jhb171achill

That's right Mayner - that was the prototype, and was taken there for publicity shots. The loco with orange buffer beams was applied in 1964 to A30, A49 and A55, but did not last long, red reappearing before long. I have details for the A's in one of the IRNs, but I also have stuff elsewhere which I hope will give variations on C's, E's and G's. Depends if I can find it! Anyone among you who is well-organised - you REALLY don't want to see my study.................... !!

Absolutely amazing stuff as always - very realistic - excellent

Brilliant stuff, Ciaran - I must post a thing about the variations on "A" class liveries in the '60's. There were actually numerous variations including at least two absolute one-offs.

PART 2 The 1963/4 beet season had concluded for the firtst time with no steam locomotives having been used. The harvest had not been as good as usual, so lower volumes had contributed to this. However, Thurles factory had steamed their (normally Mallow based) O & K Loco No. 3, assisted by one of their own diesel shunters. How did No. 3 get from Thurles to Mallow? Tullamore held a record for loading, with 85 four wheel wagons loaded there in a single day. There's one for modellers to emulate! Demolition of closed lines continued to make headlines. Lifting was in progress on the West Cork system, three years after closure, with lifting trains hauled by a C class loco having reached Ballineen, where the loco was being stabled overnight. A rail-borne tractor hauling a few flat wagons had started work on the Castlecomer branch at Corbetstown. The Bagenalstown-Palace East line was also being taken apart, and in Co Meath the Oldcastle branch was now lifted beyond Kells. Finally, the Mountmellick, Birr and Newmarket branches were completely lifted, with Ballylinan, Banagher and New Ross to Macmine due for attention next. Modellers dealing with this period might like to have a dirty C class loco appearing from round a corner in their terminus with a motley collection of 4 wheeled and bogie flats and open wagons loaded with old sleepers and rusty rails, lumps of vegetation possibly stuck to the sides... Power for lifting trains could be a rail tractor, a cut-down railcar, a steam engine or a diesel engine, the latter inevitably a "C". The West Cork was lifted partly by "C"s and partly by one of the Bandon tanks. Oil lamps started to be replaced by new electric lamps, bought from Germany, and made of "unbreakable plastic". Following trials from late 1962, it was now decided to unveil a new corporate image livery; the "black'n'tan" era had arrived. Readers will be well familiar with the details! The first items to enter traffic entirely in this livery had been the 7 later G(611) locos, Cravens, and 141 class locos. A survey of goods traffic found that in terms of tons per annum, the following statistics applied; Over 500,000 tons per annum: Dublin-Kildare 400k - 500k: Dublin -Drogheda, Kildare-Limerick Jct and Mallow-Cork 300k - 400k: Drogheda-UTA land, Dublin-Mullingar, Kildare-Carlow, LJ-Mallow and LJ-Ennis 200k - 300k: Mullingar-Galway, Mullingar-Sligo, Mallow-Tralee and Athenry-Ennis 100k - 200k: Portarlington-Westport & Ballina, Athenry-Collooney, Carlow-Waterford, Dublin-Rosslare-LJ, (interestingly) the Cork-Limerick goods via the Croom branch, and the Nenagh branch, the Castleisland branch Under 100,000 tons per year: Branches to Kingscourt, Ardee, New Ross, Youghal, Cobh, Mallow-Waterford, Tralee-Limerick, Foynes, Loughrea, Thurles-Clonmel and Westport Quay. From September 1963 to December 23rd 1963 the ex-SLNCR railcar "B" (now renumbered 2509) operated one of the local trains on the Nenagh branch, clocking up a mere 37.5 miles a day, but two days before Christmas it broke down and was now in storage pending repair. The Stormont Government's William Craig "threatened" to close the GNR main line south of Portadown, but in the opinion of the IRN this was "for political motives"... Ex NCC "W" class 2.6.0 No. 97 had been given a larger tender formely from No. 99 for use on the "Enterprise"; 97 had been overhauled in York Road along with "Jeeps" 5 and 52. Another two "Jeeps", 3 and 53, along with ex-GNR 170 (4.4.0) and 49 (0.6.0) had gone into the shops there for overhaul. In the meantime Vs class 207 "Boyne" had her brass nameplates removed and replaced with newly made wooden ones! A large amount of old coaches including two venerable NCC dining cars were broken up. An eagle eyed spotter noted a CIE wagon in Larne on a bagged cement train serving Magheramorne cement works. This in itself wasn't unusual, but this wagon was 1211M, still with a MGWR wagon plate on the chassis. On 12.11.63 a train on the Bangor line was derailed by a fallen