jhb171achill

The livery shown is GSWR livery - surprisingly clean as this loco / coach "unit" was generally filthy. The loco portion is painted in GSWR green (see 90 on the DCDR) but with black and creamy-coloured lining, the later GSWR style. Numnerplate background is black - the green on 90's on the DCDR is just to put something on it - it should also be black. Numberplates were never green-backed. The coach portion is a very dark maroon, as on the DCDR's 836, with lining in that pattern too. For the record, and for the modeller, the following is a list (off the top of me head) of preserved items that are correct in all aspects of their liveries (and it's a list that really could be longer - education, education and education....): DCDR: 90 CSET 1 & 3 E421 E432 146 (apart from later-style numerals) C231 (apart from numerals a bit too thick in typeface) A39 G613 G617 (not G611: no G610 class ever ran in green, and in any case the earlier trio that did had green chassis, not black, and no flying snail, larger numerals on cab sides) Coach 836 The TPO (3223 has a shade of green too dark for the lining which is on it - i.e. post-1955. She actually always ran in black'n'tan in her current format. 728 has the same green - too light for UTA, which is better represented on preserved buses. The straw line on it should also have very thin red edging). I don't include things still in original livery e.g. the BR genny, RB3, the 450 and so on; these are obviously authentic having never been repainted! 728, 3223, 1918 and 1097 are not correctly painted, nor are any goods stock. 1918 was painted in an approximation of GSR liver to look "older" but was always CIE green or black'n'tan; thus, the TPO livery would be more appropriate for her, and 3223 could reasonably be made to match. RPSI: 171, 85, 4 & 186. (184 and 186 were never black - and another footnote there: when painting a GSWR / GSR or CIE loco grey, wheels and smokebox are also grey, not black. Numberplate background was always grey, not (at all) red as some sources say). 461 was done in green to show the CIE passenger livery, though the shade of green is wrong. Correct shade on 800 in Cultra - albeit with incorrect Cultra-inspired "G S" lettering! Also accurate: Most of the preserved laminates. Most of the Whitehead wooden stock - except, notably, the ex-diner 87 which is now in the attractive NCC livery; but though an NCC design, it was built by the UTA and was always therefore UTA green prior to NIR days. The brake van "Ivan" should not have black ironwork or lower chassis, and the cream should be inside the body, not inside the balconies which were always grey. Cultra: As a general rule, nothing painted in Cultra is accurate, but all painted prior to entry there is!

Absolutely superb! Brings back memories....

Interesting looking thing - wonder what it would have looked like in traffic?

As Leslie says, a U2 was used on Belfast - Cavan as an experiment for a while about 1949/50, just after the UTA took over. NCC wagons would have individually appeared here and there, and possibly individual ex-NCC carriages turned up on occasional UTA excursions into Dublin the early 60s. I'm unaware of complete trains, and doubt it. But - as others have said - the layout owner determines what runs...... I have witnessed the "Flying Scotsman" in LNER green hauling CIE stock in such circumstances....

Absolutely stunning set of MPD cars!!!!!

I wonder if the dark stripe will be along the full body side??

Disgraceful, but unfortunately you're totally right! Jack O'Neill would revolve in his grave....

I always thought that a model of Albert Quay terminus would probably be the single most fascinating layout imaginable!

Absolutely; in his polka dot era, the insides of the loco frames were painted in left-handed tartan....

The original - and long lived - seating colour was a dark grey fabric with a darkish blue "fleck" through it.

I have to say I'm with 007 on that.... but maybe I suffer from Too-Many-Birthday Syndrome......

