jhb171achill

Yes, indeed, the CBSCR had shortish bogie coaches which looked much like that, and they kept at least 5 or 6 in Albert Quay for those excursions as the curves were too tight for many another type of coach, including - I think - all 6 wheelers. To make those, all you'd need to do is change the bowed WLWR style ends, as the coaches on the CBSCR were of GSW and CBSCR origin. To be ultra perfect, the darker green would be appropriate; I don't believe those old stock were ever the light green, as the railcars had arrived and they were just in reserve. One or two of them had a localised Albert Qua livery of dark green, but no light bands above and below windows, in fact no lining at all; but two "snails" despite short lenths, and the "class" numeral on each door. Those Triang coaches actually have many uses but as seen above very much look the pafrt with or without conversion into something specific. (Black ends though!) :-)

"...White Roof, steam era.....what brain burning laudanum from the Hindu Kush were those Victorian era engineers on???..." I think, Weshty, they were in Xanadu drinking pints of Kubhla Khan!

Beautiful job!! Yes, carriages like that did run here. There are several possibilities. The only carriages ever to run in Ireland with bowed in ends were of WLWR origin. The lighter unlined green you have and snails indicate a late '50's repaint, so your coaches are probably kicking about Dublin to be brought out on Naas race days, or set to work on the Portarlington-Athlone train, or maybe based in Cork for local traffic. With a clerestorey roof, though, you're looking at a handful of GSWR origin vehicles. The WLWR only had six bogie vehicles! That narrows down the nearest possibilities to 48ft brake composites 102/3, which the GSWR / GSR / CIE renumbered 937/8, both built in 1898 and surviving until 1955. For light green, you're just in there! But they didn't have clerestorey roofs... which if you were really keen, could easily be remedied. One of those would be your brake. The full-3rd or full compo you also have would be closest resembled by WLWR 95/6, built in 1896. These ended up as GSWR / GSR / CIE 986 and 987, scrapped in 1960 and 1959 respectively. Again, standard WLWR bowed ends, but no clerestories. If you prefer the clerestories and ignore the bowed ends, the GSWR built eight coaches, drawings for which haven't survived, but that according to specs in the GSWR carriage book would be like thefull-seating one. These were numbered 507 (1885), 487-90 (1888) and 465/6, and 502 in 1901. The above would be the closest to what you have, but they do "look right" irrespective of whether you want to be that strict... and an excellent paint job too. As I say, if you really wanted to pass them off as an actual vehicle, I'd go for replacing the roofs with normal ones, and numbering them in the WLWR series. Hope this helps!

And I should have added, first, that your model looks amazing!

I should have added, Dingle, that for purposes of historical research of this nature, the UFTM would not really be the major point of call - the IRRS in Dublin would have access to a much greater amount of available archival material and is well worth joining for the purposes of research alone, let alone the talks and outings they have. (No, I'm not on commission!!). Much livery details can be gleaned from various books as well, and from memories of those elderly enough to have seen the item concerned, and (more importantly) have a very good recall about colours and details.

Dingle, I checked my own records. CVR coaches were all the same, as were C & L ones, in terms of overall dimensions and other details. Those of each line were ordered at the same time, from the same firm (Metropolitan Railway Carriage and Wagon Co., Birmingham), and were even delivered painted the same colour - a reddish-brown, which apart dfrom obvious differences in lettering etc., therefore bore the same livery. Another uncanny similarity is that a proposal was made by the directors of each company in the early years of the 20th Century to acquire further coaching stock to cope with heavy traffic, but in each case other directors voted the proposal down on grounds of finance! C & L coaches were 40ft long and had 14 windows, while CVR ones had indeed two lengths. First class coaches were 24ft long, and thirds were 29ft 6ins. In all cases, the length refers to the chassis, the body obviously being shorter in all cases by the width of the balconies, i.e. bodies themselves were 5ft 6ins shorter. The circular seats you see were not loose chairs, but fixed swivel chairs, but they proved unsatisfactory on at least the C & L line and were later replaced with fixed seats. They were covered in black leather. The CVR used a crest in the earlier days, but possibly not right at the outset. This was certainly in use after 1903, but later a gold leaf "CVR" monogram was used, and later still the initials "C V R". The C & L didn not have a crest, but used well spaced out lettering, but after 1925 this was replaced by GSR maroon, unlines, but with full crest and standard pattern shaded numerals, as on other C & L stock, broad and narrow gauge. The GSR painted the carriage roofs light grey. I believe the CVR used a mid grey. On both lines the carriage chassis were black as one would expect. Hope this helps.

Certainly the longer one is what the C & L had; but I would be reasonably confident in saying the CVR had just the one length of coach. I am not familiar with the right hand design at all but it could well be OK. I wonder is the left hand one actually the C & L one, and the right hand one the CVR type?

I knew of a driver who witnessed a teenager taking a short cut in front of his train, which hit them and killed them. He had a similar aged younger sister himself, and as a result of the shock he handed in his resignation and left the railway straight away.

They didn't have a Director's Saloon, Dingle - what you're looking at is a first class coach. Apert from being slightly shorter, CVR carriages were virtually identical inside and out to those on the Cavan & Leitrim. There's one in Cultra Museum.

If they are putting that thing on rolling stock, maybe they could apply it to the underneath of the floor covering only? Or the back of one of the wheels?

I just can't believe that's a MODEL!!!! Excellent

Indeed, Glenderg.... sigh!

The economic situation? Green, grey and orange! Green for the green fields far away, grey for the colour of the inside of an empty wallet, and orange for the only thing in 2013's christmas stocking! :-)

(Or Defiled Tricolour!)

Excellent, Minister! Flying Snail, Broken Wheel, Set o'points, Three Pin Plug, Wiggly Worm!!! Remember where you heard it first; Mr. Hardship, take a bow!

Every little helps!!! :-)

Superb effort Kev - very atmospheric! Yes, a white line above window level is all you need. And you just can't beat 141's in black'n'tan!

No probs Hunslet gimme a shout when you are! If DCDR is closed I can still make arrangements for you to visit.

Hunslet, this might help, and if you want to get a chance to see it close up it will be in traffic at Downpatrick on 17th March. http://www.downrail.co.uk/gallery1/harveycathedral08.jpg http://www.cs.vintagecarriagestrust.org/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=3336 http://www.downrail.co.uk/gallery1/inchcurve.jpg

The reason they didn't launch it in a blaze of publicity is probably that they're ashamed of it!

Hard to believe all that was TWENTY years ago!

Excellent, Broithe! We can all picket Heuston Station with banners containing flying snails and broken wheels!!!

The coach on that was identical to Downpatrick's 836; in fact I think that one may be 837. Built 1902, GSWR.

Rare visitors to shunt there were not only the "E" class, but at least one "G"!

With sinking feeling I see, yes, it IS on the downloadable timetables. the good news is they'll probably touch the taxpayer's wallets to "re-brand" again in what, 8 months? A year?