jhb171achill

It was indeed, GSR 800. It shunted both Glanmire and Albert Quay, mostly the latter. During the beet season, or when summer excursions were running, it was to be seen with the one other remaining of its class, No. 100, on the Clonakilty Jct - Ballinascarthy - Courtmacsherry branch. It survived 100 by a year or two, only being withdrawn on the closure of the West Cork system in 1961.

Not in Oliver St John Gogarty's in Temple Bar, Ireland's most expensive bar. Last Thursday, a pint of Guinness had gone up from 5.95 to 6.30. Not far away, if you know where to look, it's still 4 euro till 5am. Lager in Gogarty's is well over €7. Talk about having a laugh.

90 still retains the double doors at Downpatrick - worth knowing for modellers. The IRM trip on 20th June will allow close inspection. 184 was painted (not even remotely accurately, it might be added; just a "retro" livery for a film) because it had been picked for preservation rather than the other way round. By the formation of CIE in 1945, double doors had gone on J15s, though I suspect the introduction of "normal" ones might have been somewhat earlier than mentioned above - I'd need to check. A few locos other than 90, of other classes, retained them a good bit later than any J15s.

Meant to add ...... just back from the (excellent) RPSI May Tour. Occasionally, comments are heard about the RPSI Cravens being painted in "GNR livery". Just for the record, it's not - nor is it meant to be. GNR railcars and towards the end a few loco-hauled coaches were navy blue - as opposed to the much lighter loco blue - and cream. The cream was marginally darker too, and went up to cantrail level, with no blue strip above window level. On some stock the blue and cream continued round the ends to the gangway edges. No wooden coaches were ever anything but brown, by the way.

And the motorway was cobbled, and everyone walking along the street was in black and white......

Indeed, Burnthebox.... A blackberry was on a hedge, an Apple was in a pie, and if you ate too many blackberries you got Bluetooth.....

For those, like me, interested I livery variations, or strict accuracy in placing a layout in a historical setting, it's worth noting a few details of when a new colour scheme comes in and when the last example is seen of the old. There will obviously be an overlap period when both the old and new run together, as not every single loco, carriage and wagon will all be changed at once. This can lead to a surprisingly varied lot, all in the one pace at the one time, thus in turn determining the period and place within which we might like to set our layout. For example, let's look at a few. Just after a new administration or change of paint scheme comes in, would be the best time to base a layout requiring maximum variety. Our first one is just after the GSR has been created, let's say it's 1926 or 7, and it's based at the intersection of several old companies, like Limerick Junction, Waterford or Claremorris. LJ has ex-GSWR and ex-WLWR liveries, plus the new GSR on some stock of both of companies. Claremorris has GSWR and MGWR, while Waterford has DSER and GSWR as well as WLWR. A layout based on the latter could have two locos from each company. One in DSER lined black, another in the very different GSWR lined black and another in WLWR lined crimson. A representative from each company's stock is newly outshopped in GSR all-over grey. Carriages have WLWR crimson, DSER maroon, dark GSWR crimson lake and GSR maroon; forty shades of maroon. Four, anyway. Goods stock is in DSER grey, GSWR black, WLWR dark grey and GSR lighter grey. Fast forward to 1963, Belfast. Older "red hand" emblems and full crests are both to be seen on UTA coaching stock, and a few in GNR brown and navy/cream are still about. Blue GNR locos, though filthy, are side by side with a few GNR black locos and also locos turned out in the very attractive UTA lined black, while CIE diesels pass through on the "Enterprise" and goods trains - locos may still be dirty silver, lighter green, all-black, 121-grey, or black'n'tan, while thier carriages might be GNR navy / cream, GNR brown, CIE silver, black'n'tan or green. Goods stock is UTA dark grey, GNR mid grey or CIE light grey - though, of course, for accuracy it's mandatory that ALL UTA goods stock is very weathered! It's CIE, 1949-53. A handful of coaches are still in GSR maroon (though the brown and cream is long gone). Most are the (dark version) of CIE green; silver and light green have yet to appear. While most locomotives are plain grey, a few express passenger and Dublin suburban locos are beginning to appear in lined green. I'm not sure exactly when the three 800 class were repainted, but we could say one is in GSR "blue-green" and the other two the dark CIE green. Fast forward ten years and all together at the one time especially in the Dublin area, we have - Steam Locos: GNR black both lined and unlined, GNR blue, CIE grey, well-weathered CIE green and the occasional one of certain classes only in CIE black. Diesel Locos: silver, light green, one A class only in dark green, 121-grey/yellow, black, black'n'tan, and black with yellow ends (A and C). And, of course, the GNR diesel in navy blue. Carriages: GNR brown, GNR navy & cream, CIE dark green on old wooden stock, CIE light green, silver, UTA green. Goods stock all still grey apart from a few types of UTA in brown; mainstream CIE brown starts about 1970.... Just a few; I'm sure there are many more.

Wonder what he bought with his other 70 grand......!

