jhb171achill

They really should make this clear. There is a massive difference in service standards between an NIR railcar without even a tea trolley, like I was on last week, and a De Deitrich with a trolley, cooked food and first class. Other railway administrations distinguish such things in timetables and advertising. And woe betide us if there isn't a free ICR and they put a 29 class thing on it - tatty interiors without even decent seats! If I can get info, I'll post it here; I will be attempting to find out so that I can avoid the railcars. It is likely I'll be using this service from time to time in the coming year.

Is there an easy or obvious way of telling which services are which; DDs, ICRs, or NIR railcars? Is that what the asterisks are?

They simply advertised the departure times. The train will have arrived a good bit earlier and / or the wagons will have been left there there previous day and loaded before the train arrives, when it will simply shunt them onto the back.

They're about to practice their Irish dancing. That's what the boards are for. They have their tap shoes on. Session in O'Donoghues in Dugort village tonight....

There are now fourteen six-wheelers on the layout - nine Genesis, four SSM - plus this. This was a sample DSER third made by the late Ken McElhinney (RIP). Absolutely superb. It’s in GSR maroon, as yet without markings or glazing. I’ll get in finished but probably repaint it green. It’s a beautiful model and runs very freely. Ken designed his own chassis.

Amongst the very many “urban legends” of railways, is the tale that such-and-such a railway livery had 101 variations. We hear this in particular of GNR loco blue and CIE green. The reality is they were all painted the same way to start with but weathered differently due to a number of factors. The two six-wheelers on the left are SSM kits, expertly built and painted by Eoin Murray, and equally expertly weathered by Chris Dempsey. Both were painted the exact colour of the new Genesis one on the middle right, same also as the repainted one on the right which I did. But this shows up perfectly how varying weathering makes things look as if they’re actually a different colour. Here, top pic, an excursion set at Dugort Harbour awaits its evening return to Tralee with a happy band of summer Sunday excursionists in 1959. In the other pics, the extra bogie has gone back to Tralee and the three coach branch set for the coming week has three vehicles in varying states of weathering.

Summer ‘59…… ”Typical. You can smell the new paint off those two, but they only come in here on Regatta Sunday. We’re left with those other two tatty oul things during the week…. lights don’t even work in the far one….” ”They’re leaving the big one on the right here, though, according to Dan” ”Bout time…. how’s your aunt doing now?”

If, as I'm guessing, your proposed layout is in BCDR land, you've every good excuse to imagine that at least part of it survived into the NIR era! Had the UTA not been so bloody-mindedly anti-railway, at the very least Belfast - Newcastle might have survived.... certainly Comber would have done.

Apparently it’s largely complete inside, though a few components missing. But the only place it could operate today would be Downpatrick. I’m tempted! Was looking at the EXQUISITE IRM sample ICR at the show. Now I know I can run one - Skaledale to the rescue!

Biggest obvious difference is the tenders - easily dealt with. I have detailed livery info somewhere for WLWR maroon livery…. though it would have been gone not long after 1900, when the GSWR’s lined black took over for a decade and a bit before they became all-grey for the rest of their lives. I’d be strongly tempted to get a British one and paint it grey….

I wasn’t entirely convinced those tracks were narrow gauge in the background, but very possible; and Ciarán’s knowledge of locations is absolutely encyclopaedic!

That is some MIGHTY joinery work!

Agreed! Through services during the middle of the day but commuter-orientated ones earlier.

I'll need an 00 scale Tardis too!

The scenic detail on this is absolutely amazing. Superb stuff, and a great guide to how to do it.

Correct. Once the 111s were delivered in 1980, Hunslets only occasionally appeared on the Enterprise for a time, then not at all. I'm going to have to find an excuse for an ICR and a 1970s NIR diesel to appear on a 1950s layout set in West Kerry!

Any idea where that picture was taken?

Post-amalgamation, a few WLWR engines wandered well away from home territory. One 2.4.0 spent years based in Wexford, while two others if the class (291 & 293) were regulars on the Loughrea branch between the early 1930s and the mid-50s. One of their tank engines was to be seen in Wisht Cork too. So, a prototype for many things!

When I supplied the historical info to Hattons for these, I sent them a list of several alternative numbers for each vehicle type. With their demise nbow, and not having ordered a set of 4, I was therefore unsure whether they had actually used them all or not.

This was the original idea which I was told would happen, weeks only before Hattons expired. I ordered one of everything bar the 4-coach set. The idea initially discussed was that some might just buy the set, but if they wanted another third, another van, or another anything, they’d get a different vehicle number. If someone has the 4-coach set, pist up the vehicle numbers and I will check if they’re the same.

I would certainly be in the market for a three-car set, despite the fact that an ICR is decades out of my general level of interest. My layout represents a very rural area in the 1955-70 period; the type of line which if it actually did exist today, would probably be populated by two-car 28s, not even an ICR. But the ICR is an iconic and essential part of the railway scene; it's the J15, the 80 class railcar, or the AEC railcar of today. So, yes, I'm certainly one of those who fits into James' category above. They will be worth waiting for; exceptional levels of detail and accuracy will of course be guaranteed.

Most staffed station in Ireland, possibly? Any advances on that? Only likely competitor is Heuston Station, and I doubt if can match that.

In all reality, bar the "Crown", there's not a single thing to be seen in any of those pictures which appears to have any visual or architectural merit of any sort.....

Des - are you still doing those old-fashioned style road direction signposts?

Good thinking