jhb171achill

Looks real, all right. Yes, a rarity among "genuine" forgeries..........

Something I knew about but never dreamed there was a picture of! Good find...............

I still find it hard to understand why Translink persist with applying the old NIR symbol to these three locos; NIR still exists as a legal entity, of course, but the entire railway has used the overall Translink brand as its sole publicity and marketing label since 1996 - that entity now, in itself, being into its third logo. The equivalent is CIE still putting a MGWR or GSWR crest on something on rails, well into the 1950s, or a Craven or 071 being painted in CIE green with a flying snail in 1987.......

It's on my long-term "To Do" list, hopefully.........

Various types of central buffer are in use all over the world, and are actually in the majority. On narrow gauges - including NZ’s “Cape” gauge, plus the Irish narrow gauge, they g FG institute the vast, vast majority; 100% of Irish narrow gauge lines had central “chopper” couplings as above. The loco shown was one of a pair, the second-strongest narrow gauge locos in Ireland.

Only thing with them is that apart from the DSER suburban, Glanmire Road shunting, and West Cork, they were seen nowhere. Limited grazing grounds................

Photos of 464 actually look black rather than grey. Clements had told me years ago that there was only the one J15, then the J18. What is certain, though, is that these were late-era and very short lived exceptions to the rule. Grey with black front was not ever an actual livery as such. By 1960, the remaining locos had examples in lined green, all grey and all black - although all three were so uitterly filthy that for all anyone knew they could have been painted under it all in fluorescent pink and lime green tartan............

Indeed; those three only. (I forgot about the B4). They were repainted literally within momnths of withdrawal, so that pins them down to mid 62 to early 63. All others were either all grey or all black. In terms of "snails", some tenders hyad them, some hadn't laterally (maybe the transfers had worn off). The single J15 (193) and the single J18 did not have snails on their tenders which were plain grey. Cab roofs always grey on grey locos, black on black locos.

I'd be up for that too. While the "Jeeps" are neither fitting for my layout's fictitious location (in West Kerry), nor do they interest me as much as just about any other steam loco, I saw them in childhood almost every day - so I'll definitely be up for a couple.

What is WRONG wit6h these people! A West Clare loco and a Scottish loco in West Cork........ idiotic, lazy, bone idle "research"!

Maybe something MGWR too.....

I think 00 Works are using a new type of motor this time....?

Indeed - so have I. I would always recommend them.

More good news for steam fans; a new batch of J15s with larger boiler and tender, a la 186. £315 + P+P. He's offering them in both grey and black, with a choice of two numbers each. I see he's also offering grey with black smokebox - but nothing ever ran like that except just one loco, and only for a matter of months in 1962! (That was 193, painted uniquely that way in Cork or Limerick, along with an old MGWR 0.6.0). It will be good to have the older ones, plus these. I've placed my order, anyway! And these locos will be PERFECT for the forthcoming Hattons 6-wheel coaches.

Livery variations for the 800 class are basically two which apply to all three locos, but several other "wild cards". The GSR "blue-green" was replaced by standard CIE green (same as on pre-1955 carriages, road vehicles and buses) in 1945. In the same time, the GSR crest and "G S" gave way to the "snail". Name and number plates had a blue background as acurately seen on Maedb today. However, about 1951/2, either 801 or 802 (I'd have to look it up) was repainted in a significantly lighter green, apparently like a half-way house between standard CIE green and the later shade which would be applied to co0aches and diesel locos after 1955. The OTHER two remained standard green. During the 1950s, both 801 and 802 got a red background to their name and number plates, but 800 remained blue. Thus, two livery variations for 800, and three for the other two - but different between them; one lighter green with red plates, the other standard green with red plates. Regarding the "Cultra" livery, this is only me personally, but I strongly disapprove of models being produced in fictitious liveries, as it encourages a belief or assumption that they ran like that. In the same regard, for the same reason, I remain greatly disappointed by museums and preservation bodies who turn out preserved locos, coaches and wagons in incorrect, or lazily researched livery details. Cultra added the "G S" on 800; they SHOULD have added a "flying snail". If it's GSR livery they want, they need a totally different shade of green, and yellow / black lining, not black / white; plus, a GSR crest between the great big "G" and "S".

Correct. For anyone modelling a green CIE steam loco, 800 is in absolutely standard CIE green, lined accordingly. However the “G S” on the tender is wrong for this livery, as in that green they only ever had the flying snail. Regarding 803 and 804, thete were rumours at the time of these being planned, and tentatively named “Deirdre”” and “Grainné” (not Aoife, though). However, both official sources and memory of people who would have been involved, e.g. my grandfather, fail to show any hard evidence of this. At the very least, though, there was likely to have been talk of it in high places, as well as of the large 820 class tank engines which got to the drawing board but no further.

A thing like that would become THE sought-after loco of all time!

That is some SERIOUS work-rate! Very well done indeed!

I’m n’ot su’re t’hat, I’d want’ t,o, g’o in’to That’ sh’op%

Steam era

Indeed. 200 years ago Ireland and the USA both had 8.5 million. Today we have 7 million, and the USA has about 337 million!

I wonder if its listed? They’d have to rebuild it if so.

Indeed - I’ve been thinking that if Port Laoise and IRM collaborate to install a time machine in an ICR, or pass Dr Who out as a driver, an IRM ICR may well end up at Dugort Harbour in 1958!

I did indeed think he had it. You could tell by the look of him. You see, he’s too arrogant to admit that he needs ointment for cincinnatus. It can turn nasty if untreated.

Highly encouraging news, and a good strategy. Everyone here is familiar with threads that go on for years and years with "Any news on the model of XYZ which was announced in 2016?"............ The thought of the "grey'n'green" era getting the attention it richly deserves is particularly encouraging; it's equivalent in peruiod in Brexitstan not only gets attention, but seems to be the long-standing mainstay of the hobby for many. With the excellent development work of the likes of KMCE and early DSER / DWWR goods stock, and Hatton's Irish six-wheelers, and 00 Works several Irish steam engines, we're not far away from looking at the "Grey'n'maroon" era - the GSR period 1925-45.