jhb171achill

It’s not black, as such; that much looks clear. If not black, it has to be green, as it’s obviously not silver either. I have seen a picture of (either) an A or C so utterly filthy that you couldn’t make out the white bit at the top at all, but if this engine was (a) black, and (b) as exceptionally dirty as that, you wouldn’t be able to see such a clean number on the front. So we can rule that out. A very small number of A & C classes were painted in the older dark green around 1960-2. While obsolete on diesel locos and passenger stock since 1955, it was still used on buses and lorries. i think there were two or three “A”s and at least one “C” (231). Some had lining, some not, same as the normal lighter green. There appears to be no rhyme nor reason behind this variation, same as dayglo patches on the fronts of 071s & 141s etc in the 1990s. As for numerals on the side, and the metal snails that “A”’s generally had, these simply haven’t been added. The loco could be the normal lighter green - variations in lighting on the day and the type of film can make blues and greens appear lighter or darker. I’m inclined to suspect this might be the case, however it’s equally possible it’s the darker “bus” green. Cork and Limerick painted a number of secondary-use coaches in the plain darker green in late days. Finally, re the snail. This lasted about a year after the black & tan livery came in. Same on the road - first repaints of buses into either red and cream or navy and cream have snails. But no railway vehicle ever carried it in even the earliest BnT times. The BnT livery on the railway first appeared in 1962, but was very rare until well into 1863. The “roundel” first appeared in 1963.

Originally cattle trains awaiting entry to the Dublin area, or coming off the Meath branch, I'd say.

That's the normal green. Some green locos had lining and some didn't; the missing number on the side could be just - missing - or it could have worn off. As BSGSV says, the makers plate is visible. They all still had them then as far as I remember. And a string of all-grey bubbles behind it; the epitome of the "grey'n'green" era!

The shapes certainly look spot on. Colour-wise, I think the middle is probably best.

Exactly; which mitigates heavily against anything but a handful being green, or for anything but a very short period.

Same manufacturer, and according to same colour codes. They often look darker - probably due to different materials used?

On a point raised earlier, were all 100 in that batch outshopped in green. The answer is no; eye witnesses at the time suggest as few as half a dozen were. I’ve looked into this in detail myself over the years to such extent as I can, but no definitive answer to the question of the actual number is forthcoming. Had even, say, 20 or 30 appeared in green, they’d have been commonly seen about the place for years, but they weren’t. Any built new after mid to late 1962 are almost certain to have been grey from the start, and it seems clear that those which DID wear green, did not do so for long. As as child, personally I never saw one, despite numerous visits to Inchicore, Amiens St, and Westland Row, and occasional forays around Kingsbridge.

I probably have - I’ll check. However, while I’ve a full set of GSR / CIE 1926 to the 1970s, and a few outside that, my GNR stuff has many gaps. I’ll check and report back.

That certainly looks right, based on an original "snail" I'm looking at right now....

Top left there is closest. RAL is 130 70 40.

It was the standard “eau-de-nil” - the numbers were transfers. Note to the general community; anyone with a silverfox model of a silver prototype will probably have black lettering on it, and possibly black roofs too. This, like many livery details on silverfox’s Irish models, is entirely incorrect.

Worth noting that nothing that was silver - be it a locomotive, TPO, coach or tin van, ever carried a "flying snail" - they were plain. No lining either. With one exception: the "A" class diesels had a painted METAL "snail" attached to the sides.

Unfortunately I've nothing that recent!!

E's are not generally associated with Cork - either type of them. I saw E425 in Limerick once, I think about 1975. As for the E401s, there WERE more sightings of them than one might think down in Cork, both at Glanmire Road and Albert Quay. Something in the back of what little grey matter I have left suggests E's making various forays down the DSER at one stage, probably to Shelton Abbey - where even a G was to be seen for a short time.

Mostly red oxide (red lead), black or grey. It is possible that some had them in their “house” colours - few details of which have survived from that period. The GNR at one time had varying shades of brown, while IF the MGWR painted such things, it would have been bright red.

Senior said he timed just under 30 mph once with a class five with three or four carriages behind it, going downhill over Barnesmore. But the coach was jolting and crashing over the joints and swaying like a cork in a rough sea….

Virtually every single announcement made in recent years has either not been delivered, delivered way later than suggested, or delivered in a different way; or still in planniong, but with variatioons from the original. The debate over what will replace the 26 class in Cork, and when, and as a result of what precise movements in the Dublin or Limerick areas, has had more variations than I've had hot dinners. An announcement that Youghal will receive J15s and 6-wheel coaches again, and Limerick - Galway a couple of D17s would barely surprise me now; though to such extent as it might be a surprise, it would be a most pleasant one!

I’ve a log of one heading through Omagh at 87.26 mph….

As I posted on one of the bookface pages, it shows just how utterly dull the modern railway scene is, when excitement is caused by a light engine trundling a few miles down a commuter line, or (worse) some sort of yellow contraption is out'n'about.....! IE's bad enough, but NIR is a diet of two very slight variants of a soiltary basic type of railcar.............and zero goods trains!

Apparently these yokes were the flying machines of the Irish narrow gauge, with speeds of 50mph easily attainable. Just imagine that sight - and the CBPR track was very well maintained.

Personally, despite my aversion to historical inaccuracy in liveries, and ongoping frustration at the fact that the majority of preserved items in Ireland are not correct in this regard; I actually thought that looked quite well! Even if they HAD been blue in traffic, this blue is a bit too light, plus the "G" and the "N" on the tender were way too close together, but there ye go! I confess, as a teen, to painting a model green BR railbus in BR corporate blue with yellow ends, a livery they never carried. To railbus fans, I apologise and prostrate myself accordingly. The things teens get up to.... My only steam recollections were black GNR locos, either in GNR livery or UTA black; and dim recollections of a filthy dark grey CIE loco, probably an old J15.... and withdrawn CDR locos, yes, with RED domes, NOT black!

Operations yesterday…. IMG_1008.mov IMG_1008.mov IMG_1006.mov

July 1957, the day before the sheep fair. All is quiet this afternoon, as the 2 o’clock local drifts into Dugort Harbour. Tomorrow, of course, will be chaos. More to follow….

On fair day, whatever elderly stock Cork and Tralee can dig up, will end up on the extra trains for cattle drovers and dealers. In addition, trains between Dugort and “town” are very busy that day. Here, in 1956, the last DSER six-wheeler in traffic, still in GSR maroon, has made what will probably be its last appearance ever. It is joined by a GSWR equivalent - note the different designs. The 1888-built GSWR brake third was the regular passenger brake on the branch then, and could be companion to a six-wheeler of similar vintage - or a two-month-old silver “Park Royal”… Shunting at Dugort Harbour, 1959, with the then regular branch engine, the last of its kind. The brand-new supposedly “silver” tin van is filthy; the ancient van behind it, dating from 1902, somewhat better looking!

A23R is caught shunting in the fuel road, Dugort Harbour, summer 1974. On the same day, empty wagons are seen in the cattle loop awaiting departure tomorrow morning on the back of the Tralee goods.