GSR 800

you'd swear they could've taken the footage used from ironing the land for the same effort. but sure here I'm forgetting the time the A4s were trialled at 130 mph down the dungarvin stretch...

Both tank designs have grown on me, though i find the pacific tank extremely bizarre, the gigantic coal bunker and the last set of drivers behind the cab, you can certainly see the origins from the older design. The big one weighs 80 tons....can't see them going on many branches, axle load on the drivers is more than on the woolwich 4-6-0 rebuild. However the 4-4-2 tank catches my eye, similar to 850 but 4-4-0 inspired rather than from the moguls. Standardisation of parts would no doubt have been something greatly desired by the GSR. It was essentially an alternative design proposed as far as i can tell An interesting resource for all https://www.steamindex.com/locotype/gsr.htm Of interest is an apparent 1937 design of an Inchicore Pacific type. Now, note I can find nothing else on this design, or that it got anywhere past talk other than the following statement! ..'1937 diagram for a proposed Inchicore 'Pacific' which would have much as the 4-6-0 later built but with a carrying axle tucked close behind Argentine-fashion, with a rather unpleasant streamlined cowl round the single chimney. Presumably, a Pacific was even more prestigeous, but adequate turntables were impossible to justify!' I presume that if this is of any legitimacy, which is itself debatable, it was likely a preliminary to the 800s, likely dismissed as being over the top when there were serious debates over the need of 10 4-6-0s, nevermind a Pacific.

Would love to know who gave that the green light. Gimmick indeed!

JB She's a hornby type rather than Hattons. May have to buy the latter and do a bit of a comparison! Late 50s early 60s so it's likely she'll end up in either the early dark green or later light green, probably the latter as I think it looks well. Some attained a livery of age... https://rcts.zenfolio.com/coaching-stock/irish-railways-cie RCTS _ Irish Railways (CIE).mhtml

Another building underway and a new arrival at Mullingar Nice piece of kit from Hornby, hopefully a good Irish livery will put an end to the light leakage.

As said, never enough Baby GMs, could do with one or two in original black n tan myself.

Be an ideal time to come out again with Cravens, to go with the A's and 121's

I may have seen something suspiciously similar on marks models website.. the platforms have yet to be detailed, but indeed the gap for the rodding on my platform will have to be extended back somewhat, it was quite large. Would he have been renewing that or perhaps the subway tunnel?

Having begun work on the two chimneys on the main station building, a had noted 4 others. These can be seen in these photos from Ernies archive The only aerial photos I can find are unfortunately not of the best quality, but nonetheless are better than nothing. https://www.cambridgeairphotos.com/themes/railway+station/ along with an excellent photo from the o'dea collection which confirms the low walls of the current courtyard were once walls of a corridor. So that leaves us with knowledge structures once existed which no longer exist within the courtyard, it likely spanned from canopy to canopy in one form or another, along with a second building nestled between which what probably the jacks. I cannot find anymore information on it, incuding what I can currently access from the IRRS, at least for the moment. Contact with several of the Irish architectural societies brought me no closer. There was an L shaped corridor and the jacks seemed to have been roofed also, the real question is the specifics of the roofing and the chimney position. I could either make an educated guess for the overall design on the building based on what I currently know and build with the ability to remove at a later date should better/better access to information arise. Quite the conundrum.

Can't be certain, but apparently outside Broadstone?

Good pic here of 396 hauling a rather pathetic looking train through Mullingar to Dublin! Judging by the state of the middle wagon, perhaps being sent to be repaired? For some ex MGWR types, it seemed working at all was almost a novelty, though the rubbish coal likely didn't help Since most regarding liveries has been covered, cosmetically yes addition of smokebox wheel certainly adds to the loco, but if going there perhaps raising the handrail on the smokebox door a few mill would be in order too. IIRC many had ladders on the back of the tender side, many ended up with their numbers on the top of the smokebox door too, as 396 demonstrates.

She's a thing of beauty John, even more so underway.

