jhb171achill

Indeed. Dromod is the only hope - for the loco - scrap for the rest.

You mean a Manorhamilton branch line, or a Donegal extension? If the former, a J26 or G2 2.4.0 or a J18 0.6.0. If the latter, a J18, G2 or a "Woolwich" possibly.

A MGWR terminus in Donegal across the road from the CDRJC one!

It is difficult to see how the current station could ever have been made into a through station. I feel what would have been far more likely, had the line been extended northwards, would have been a completely new passenger station somewhere in the vicinity of Harbour Road; as others suggest, at a somewhat higher level. Had such a line been built, it is probable that trains today would have Bundoran as a terminus, or possibly even Donegal! Now, THAT would be useful. But would the SLNCR have been built? (Galteemore, please turn over the page now...) Probably not. But a MGWR branch to Manorhamilton? Now THERE's an idea!

A pretty unique terminus with virtually no facilities for goods. Some old photos show the likes of a single goods van shunted onto one of the two very short lines to the right of the turntable.

It ended up as a dead end track - the line just ended! No points, no nothing; probably the easiest fodder for a mini-layout ever!

This one is a rare beast indeed! It’s ex Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway, cast in the 1890s. Most companies had their own designs - some (e.g. the NCC ones with their curved ends) of an extremely unusual pattern.

Another sad loss to the hobby. R I P

It's actually a good idea. My layout (when complete) goes round three walls of a large attic room. A train running end to end can only ever be viewed from one side. One end is a fiddle yard. So, if it is turned round there, as you say, a different train, or the same train in a different era, appears to return.

If the one you have is made by Silverfox, the green livery is 100% completely wrong, so ripe for respraying! In CIE green livery, it needs to be a lighter green, and a black roof. These railcars were introduced in the early 1950s, and would have been green from the start, but after late 1962 they started repaiting them black'n'tan. So, up to then, all green - but during the mid 1960s you'd have got a train with some as-yet unrepainted carriages still in green, but others newly painted in black'n'tan, so your plan is of course appropriate. Painting things one livery on one side and another on the other is a trick used by more than a few; I've considered it for some stuff I have too. It will only work, of course, if the ends and roof of the item concerned is the same in both liveries; in this case you are lucky! In both green and B'n'T liveries, CIE railcars had black roofs and ends. If you're respraying correct CIE green livery, it's a darker green up to mid 50s, lighter later. In both cases, pale green (rather than white) waistline and "flying snail" logo. (The green that S'Fox uses is more like british Southern Region green or UTA green!).

That was certainly considered, but never put into effect.

This, indeed, is the main issue. It will only ever work if it's in the hands of a skilled and populous voluntary group. Nobody in Tralee has the slightest interest in it, least of all the local authority - very much in common with most local authorities across Ireland north and south. If it's something to do with the GAA (or 12th July in the north!), the latest American president's family roots or farming, they're all over it, but forget about transport / industrial heritage. Best option is to salvage the rail for Dromod, and the locomotive, and scrap the rest.

Those couplers are industrial, e.g. Bord na Mona. The CDR, like most narrow gauge likes here, had Norwegian-style "chopper" couplings, rather than those. (The one exception was the Muskerry system, with its "hook and eye" types).

That's another seasick bag filled.............

I've just been seasick, and caught the collywobbles, heeby-jeebys and screaming fits, just looking at that picture.........!!!

