jhb171achill

Ah! So BR's getting ICRs......

My profuse apologies, Weshty; I actually meant SSM!!!! (Though Worsley do some too!). The late Billy Lohan told me in an interview many years ago that in his time, Tuam's allocation was six J15's. This was several decades before the 1950s, though.

They tried double chimneys, but reverted to single. No major modifications were carried out, such as different boilers or alternative types of motion. Externally, the livery changed from the unique GSR "mid green with a bluish tint", lined yellow and black like the GSR carriages; to the standard CIE green which may be seen on 800 in Cultra today, lined black and white as per "CIE green loco" practice. The "G S" initials on 800 in Cultra are not accurate - in that livery she should have a "flying snail".

What is it?

Nelson, it's yours. I thought of you, actually, when I posted this. The NIR book has also been claimed, by the way. Nelson - email me separately as I've other LMS stuff you might be interested in, and possibly a few LNER luggage labels. I'll need to make arrangements on how to get the book to you.

Despite seeing these things and travelling in them almost daily, while I knew there were variations, especially after ex-Enterprise stock was added, I never knew there was so much! Liveries could throw up interesting combinations too, such as power car 69 just back from IE in grey and maroon, with a red and cream driving trailer and a blue and grey "intercity" intermediate.

Easons here we go.

In a parallel life, I was interviewing elderly people about ten years ago who had lived on a now-deserted offshore island (Achillbeg, Co. Mayo). They spoke of emigrants bringing the most modern clothes back with them from Britain (when they could get them) or the USA, for their local female relatives. Plus the all-important postal order, upon which they depended.

It's on a branch line from Ballygobackwards Junction, of course. On the Great Cork, Bandon and Lough Swilly Railway....

Rant calmed down now, as this 1933 publication is more sensible. I'm waiting for my 2018 working timetable, which will contain a hefty supplement on how people with nut allergies should approach the complicated issue of being properly certified to turn its pages on their own. While wearing steel capped boots and day glo underwear, of course. Anyway, the following is a fascinating book in good condition. Things like this go for €25-50 depending on the weather; I'll take €10. Again, given its weight it would be expensive to post. Here beginneth the first lesson: [ATTACH=CONFIG]18173[/ATTACH] The are the same when standing on your head. As true as I sit here, check it out yourself. [ATTACH=CONFIG]18174[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18175[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18176[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18177[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18178[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18179[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=CONFIG]18180[/ATTACH] You'll notice how well ahead the LMS were in 1933. They were already publishing the single most comprehensive timetable that ever operated between Limerick and Waterford between 1950 and the present. [ATTACH=CONFIG]18181[/ATTACH]

I'm offering the following.... 1. NIR route map, 2008. Unrealistic to post - can leave it in Lisburn if I'm north, or meet to hand it over to you in Dublin. No charge. Now look at the next pic, of which this is but one of many examples in this manual. What health and safety Gestapo goon gets paid for wasting paper like this? Doubtless they will justify it in a board meeting in corporate-speak as what they're doing "going forward", or "leveraging"...... Rant over.... Up to a point.......seriously....... Next post, no. 2 the LMS book.

Hahaha! I had a specsavers moment too some years ago; when I first saw that film clip I assumed they were ex-MGWR design coaches! Or at least one was - unless there's another train clip in it - they are not remotely like MGWR!

Can't understand why everyone hasn't got one........ Not!

Loco's 59 - one of the well proportioned "60 class" - pity one wasn't preserved. It's the carriages whose numbers I can't make out......

The brake is a standard GSWR product of maybe 1880/5; I can't make out the number in the film - can anyone else? If so, I'll identify it accurately. Worsley Works make a brass kit, I believe, of most of these coaches. They'd make absolutely superb models.

They are all ex-GSWR six wheelers of 1880-90 period, and the one John Wayne steps out of is a composite; he emerges from the first class part. The line from Limerick through here (ballyglunin) to Collooney was ex-WLWR, which became part of the GSWR in 1900. For the next 50 years, despite being in the (predominantly MGWR) west of Ireland, GSWR stock was most common. The locomotive is a "southern engine" rather than a "Midland engine" as you'd get more normally in the west. The laminate stock looked entirely different, was bogie, and was introduced from 1956. The film was produced in 1950 / 1, and released in 1951. The carriages and loco in this clip illustrate perfectly the 1945-55 CIE green (used on buses, lorries and station paintwork up to 1963). It also illustrates the all-over dark grey on locomotives: in this case on No. 59, very work stained as that was the actual service train set.

Well I was brought up in a cardboard box, and had to pay the mine owner to work 25 hours a day, nineteen months a year, and eat gravel for breakfast. No dinner. So there; try telling that to the youth of today.

I've seen that wiki thing before all right, Weshty. Interesting comprehensive list. Would be interesting to know who took the time to put it all together.

I have an apple iPad, and I think you can get blackberry on it. But if you eat too many blackberries, you could get Bluetooth. Why can't life be simple. Like when there were just two TV channels. And Guinness was 32p a pint and it cost 50p to see U2 (no, not an NCC locomotive) in the Baggot Inn.

The 400s were more numerous. In Senior's day (GSR heyday and early CIE) all manner of 4.4.0s and "Woolwich" 2.6.0's kept company with the 400, 500 and 800 classes on the main line. Even humble J15s got a look in on stopping trains.

That is absolutely brilliant news, WTCLASS.

A white line above windows and you've got near enough CIE!

It's spread all over the place, GSR; there isn't any one main central online repository about most aspects of Irish railway history. If you check out th likes of the photo website flickr, you'll get some superb contributions. In some cases these are made by people who post here. If you're anywhere close to Dublin, there is a lot of ("offline"? - as in not computer based!) material in the archives of the Irish Railway Record Society, which are open on Tuesday nights if you're a member. There is a good selection of photos and books available there too. The GSR was Ireland's largest company by a very long way, in pre-nationalisation days. It might be useful if you could give a few ideas about what particular aspect of the GSR you are interested in. If it's for a layout, then the types of locos and coaches used. You might like main line operation, like modelling the Galway, Cork or Waterford main lines. or you might prefer a sleepy rural terminus. If the latter, this could be of ex-DSER, ex-MGWR, ex-WLWR or ex-GSWR origins; all had their differing styles of architecture, but all were under the overall GS banner fro 1925-45. Because of this, there was also vast diversity in the range of locos and rolling stock used. Then there was the narrow gauge - at its inception, the GSR inherited no less than seven separate 3ft gauge systems, four of which it retained to hand over to CIE in 1945. It narrowly missed inheriting the Blessington tram as well. The separate and self-contained Waterford & Tramore system, ad the "as-good-as" separate West Cork system were all part of the GSR.

If my photoshopping skills were any good, I'd set up a whole album of things like that! CIE locos in GNR blue or UTA lined black, "Maedb" in grey or GNR blue, Midland six-wheelers in redbull, green goddess or tippex...... the list goes on! Many years ago, one of the "youths" at Whitehead circulated an absolutely superb mock up of 171 in NCC maroon and the UFTM's 74 (Dunluce Castle) and an NCC "Jeep" in GNR blue. You'd be surprised how well all looked!

That's a very impressive start! Good luck