jhb171achill

It might also be Droichead Nua........ (Runs and hides.....)

Hopefully. I'd like to say I think it will happen, and I hope it does.....

Let's hope Nidge does not turn up on the RPSI santa specials.....

The station building is. The goods shed is empty - re roofed but stripped inside. The goods office same; loco shed (heavily and unrecognisably rebuilt) and attached Locomen's dorm are derelict. The water tower and coaling stage still stand. The paint samples are from inside the door frame of a door on the seaward side of the goods shed.

Hahaha!!

UTA stock did begin to look very drab when the paintwork wasn't fresh! I remember it well......

A recent examination of the remains of Achill station revealed that some original paintwork has showed up, illustrating the brown, later Indian Red used by the MGWR on station woodwork, and the later GSR green. I'll try to upload a picture here.... Does that work? It's from an iPad....

Sure you're our friend already, Glenderg. And I managed to say that without paying a cent.....! Thanks, folks, that's given me a few thing to investigate.

Just wondering who might be out there who undertakes commissions for making up intricate models like quality steam loco brass kits? My own skills would fall very far short of what's necessary. I have a J15 and a B1a (800) and for me to even contemplate assembling either would be wanton vandalism! PM me privately - or, perhaps, someone might like to formally advertise their services, as I know there are those who carry out such work.

Ahhhhh.... Pringles and meths..... the modeller's banquet! Must try it when I'm writing things over the winter.....

Indeed it was, Craven. It was really a steam-era railway, but with diesels at the head of trains!

Flet roofs, man? You cawnt criticoize us Saath Effrikaans..... and you must trevel in the coach mawked eithah "blankes" or "nie-blankes"....

When was that Summerhill stub finally lifted?

It's quite possible, 201bhoy.... Presumably the H & S Taliban can't object to night time working because when there were goods and mail trains they often operated during nocturnal hours.... Mind you, it wouldn't surprise me.

NIR was truly fascinating in the early 70s. The NCC and GN sections still retained a real sense of their former identity - even the (Edmondson) tickets on each were different, being printed to former UTA designs on the NCC, and GN-style on different coloured card on GVS to Portadown. As late as 1977, a Lisburn to Connolly day return was headed "UTA", as old stocks of tickets were being used up. York Road had what was by then a somewhat dilapidated and random selection of MPD cars in various states, a few MEDs, with other MEDs on the isolated Bangor line, which still retained some BCDR signalling. The GNR section had an equally random lot of AEC and BUT cars. NCC and GN had steam too..... for a short while....

True, Dive..... scumbags like that deserve to be run over. Their future absence cleanses the world......

Possibly, Snapper. One might surmise that the preferred overnight places would be Westport, Galway, Limerick or Ennis, Killarney, Waterford, Cork, somewhere in or about Belfast, as well as (obviously) somewhere in Dublin. I don't think the Dardanelles would cut it! The serious question remains - which of these locations would be able to accommodate an overnight train with water supply, passenger access and so on; without contravening our excessive H & S regulations or compromising security?

I have posed the question - purely out of curiosity - regarding overnights. Currently, many stations are locked and unmanned overnight. Passengers are forbidden to be on board trains stationed on non-passenger tracks, e.g. sidings in yards. Even if they were, they would not be allowed off the train due to their lack of PTS, day glo clothes and steel capped footwear. So - how will it work for passengers wanting to get off and on the train during the evening or night, for example to go to a local bar? H & S rules would also presumably prohibit them from being cocooned on board all night, with exit barred..... fire escape would not be possible without getting onto the track. If, on the other hand, they remain stationed at platforms, how will that affect platform occupancy by other service trains? Just asking.....

That is SERIOUSLY high class work!!

Anything without a suffix was GSWR origin, or built new by the GSR or CIE. Oddball ones were more along the lines of those you mention, Minister. Nothing of GSWR origin acquired a suffix while in traffic, but if withdrawn and placed into departmental service, both GSWR and "suffixed" stock (of other companies) would have acquired an "A" suffix and also a completely new number. Thus, for a fictitious example, we might have GSWR coach no. 123, DSER coach no. 17 and ex-MGWR coach 42. After 1925, 123 stays as 123, while 42 becomes 42M. DSER 17 is now 17D. Fast forward to 1959 and all three are withdrawn. The first two are stripped of seats and made into tool vans. A month previously, some other PW vehicle has been numbered 200A. Now, 123 and 42M become 201A and 202A. Later, Inchicore builds another gadget, numbering it 203A, and then they decide they want the old DSER 17D as well. So it becomes 204A. If you look at several preserved vehicles, most notably the two MGWR six wheelers on the DCDR, or the one at Clifden, or the one at Whitehead, all bore "A" numbers prior to rescue. Along with many other (very well built) MGWR 6-wheelers, they entered departmental service in the late 50s / early 60s and the "A" numbers they now have bear no relation to the originals. One of the DCDR's stalwarts (an observer of these boards!) has an encyclopaedic knowledge of CIE numbering and can always be relied to to tell us what 486A was, etc.

I wonder how it will appeal to a hopefully different market from Railtours..... whose people stay in high class castles and hotels instead of the train..... At night, where will it be stabled and what H & S arrangements will be in place re the comings and goings of overnight punters in a station possibly unmanned at night?

Ehhh.. Mk 3's? All scrapped? Cravens?????????

I was unaware that any had vents.

Excellent!

It would be fine for CBSCR design too. It raises an interesting issue; the necessity (if one wants accuracy) to research what type of signal cabin, footbridge, station architecture and so on, that would be appropriate for a layout set in a particular part of the country.