I remember all but the farthings...... and the 50p coin was a ten shilling NOTE. Imagine if nowadays there was a banknote worth 64c...... If you had a half crown (two shillings and sixpence), which was worth 16c in today's money (or 12 1/2p sterling), you were wealthy. A Hornby 00 gauge BR Mk 1 or 2 bogie coach cost 10s / stg50p / 70c euro. Yes, 70 CENTS, not euros! There was no such thing as a Mk 3 coach. A Hornby British Rail class 31, Deltic or "Hymek" Class 35 was £2.10.0 sterling (£2.50) or €3.47. And you could get change from a £1 note for three pints.

He's got way more stock than IE or CIE for some years! Maybe he could lend them some......

Neil Ramsey's stuff is absolutely amazing!

That's a dreadful thing to happen. All it takes is for one security man to walk through the train. Lost property would be another matter, though hardly comparable with someone disabled being left alone. What if this man was dumb and unable to shout for help!

Any modellers, I'd be delighted if you make yourselves known to me - I'll be up and down the train.

It's simple mathematics. Fare income pays either (a) central government - in the case of a nationalised railway, or (b) a bit to shareholders and a bit to whoever - private or public - pays for new trains and track. Under no mathematical, as opposed to political, circumstances, is the BR-model privatisation remotely efficient; thus, by definition it is bad value for any taxpayer. The key reason is the very simple fact that among those with their nose in the financial trough, a new ingredient is introduced - management of numerous management-bloated "companies" and their shareholders! Not one detail in any of this increases, by its own hand, the income. As Leslie says, other circumstances might, but that's nothing to do with the private-v-nationalisation issue. Bring back BR!

Ballymoney lignite would have been yet another, indeed. The "back line" was not abandoned for many years after the last train ran. It is abandoned now; but as I understand no longer ago than maybe 1990-ish!

If NIR had been more pro-freight, there could have at one time been the possibility of - - De Lorean Dunmurry to Belfast. - Fertiliser, Guinness and cement Dundalk - Derry - same, Dundalk - Adelaide - Containers, North Wall - Portadown - Adelaide - Derry One can but dream. NIR would need its half dozen C's, maybe more than three 071s, and probably nowadays a few scond hand 141s.....

In the early 1980s, when the short-lived De Lorean car plant near Dunmurry was in operation, there was a proposal to build a siding into it and take the cars to Belfast Port via another siding off the Larne line. This would have ended up being somewhere near the Fortwilliam roundabout, very probably. The acquisition of half a dozen ex-CIE "C" class locomotives was partly with this possibility in mind. Imagine that on a Belfast 1980s based layout....

Yes. We'd probably have an electric network of - at the very least - Cobh / Midleton - Cork - Heuston - (tunnel) - Connolly - Belfast - Larne / Bangor, and the lines from Connolly to Maynooth, Howth, and Greystones. Possibly Portarlington - Galway too, maybe at a pinch Limerick Jct - Limerick.

Without straying into politics, imagine if no border had ever existed. All the CDR, CVR and LLSR, as well as the NCC narrow gauge lines, plus the NCC, GNR, BCDR and SLNCR would have become part of the overall GSR - though it would hardly have been called that. Standardisation for 3ft gauge might have followed, or Walker railcars on many of the 3ft gauge lines. But - dread of dread - all those lined maroon NCC locos would have been dull plain grey, and the CDR's red livery and the GNR's loco blue would never have existed!

Mayner, I did indeed hear of that, though I can't be certain that any work was done. While it's only a guess, I suspect that if so, it would have been a "back of envelope" job. Leslie - the 100mph was certainly not sustained, but was witnessed very briefly between (I think) Templemore and Thurles. With good maintenance and track, such feats were certainly possible. In traffic, as you say, low 90s were typical maximum.

Another "might have been" was a coastal route to Clifden, instead of through the wilds. Had that happened, Galway could well still do with what might today be a truncated line as a commuter route from Galway out to Spiddal and Salthill.....

I know Tom Ferris' vids, yes - but I must have missed that one of Macha!!!!! Now all I need is a decent video player.....

Yes - that one's still there, or certainly was until very recently - last time I looked. The last "proper" tin van is the one I meant that is regrettably long gone.

Exactly, Noel, they were indeed and for that reason primarily - though speed came as an "extra". Had the class been able to show their mettle on decent track in the 50's and 60s, their credentials as flying machines - and with heavy loads - would have been very well established. GSR800 - it wasn't so much axle loads - it was more the riding qualities of the locomotives and stock (heavier) and - more to the point - overall standards of maintenance rather than the materials used. Indeed, an 800 at speed must have been an amazing sight to behold! I would pay very serious cash for a decent film of one in full cry. If it was in colour, you can have my house, pension and car.

I'm not certain what the absolute fastest was, GSR; but on test they just exceeded 100 mph on a few occasions. As an aside, one must assume that the track was a good bit better then - without all the yellow machines and complicated procedures they use today!