jhb171achill

Indeed - 12 is normal, never more. Occasionally 10 or 11, or even 8 or 9 (they pass my house so I see them - one passed not long ago...) but on one single occasion I saw just three.

Many did, I understand! His reply was matter-of-factly, “I like the green livery”! Des Coakham I would believe 1000%, but I’m afraid livery inaccuracy with AlphaG is plentiful!

Undoubtedly, yes. Apart from race meetings, the odd visit of a horsebox to just about any station was possible, when the "gentry" travelled - along with a flat truck with their carriage on it. I'd be interested to know the source for that.... green would be an odd colour for it, though I'm not doubting it. Disclaimer: if this is from an Alphagrahpix kit colour, many of the liveries used on those pre-printed kits are entirely incorrect.

Note on horse box liveries. Unlike other non-passenger stock, horse boxes on Irish railways were generally painted in the passenger coach livery of the relevant company, but inevitably the plain colour, without lining. The coach-style lettering on the NCC one pictured above confirms that it is painted in (undoubtedly badly faded) LMS maroon. Thus, BCDR, WLWR, DSER and NCC ones = maroon; GNR and MGWR = brown, and GSWR ones a very dark purply brown. I'm unsure if any survived to receive UTA green, but the GSR painted them maroon, and CIE painted them green up to about 1962. To buck the trend, any repainted by CIE after that were never black'n'tan - they were plain standard wagon grey. None ever got the post-1970 brown, as far as I am aware; few were ever in use by then. As often, there exceptions to the rules! SLNCR horse boxes were - I think - grey, but at least one parcel van seems to have been in the (again, horrifically faded) carriage maroon. Donegal and Lough Swilly ones were grey. I've no information on other narrow gauge lines that i can think of.....

The plan is - a mix of Fry’s models, his photos, and in a few cases other photos of the prototype of other models he made. A bit of his personal history, too - and yes - a plan of his layout.

No, though “I know a man”; there eventually will be one.

That’s SOME “nudge”!!

A lot of the ones with the more elaborate beading were re-done at different times in their lives by the GSR, and more especially by CIE. Many later (1950s) re-panelling was done in steel or aluminium sheeting.

Wondering how it’ll be on a sharpish curve I will have…..

OK, lower one a Mk 3 set, no doubt. I wonder is the top one a 2700?

Dunno what the top one is - don't recognise the upholstery or the window shape..... lower one maybe a Mk 3 PP? Where was this train going to?

Any idea where he got the Dublin & Meath drawings?

Very interesting! I had never seen a pic of those GNR ones. Certainly if a very non-standard type. GSWR please!!

Was Kinsale’s a GSR sign? If so it would have been very new….

Or if a passing field mouse brushes against it……

Give him my regards next time you see him!

What became of Fr. John's models? I wonder is he still with us? He used to be a regular on the RPSI May Tour - very nice guy.

Couldn't agree more. Superb work.

A massively important "gap" in Irish railway models filled - the best of luck with it! The initial print looks highly promising, and if it's anything like the other products of yours which I was very happy to get, it will be a real beauty. Seven possible liveries, too.........

I think the lining looks extremely neat at that scale, and the lettering looks the part. The only alternative would have been to get specially made lettering with the right shading, but at 00 scale who'd notice! Probably more important for a gauge 0 model. Overall, that loco is absolutely superb. Looking forward to seeing it operating!

Absolutely beautiful model indeed. Out of interest, what chassis?

Quite “delicate” looking……!

Was speaking with Owen over the past few days and beyond. That scan above is of a standard MGWR third class coach, without which any model of the MGWR system 1890-1925 is as impossible as a model of a modern MGWR area of IE without an ICR. But following the amalgamation in 1925, these vehicles were to be seen all over the country, even penetrating remote branch lines like Kenmare or Valentia Harbour in the deepest wilds of GSWR territory, the West Cork system (even further away), and the south Wexford branch lines. The MGWR themselves even lent 6 or 7 of them to the BCDR in the 1910s, so they were at one time to be seen on East Belfast commuter trains, and in rural Co Down. They outlived many of their contemporaries, and in numbers, lasting until the very last operations of any six-wheelers in early 1963, by which time the last remnants of any fleets of six-wheeled coaches had graduated to Cork, where their final use was on peak hour Cobh suburban trains and Youghal Sunday excursions. A MGWR six-wheeler has for long been one of the big gaps in Irish railway models. I've my name down for one of these, and if Owen's Dungarvan signal cabin and several other 3D prints of his that I have are anything to go by, this will be a beauty. The SLNCR borrowed them too, from time to time, so they’ve picked up passengers in rural Fermanagh too. Now; chassis, anyone?

That very much looks the part. Just right!

Yes, pretty much. Bear in mind that there was not necessarily any direct communication between the ticket offices and the traffic department; and even if there was some fella taking a message up the platform, there might not be a suitable spare coach. There was no online booking system. There were no computers. It was a case of trial, error and experience. Many sets were made up with a rough idea of what was needed, yes. And indeed they might add on an extra vehicle just in case; less hassle if it was busy. If they DID add an extra vehicle, it could end up being just about anything. First time I ever travelled to Ballina, the train was a laminate, a Park Royal and a 4-wheeled tin van. At Claremorris, a spare laminate - of a different type - was sitting in a siding. Had an extra been needed (unlikely, in those days, for Ballina) that's what would have been stuck on.