jhb171achill

For some reason, most models of 80 class cars never seem to look quite right.... But there's the proof that there's an exception to every rule! Absolutely superb job....

Josefstadt, one at least was used, I think; possibly the other wasn't. One was in steam, though not doing anything, at Inchicore one time.... I think it was the 1996 open day. The DCDR wouldn't have been in a position to take another steam crane at the time they were being scrapped due to severe space constraints - thankfully somewhat eased these days! In preservation, as both DCDR and RPSI have found, it's hard to justify exoenditure on steam cranes when apart from money always being tight, the day to day issues of loco, coach and track maintenance must always take priority.... Unfortunately, in over a quarter century of dealing with finances of both outfits, I can't recall a single occasion when it might have been possible to allow a budget for anything other than a quick lick of paint for a crane!

Exactly, Mayner....

Saw one yesterday on the DSER. Looks better in the flesh, though still somewhat dark....

It really looks very well! Do I imagine that I see my good colleague Barry standing at the end of the platform with his trusty camera? Future pic for a caption in a book..... "Rails Through Patrick's Layout"...... :-)

Of course, Warbonnet! They sit in the same siding as the remaining MGWR steam locos.......

Even as railway enthusiasts, I suppose we have to face reality. Nobody on anything like the necessary scale uses Waterford - Limerick, Limerick - Ballybrophy or Ennis - Athenry. We may say all we like, and correctly so, that this is as much due to CIE's wilful neglect of these routes over half a century, but there it is nonetheless. Individual stations like Ballybrophy, Attymon, Woodlawn, or a few others on the DSER, Kerry road, or possibly Thomastown... probably don't warrant stops for the same reasons, and using Varadkarnomics. Collooney.... Dromod..... Mostrim..... The "M3 Parkway" branch.... Docklands..... Hmm...?? So watch that space.........??

Interesting, Wrenn... thanks for that. All three liveries carried by the "bubbles" were non standard. All, equally, got covered in cement dust, though recollection suggests that in "orange" days they tended to be a lot cleaner than latterly.......

Couldn't agree more with last few posts.... a STRONG corporate image is very important. Since "black'n'tan" days, there hasn't been one.

What is the difference between a duck?

Quite possibly... I'm not familiar with the area. It's a good few years since I've been north of Ballina itself..

I doubt if it carried a livery like that. Coloured upper panels like that were not the norm in those days. It might have had some panels picked out in a lighter shade, but almost certainly not a broad "band" of lighter colour. I agree with you that as far as possible, accuracy is far more important than what some of us might think "looks well" in this day and age.....

It would have been unlikely to have had a toilet when first built, but it appears to have been rebuilt, probably with one, later. Gas lighting indeed. It's not possible at this stage to ascertain whether it would have ended its days as a first. It very likely did remain 1st, but we couldn't be certain. It appears to have been withdrawn about 110 years ago, thus unless it had spent many years in store, would have probably worn GNR livery. Very careful analysis of oldest panels on it may reveal livery. PM me about next time you're in Downpatrick and if I am up north and free I will join you and we can examine it in detail.

David, you need to get down to Glenfarne these summer nights and start laying a few miles of track!

She's a genetically modified sheep......

Totally correct, Eoin. It's ghastly.

It'll be good to see a Martello tower with no graffiti!

I have to say, few if any of these ultra-advertising-agency liveries prevalent in GB do anything for me at all..... many (most?) are quite grotesque...

Livery detail: in pre 1980s times, NIR painted the NCC crane standard maroon. The GNR one at least had been painted red by the UTA. Yellow painted PW and maintenance equipment was unknown, apart from a few Cavan & Leitrim ballast wagons many moons earlier! Prior to UTA, breakdown cranes tended to be quite dark grey or black, not only with the earlier UTA and predecessors, but GNR and CIE as well. At least one CIE one was lighter (wagon) grey in the 60s / 70s. The NCC one at Downpatrick ended its days with the original (upright and gold-lined) NIR monogram. The GNR one at Whitehead retained its UTA cost of arms (not the red-hand-roundel) on its arrival at Whitehead in the 70s.

There is indeed a missing match truck. To see what these looked like, the GNR one still at whitehead with the GNR crane, is very much typical of the species.

Ok once you get used to it.... Anything's better than the navy & lime green......

Yes, looks like a GSWR one. They had one in Inchicore, and dating from W & L days had one in Limerick. I stand to be corrected, but that's probably the Limerick GSWR one, it's W & L predecessor having been long gone (in 1920, maybe?).

A reopened Killala branch, eh? Brings to mind my one-time plan to do a layout based on Achill having reopened as a heritage line!

Comments by Blaine & Waffles are correct. The yellow ones were ex-BR. I think there were two, and they were intended to replace the old MGWR and GSWR ones. I think the one plinthed at Mallow is an ex-BR one but I could be wrong - it might be the GSWR one. As stated, the NCC one is on the DCDR and the GNR one is at Whitehead. The BR ones were quite different in detail from any if the Irish ones. For a start, they were much newer!

These days, it seems all trains have to run in daylight. On a line like Sligo, there's no reason why the trains couldn't be run at night, thus avoiding taking up daytime paths.