jhb171achill

One RPSI Craven carried that livery for some years, but I think it's blue now. The idea was to paint it green like the rest of the Dublin set but only the bottom half got done. RPSI Cravens were thus never in the all-green, partly because none were ever green in CIE use. Mind you they weren't blue either, but that livery came about as a result of trying to make the RPSI stock look distinctive. Some like it and some don't - it has certainly prompted debate!

I wonder (from an admittedly mischievous point of view) what their reaction would be if I told them that DCDR would take it off their hands!

Timetable on 1st is the standard one, dep. Downpatrick at 1400 1445 1530 1615 and 1700. A return journey takes just under half an hour.

Gentlemen, loco roster confirmed subject to availability on jan 1st as A39 on ECS and shunting, with O & K no. 1 on passenger trains. 146 unfortunately will be blocked in as a result of a large and necessary shunting exercise, but will of course be available to see and inspect. I am likely to be in Dublin that w/end but ask for Norman and mention my name and he'll be pleased to show you about. A39 certainly warrants close inspection!

True enough, warbonnet, though I remember years ago you used to be able to get rub-on transfers called "Letraset". I wonder if that stuff is still available... lining was easy enough to do with that providing you kept everything level.

Easy to scan the Rpsi crest... Yes, that would make an interesting model, with an 071, pair of black tan 141s or a steam loco up front!

I thought you meant the "intercity" thing as in the initial pic - they never had those. The thing on the door, yes, I was aware that a small number had for a short time.

Oooh Fitz that looks SCARY!!

I wonder what a modern one would look like in 1950s green with snails!

DCDR New Year's Day trains Train engine: O & K No. 1 ECS / Shunting: A39 Downpatrick dep 1400 1445 1530 1615 1700 Inch Abbey dep 1420 1505 1550 1635 1720 Hope to see you there!

Ahh! well i will certainly agree thaat black'n'tan was the bst looking livery any CIE loco ever had.... would have looked great on an 071! I think I'm probably also the lone(ly?) person ever who liked the "biscuity brown" on Dublin buses in the late 70s / early 80s... :-)

That shot of the A in Inchicore in "201" livery... I was told that only the one side was done! There was another variation they considered (can't remember details) and they just painted one cab... I actually think that livery suits an A class. I wonder how it would have transferred to 071, 141 or 121 classes - there's one for someone who is good at photoshopping...

I'd be surprised - it's quite possible a few might have been done as an experiment but I'm pretty certain none ever ran with either this or any logo at all. Despite their long life in traffic they only ever basically had the one livery, albeit with variations towards the end, i.e. the addition of the whilte line below window level, and the white above the windows giving way to white and orange.

John - I'll try to get you a pic of one. I know someone who has it - taken on a GAA special in Tralee about thirty years ago.

Folks - somebody was talking about both these recently - see this:

Had a few bottles last night of a new thing - wonder if anyone's tried it - Jeremiah Weed Root Brew - like a gingery flavoured beer.... good shtuff. Hic.

So many modern railcar models just don't look right. And you'd think it would be simple. These look simple, but can't be - because they look so good!! Excellent stuff!

Mayner, I wonder if you have details of the PO vans that were converted to heating vans - I think only 2 or 3 of them were thus treated. The only external difference was the fuel tanks underneath - at the ends, as far as I recall. I saw a pic of one somewhere - might be able to find out the numbers... Inclusion of the tanks as an extra in a kit would allow (yet!) another variety!

Absolutely brilliant stuff - love the Enterprise and Hunslets - well done... and the model of the Cork line Mk 4 must have been an awkward one to make too.

Absolutely superb... it's 1966, somewhere on the WRC or North Kerry!

Maybe wash his mouth out with Guinness? Might get the taste for it.... (No, I don't have shares in them, but the amount I've consumed over forty years, i propbably ought to!) :-)

Excellent stuff! Some vehicles arrived at Whitehead or Downpatrick back in the day with "RPSI" or "DAR" (as they DCDR was then) crudely painted on them.

Minister, waht happend was that in 1955, when the earliest laminates, Park Royals, and of course the "A" class locos arrived, they decided that they might look wll in silver and it would save paint and time. As photos show, they couldn't have been more wrong - anything left unpainted deteriorated almost as soon as it entered traffic. How they could expect loco bogies to remain silver is a mystery! Subsequent deliveries of the three G601s and the B1013 were also initially unpainted. Interesting livery detail: locos had a snail and number in "eau-de-nil" but at least some carriages and tin vans had numerals in red, possibly all at first. No silver rolling stock ever carried "snails" - just the numeral. By the early 60s, silver was dying out. It is likely that some stock went straight to black'n'tan. In all cases, at first repaint, they received the post-55 lighter green.

Several of those coaches can be photo'd from the down platform at Lisburn, as they are parked in the PW siding there. These include the solitary Mk2 genny van specially adapted for them.

Wow! Very interesting! A new one to me.... I'm never too old to learn (!!) :-)