Irish used by the CIE group of companies would, in his view, score bottom of the class in any basic school exam, with incorrect grammar and spellings abounding. His view of the Irish used by some other state agencies wasn't much better. Not bring in any position to disagree, I just sagely nodded my head..... Now, I know he meant well. I know that. In an ideal world we'd all speak many languages, and all language evolves. In 1000 years time, it's quite possible that English, Irish and Portuguese - or anything - will be long dead. CIE has variously run trains to Bré and Bri Chullain...... Hmm.

Many thanks, BSGSV. It's actually been with the publisher since last May, and effectively "in a queue" awaiting publication. I'm afraid I delayed it an initial few months as we came across just three extra photos which I felt were a MUST to include. These weren't Barry's (before his time) and I had copies but was unsure who owned the copyright - obviously they would have to be asked for permission. Thankfully the copyright owner was not only happy to do so, he told me I could use anything of his stuff in any future publication. All things being equal, I'm hoping it'll be ready for the RPSI May Tour (might do a mini-launch) and the accompanying Friday 071 trip. Fingers crossed.... With encouragement from another character who would be well know to many here, I'm working on another album of slightly earlier times. This will hopefully have as much dirty silver, late steam and green as it will have black'n'tan. The only thing is that the photos are not of the same quality, and I have already rejected out of hand some which despite Photoshopping within an inch of their lives, have deteriorated beyond redemption. A pity, because the subject matter (e.g. Banagher, Tullow) is interesting. Some black and white will feature in this one too. I'll update here when I've anything beyond the above to report!

Brilliant - you'll find that book an excellent resource. You'll get pictures in black'n'tan (a la A39 as it is now on the DCDR) with headlights, but not in all-black, or black with yellow ends. The earliest pictures I've ever seen WITH headlights is ONE of the "C"'s rebuilt as "B"'s (not the other!) and that was 1969. I can't be 100% certain, but I'd be 99% certain that no "C" or "A" had headlights before it was re-engined. You're right about the one you saw having already been rebuilt, though it would have by then acquired either the full tan side, or the "low" tan band; both were applied to rebuilds. Thus: silver, green, all-black, black with yellow ends, and SOME black'n'tan: no headlights. WITH headlights: black'n'tan, "supertrain" and "tippex" IE.

Yes, Dive, they ran like that throughout silver, green and black eras. Barry Carse's "Metrovicks" book will clarify. Same with the "C" class.

Tis indeed the case, Garfield. Or something like that; I've been told the exact details in the distant past, but I've forgotten.

When built, the "A" and "C" classes had NO lights at all above windows, and smaller marker lights. They date from the steam era, when the only light was an oil lamp attached to the front. People were expected to know to avoid trains; the idea that they must almost be floodlit (like today) was a concept for the distant future. The double headlights date from rebuilding days, thus a model of an "A" or "C" in silver livery, green or early black should not have them at all.

I'll have a look and see if I can find any more.

It does, actually, Daryl; hadn't noticed that myself, despite standing beside it!

I've just posted some pics of BR vans at Limerick in 2002 which might help. One thing about them - they tended to be a lot dirtier than passenger-carrying vehicles in traffic! The post-1990* orange was somewhat brighter than earlier. (* approximate)

Looks REALLY well! Excellent value.

Thank you, GSR. I might have added that with no yellow lines on the platforms or yellow ends on the trains, most of the day's passengers were probably in very grave danger............

One of my favourite layouts on here - but seen "in the flesh" is just pure wow factor! Well done Noel!

Limerick was the last place where passenger stock could be seen being shunted and made up into trains (albeit one and two coach ones) at the platforms, before LUAS took over IE & NIR and replaced everything with trams. And the railway was no more. Here, on 28th December 2002, 124 is on the push pull Junction train, 167 is station pilot and will eventually head for Rosslare with two Cravens and a van, while the Ennis train is one plus a van, as is the Nenagh branch train headed by 186. We watched 167 pushing single Cravens and BR vans about the place first. Now, I'm pretty certain that ALL of these will be upside down, so if I might humbly appeal to someone who is less hated by computers to put them right way up..... If it can't be done, I have an a and caption as follows: "The local trains for Tasmania (Connolly), Melbourne (Kent) and Alice Springs (1916) are shunted on above date".

Puts me in mind of a pint.... And this puts me in mind of a MGWR D16 or a G2.... Incidentally, among our litany of railway nicknames, anyone remember 201s being called "big birds" when new, due to their size and the newly introduced yellow bits, same colour as the Sesame Street character?

Even they won't bring back steam to that unfortunate railway, GSR.

Here's another Courtaulds wagon at Whitehead - fire damaged by the more pond-dwelling members of our diverse vandalised society: There's an interesting point here for the livery-minded. You can just about see traces of the red-brown paint on the steelwork in the corner, but most is rusty. Imagine this photo was black and white - it would appear to show black ironwork, which was never the case. Such things have given rise to the unfortunate inaccuracy in preserved wagons, where time and trouble is unneccessarily and inaccurately taken to pick out metal in black. This is even more evident in the grey one behind. Anyway, I hope that the picture may assist the modeller of such beasts. The light grey contraption in the foreground is a Larne & Stranraer Railway 0.1.0.

Before the Causeway railway received those ridiculous margarine-powered biscuit tins they have now, which appear to be driven by a PlayStation console, and which on principle I refuse to take a trip* in; there were carriages of sorts, and a proper steam engine. (* yes, I'm on a grumpy senior rant today, as my toe is sore after stubbing it on a rock yesterday... and, no, there was NO Guinness involved... Expect further caustic rants about things non-steam!) :-) There. I just about managed a smile.

The "A" class farewell - was it 1996/7? - I can't remember - with A39 on that fantastic day out along the South Wexford, before departure to Limerick Junction from Waterford, in the days before our oldest city list its railway station to replacement by a user-unfriendly halt... For modellers - if the body is silver, so should be the chassis and roof. Also there would be no "fangs" on the buffer beam, or double headlight on cab roof. That was a great day out - many here, I know, were also on it.

With such an emphasis on modern image modelling (post 1970 appears to be by far the most popular - understandably), one wonders whether better commercial viability would result from a RTR steam engine of a preserved type (171, 4, 461) or a "classic" design from the traffic volumes of the past like some of those previously mentioned. A modern image modeller could have one of the former rattling round on an "RPSI" train, whereas an old GSWR or NCC 4.4.0 would only be appropriate for a layout set pre 1960.

Exactly. Apart from the GNR "U", other engines like an SG3, a MGWR J18 or a GSWR J15 would be suitable. Several inside cylinder 4.4.0 types would also be easy to do, but probably less marketable.

More for the "might have been" thread.... if the two governments had decided to go on subsidising the GNR and SLNCR and it had lasted into the sixties..... another railcar and one or two diesel locos, perhaps, along with a few recently withdrawn CIE or UTA coaches to replace the oul wooden antique hen houses it had itself? Probably Loughs Erne and Melvin might have struggled on into the 70s, as the last steam in Ireland. Or they'd have made it part of CIE / UTA; cue a "C" class and a couple of laminates rattling up and down twice a day, with the railcar spirited off to the Nenagh branch!

You've some imagination, Harry! Maybe Maedb going up it - re-gauged! Or a Lough Swilly tender loco.... But to go back to the U class........ (!)....