tree. The unusual thing about it was that it comprised a single MED car. The UTA operated two steam specials for rugby at Lansdowne Road on 7th December 1963. One had ex-NCC 97 (with larger tender as above) and nine bogies of ex-GN and NCC origin; the other had loco 58 and 8 bogies forming a strengthened "Enterprise". The introduction of the 121 and 141 class locos, and their immensely greater reliability than the "A", "B101" or "C" class locos, had now led to a drastic reduction in the location of pilot locomotives all over the country. Note to modellers: layouts prior to this date, especially based on main lines, can have a "C" or a J15 sticking out of a shed on your main station! Inchicore turned out a new dining car, No. 2403, of standard design, and it entered service on 22.2.64; one of the last passenger vehicles built from scratch at Inchicore, along with two first class coaches, nos. 1145/6. The change in coaching to all-steel construction was marked with the introduction to service at the same time of the first "Cravens". The first into traffic was numbered 1504. The first Craven coaches into traffic were included in the 18:30 to Cork on 10.4.64. The following day the same set formed the 14:25 down. Inchicore was constructing a series of cement vans for the Drogheda Cement factory branch. These were to be "finished in light grey" with the new emblem having a light brown "broken wheel" surrounding white lettering and with white numerals. The depressing reading on liftings continued into spring 1964 with the West Cork almost lifted back to Bandon, the Castlecomer line almost done, and other lines mentioned above in an advanced stage of deconstruction. Since 1963 had seen a huge cull of rural stations on the remaining network as well as fully closed branch lines, sidings were being lifted with indecent haste all over the country. Whole station yards and loops were being eliminated at places like Borris-in-Ossory, Birdhill, and most of the stations from Limerick to Sligo, as well as Foxford. There's another tip for a layout based at that time (and which I remember well) - if you looked about in most stations you'd see the marks in the ground of recently lifted tracks. Some remaining sidings were left alone, but grew weedy and rusty - these would have been for refuge of beet and cattle trains on busy days. Kingsbridge station (yet to be renamed) recieved its trademark black and white tiles - the first of several stations to be treated thus. York Road, or "Duncrue St Works" as the UTA preferred to call it, was busy. As well as a number of "Jeeps", they overhauled four ex-GNR 0.6.0s and 4.4.0s 170, 171 and 17, the latter for use on the "Derry Road". It was believed, however, that henceforth nothing but "Jeeps" would have any attention given to them. the UTA was doubtless busily forming plans to dispose of the "Derry Road" - as well as other lines - at the time. But the Warrenpoint branch was going out in style: Easter trains saw up to five steam engines in there on a single day on excursions. But on February 13th, the UTA's plans were announced - the draconian, short sighted mass closure of the Derry Road, the Warrenpoint line and all night time goods trains. All other freight bar cross-border CIE stuff wasn't to last much longer. Sometimes the old order goes on, quietly, unnoticed, in the background. As these events unfolded, the elderly ex-MGWR breakdown crane, No.2M, was overhauled at Inchicore. IRN issues often ended with notes of a specific journey undertaken by one of the several contributers and researchers. A nice account of a journey from Limerick to Ballina gives an idea of what was to be seen on the WRC at the time. B133 hauled two laminates, a 4 wheeled luggage van and an old horsebox on the previous 17th June 1963, a short time after Limerick-Sligo trains had been diverted to Ballina due to the closure to passengers of Claremorris-Collooney. Along the way another grey and yellow 121 was shunting in Ennis, and A14 was crossed with a southbound goods , and A52 with the Galway goods, at Athenry. At Claremorris B132 headed a Westport train composed of - in this order - a buffet car, two laminates, a six wheeled heating van, a four wheeled luggage van, and another laminate bringing up the rear! This rear laminate was being swopped with another for maintenance purposes. The train engine, on arrival, turned on the turntable and promptly departed with the Dublin goods - 43 four wheeled wagons and a brake van. And that was that; the summer of '64 beckoned, and a new world of less mileage, more black'n'tan, and UTA green railcars..... we grew our hair long, got told off in school, and worshipped the Rolling Stones and the Kinks....... Until next time.

