jhb171achill

An obscure set of papers in the Isle of Man archive outlines very brief details suggesting that one time the short and short-lived Belfast Central Railway toyed with setting down dual gauge track, with an eye to the extension of a possibly proposed Ulster-based 3ft gauge system of possibly up to 200 miles in length. This is distinct from the once-proposed (and nearly started!) Ulster & Connaught Railway. Anyone know where this was meant to go, presumably from Belfast? I've never heard of it, but the mention of it goes back to the 1890s.

Some were indeed, Richrua! Others were en route from Timoleague Unicorn Farm in West Cork to Spa Halt, on the Ballynahinch branch of the BCDR..... Maybe I should get out more?

That is an amazing operation!

Probably the most famous is the man on the white horse in the Wellington Cutting between Bessbrook and Dundalk. My father remember a PW gang all running away scared from the, while on night time PW work, in 1947/8. Locomen had report sightings right back to the earliest days of the railway.

And, on the Achill line - between two of the MGWR's only two "proper" tunnels (as opposed to "cut'n'covers"),, which were outside Newport on the Westport side, and only a few hundred metres apart - there was a ghost. When you got the train to Westport from Newport, you crossed the viaduct (still there) and entered tunnel no. 1. After exiting this, only seconds passed until you were in the other. IF IT WAS DARK, and no lights in the carriage, once you got out of one, there was a man in old-fashioned undertaker's clothes sitting opposite you. After you came out of the second, he had gone.

On the Killybegs - Donegal section of the CDR, shortly after closure, a couple who were recently retired gatekeepers and still lived in their CDR house, heard a locomotive whistling for the gates one very dark and stormy night. Services had ended and the track was in the process of being lifted; some track was still laid, but the bit past them had been taken up over recent days and weeks. But the old crossing gates were still there, and closed across the former railway for good, as you'd expect. They BOTH went out to investigate. As they opened their door, they heard a frantic whistling and a ghostly train rushed past, the lights in the several carriages visible, as well as the glow of the firebox. They could smell the steam and coal smoke. This was in 1960. Obviously, there was no train out that night. WooooooooooHHHHHHH

I want a truck for carrying live unicorns.

That one at Sallins is interesting, Maitland. While it's the standard post-1925 GSR style, as the overwhelming majority (but not all) were converted to, believe it or not the font style on THIS one is not typical! Normally, letters were not as spaced out... The concrete surround and posts are typical.

Excellent collection. It shows just how much of the ordinary railway is not only gone, but even among railway enthusiasts little or not known about at all. I'm a great believer that even for modern, or post-steam era modellers, it's essential to know the details of the past, to know where the railway scene each of us follows came from.

I was remiss in mentioning firstly, absolutely brilliant pictures. It is indeed an awkward place to photograph anything, but your methods have produced superb results. David; I think that museums SHOULD be able to be trusted on such matters. Occasionally, where original colour is not certain (such as the C & V B Tramway coach), a notice to that effect should be provided. But look at the trouble the NRM in York takes to get such things right. It is absolutely elementary, and the fact that in the railway collections at Cultra, virtually nothing they have painted is anywhere near right, is just disgraceful. The RPSI ensured the right grey for 186, the right blue for the GNR locos, and at one time the right livery for the wooden coaches. Downpatrick has adopted in recent years an accuracy policy; anything incorrect there dates from early days (such as a CIE goods van with a brown body and black chassis). The latter two bodies are run by volunteers with scarce time and resources. An outfit like Cultra ought to get it right.

That's one fantastic layout. Recreates an atmosphere of over fifty years ago better than most I've ever seen.

Drew's layout was so complex that it needed quite a few people to operate it properly, and he was meticulous in replicating exact operating detail. All his models were clockwork as far as I remember. I saw the whole thing in operation once at whitehead in a huge tent at an open day. Quite a spectacle.

I thought of another - the Hunslet has yellow flashes on the ends, but these should be lined in white - just for the record.

That brings back memories!

Unfortunately, while Cultra is overall a fascinating place, superbly presented, just about anything they have painted themselves is wrong, sometimes totally. 800: wrong crest and tender lettering. C & L loco: green probably too light. C & L coach: lettering completely wrong in style and colour; maroon probably a bit too light. Castlederg carriage: Lettering completely wrong. Original shade of maroon hasn't survived to my knowledge, so I can't comment on its accuracy. Donegal open wagon: bodywork in original unrepainted Donegal grey, but metal strapping shouldn't be black. GSWR covered steel van: completely wrong. Body paint, chassis paint and lettering, the lot. In GSWR days, the whole thing was plain black, body and all. Lettering wrong style and shape; should be smaller. In GSR and CIE days, plain darkish grey with "G S" or (later) "flying snail". Drew's models are truly superb. I like the CIE livery on them personally, I think it looks very well. It would have been amazing if CIE had painted all their locos that way instead of plain grey, though I have to say I think that the grey sufficiently unusual to have its place too. How've for young modellers it's important, from the historical perspective, just to point out that in fact few CIE locos ever wore green, and those that did belonged only to a few classes. The mighty J15s, for example, by a huge stretch the most numerous steam engines ever to run in Ireland, were be anything but grey after about 1915. The RPSI's 461 was painted green to show lined green CIE livery as elsewhere if only survived on "Maedb" in Cultra. However, prototypical paints are notorious for not transforming well to models, as many of us know, and it's worse in reverse. Thus, having copied CIE green from Drew's models, 461 has end up in real life in the wrong shade. Modellers will be award that to copy CIE green, a visit to Cultra or Headhunters barber & railway museum in Enniskillen is the only show in town. Enniskillen has a genuine flying snail mounted on a board painted in Inchicore. Other stuff was painted before it came to Cultra, so it's ok!

GSR it is...

Wow! Like the correct front profile of an "A" or "C" class, a B101, 80 class railcar or AEC railcar, a "Jeep" is something that few seem to get convincingly right. This one IS right - looks perfect - well done.

Looks great!

Now, David, with Scotland out 30 seconds ago, I personally don't care who wins it! Back to researching wagon liveries.....!

Absolutely inspiring workmanship. Manorhamilton couldn't have managed better! I'm wondering what a returning rugby supporter's special to Arigna Road would look like this afternoon!

Ghastly end.

With no letter "B" and, I am guessing no other letter at all, this vehicle is very certainly of GSWR origin; the high number would in itself suggest that. For modellers of the 1945-55 period, the light green colour (which is actually the normal "eau-de-nil"), is worth noting. Once the stencilled snail appeared, wagon numerals and logos changed to white. If you have access to a painted light green "snail", Minister, it's worth photographing and measuring for modellers for an accurate record, as I'm unaware of the existence of ANY other painted "wagon snail". Regarding the metal strengtheners on the wagon, the GSWR and possibly DSER used these too - maybe others also.

461's green is copied from a model, not the real thing. This rarely, if ever, gives an accurate result. The 400s were all either grey or green, and none were black.

Interesting, Riversuir, thanks. Could be badly weathered also.

GSR, 400s were all grey until roughly 1948/9. A few received green after that - exactly the same livery carried by 800 in Cultra, though every example I've ever seen in green was absolutely filthy and badly faded and weathered; same with those "Woolwiches" which also wore green. I'm not sure of colour numbers, but if you can match what Cultra have on 800 (which was actually painted by CIE in Inchicore before it went north), then you're there. Don't go by the RPSI's 461; attractive as it looks, the green isn't accurate - though the lining and gold-lined "snail" are.