GSR 800

The Park Royals probably scrape through (just about). I've yet to see a photo of an 800 hauling a PR, but a photo in a Second Glance of Meadbh at Kingsbridge shunting a coach onto her train, has a PR in the adjacent carriage siding. So they were certainly in service at the same time, on the same line. Funny enough there's plenty of photos and footage of them hauled by steam from Westland Row to Bray, of course the suburbans were put into service there first. The composites are the most likely coaches for IRM to justify from the 50s. I'm unsure if the Bredin steel sides used the same chassis (was that alluded to here?), but either way, composites were around from the 1950s up to the mid-1980s, so they cover almost the entire CIE period. We're getting a bit pie in the sky here, but it's possible at some point IRM go for 'generic' GSWR/MGWR bogies to cover that period, if they ever decide to go that early. They are essential for any layout based before 1965 IMO. I have considered commissioning an MGWR Galway Mail set to be 3d printed, but that'd be a few years away at any rate.

I contacted Simon regarding the possible sale of his Irish CADs. His preference is (unsurprisingly) to sell the business wholesale, but he does plan to offer downloads of his CADs at some point via a website (afaik he has several thousand to get through!)

Not a million miles off being black in this photo from Ernies Archive!

All look fabulous, the hints of red between the frames make them pop even more. Mullingar hosted a few GN locos after the GNRB folded up, so a few in black might be in order! The QLG, with it's enormous boiler and small driving wheels, is a favourite. I must say I'm quite partial to the UTA's lined black, it looked spectacular when they were newly outshopped.

If I ever get around to a VS class the livery will surely be a headache! Perhaps I should nab a Britomart to compare it against..

Took some photos of Meadbh outside. I found 40 shades of green! Indoors on the layout These two, taken at the same time, atop a red car Slightly earlier in the day atop a black car The last two photos look closer to Tailte's experimental green! All the same shade of course, in different light, at different angles. I'm reminded of the photo posted of a train coming from East Cork into Glanmire (was it posted here?) With the first coach looking much bright than the ones behind Last one in the evening sun, bit blurry. Looks a different shade again!

AFAIK yes.

Fitted vans could be used as part of passenger and mail consists to carry mail and other such items. They were also just used as regular H vans as a part of an unfitted freight consist IIRC.

Taiwan, primarily, along with power projection in the Asia region, protecting maritime trade (Mahan). Nuclear missiles for the same reason every superpower worth its salt builds a nuclear arsenal. The only constant is change. Any dealing with China must come with the understanding they will work in their own interest, as all nations do. If the US tries cutting them out of global trade, the consequences will be incredibly destructive. Give them nothing to lose, see what happens. Likewise if they rolled over and let China do whatever they like it would be very negative. China heavily subsidised its industries, effectively bought and shipped the entire German solar panel industry over to China. Chinese domestic demand is suppressed through currency manipulation of the RMB to make exports more competitive. Something akin to the Plaza Accords of the 1980s could go some way to rebalancing trade, a revaluation of the RMB would increase domestic Chinese consumption considerably. This would not solve all issues regarding trade or geopolitical issues regarding the US, EU and China but it would be a step. The problem the US has is the catch-22 of a high debt and the way out of it being to raise interest rates. Doing so causes the repayments on the interest on the debt to, obviously, increase, but to not increasing interest rates means more money printing, more debt, and on it goes

I'd say driver training. If she was on 3, she was probably waiting for a road. 1 or 2, and she could've refuelled either.

She made it as far South as Cork, visited Maedbh in Thurles too!

It's one of those things I consider myself, whether to go matt or more satin for the smokebox. Usually it's more matted than the rest, but locos being cleaned, especially with oily rags, would show some shine. I've given a bit of matting at the top for soot around the chimney. Recently I've seen a br shed layout with locomotives kept glossy clean, but with smokeboxes matted and almost grey! I note modern cleaning practices at Connolly, which focus on keeping the "front" of the locomotive/railcar clean. The rest is less of a concern!

Many thanks. Funny enough for Macha's last tour they had the smokebox shining! It has a bit of grime on top nonetheless, don't wish to overdo it.

Maedbh has gotten a bit of weathering. There's not a great many photos of Maedbh in colour during her working life in CIE. The vast majority I've seen are taken after she was earmarked for preservation and received a fresh coat of paint. It's unlikely she did almost any work after 1958. There's two colour photos of her at work in later years. One is of her at Limerick Junction in 1955, the other at Thurles hauling a train of horsebox vans. These show her relatively clean but with some black grime in certain areas. In their earlier years they were kept almost spotlessly clean, but I intend to model the end of steam. Macha was utterly filthy toward the end. For reference I also looked primarily at the VS class in the 60s. Still kept quite clean, but far from spotless. The domes and corners of the belpaire firebox were almost always blackened! A mix of black and umber wash was used, with excess removed using a cotton bud.