PART 1 The year dawned with a Papal visit to the Holy Land, and in an Ireland with a very different view of such matters nowadays, it may come as a surprise to many that the visit prompted RTE to charter two trains from Belfast to Dublin, to bring valuable tapes of the visit to Dublin for broadcast on the evening news! The train was as strange as the reason - a three car BUT set hauled by B154 south, complete with RTE headboard. The journey took exactly 2 hours, which in itself might interest modern day railway management, health and safety officials, timetable planners, and those who agonise over calculating driver's hours.... The following day the same three car set was again hauled, this time by B172. In January 1964, despite deliveries, it was reported that the first "Craven" carriages had still not entered traffic. Inchicore, meanwhile, had started building "a series of new sixwheel heating vans to augment the present fourwheel ones". A hint therefore for modellers - no 6 wheel tin vans if you are modelling pre-64! Steam had not been used much after spring 1963, but a few locos remained in use as heating units at main stations. Steam activity had therefore dwindled to a tiny trickle. In Dublin stations, Nos. 132, 151 and 197 were in use while in Cork No. 251 was used. The Dublin locos travelled under their own steam (probably all based at Broadstone by this stage), while 251 was hauled to and from it s position by a diesel pilot loco. B1a 4.6.0 No. 800 "Maedb" remained in Inchicore and had been repainted standard CIE loco lined green in preparation for transfer to Belfast Transport Museum, following initial representations made to CIE by a UTA civil engineer who knew its significance very well! On November 20th 1963 she had been hauled to Sallins and back to ensure she was "freed up" for her jaunt north. On 21st February 800 was taken to Amiens Street where three days later she was formally handed over br CIE's general manager, Frank Lemass, to the Belfast Transport Museum. On 27th she started her journey north haled by B173 as far as Portadown. A long line of barrier wagons separated B173 from 800, on account of weight restrictions on many bridges, the Boyne Viaduct in Drogheda included. B173 had to the north side of the river before 800 went onto the viaduct. The ex-MGWR "Dargan Saloon" (always known by railway staff as "No. 47") went too. The next day "Jeep" No. 1 took the train to Adelaide where she remained until 18th April, when a ceremony of acceptance was held at Great Victoria Street station. I do not think that 800 was taken into GVS as such for the ceremony. Other locos still in CIE ownership were 5C in Ennis, J15 184, GSWR 90 in Fermoy, 36 in Cork, and 85N in Dundalk. None of these were operational. However, a number of other locomotives remained technically in stock, though unused, and in varying states of repair. Some were listed for scrapping and (technical) withdrawal (as actual withdrawal had already taken place). Some were listed to be retained for preservation or emergency use - at this stage the plan being that those to be preserved would be as static exhibits somewhere. To be retained: Amiens St: 132 151 197 Limerick Junction: 125 130 186 Thurles: 104 124 195 262 Rosslare Harbour: 461 Sutton (Tram Shed): 198 261 Waterford: 179 183 Athlone: 593 603 To be withdrawn and scrapped: Cork: 118 251 Limerick Jct: 106 164 351 Rosslare Harbour: 249 Dundalk: 255 132N 204N Mullingar: 131N* 172 599 (* To be retained untail after the IRRS / RCTS 1964 Steam Tour) Mallow: 109 116 Sligo: 574 Athlone: 159N Inchicore: 80N 111 187 463 42 and the old crane tank 365A (ex GNR 31), and the former Inchicore shunter "Sambo". What would the PC brigade call this undeniably black-hued locomotive nowadays? "Non white"? Or "Very very very very dark grey indeed"!! In Cork, the vertical boiled loco from the coaling stage "Pat" was scrapped. (ctd)

