jhb171achill

There is an original GSWR hopper at Downpatrick, in the same original condition in which it was withdrawn from traffic by CIE in the 1980s. Thee is also a plough van there - again, original GSWR state more or less, and same as 8456 would originally have been. If you're modelling either, the plough van is completely wrong livery wise. In GSWR days they were black all over, with white lettering as on the DCDR plough van. In late GSWR, GSR and CIE days up to about 1970 they were slate grey all over. Neither ever had a black chassis, except when all-black. From 1970 all over standard CIE brown, not the shade on the plough van. The hopper remains in untouched, but by now extremely faded and weathered CIE brown.

Possibly a trial one? I have no recollection of any in the trial train which I filmed being different.

The "P/P" did indeed mean "push-pull".

Unfortunately not, David. I got a pic, though, of the last surviving MGWR bogie coach, erstwhile "Tourist Express" dining car No. 1, by now a withdrawn departmental vehicle, at North Wall. Must look for it.

Top class, excellent stuff. Looks great in that scale.

A final one for today. This was taken in summer 1976. I was at the then-rural (and long closed) Clonsilla station taking photographs. A ballast train appeared and the driver stopped to have a word with the gatekeeper. I ask if I could have a lift; no problem. Health and safety wasn't invented, but neither myself, the driver or the gatekeeper died that day..... So I got a lift to North Wall, where I left the train, took a few photos of shunting and parked old carriages, and hopped over a boundary to the safety of a pavement in Sherriff Street. The signalman there didn't die either.....

I'll go to eastern China....

Taken from the leading cab of a pair of 141s which were on the "Enterprise" that day. I think one of them was 153.

A sense of anticipation on this sunny evening, as I was en route to the annual RPSI May Tour, in the days when it was known as the "three day tour", not the utterly ghastly title of "international railtour". (No, it's not going to Budapest this year, or any other....) I'm in right cranky mood this morning. Just be that wretched dog barking next door ALL morning. These had BETTER show the right way up, or I will scream very very loudly indeed. You'll hear me, even in New Zealand. The above was the following morning at Heuston. Steam from the RPSI's 85 on right. We're off to Tralee!

At Belfast York Road "RED" and cream, that is....

trying to get it the right way up.... THIS IS INFURIATING ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was going to post other ones too. But I can't be bothered with this stupid upside down thing.

Can't wait to see you NCC jeep - that'll be a treat judging by the rest of your stuff!

Absolutely excellent paintwork and conversions! Small hint (in helpful sense)... Maybe paint the red con rods on the "D" to black? Like the early 450 red and cream, an unusual livery on layouts. Looked very well indeed in real life when new.

No idea, Dive.... they had standard cast CIE numberplates on them if that means anything....

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....