jhb171achill

I took a run on the Westport to Achill line in 1960 and this was on it.....

Folks - on re-reading two of my posts above, one re. DCDR's No. 90 and early GSWR livery, and one regarding CIE "flying snails", I have re-worded the first which was far from clear (it made sense to me, but not to anyone sensible!). The other, regarding "snails", had an unforgiveable blooper in it - having described how CIE put "snails" on tenders, I went on to state that tender engines NEVER carried snails - of course, I meant that TANK engines never carried snails..... I could actually clarify that - in 1959 one ex-T&D loco had a "snail" chalked on the buffer beam, and another inscribed in the dirt on the tank side by someone's finger... if that counts as a "snail" being carried on a tank loco, so be it! Apologies for any confusion caused. In the words of the Great Homer: Dohhhhhh....

DCDR maintains copies of some, obviously for use on locos preserved there. There isn't one for the "G" class though as far as I know. Not that those driving them need it!

Excellent detail. Apart from dirt, another detail which you might like is that particularly in the 1950s / 60s, and more so on UTA than CIE, when wagons were repaired they would put in new planks which could variously be newly painted (unlike the rest of the wagon in filthy and faded paint!), or painted a different colour (maybe off a similar scrapped wagon), or not painted at all. In the 1970s one might see standard CIE "H" vans still in grey but with one or more brown doors, or vice versa. I saw one in Ballina in brown with one grey door, one brown. The UTA often just put a quick wash of cheap grey paint over GNR, NCC or BCDR liveried wagons it inherited. Inevitably this faded and the original colour, lettering and numerals would very clearly show through. At least one ex-GNR brake van on the UTA just ha a blob of fresh grey paint painted over the large "G" and "N"; another blob covered the GNR number, and had "U T" and their number painted onto it. The rest of the van was untouched. Ironwork was rusting and the GNR grey paint had just become a nondescript shade of greyish dirty shade, with more weathering than all the weatherers on IRM could throw at it! I can't help feeling that black and white pictures of wagons in this state, in which the rusting ironwork looked darker, gave rise to the assumption when looking at old pics that the ironwork is black. For a modeller, think seriously heavy rusting on metal which was originally painted the same grey as a body.

If it's of any interest I used to have a number of GNR ones, all of which were red - but they weren't red the whole way along, just at one end as far as I remember. One is on display along with other staffs in Headhunters Railway Museum in Enniskillen.

The various snippets of information, blogs, advertisements, "how-to" posts and so on, that are on IRM, are as good as any - so, yes, this is to all intents and purposes the Irish modellers group...

I agree with all the above - always look forward to updates on this one.

Interesting... Superb stuff!

First time I've seen any coaching stock in silver in model firm - very impressive! It weathered spectacularly badly, hence the later repaints into green. Small point - roofs would be silver too rather than black, but in practice the whole van became a nondescript dirty colour all over very quickly. Out of interest, I must make enquiries about clear lacquer - never thought of that. Those vans are a credit to to you, Mayner - excellent stuff.

If a private operator ever did come here, I'd wonder what the options might be. Doubtless the re gauging of something in the UK, but would this be cost effective? Or, a redundant DD set!!!

John - I'm not a "covie"!, but I have a lot of friends etc out in Westport / Newport / Mulrany / Achill and have spent a great deal of time there over the years. PM me some time... lovely spot out there.

The GNR brake van and the Park Royal - that's about as good as modelling gets! well done sir....

That looks stunning!

Head's ok, Heirflick, thanks! Will do another paint job tonight if I get a chance.

Is this the way they're delivered... If so, lettering should be green, not black. Bogies and buffers silver. I think the buffer beams were red when in traffic, though not in makers photo.

Absolutely superb stuff, padmack! Don't forget grey chassis for the palvans though!

Of the MGWR, the county donegal.... Oh, wait, it's not five foot three... Daylight has come.

I wore my handbag out many eons ago while arguing that the castle class railcars, MEDs and MPDs, were the most miserable things ever to disgrace the five foot three. I lost the argument: my opponent argued that they were the least comfortable things on or off rails. More Zambuca? There are still 8 tins of stout in the fridge. Toast?

Glenderg, it's too late. I have accepted an invitation to become acquainted with a bottle of Zambuca. On top of Guinness, it's just as well this thing corrects my spelling. PM me your email address and I'll send it to you tomorrow - it I can remember where I filed it! I also think a UTA liveried castle class isn't too bad looking. Uncomfortable as those dire apologies for yellow-pack trains were, they weren't as bad as the happily departed MEDs! And that's REALLY saying something. I have just re-read this post. It actually makes about as much sense as any of my posts (ok, I hear ye); despite the manner in which this evening, and it's imbibulatory activities, has unfolded....

Mr. H Flick, your perception and intelligence are way out in front, as are your intuitive and predictive powers; as we speak, I am on my fifth of many Guinnii tonight. Tomorrow, more mushrooms; depending on my abilities after that, a De Dietrich in GNR navy and cream is not by any means beyond the bounds of possibility.

They are lovely mushrooms, Burnthebox. I'm just finishing them off now while an A4 pacific in GWR cherry red charges past me with GNR tartan liveried De Dietrichs, en route to Burtonport...

The driver was frustrated as he still hadn't had his Christmas cards delivered....

Mods might choose to move this somewhere else, as it isn't yet 1st April! Guess what I saw when I was out and about today, taking photos and eating mushrooms. Dunno if this will work.

Detailed differences by BSGSV there, very valuable for modellers. One final livery detail. If you're modelling a G601, don't base the livery on G611 in Downpatrick. Apart from the fact that none of the 611 class ever carried green, the livery itself is wrong. When the initial trio carried green, the frames were green as well, not black. The cabsides carried a large number and no "snail", not the small numbers with small "snails" as depicted. Rumours abounded in some circles that G611 was delivered in green and repainted black before entering traffic. This is not correct: I have seen a photo of all seven lined up outside Inchicore on delivery, with cardboard covers on the windows and no numerals on any of them; all in grey undercoat awaiting painting. G611 was never green, still less the ITG version it carries.

Correct! The G611 class travelled as far as Ballina, Dundalk, Shelton Abbey, Tralee, Cork, and Galway. They covered beet shunting duties at Mallow, Thurles and Tuam from time to time, the Loughrea branch, and even PW duties on said branch. There was talk of trying them on the Ballinrobe branch before it closed but this never happened. Had it done so, there would have been two lines using them on passenger and mixed services/ G601s were less versatile due to slightly lower power and no vacuum brake. Initially, they had been tried on the Fermoy - Mitchelstown line as well as Banagher and Newmarket. The closure of all three of these lines by 1963 reduced the 601's duties. I think they might have been used to push things about inside Inchicore works the odd time. Naturally, on a layout, there's no reason why they couldn't power a De Dietrich set!!!