jhb171achill

Yes, horse boxes were generally in passenger stock. In GSR days they were standard maroon, though without lining or crest; just shaded lettering "G S" and running number. In CIE days, plain dark green, without "eau-de-nil" lines, but with "flying snail" and number in that colour. Any lasting into black and tan era were never painted that colour, and indeed I doubt that even those that survived were used at all post-1962. One at least ended up in light wagon grey as a departmental vehicle; I saw it as such in Athlone about 1977. It had, by that stage, an orange surrounded "broken wheel" with white lettering. But it was not in use as a horse box by then. I saw another derelict somewhere in the mid 70s with flying snail on it and nothig else. It was in very badly faded green, impossible to tell whether it was pre-1955 darker brunswick green, or post-'55 lighter green as seen on RPSI (Dublin) and DCDR carriages of ex-CIE provenance. If you want to model a horsebox in traffic in a black'n'tan era layout, i would go for faded dark green with snails and numerals, no lining, heavily weathered chassis and roof of faded nondescript colour.

Anyone remembering them will recall livery details that differed from the norm. They were delivered (as seen above) with CIE roundels on the ends which were of slightly bigger diameter, and all white, instead of the usual one with a tan "broken wheel" surrounding white lettering. The shade of "tan" was also much browner than the norm. Against a set of Mk IIs the darker colour stood out. At first repainting they got the normal CIE standard of the day. Looking at the model above, the cabside numerals are all white. I can't remember myself whether this was the case after delivery, though I suspect they were shaded in black. (Runs to look up old pics!). An EXCELLENT looking model, worthy runner up to the 141s.

I didn't know there was a 7mm kit of a MGWR J26 - or did you build it? Either way it looks very good. Should you manage a visit to Downpatrick, you will be made welcome re checking over the SLNCR articulated railcar which is there.

The one in "Rails Through the West" was knocking about that part of the world carrying a digger in connection with the rebuilding of the R. Fergus bridge. I saw one somewhere about that time with a digger / JCB or something like that on it. Might have been in Limerick or else Inchicore, can't recall.

AAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrrrrggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Can ANYONE save us from what already seems light years of olympics, olympics and more olympics..........zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

I have to say, I never cease to be astounded at the quality of many modern scratch built layouts. This one leaves me speechless - that initial distant view of the station with the locos in it is fantastic. If this is a first effort....wow!! Words fail me - truly excellent.

W O WWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is amazing! I'm starting to gather funds already.... A D17, as Des men tions, would be a lovely addition too, as would (and yes, i'm biased) an "Achill Bogie" D16! That model of 800 is a credit to you Des - absolutely superb. Can't wait to see one running.

That looks spot on popeye..... Doubtless you've seen green G611 at the downs of patrick.... the handrails would be green also, though. There is anecdotal (but not photographic) evidence that G611 was delivered as you have her above, but repainted black before entering traffic. G612-7 were delivered in black. I am not sure whether they were just black and white, or black, tan and white at first, but during the next 15 years or so until they were all withdrawn, the seven members of the G611 class had both variations. The earlier three, G601-3, were delivered and ran in silver, then green as above - though at least one had the chassis green as well - possibly all three. Then they were painted black and white. None of these three ever had the tan on them.

That's got to be the best weathering jobs I've ever seen... the graffitie'd one makes me want to go out and find whoever is spraying them and tie him to the rails! And yet, it would look fantastic on any layout. Was there (I hope not!) a prototypical graffiti job as bad as that on a loco?

Yes, 186 was done by these morons. Disgusting.

Frank - about half, maybe just over half, were brown. Yes, the fitted / unfitted idea was the same here, though beware: from memory (open to correction),wagons started being fitted before the brown started, so it was possible (I am nearly sure) to get fitted grey ones. Those wagons left in grey by the early to mid 70s generally had CIE roundels, but there were more than a few faded "snails" about. Not so much on cattle trucks, though - more on standard covered "H" vans. Beware also the modellers (and preservationists!) frequent error of picking chassis and body ironwork out in black! This was standard on most British companies, but you will see from photos it was almost unknown in Ireland at any time, right up to the end. If you ever saw a newly painted grey, or brown, CIE wagon - just like today wheels, bogies, buffers and couplings - everything - is "sheep dipped" in the body colour, roof and all. Chassis would of course get discoloured a brownish colour by brake dust, while roofs turned darker due to wear and tear and loco exhausts. Roofs should almost always, and certainly always in later years, be the same as the body colour

W O W!!!!! that is amazingly realistic!

Excellent work - keep 'er lit!

Very realistic!

There was a similar type of book published a couple of years ago about the greater Dublin area. All in black and white, but some amazing and long-forgotten pics. Can't remember title, but it was in the RPSI book stock on the tour. Re the Midlands, anything's possible!

