jhb171achill

You'll note the two different types of wheels on the ends of those.....

I totally agree, Noel, you're spot on on all counts. Mind you the most uncomfortable things ever to (dis)grace the rails here were the noisy, fume filled rattling vibrating UTA / NIR "MED" sets, and the 450 "Castle" class, especially in the equally vibrating driving car, as they switched from one of their two speeds ("stop") to the other, "go"! The BUT cars were comfortable as were the AECs, though power cars could again be noisy. To be fair to the modern railcars, as utterly soulless and bland as they are, the power cars don't rattle and vibrate like their ancestors.

Very true, Nelson. The other thing is finance. It would seem a pity to all but the bravest, to "butcher" a possibly expensive scale models something into what is in effect not a strictly accurate Irish model! Possibly a matter best decided by the individual's perception of their own scratch building skills. You - for one - would have nothing to worry about on that front! :-)

The telephoto shows the "intercity" track to be not as good as it looks.....

That's the problem with intercity trains in Ireland in general. They are all too slow to compete with road. Belfast to Derry, the Enterprise, Dublin to Tralee, Waterford, Rosslare, Westport..... Hmm.

That's a real beauty.

This is a superb job. It would worth, perhaps, a new thread to identify RTR locos or easy-to-make loco kits which could be kitbashed to represent Irish prototypes. We're all aware of, for example, numerous LMS, BR, or other 2.6.4T locos which have been turned into very credible looking NCC "Jeeps". I saw - somewhere - pictures of a brilliant looking GSWR "J15" wise origins were, I think, a Hornby loco of LNER extraction. There's the LMS "Jinty", of course, and the "Woolwich", and perhaps a Brighton "Terrier" might provide the basis for GSR Nos. 90 or 100? Any more?

On its way, Riversuir. PM me your address.

Not all locos had numerals picked out in pale yellow - quite a few were just sheep-dip grey all over. Note for modellers: numberplate backgrounds were always grey on grey locos, black on the few black locos in late CIE days. GSR never painted anything black. DNGR station - I think this was taken at Greenore. With the growing interest these days in "yellow machines", because - I suppose - there's not a lot else to see on the railways! - I thought this little gem might interest you. One at least survived well into CIE times, possibly the early 1960s. It still had its faded maroon with yellow lining. A potentially very interesting little project for a layout.

Accompanying the above, two posters. Post free to anywhere.

I think that the erstwhile "Bundoran Express" was the slowest named train in Europe.

The van picture was taken in the mid 1930s, thus that van is still, therefore, carrying green paint because that certainly isn't GSR style lettering. Very interesting indeed, well spotted Mayner. The picture of the West Cork coaches is a bit later, probably about 1938. The GNR coach you refer to which was trailed around by that railcar was the last surviving wooden GNR bogie coach other than Saloon No. 50 at Whitehead. It lay at Mallow for years and eventually fell apart, with some assistance from vandals.

What next..... Interesting rolling stock. The short lived Enniskillen to Belfast express (BUT) railcar service. Carriages in Albert Quay - ancient CBSCR design - look at the patchwork maroon paint! And, with fresher paint, Ballinamore - where freshly painted anything was a rarity. Now, here's a puzzler - until I find the accompanying notes anyway. At first glance, possibly SLNCR, but I think it was taken somewhere in Dublin. If so, the lack of a letter suffix to the number suggests GSWR ancestry, but neither the GSWR or GSR put "No." in front of a number. Thoughts?

A jaunt on the Lough Swilly, the Cavan & Leitrim and the Giant's Causeway now...

Castlegregory, summer 1939.

Lisburn, about 1990. at Downpatrick in 2009.

Excellent!!!!!!!!

Leaflet now claimed. IOM stuff still available.

Flying Snails for everybody in the audience!

Absolutely! COYBIG!!!!

".......Nice mini, by the way........" How can you see what she's wearing?

Many thanks, josefstadt. It doesn't seem to matter what way round I scan them but they end up turning Australian!

Superb job, Nelson, as usual of course!

Or a bar of Fry's Creme from the Wee Stores down Pembroke Lane.....thruppence. Or your empty jug filled with milk from the dairy next door - a penny.

Above: Summer 1990, and 033 rattles through with the midday Rosslare to Dublin. Below: Summer about half a century earlier, and the body of a goods van off the recently-closed Dublin & Blessington Tramway finds a new home on a farm.