STUNNING beyond description. I love the realistic weathering. Best I've seen, and on these boards that's saying something.

I have to say i've always had a soft spot for USA diesels too! SD40's especially......

Alan - yes, there would be the odd case of that all right in the past but I never remember it as much as in later days as you say. A 1985-95 based layout could present that as an interesting possibility for realistic detail!!!!!!

And Part 2:[/b] Lets go on to sidings.. all these spare bits of track, long disappeared behind new security fences, untidy piles of spent ballast and other discarded railway rubbish, generously topped with supermarket trollies and old kid's buggies, front wheel missing. Quite a few of our main lines - more than you'd think - were double at one time. Immediately after the GSR took over, many miles of track, especially on the ex-MGWR, but also elsewhere, were singled for economy. But in through stations, a part of the former second track which had been lifted was retained, sometimes on either side of the station, for stabling cattle specials. These usually ended with a large concrete-block-like GSR design buffer stop - I am sure many are familiar with them. Often they had a lop sided aspect, due to having had one too many a rough shunt of 35 cattle trucks walloped against them. They had wooden sleepers on the face of them for the buffers to rub against, and while quite beyond me, I am sure that the reproduction of an old sleeper, half rotten, with what little red paint was left having faded to pink, with worn out rusty / oily looking circular spots where buffers had hit them, would be child's play for the skilled modellers I find myself among here. A realistic addition to a layout could very well have a long siding like this (up to a mile long!) running out parallel to the remaining single running line. the main line has new ballast, may be about 6 inches higher rail level due to more frequent and recent ballasting, with shiny topped rails, while the siding is a bit weedy (brown / dead weeds, following a weedspray visit, anyone?), with brambles springing up here and there, but not enough to make it unusable. At the very end, against the buffer stop, is a home for that wagon kit with an irreparably dodgy coupler or an axle that keeps coming out, but which you can't be bothered to fix properly! It will be badly faded grey, and have a faded flying snail on it, or a "broken wheel", possibly with a faded "G N" showing through it (if it is a van). If we are modelling the post-fitted-goods-introduction era, mid 70s to mid 80s, there could be a dozen recently withdrawn "H" vans and a few old wooden opens; the former mostly brown, the latter generally grey. Some of the brown ones would have paint peeling to show grey here and there. The brown roofs would have mildewy coverings, and generous donations by birds, if under lineside trees. many stations ended up with little used sidings of this nature full of old wagons in these times. More recently, for modelling from 1990s onwards, what few sidings are left are probably used for loading ballast and are therefore buried to rail level in the stuff from diggers loading it into wagons, and may well feature a disused cattle bank or goods platform nearby with a digger parked on it beside a mountain of ballast awaiting loading. Layouts pre 1975, say, will have cattle banks still with fencing often made out of old and rusty rails, either unpainted or painted black (with much rust weathering). Older ones, usually of the deserted variety will be of old sleepers, faded and bleached by weather and the passage of time to a greyish colour, not a "wooden" colour - look at any old farmer's fence and you'll see. Cattle banks when in use were recovered on the occasion of each use by a special type of material dispensed from cow's bottoms, thus when older / disused / derelict had a good crop of healthy looking weeds coming from between the cracks in the serrated concrete used to surface most of them! If we are modelling a city centre location, oily deposits will show between the rails on lines where diesels park, not just on loco shed roads (with very faded CIE green on the doors, and the adjacent ivy-clad bricked-up water tower), but also on terminus platform roads, like at Loughrea in "G" class times. Prior to the diesel era, soot, piles of ashes and firemans shovels lying on the ground for spreading it out, will be essential for any shed. Look at the groun surface at Whitehead, now in use as a steam shed for some forty years - longer than some in railway service. The ground cover is ashes to the top of rail level, with piles appearing beside the track where locos are swept out. And the final random musing for tonight, on wagons... Back in the day, paint was dear. The railways were - well, dirty. Thus, while locos and coaches were generally well looked after, as were stations, good trucks were like they are today - often drab, often so filthy and unkempt you could hardly tell what colour they had been painted in. At least there wasn't the awful graffiti we have now.... liveries are covered elsewhere, but broadly speaking if you have a layout prior to the late 60s, everything is grey, and a shade as good as identical to English LMS grey. The lighter grey used by CIE mostly on "H" vans was a very late 1950s / early 1960s innovation. And the brown came in later - again, for all three, nothing was black. Roofs and chassis were body colour, though brake dust changed the hue of anything below platform level pretty quick. So if we are modelling before the black'n'tan era, dirty wagons are a must - the more heavily weathered (so no two are alike) the better. Corrugated-side open trucks were all over the system from the early '50s, though at that stage were in the minority, most opens being wooden. By the late 60s, wooden opens (and indeed, wooden framed vans) were rare in traffic. A few more observations, as I said; hopefully of use to modellers.

