jhb171achill

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.

A nice sunny day about 25 years ago in Lisburn. Note that the spoil wagon is still in UTA markings; these wagons never saw a paintbrush again after delivery in a then-strange light duck-egg blue.

I think that's the answer, Islandbridge. I always meant to ask Senior what exactly they looked like inside.... He did describe the interiors of DSER 6 wheelers on the H Street line - nothing like a Pullman, third class or not. There are photos of Jimmy O'Dea's which show these carriages not just in traffic but at least one lying derelict at Naas in the late fifties. Jimmy was a gentleman - I met him just once, many many moons ago.....

That is seriously impressive!

I think Adam Ant certainly looked as if all his bubbles had long fallen off the track....

Very many thanks, Islandbridge.

Damn! Burnthebox, you've caught me red handed. I've got five shillings and fourpence (22p). I'm going to invest in Guinness tonight. I think it's about sixpence a pint - would that be about right?

I think, Derailed, that geographical location has its part to play too. If you or I live in Derry, no probs, we just toddle down to the site in the morning and do a day's work. But - notwithstanding the fact that just about enough people make the half hour or 40 minute trip to Whitehead, Downpatrick or Inchicore to keep the RPSI and DCDR going, Derry is a four hour drive for me, and for many. Local interest is absolutely crucial in any preservation scheme. Even for necessary details like who is the key holder if the PSNI want to advise of a break in. Not much use if every involved volunteer, committed as they are, lives in Thurles, Newry or Manchester.... Local publicity and local people will save and develop the FVR. Absence of same, and the consequences will follow their unfortunate, but realistic path.

Couldn't agree more, Warbonnet. Like all imperial measurements, the pre-decimal defied any attempt at logic, and melted the heads of most schoolchildren.

Yes. I can even remember white metal "K"'s 00 scale loco kits being advertised in the late 60s with prices like 27/6d, ie one pound (20 shillings), seven shillings and sixpence. For younger readers a shilling was 5p, thus there were 20s to the £. However there were 12 OLD pennies to a shilling, so the modern sterling penny is worth 2.4 times an old penny; there were 240 old pennies to the £. Does that make any sense? So: 35/6d = £1.15s.6d. (Yes, "d" - for the Latin "denarius" meant "penny") = £1.77 and a half pence. 15 shillings was obviously 75p. Here endeth the Lesson.

"Senior"'s recollection was that "for third class, they were extremely comfortable, but not as much as first class"!.