Colin If you are planning to build up a representative collection to provide a good variety of trains pasing through a station on the Sligo line within that period, we may first of all divide the period in three. 1. Pre-1953. Everything is steam here. Many varieties of ex-MGWR 0.6.0s, some 4.4.0s and the "Woolwich" 2.6.0s rule the roost, on both passenger and goods. Carriages are a mixture of old six-wheelers, corridor bogies of various antiquities from 1900-1920s ex-MGWR stock, to late 1930s Bredins. Wagons are a mix - but all four wheeled, loose-coupled, and no two alike; cattle and covered vans making up the vast bulk of vehicles on most trains. Guard's vans are mostly ex-MGWR types. Locomotives are all grey on this route, bar the odd Woolwich in green. The black livery has yet to appear. Carriages are in the older CIE dark green with lining above and below window level, though some are still in the GSR maroon (identical to LMS livery of that time, lining included). In 1940, all GSR maroon; after 1945 the green gradually appears - and the plain grey tenders gradually mostly get pale green flying snails. By, say, 1953, there is but an occasional maroon coach. All wagons are darkish grey, not the lighter shade seen in the 1960s. Use the forthcoming Hattons "Genesis" six-wheelers - while these are more GSWR in appearance, there were occasional forays of ex-GSWR 6-wheelers 9especially full van brakes) onto the Midland in CIE times. As far as models are concerned, unfortunately the MGWR is by far the most neglected of the larger companies here, so a bit of improvisation is necessary. SSM do a kit of Bredin stock, but a typical train will have one or two of these, plus random old wooden ones. With nothing on the market either RTR or in kit form that is even remotely like any MGWR design, scratch building is necessary for the purist, but those green Bachmann coaches might do. They are actually English LMS coaches in Irish livery; no more like any GSR / CIE stock than a Morris Minor is like the Starship Enterprise - but they are available, RTR, and cheap. JM Design of this parish did a superb MGWR 2.4.0 (G2 class) brass kit but I don't think these are available any more - but the Bachmann "Woolwich" is. Get several of these if you can. For pre-1945 they are all plain unlined grey; for the 1945-53 period, maybe two green and two grey. SSM do several old "soft-top" wagons, and you will definitely need lots of Provincial Wagons' CIE cattle wagons. 2. After 1953, passenger services were revolutionised on the Sligo line and most other main routes - even Cork-Bantry - with the introduction of the AEC railcars. Everything else as above, but if you go for this period you can get a Silverfox AEC set - but beware - Silverfox insist on turning out CIE (and other) stuff in completely wrong liveries. I have mentioned this to the owner but he persists. The green is completely wrong for either the pre-1955 darker green of CIE, or the post-1955 lighter colour. Roofs are pale grey - in all cases they should be black. Markings are white - they should be pale green. A mess - and it's not an accurate model - but it's all there is right now. Modelling and long rural route in the 1950s without an AEC set or two is like modelling the Sligo line today without an ICR. I have an idea that Worsley do - or did do - a "scratch-aid" brass etch for a "proper" AEC set, but unsure if it's still on the go. For those with skill, patience and time, a much better option. You'd need (ideally) two sets, maybe with different intermediate coaches. Silverfox do a passable 1951-53 series standard which would do as an intermediate - but again, needs complete re-livery. Goods the same as pre-53. From 1955, silver "A" class diesels appear, primarily on goods but also passengers. The "Birmingham Sulzers" (B101 class) never worked on the Midland; and there's no RTR model of one anyway. Late 50s, the "C" class too; though primarily on seconadry services (like Cavan). After 1958, both the "A" and "C" classes start being repainted green, but a mixture of both persists until the "black'n'tan era". Park Royals start appearing in 1955 - first silver, then green, and after 1963 gradually black'n'tan. 3. 1960s - once 1963 beckons, steam vanishes and diesels appear. By degrees, black and tan coaches appear, while six-wheelers are gone. So, for the 1963-67 period, perhaps 50 / 50 green coaches and black'n'tan; and bring out the new 121s, initiall grey and yellow; the last to be repainted black'n'tan was evidently about 1968. So in the 1960s, you can have a mix of diesel liveries - A & C in (filthy!) silver, green, black, black with full orange band, black with yellow ends; 121s in grey and yellow or black'n'tan; new 141s and later 181s in black'n'tan. Wagons of more modern types ("H" vans, Palvans, an some 4w opens) appear in a lighter grey, and the standard 20T and 30T guards vans replace older types. Cravens appear after 1963. So - to the shopping list; and how many trains you want informs how many of the following you get. Locos: Bakky "Woolwich" 2.6.0 Maybe a 00 Works J15 - though these did not work on the Midland - but unless a RTR MGWR "L" (J18) class appears, they'd have to do. SSM kit of a J26 0.6.0T for shunting, but at this stage not line work. IRM "A" class SSM kit "A" or "C" Murphy 141 & 121 classes - essential for 1960s. Railcars - essential for 1953-64; Silverfox is the only option, or the more complex brass kit. Coaches: SSM Bredin kits IRM Park Royals Cravens While not 100%, a few Hattons Genesis 6-wheelers - especially the full brake - these were used on galway and Sligo Mails into the 1960s, and one or two even ended up black'n'tan, which is why just that variant is offered in that livery. Silverfox 1951-53 coaching stock - if black & tan, fine; if green, complete livery repaint necessary (oir at least tell him black roofs!) Worsley Works - some CIE coach etches, if I recall correctly. And, essential for diesel haulgae - and I am surprised nobody buit JM Design have offered them yet - TIN VANS! No lighting or heating behind any diesel loco otherwise! (BR & Dutch vans don't appear until 1969-72 period). Wagons: SSM / Provincial older "soft-top" wagons and vans Provincial cattle wagons JM Design guards vans IRM "H" vans - maybe a few of their flats too. IRM corrugated open wagons A handful of British wooden-planked open wagons repainted and weathered within an inch of their lives. Than's all I can think of for the moment. Hope that helps.

As a separate issue, I just could never fathom how that man had such an utterly fearless attitude to very great heights!!! And with nothing more than ladders and bits of rope!

Sorry to hear of this - definitely one of the best layouts this website - or Irish modelling in general - has ever seen. Good luck with the move, and here’s to a future reincarnation!

Me

Looking forward to this!

As we hear in so many places, about "areas"..... "Themmuns in there eat their childer...."!

The interior of 69, as above, on the DCDR, will actually be a completely different layout to ex-WLWR 900. 69 has a brake compartment in the middle, with a saloon either side. It was, of course, never like this in real life, nor did any railway that I am aware of have a coach with a guard's compartment between two first class open compartments, so the rebuild of 69 is quite unique; in operational days it was only ever a full brake (and one of only 2 or 3 six-wheel vehicles to receive black'n'tan). No. 900 had a single saloon, with a toilet at the non-windowed end, and a sort of "drawing room" compartment with two facing seats in the window end, as shown in the diagram with the pink background. The diagram of 322 / 324 / 325 below shows the layout of about the only three first saloons that existed (might have been a handful more), but these had a toilet in the middle and bench seating. An all-first saloon without a toilet would not have been likely. I am unaware of any such in saloon form. Bottom line is that there will be nothing at all comparable to the rebuild of 69 - but the finished article will be an absolute masterpiece nonetheless, and with double doors invaluable for wheelchairs and children's buggies. Let us hope it becomes a regular performer as a service vehicle instead of special days out only! It was, of course, not at all unusual for railway companies back in the day to rebuild vehicles with completely different configurations to what they originally had. The MGWR's 1M is a good case in point - variously a first class diner - or a third class seated coach! And with six wheel bogies, then four wheel ones. Second image shows the trio of first saloons with fixed bench seats and the last one shows 69 as it was throughout its railway service.

An absolutely excellent idea!

Taras and cement this afternoon… IMG_0916.mov IMG_0915.mov

I like those road signs! Very well done. Do you print them on card?