I'll post this in two parts, as the site only sems to accommodate so many words per post! Here's part 1... One detail on many layouts is what is in the background, lurking in weedy sidings and so on. Nowadays, most of this can be classed under the headings of (a) graffiti, (b) litter, and © security fences. It was not always thus! If we bear in mind that the above was all but unknown prior to 1975/80, also that the main difference in peripheral rolling stock was twofold - (a) the railways had much more spare stock than now, of all types, and (b) there were spare sidings all over the place, in practically every station, we can paint a picture useful to modellers of a different landscape. Look at the likes of the Dundalk Works layout that appears at exhibitions. Yes, trains go round and very well they look. The models are accurate and appropriate to the place and period. But look at the background! Wagons, locos and coaches in sidings, men working and so on. If none of that was on the layout it wouldn't be as convincing. Weathering also plays its part - how often have any of us gone to a railway station and seen every vehicle and building newly painted? Answer: never. Looking under several headings.... 1. Weathering. Many of us will like pristine models, and I agree - many posted on these boards recently look STUNNING. But others prefer technical realism. One important thing is that for those who prefer realism, weathering of virtually every single thing on the layout is a must. The work of several "weatherers" on these boards is deservedly well known. Another thing is HOW things got weathered. Any steam era layout had coal smoke hanging in the air as well as a great deal more brake dust due to more shunting. In fact, while we see pictures of both the UTA and CIE railways being comparatively well kept in the 60s, 70s and 80s, a few years earlier the environment was by today's standards, filthy. A realistic approach to modelling will therefore have light weathering on most things in the "black'n'tan" era which are IN traffic, but there will be sidings typically with a few semi- or totally abandoned 4 wheel vans in them, grey paint faded away badly, chassis a nondescript muddy / rusty colour, and roofs just looking - well - weatherbeaten. In this era, we will often have old liveries giving way to new; anything with the old will be much more weathered because it is either to be withdrawn short term, or awaits repainting. An important point here is that while diesel locos and coaches, and even wagons, in traffic were clean, this was more due to be being KEPT clean than repainted often. Per unit, paint was more expensive then than it is now, and the railway had teams of its own painters. Painting a wagon could be done in a shed, without computer-controlled specialist 2 pack machinery (whatever that is!!) and health and safety rigmaroles with ventilation and masks. If we are modelling any time in the steam era, we can generally take it that in these times, wagons were very unkempt when in use, clean grey gradually being patched up (due to economy) rather than completely repainted. Thus, wagons with "D S E R", "G S W R" and "M G W R" could be sen - tattered looking maybe, well into GSR days, almost to 1940. It is quite possible that a handful of wagons might have come into CIE ownership with VERY tattered pre-GSR initials on them. CIE seemed to embrace their new corporate image much quicker - while money was scarce, it had been even more so in GSR days. GSR era maroon coaches, especially older six wheeled ones, had their maroon faded to a (brake dust tinted) rusty red colour, especially visible on the ends. Locos, on the other hand, in GSR days were reasonable well kept, although the "battleship grey" tended to darken after much polishing with oily rags, sometimes making the smokebox front (hotter surface - attendant effect on paint!) look almost black. Soot from the chimney added to this. Red buffer beams faded too, and the transfer numerals lost their shine, especially the gold bits. Fast forward to CIE days, and locos could hardly have looked worse. The cabside numbers were often faded to a nondescript "light" colour best described as a dirty greyish yellow, and if the tender did have a "flying snail" (not all did) it was usually worse. The external condition of many locos was a mixture of dirt, soot, coal dust and brake dust heavily coated over the grey paint. Smokeboxes often had the paint burned off them, and both somkebox doors and chimneys would be bare burned rusty brownish metal. On locos painted green, the dirt would have made most of the boiler look black, especially the dome; in fact, this was worse on ex-GNR locos. I remember some thirty years ago a lively debate among some RPSI members where some advanced the theory that the GNR painted domes black, because that's all they'd ever seen, and a look at Robert Rosbotham's book on the CDRJC shows that one might be forgiven for thinking that the CDR painted domes AND boilers black! The silver "livery" of unpainted aluminium applied to coacjes and new diesels between 1955 and 1958 was interesting and fresh on the first day in use, but VERY rapidly became a filty dull grey - probably the least durable finish for any railway vehicle ever. So a layout based in, say, 1960, could have very dirty wooden wagons, brand new ones in light grey, very filthy steam locos, but lightly weatherd diesel locos and coaches. Older wooden coaches are dark green still - badly faded by this stage, and well weathered, or the new (post '55) lighter green; while anything silver would certainly have the bogies weathered by brown brake dust (how long in use can BOGIES stay SILVER!!!??), and of course new post '62 black and tan would be pristine, and at that stage very much kept that way. Older wagons in fifty shades of grey (see what I did there?), and an older darker shade, faded snails included. Livery detail: it seems that wagons painted in the earlier (probably pre-1950) period had light green snails and numerals instead of cream as later. By 1960, a few of these might rest in out of the way / rarely used places, perhaps against the buffers in a long siding. Wooden carriages faded quicker than steel ones, probably partly due to "steels" / laminates being easier to clean (smooth surface) and the fact that anything wooden will be more susceptible to damp getting into the wood, and paint peeling. Old six wheelers used for years as brakes on branch lines might not see the inside of Inchicore or Limerick's paint shops as often, and would also be kept in the open more. Brake vehicles / mail vans etc were not cleaned as often, and the state of some of the 4 wheeled "tin vans" even in the otherwise very clean black'n'tan era was pretty grubby with brake dust. Another livery detail worth noting: CIE painted the ends of carriages black in most or all cases, though I think some narrow gauge vehicles at least had green ends. Nothing at all in the b'n't era had "b'n't" on the ends - always black, and usually with a good smattering of brake dust. BUT - the GSR painted the ends of six wheel and non-corridor coaches the same as the body colour, with the exception of the brown and cream stock, which had black ends. It is possible that CIE painted plain dark green on the ends of stuff like that right at the start, but I haven't any evidence of it. The GSR painted the "Bredins" black on the ends. Here endeth part 1....

