jhb171achill

DiveController, yes, that's exactly what I meant. With no livery variations needed at all, it would be just a matter of choosing which variety of the species was best - probably 186, as it would fit into modern image preservation too.

Yes, the whole "Thomas" thing was huge. Excellent for the hobby. I know of many current railway enthusiasts in general, both within and outside modelling worlds, who cut their teeth (perhaps literally) on Thomas, Annie, Clarabel and the Fat Controller....

It's internal characteristics have been changed by its new owners, not just the upholstery! However, in the GSR "Bredin" era, no dining cars were built, just suburban and main line passenger stock in 1st and 3rd classes. (The GSR had abolished 2nd at an early stage). The most modern stock in the 1930-56 period ran with elderly dining cars, a bit like early British Rail days; indeed, on the latter, wooden Gresley-era dining cars were operating with Mk 2's well into the 1970s, clad in modern BR "rail blue" and grey! The 24XX series dining cars as in operation on the DCDR, and also several within the RPSI's care, are from the "laminate" era, but have solid wood framing and sre thus not technically "laminates" themselves. But they are almost the only "modern image" dining cars constructed by CIE prior to the introduction of the first all-steel coaches (Cravens).

Bredin upholstery was the same in CIE days, but was originally dark red, a darker version of the ex-80 class seats on the DCDR inside 3223. Some survived with GSR upholstery well into the 1970s. Bredin coach inside walls were painted a lighting grey quite often.

The Fenit (and Belfast) cranes weren't really like any of those - different design again. "What of it's sister?"........ actually, BOTH sisters have survived. All three are now in the care of the Titanic Trust, one of whose officers I met today at a meeting about canal restoration in the north. The intention is to retain all three, with the best selected for preservation, and the other two being cannibalised if necessary.

Incidentally, Kiltimagh (and Cultra and Clonakilty, for that matter) have taken the very non-museum-like approach to how to paint their historical artefacts. Namely, "ah, sure it'll do, its near enough". As IRM folk will be aware regarding the Kiltimagh coach, it never had a white snail and yellow line! That isn't "near enough", in my book anyway. When people see things in museums, they surely have a right to expect that the thing is properly presented. Any of these errors can be righted easily of course, but why not do them correctly in the first place? It's not as if the information isn't there. Laziness in this very visible aspect of preservation has pervaded every single solitary preservation outfit on this island. As a result, modellers are misled. I have seen numerous absolutely fantastic models wearing "liveries" which have clearly been copied from incorrectly painted survivors in preservation. You'd never get that across the pond; are we, as an island race, colour-blind? Am I, out of interest, the only person who feels that this is something that ALL of our preservation and museum outfits ought to be a great deal more diligent about? Just asking....

Lovely shot, Garfield. The red upholstery is modern, but the black headrests and the rest of the interior sides décor is accurate and / or original. Bredins had both side corridor and open configurations. I think all the laminates as such were open, but some earlier CIE-built stock (1950-55 period) had side corridors and compartments. These looked like laminates but technically were not, as the frames were solid wood, not laminated layers of wood.

I have to say I've many very fond memories of those coaches. They had a very "homely" feel about them. The DCDR's 1918, although currently out of traffic, was my personal favourite type. However, one can still travel in 3223 on the DCDR, which is in the current normal running set.

Funding permitting, full restoration.

Don't know, Garfield. It would be nice if one had survived, but I was at a meeting today in Belfast in which one detail of some non-railway related stuff was the proposed restoration of one of the surviving - and very similar - ones from Belfast docks.

A J15 could be in earlier and later boiler versions, earlier / later cabs, and earlier / later smokeboxes. Original or later tenders would be other variations. With so many variations (look at the RPSI's 184 and 186, how different they are), the manufacturer might need to research which was most saleable, and possibly offer half a dozen separate numbers. There'd be no need for livery variations! Every single one of the class was grey from even pre GSR days until the end. None ever wore green or black, though a single one (possibly 193, I forget...) got a unique livery of grey with a black smokebox almost at the end of steam - probably the only grey engine ever to get a black smokebox.

Kirley, laminates generally had charcoal grey upholstery with a blue fleck through it, black seat tops (antimacassar area), and the interior sides were real or mock wood effect with white ceilings. Internal doors were varnished wood. The bright blue seats on the model shown are completely wrong - no laminate ever had seats in any colour remotely like that, whether in silver, green or black'n'tan days. Incidentally, if you repaint one in silver, remember that roofs, ends and bogies are also silver! And - seriously weather the roof!

I want a turf fired 071.

Is it an 0.3.0?

There will be photos of Fenit Pier in colour in a forthcoming book..... including a steam crane in action on the pier.....

Can I be the first to order a few "H" vans?

The Park Royals were indeed a great job, and its to their great credit that they are doing anything Irish and RTR. But a little care on such a basic thing as outward appearance ought to be a no-brainer.

There's "mpdfan" over on Irish Railway News site who is well placed to comment on the Derry stuff. Unfortunately, as far as I know, it's locked up, uninsured and uncared for - well done, Derry City Council......

Everybody - Vote for GSR800!

Garfield, can you PM me the spies' contact details? And the factory boss?

The anticipation mounts; who'll be the first to post a picture of them!

And rightly so, GSR; I think I'll write to the papers.

Saw that on the Emerald Isle Express! I have occasionally seen that in the past - I don't think it's unique.

Makes perfect sense, DiveController. Some colours - blue probably being the best example - can look very different in different light. CIE green has its moments, but those of us of a certain vintage who remember it will have seen the real thing in many variations of daylight, and daylight is the final arbiter of any colour. Thus, it's probably easier for me (and a certain Mr O'Rourke!) to judge accuracy. But with so much information about nowadays and many good colour photos coming out of the woodwork, putting a white line on a green coach is just lazy, careless. What would people's reaction be if the white line on the Black and Tan one was light green!

Ah for heavens sake. That's plain elementary! The white is wrong and the green looks a bit too bright. Surely to goodness we should be past simple errors like this, but they got the GNR railcar livery quite wrong too. Pity, as the model looks so good otherwise. The font for the carriage numerals on both liveries isn't right either.