The way the train was internally set up and used..... Coach 1 = Genny van. Externally a total rust bucket, but internally working very well. Coach 2 = Service Crew (RPSI staff) coach. Standard RPSI Craven. Coach 3 = Bar Car. Used also as morning / afternoon tea coach. Used properly as bar car with traditional musicians hosting a fantastic party atmosphere evening en route from Westport to Dublin (Connolly) on the last evening before decamping to the Shelbourne. Coach 4 = Tea Car. Used (obviously) for kitchen to produce superb lunches and an evening meal on the last day. Seating also used, along with bar car seating, for morning or afternoon tea and for any on-board lunches. Coach 5 = Refurbished Craven, table cloths, antimacassars, flowers on tables, silver service. Used as "club car" - seating on reception onset mornings before going into the dining and bar cars for morning coffee or lunch. Used as restaurant on the last evening (Westport to Dublin) when punters had a three course dinner in it before moving to the bar car for a farewell party.

One never can tell, Kirley...... I'll tell you one thing, though..... the RPSI crew who manned it all week were absolutely top notch... it made the job of the Railtours folks very satisfying and comfortably easy. Salutations to all involved in the support, maintenance, loco, dining car, stewarding and catering crew.

Oh dear.....

Very true, 33 Lima.

The liveries can be mixed, as some coaches still wore the pre-1955 dark green. When black'n'tan came in. However, for every dark green (and by this stage, heavily weathered) coach mixing with the new livery, there would have been many more in the lighter green or (equally weathered!) silver.

That looks utterly stunning!

In terms of width of lines, the white is way too wide, but both green lines are, unfortunately, worse - especially the lower one. While scale may make it awkward, the "snails" and "3" numerals should be edged in gold. The two green shades are very accurate though, judging by the photo. The numerals on the black'n'tan coaches are far too large. That said, when all is said and done, any new Irish stock is very welcome.

Colm Any debate on UTA green can, happily, be definitively settled as numerous examples of actual paint exist. The most accessible is on both the "red-hand roundel" and the post-1963 "coast of arms" UTA crests in Selwyn Johnston's "Headhunters" museum in Enniskillen - the background boards in most crests in that collection are actual paint from the companies concerned. Prior to installation in Headhunters they were deliberately kept in a location away from sunlight to preserve colours. If anyone is interested in some of the more obscure, or least verifiable, actual liveries of the past, that collection is an ideal source of reference. DUTC / CIE dark green (same thing, as CIE copied it!) can be had there too on the backgrounds of the DUTC crest and Flying Snail. The only thing to be aware of is that colours don't translate well from actual to model, or worse still, vice versa; 461's current green is a case in point as it is not accurate CIE green, having been copied from the late Drew Donaldson's models. Accurate UTA green may also be found on some preserved buses. Just as CIE copied DUTC green, so did the UTA copy the old N I Road Transport Board's green, though they inverted the light and dark on buses. For the record, NCC, LMS and (post 1935) GSR maroon were the same. There is some evidence that the BCDR may have used the same stuff from time to time, but in any event their own maroon wasn't much different - maybe a very slight shade darker, son made indistinguishable by brake dust and wear 'n' tear! Having seen your models years ago at an exhibition, they certainly look the part to me - excellent work too, most inspirational. If there is some slight in discrepancy it's such a miniscule one as to be unnoticeable.

I'm looking forward to Monday!

Had a word today with one who remembers well - they were originally a lightish brown.

Yes, it's meant to be like the old GNR livery. For purists, the GNR version did not have blue above window level, nor a black line; it was blue below only. Also, the blue is Dublin RPSI blue, but the GNR shade was much darker and may be seen today on the Fintona Tram (of all things!) in the UFTM. The old Belfast paint firm, Jamison & Green, hold the original spec for both the navy blue and the cream, as well as authentic UTA green. They supplied all three - and these are the only genuine Irish psi t specifications still held on file by any company. The diner and bar have been treated as above, with the three "RPSI Blue" coaches remaining as they are. The genny was not repainted as it is due to come out of traffic once its companion is finished by the RPSI's Mullingar squad. This coach, another BR genny, will be the last RPSI coach to be treated in Mullingar, and will be turned out in blue.

Absolutely, Dhu Varren.

Correct - there won't be any possibility, unfortunately, of anyone aboard.

The green is possibly a bit flat and light... curtains were probably either a fawn or reddish colour, though might have been a goldeny brown colour too.