Was in the same boat with a Hornby 00 layout in my teens (1000 years ago) and to make overgrown scrubland (because nothing approaching realism for grass was then to be had) I just pulled lumps of moss out of the lawn and dried them. In time they fade a bit, so replacing the odd bit now and again made a 100% natural variety of shades. Terrible dust collector though.... when you lifted it all to replace or rearrange there was a layer of dust on the baseboard!

Brilliant stuff Dingle.

And there were many ex-GNR wagons - particularly covered vans and grain wagons - which received standard strsight-topped CIE plates with the same number and "N" suffix. I saw a wagon being scrapped about 40 years ago with a plate with "CIE" and "66N" - went back to retrieve one or b oth plates but they had gone... pity. It was one of the standard 1950s covered vans built by the GN - much the same as CIE "H" vans but with corrugated metal ends. There are LMS-type Hornby models of a very similar LMS van which is easy to just repaint as a CIE one (with an "N" suffix, and maybe faded "G N" showing under the CIE emblem!). Incidentally, the wagon was grey, not brown, though I am sure some got the brown treatment. These vans could still be seen kicking about in sidings until about 1980.

Ah it's too cold in Scandanavia.... and if you search for "Virgin" trains, what would you get? !!

I think that rust can look darker in colour where salt air abounds; look at the ruin round loop in Portrush, or bits of rail in fences in the west... That French place looks very much like a Continental Portrush - and maybe inspiration to a modeller of a fictitious modern day Tramore line? Self contained systems are always interesting to model, n'est ce pas?

Many thanks, RedRich. As I say I'm fortunate in having access to a load of stuff which predates my own personal observations (early 1960s in my case). If there is anything historical, and I throw this open to anyone, that you'd like me to look up in what I have, I'd be pleased to post it here, as there's nothing better than looking at a high quality model of something past which just takes you back... a Woolwich with four driving wheels or a train of laminates in pink, hauled by a 1980s French diesel wouldn't do it for me - and yet, in my youth, I got enormous pleasure from my first layout which in accuracy terms was Alice in Wonderland stuff! Not everyone is interested in recreating history, but I suppose my point is that for those who ARE, the more info they can get the better. It seems to me that there has never been a better time for the hobby. The internet enables people who follow what in the past was of necessity often a quite solitary hobby, to exchange ideas and offer moral support to one another. Kits are available for all sorts of Irish stuff - the Worsley works website was the first I ever saw, but look at what Des (SSM), Leslie and many another one offers nowadays - nobody could have dreamed of such modelling riches. Scenic materials have come on - real looking grass and shrubs - and people - mean that some well-photographed scenes on models could easily be passed off as real. Those modelling a fantasy world* (e.g. there were 20 x 800 class!!!) have their imagination as the limit - i.e. no limit. Those modelling accuracy in the present day have the IE tramway and the NIR tramway all round them, and digital cameras can take a million images of one raiilcar. In my day, a roll of film and the processing cost was expensive to a teenager so we had to make do with rationing so many photos a day. Not easy to model something from two photos. Those modelling the past have access to the internet, and for a forum like this if anyone can post up stuff that might assist the historically minded, the better. * Talking of fantasy layouts, my first attempt (long dismantled) was an imaginary MGWR narrow gauge line with West Clare railcars......

Eiretrains, a colleague in the railway writing world had approached me to discuss a book based on what was in the old IRNs. They are indeed fascinating, and they cover a very interesting period. I suppose the thing with any book is how to make it marketable: a re-hash of the IRNs alone might not be saleable in quantities that would interest a publisher. I have a plan B for such things, but it would be a long way down the road. The other issue is that the actual period in history has been well covered by other books. I was brought up on Colin Boocock's book (an the IRNs and the like), as it photographically covered many lines - especially the narrow gauge and West Cork - not previously well covered in that way. But who knows. Next time I am in London (or he is here) we will sup some pints and see what we can come up with. The follow up, in the meantime, to "Rails Through The West" will certainly feature goods trains of various hues a lot, from the same period; in fact the subject matter to be covered has sparse colour passenger photo coverage - which is what might hold it up! In terms of digitising the old IRNs, that's a great idea (and you're the man to do it based on your illustrious track record so far!). I think that for any publication to come from such a project, a comparative selection of unpublished photos, including perhaps those of demolitions, would be needed. There's something to delve into in itself. The results of such a project would make an excellent reference for modellers and histiorians, if properly done. If and when you have time, gimme a shout privately.

I'll dig out a few more tomorrow night when I'm at home; away today! Any particular year interest you?

We could take him to Coppers! Happy Birthday, Wexfordloco!

Absolutely brilliant!

