jhb171achill

Looks most interesting, best of luck. If it was me - and this is a constructive suggestion - I think if I was mostly interested in the locos coming and going, I'd have it much as you have, but if I was more interested in operations and shunting, possibly less loco sidings and at least 3, better 4, container roads. If it's modern era, I'm presuming no steam. Any 121s would most likely be part of a "pair" with another, or a 141 or 181, so is a turntable needed? All depends on your preferences for how you'd operate it. Good luck anyway, and doubtless you'll keep us posted.

I could be wrong on this, josefstadt, but I have a notion that while, as you say, the 32xx's were indeed Bredin-origin, there might have been sone converted from the original Bredin-pattern CIE stock of 1950-3? Must consult the archives. It would be interesting to clarify. Certainly, during the years from 1950-62, several different side profiles were evident in new builds. Here's something for 071 persons. First, an up train awaiting departure from Westport, July 1978. Behind the loco, a mail van, then a Dutch can, then four Cravens, a laminate, and a laminate brake, the details of which I didn't record. Followed by a new loco in Inchicore the previous year. For modellers, note the unique non standard logo, larger than normal, different template, and with a white surround instead of tan. And the loco body colour was very much more brownish, again uniquely. This was because they were painted in La Grange, Illinois, not Inchicore. At first repaint they were all "corrected".

Indeed it was, Hunslet. I must try to find a pic I have of a 10 coach train (10:30 to Cork) passing Port Laoise about 1976 with almost no two coaches alike......

Hunslet, the one behind the loco is a CIE parcel brake of about 1950-3 vintage, then a laminate brand of 32xx series, like the one at Downpatrick, then a Park Royal, then a Craven. Until the 1990s, Cravens rarely ran in complete rakes - there would be one or two in trains otherwise made up of a few of just about everything else....

Absolutely top class!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16648[/ATTACH]. Oil [ATTACH=CONFIG]16649[/ATTACH]. Cement [ATTACH=CONFIG]16650[/ATTACH]. Fertiliser

The above are showing up as ok (well, one's upside down...) on my iPad.... so hopefully they are visible. Can I ask viewers if the earlier ones all are?

Yippee! They appeared.... for now! See captions in previous posts. Now, let's have a go at GNR van 111N....

. Oil . Cement . Fertiliser

This wretched thing is driving me mad....! Each time I post the pictures, they show up fine on my computer, however as the day progresses some disappear, some appear the right way up and others upside down! Apologies, Kirley; I'll see what I can do! (My patience with mechanical, electrical or computer devices is minus zero......!)

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16647[/ATTACH] Down morning Waterford train, Heuston, A class haulage as usual, about 1977. Look at the typical consist..... a 1950-pattern CIE parcel brake, a 32XX-series brake standard,a Park Royal and a Craven. When assembling trains of an era up to the end of wooden framed stock (about 1990), it's important for the modeller to be aware that Cravens didn't operate in rakes - as the best stock, there'd be one or two in a typical train, otherwise made up of all sorts of things!

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16644[/ATTACH] Oil, cement and fertiliser; the three staples in the late seventies. (Beet also, but it was summer!) [ATTACH=CONFIG]16645[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]16646[/ATTACH]

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16643[/ATTACH] Former GNR van No. 111, now 111N. The number is painted in the right (though the "N", which would on wagons have been slightly smaller font, has worn or faded off). The standard CIE cast plate on the left has "CIE", the number, the tonnage, and "111N" as normal CIE practice. (No, it wouldn't come off! Hmmmm). By this stage (about 1977) it was withdrawn, and with the recent almost total elimination of loose coupled goods trains,sidings in stations all over the country were stuffed with withdrawn H vans and their like.

Standard CIE brakes with standard livery and standard weathering! The one on the left still has wooden planking. You'd see quite a few like that. The odd one was still grey. For modellers of the era, such vehicles were almost never clean and shiny looking. Some looked even shabbier than these.... Modellers, note the differing positions of the lamps. Above the ducket as on the right hand van, was the norm.

A bogie rail wagon still in use was (in 1976) one of very few MGWR vehicles in stock. The only others were several former six wheeled passenger carriages in use as departmental vans. One of these is now at Whitehead, two are on the DCDR, one is in Clifden, and all are as yet unrestored. Accompanying this wagon on that afternoon in the North Wall Yard was former MGWR bogie coach 1M, by then long converted into a departmental car, the last MGWR bogie coach extant, but withdrawn.

Brand new: yet to enter traffic. About 1978 I think. Inchicore barrier, 1976. The two of these were the last locomotives by a long stretch to wear the late 1960s black with yellow ends - a livery which even in its day didn't cover a fraction of the fleet. It was never applied to any GM, D, E or G classes, and I don't think any B101s got it either. A few if the A and C class, plus this pair, were the only yellow ended locos. A single member of the C class had yellow buffer beams with it for a short time.

Inchicore, end-of-life time for the fascinating fleet of G.... ....and the E401 class.

This was the only loco ever to have silver tablet catchers, and it was short lived... And finally, an extra one.... By the late 70s, most G class locos had migrated to Inchicore. The Loughrea branch had just closed - it had always occupied a couple at least, while others in their day shunted as far afield as Ballina, Dundalk and Tralee, as well as in Inchicore. This forlorn example in summer 1975 (an absolute scorcher of a summer!) was in this twilight position of being fixable, and it might be fixed....or it might not. Fans of this class at this time could scarcely tell whether one pottering about Inchicore was actually in traffic or not.

I'm going to have another go at listing the pics which didn't seem to show above. They are, in order, a burnt MED at Antrim, an old horse box at Athlone converted into a sleeping van, a former MGWR station seat sign at Attymon, a standard 1960-80 era CIE station sign at Ardrahan, an old two-plank CIE ballast wagon of GSR origin (I think; maybe v early CIE), and a double headed Galway / Westport train leaving Moate with loco 186 in proud possession of silver tanker catchers. See above captions for full descriptions. All photos were taken between 1975 and 1980. May contain traces of nuts. Please do not try this at home. Terms and conditions apply. ......

I'm not sure, Heirflick - I thought they were the same all along.... The pic has them with their lids on, of course....

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16624[/ATTACH] A two plank ballast wagon of GSR ancestry, 1976.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16623[/ATTACH] In advance of a royal visit Ireland (I think it was the Queen of either Belgium or the Netherlands) one single loco was specially repainted, and as a result wore silver tablet catchers for a while. This picture was taken at Moate. It is the midday down Westport train.

[ATTACH=CONFIG]16622[/ATTACH] It's summer 1975 and the Limerick Ballina train has paused here. It consisted of 192, two work-stained laminates and a four wheel "tin van" with a noticeably lopsided gait. This shows the then standard CIE station signage. The Irish and English versions were the same typeface. A few stations retained GSR black enamel signs with the Irish version in Gaelic script. The Foynes branch and, I think possibly Bray and Bagenalstown, were examples of this. Limerick and Midleton signal cabins had GSR signs too, as did what I think was the last survivor even in recent years, Cherryville junction cabin (albeit painted).