GSWR D14 (4.4.0), MGWR D16 (4.4.0), GSR B1a (800 class 4.6.0), CDR Class 5 (2.6.4T), GM 121 class. Ah, there's more. MGW J26 (0.6.0T), GNR(I) "S" Class 4.4.0, Tralee & Dingle Nos 1-3 (2.6.0T), Cavan and Leitrim 4.4.0T, DSER (RPSI!) 461, "Bandon Tank" 4.6.0T, Isle of Man 2.4.0 tank locos, and my all-time favourite loco, an Indonesian 3ft 6in gauge "B50" class 2.4.0T, a wood-burning 2.4.0 tender looco, some examples of which survived in passenger traffic as late as 1987. Or an Indian Railways YP 4.6.2 metre gauge express passenger loco.

My recollection is also of a mixed bag, though in later years the vast majority seemed to have separate short ones.

This weekend, DCDR and Down Museum host "Railways At War" again, after a very successful pilot a couple of years ago. Courtesy of a DCDR member resident in Dublin, a "taxi service" will be provided for limited numbers in Dublin. You will b e picked up and left back to your door. The cost for the trip to Downpatrick plus an all-day ticket on the DCDR is €30. Numbers are very limited and this trip will only operate if every seat is filled. Please email jhb171@aol.com to express interest. Departure time will be finalised later. The trip will operate (subject to support) on Sunday 3rd June only. Modellers will be able to have access to non-operating rolling stock and locos through guided tours though inspection of operating locos / stock will only be possible from normal public platform positions. See ye there!

FrankS - the green used by British Railways on steam locos would be somewhat closer. SR green is a quite unique (though attractive) shade. But there vwere several definite versions of SR green - one more limey / yellowy, the other more like the BR. The pic of A2 above is somewhat lighter than the pre-55 green, and somewhat darker than the later; however this could be due to the vagaries of the internet. If it is called BR multiple unit green, that would indeed be the case. The darker CIE green can be seen on Loco 800 in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum. That said, the pic of A2 above looks very well indeed and has been very well finished. At the end of the day, the only arbiter on what colour your models would be, is your good self; if it's right for you, then it's right! I wish you well with your endeavours.

The wagons referred to first were made from old long-wheelbase CIE flats. Only one of the carriages had an interior; the bodies were of little more than plywood but really looked the part. They were loosely modelled on what would have been running on railways out of London in the 1850s - the time and place the film was set. The BR-liveried carriages pictured in scenes of "Educating Rita" were done in Pearse (Westland Row) and are CIE "laminate" type carriages of the day. As mentioned above, they were painted on one side in water-soluble (and washable) paint; very convincingly too. The scenes in the "Quiet Man" are true gems, showing a GSWR "60 class" in steam, and showing carriages of varying GSW and MGW origin. The station paintwork, footbridge detail and painted stones round flower beds, as well as the grey paintwork on the loco and 1945-55 period darker CIE green livery are very accurately shown. This should all be of great interest to modellers. The only thing non-authentic is the "Castletown" station nameboard. As most here will know, the scenes were filmed at Ballyglunin, between Athenry and Tuam.

The flying snail lasted on some wagons (always grey) well into the 80's - I photo'd several in Ballina about then. CIE wagons were grey all over (note - NEVER black chassis / buffers / metalwork - a common mistake as British wagons had black in those places). Roofs were grey too - but got dirty. Vacuum braked stock started being painted (again, ALL OVER) brown in the early 70s, and as loose coupled stuff was withdrawn, everything surviving became brown, so that by the mid 70s after which loose coupled stock was withdrawn, brown became the norm. By the mid 80s, wagons only carried stencilled numbers and the application of CIE roundel logos was discontinued just before IR / IE took over - under their watch (post '87), no logo has been put on wagons. Exceptions were the initially blue Tara wagons, the dark green and white ammonia wagons, and the cement bubbles. The latter started in grey, then became orange, then cream with "Irish Cement" on them; latterly all over covering in cement obliterated any livery. All repaints of Taras were brown, until graffiti artists and dirt rendered them livery-less.

Morons indeed. The same raggle taggled people who "occupy" places and say that their defacement is "art".

That's the thing.... three weekly inspections will be no deterrent to whatever scumbags - ethnic or not - want to steal stuff like this. Insurance will be claimed, shoulders shrugged, and life goes on. A few less valuable or irreplaceable artefacts, a few slightly better off scumbags with a few more shillings to spend on drink and drugs. Ho hum! Sooner the scrap trade is regulated - and the harder it hits unethical ethnic scrap dealers - the better.

A nice touch on a layout might be a heavily vandalised coach, and beside it a van load of cops pinning the yobs, spray cans and all, against the side of the coach while they put cuffs on them! I saw alayout once at an exhibition and a detail outside the station showed a parking warden arguing with a driver who was parked on a double yello line... looked well!

I would agree. A 141-class at €100 might be better around €80.....???