So many issues a few years later had page after page of things like "XX Shed has now closed and both remaining engines have been cut up", "It has been announced that the entire line from X to Y, including the Z branch, is to close to all traffic on 56th Septober", and "Lifting continues on the ZX line with track now removed as far as Ballygobacwards crossing gates. It is expected that lifting will be complete by 24th"........ fascinating stuff, and we are lucky to have such a record in pre-internet days. Must dig out some more!

From the pages of April 1958 / July 1959 issues.. Jan 58 15 locos and many more tenders shipped for scrap to Spain. Most ex-CIE including the boiler of 802 and several "Woolwichs", one (probably the last) 500 class 4.6.0, one West Clare loco, and a few ex-GNR. A correspondent reported a trip from Dublin to Loughrea and back via a roundabout route, which featured a variety of A and C class diesels on various trains, the C's on Dublin suburbans and a Galway-Tuam local. The Sligo-Limerick was a two car AEC railcar, and ex-MGWR 0.6.0s featured on the Ballinrobe mioxed (590) and shunting in Galway (554). The Loughrea train was a "Bredin" composite and an elderly 6-wheeled MGWR brake third, hauled by 2.4.0 No. 654. The train back to Dublin had A42. April 58 UTA reintroduces 60 mph timings on the NCC using railcars. GNR closes Oldcastle branch from April 12, citing the fact that passenger journeys have dropped to a third of what they were in 1938. While the traditional route of the Bundoran Express has been closed now for some months, the comiong season of Lough Derg pilgrimage specials are to go to Omagh; less rail mileage from dublin, but greater road mileage at the far end, making the journey overall 16 miles further. It is expected that the new AEC railcars will be used. Latest deliveries of these mean that they are now in use on the Derry Road (4 sets), the Enterprise (4 sets), two sets sharing Belfast - Portadown locals with steam trains, and two sets spare. Deliveries of A, B, F & G classes reported as complete. C231 becomes the first loco to be outshopped in green, as opposed to the silver used to date on diesels. It entered traffic on the ex-DSER suburbans in January '58, though two other C's have subsequently entered traffic in silver. C's have taken over the passenger trains on the South Wexford line from steam. March 58 Rugby specials to Lansdowne Road - B101 and A class diesels in use, with some railcars. DSER section locals were probably railcar-starved that day as J15 class 0.6.0s were in use. The UTA placed eight new MPD cars in traffic, saying that it is seeking funding for parts to make up ten more complete railcar trains. This, it is said, will eliminate steam on the NCC. On March 1st, new diesels F502 and F503 were noted on the up and down West Clare goods trains, both of which were heavily loaded. On that date too, passenger traffic was heavy with one train noted as one of the standard Walker railcars hauling a trailer and a brake van coach. The C & L section was still all steam, and on the MGWR section the only regular steam was on the branch lines to Ballinrobe, Ballaghaderreen and Loughrea. Further south, the Birr branch still had steam on its mixed train and the solitary return daily mixed to Foynes was also steam. This represented the last regular steam usage in the Limerick area by far. All of the foregoing lines (except the Cavan and Letirim, of course!) were handled by various 0.6.0s, but the Thurles - Clonmel line was also still steam operated by elderly D12 class 4.4.0s. The Farranfore-Valentia line had recently been taken over by C class diesels. Further south again, the Kenmare branch was operated by J15 class 0.6.0s, while passenger trains on the Waterford-Macmine were in the hands of D class 4.4.0's, though a B101 had the goods! Just two return trips on the ex-DSER suburban line, two each in the morning and evening rush hours, were steam operated, along with some Dun Laoghaire Pier to Knigsbridge transfers. All the engines used were stabled in Broadstone and anything could turn up, ex-GNR locos included after 1958. Goods services also saw some steam activity, with all Limerick-Tralee and North Wall-Kingscourt goods trains in the hands of steam engines. On the GNR, all goods trains were steam with the exception of whatever was put in charge of the solitary MAK diesel. Passenger trains were a mixed bag, with diesel railcars predominating on the Derry Road, and the atrim branch. Derry-Strabane and Belfast-Portadown-Dungannon locals were steam. The main line had railcars on the Enterprise with Belfast area locals using railcars and steam, and Dublin area locals still predominately steam, but with some railcars. Warrenpoint was still largely steam operated. The Bangor line was entirely diesel, operated by MED railcars. April 1958 The remains of the SLNCR were auctioned, and the CDRJC applied for permission to close the rest of its railway system. 18 months later, the last trains would operate over its lines. May 1958 The annual "North West 200" motor bike event in Portrush and the fledgling May bank holiday traffic saw a UTA MED set forming a special from (still GNR territory) Lisburn, and steam trains on specials to Bangor operated off the GNR. The UTA announced the scrapping of 18 steam engines, and another (massive!) 35 were to be kept in use until anything went wrong with them, and then set aside. June 1959 The former GNR diesel loco, now renumbered K801, emerged from Inchicore Works in CIE green. It was used subsequently on Dublin suburban trains, and then on the Cobh branch! Sunday 14th June saw the greatest ever movement of people by rail since the 1932 Eucharistic Congress, on "Pioneer Sunday". 25,000 people over and above normal traffic levels came to Dublin by train. (Could this even be achieved nowadays?). This did NOT count provincial special trains to other places, or connecting with trains to Dublin! The specials to Dublin utilised 40 of the total stock of 60 x "A" class locos 5 x "B101s" 1 x "C" class 1 x AEC railcar set (ex-GNR) plus a number of UTA steam engines, with a further 8 (CIE) pilot engines (mostly "A" class, but including a B101). This was a wise precaution, as two ended up being used, one on a special from Fiddown described as "ill fated". (Cancelled?) In use - 315 CIE coaches, 57 CIE (ex GNR) coaches, 40 UTA coaches, 12 dining / buffet cars, 20 heating vans, 30 luggage vans and two 6-wheeled Guard's Vans! The specials, their origins, arrival times and their locos were as follows: 0910 A9 Loughrea 0925 A25 Ballinasloe 0930 197 Dundalk 0940 A5 Dundalk 0945 A2 Sligo 0950 A24 Monaghan 1000 A26 Sligo 1015 A31 Castlerea 1025 87 Antrim 1025 A53 Gorey 1030 A13 Castlebar 1045 A ? Glenmore (Between Waterford and New Ross) 1050 A56 Westport 1055 A11 Oldcastle 1100 A52 Ballindine via Athenry 1105 58 Dungannon 1110 B112 Enniscorthy 1120 A23 Ennis 1125 86 Belfast 1135 A40 Rosslare Harbour 1135 A59 Ballina 1140 59 Derry 1155 A8 Drogheda 1155 C204 Cavan (Interesting!) 1200 A36 Arklow 1205 A49 Galway 1215 A12 Dundalk 1220 A30 Edenderry 1225 ** Belfast (** 8 coach railcar; normal Enterprise strengthened) 1230 A34 Longford 1245 A38 Balbriggan 1255 172 Warrenpoint And in the evening, they all went back the way they had come, the last departure being the 2315 to Ballycumber, with A60 + 7 + 3 vans. Some return trains ended up at different ;points from their origin - no incoming train had come from Ballycumber! 32 specials arrived that morning, but only 24 left that evening - possibly some participants stayed in Dublin that night? It will be noted that some arrivals were at the same time and generally were at 5 minute intervals. Dublin suburban services were curtailed that day, jut this led to overcrowding on what services there were to north Dublin resorts, as it was a hot day! Readers will know what locos were steam, and what was diesel! Eight specials had 10 coaches (exc. vans) and two had 11; most were 6 / 7 plus vans. July 1959 CIE had started repainting stations in a very modernised and bright style; Tara St, Castlerea, Limerick, Galway, and Cork (Glanmire Road) were first. Inchicore continued to turn out "laminate" coaches, now painting them green with "flying snails". In recent times, the "snail" had not been applied to many repainted, but it was being reintroduced. Ex-GSWR coach 1097 (now preserved by the RPSI and in use at Downpatrick) was converted for invalid carriage on pilgrimage trains. CIE reported popular usage of the day return "Mystery trains", one of which ended up in Kilkenny - "A" class locos featured on them all. Track lifting continued on the Tullow branch and the former C & L, which had been closed in March. Meanwhile, excursions on the West Cork system to Courtmacsherry (for Inchydoney Strand) were reported to be busy.The former SLNCR railcar "B" had been repainted green and was due to enter service on Limerick-Nenagh locals. Quite suddenly, the Hill of Howth tramway had shut in May, but elsewhere modernisation continued with "A" class locos making trips to Cavan, Belfast and Omagh. The latter was doubtless in connection with possible use on Lough Derg pilgrimage specials in the future. On May 18, "A" class locos started appearing on the ex-GN main line on Dundalk goods, and at least 1 Belfast "Enterprise" link. For a while, "A"'s were used to displace steam on GN suburbans. Diesels in use on the GN were serviced at Grand Canal Street, with Fairview used for railcar maintenance only. Many ex-GN locos were now moved over to Broadstone, though many of these appeared to only be stored. Among them was "S" class 4.4.0 No. 171 "Slieve Gullion", now of course preserved by the RPSI. I hope this is of interest!

Follow up is currently a work in progress!

Time it right and you can get cold start ups to record at Downpatrick for a G, A or 141...

F##k your 112 Iv a pram outside BRILLIANT!!!