RTR rolling stock is an issue for anyone looking towards earlier periods, RTR laminates, Park Royals etc. One only has to look towards the interest here at hattons genesis stock to see that even semi prototypical rolling stock for steam has demand. Things that overlap with the early years of the A's are ideal, would make the likes of the silver and green liveried A's even more attractive. That is not to detract from the many excellent brass kits for coaches and indeed overlays, but RTR simply opens up an era for far more modellers. Mogul was somewhat before my time, but my two cents would be it was just a clean repaint of the N class. By the time the liveries were given the Woolwiches they had a different look from their british brothers across the sea. Lack of the inchicore smokebox and smokebox doors, wheels etc which were all fitted by the 30s meant that it didn't have the "irish" look, you could probably buy a regular mogul for less and convert. From a manufacturing point of view it was practical surely, had the design, just repaint it but it's not an original purpose built Irish locomotive, I think that makes a big difference. J15, smaller numbers yes, batch built so price was steep, nonetheless they, the U and UGs are all gone. Thing about the 00 works J15 is it was one of the roundtop boiler locos, aka one of the rarer ones, especially by the late 50s/early 60s but nonetheless sold out. I understand the production run is obviously entirely different, but I think the fact all three recently released irish steamers have sold out in spite of the steep cost is nonetheless, at the very least a good sign of a healthy hunger for irish steam. If you want to go with something the majority of your market will buy it'll probably have to be something famous and preserved. Now speaking with massive, massive bias I'd say the 800s would be a good bet. Probably the most famous locomotives in Ireland, preserved , eye catching liveries, not a whole lot of variation between them and the possibility of attracting a few foreign buyers too. However, that said, Maeabh hasn't been in steam since the 60s, there were only 3 locomotives of the class built which means there are simpler fewer to buy. I do think it's one of the best for an RTR steam loco regardless, would feel like the obvious start for irish steam. However I'd also be looking towards RPSI locomotives, V and S class both have preserved examples, there are multiple locomotives, the beautiful sky blue livery. 461 is another, totally unique although the drawbacks would be only two built, one preserved. She is a movie star though . J15s are an obvious one, two preserved, staple of irish steam with multiple variations to go for. They'd have been my go to for RTR recommendation if they hadn't already been done, but a few weathered ones with belpaire fireboxes and the larger smokeboxes would be perfect for any layout from late 40s through to early 60s. What does a typhoon class submarine and a J15 have in common... To summarise, overlap. late 50s/early 60s market is there with the A's and 121s. Add rolling stock and I think steam would be the natural progression after that. Personally I'd be looking towards the 800s or J15s if something like laminates or park royals get brought out, which is itself speculation but "creeping back in time" so you always have an overlap would open up the road for steam, while keeping the risk down. I'm sure many would be in favour of the more obscure locomotives, along with a 21 mm gauge RTR steam loco but ultimately it does have to be a viable venture.

Former GNR locomotives continued to be refitted in the late 50s and early 60s, often with the sky blue GNR livery freshly repainted if I'm remembering correctly. I'd find it likely you'd have something similar with the likes of the 800s, maybe a few of the luckier Woolwiches. Main question would be if they bother with a roundel or not! for anything like a j15, black, almost certainly, Cork already did it with the odd loco they got to repaint and most were near enough black with filth regardless. Turburner in black n tan or supertrain, there's an interesting thought..

Work has finally restarted on the signal box. Not very happy with the windows on the Galway side so might replace them to fit with Sligo side.

Excellent and unique model from a unusual prototype. There's quite a few threads across the forum regarding the turf burner, one recently included pictures of her next to one of the 800s, will have to dig that up. There's also this model I remember coming across a proposal for a 3D printed version?

As said during and after the Emergency, many locos were oil fired. Aye, showed too, locomotives barely able to build up steam, breaking down, something going bust along the way. Maintainance nightmares. Were there some issues with oil firing though, otherwise would it not have been more widely implemented and for much longer?

Many thanks Galteemore. Indeed 4-4-0s were commonplace during the 50s and one or two more may be on the cards in the near future.

Some more work done over the past week. The goods shed is, in reality quite a wide building, and the platform canopy extends past the goods shed. There also seems to have been a small structure on the platform adjacent to the goods shed siding but I lack better photos of it. no.309 heads a passenger working through to Dublin. Columns have been added to the Galway platform canopy. Seen from the Sligo platforms, J15 no. 162 shunts in the goods yard. 400 class no.402 slows to a stop at Mullingar. She will take water before continuing on to Galway.

Work continues on Mullingar with the green and cream paint scheme making an appearance. Some scenery done just ahead of the platforms, a large frame is not prototypical. Some progress has been done on the Galway platforms, and a comparison with the real thing Columns still need to be added to the Galway platforms and the signalbox has yet to advance from a mockup Real picture is from Tom Ferris Second Glance At the other end of the platform the water tower and fencing has been added Looking across the platform reveals a hanging pillar nowhere near India..

Bit of work re scenics done at the mouth of the road bridge out to what is now the industrial estate but what was then a field, the road running along the wall back to the railway terraces. Rough shape cut out Walls plus grass added This bridge, fraudulent in nature is nearly a mock up, but I am happy with the overall look. The wall next to the hut's rickety appearance exposes the surely relatable problem of running out of glue. To be finished tomorrow.

Pretty much, unless there was some kind of buy back scheme and cost effective conversion services for locos and rolling stock, it's not really worth it. Path dependency has to be taken into account.

Bit more work has been done over the Christmas break,mainly around station frontage along with small bits of hidden scenery here and there. One may notice the yard is somewhat compressed. This is mainly down to the space available. Maedbh starts a train towards Galway. She won't be going very far, as the bridge hasn't been started! In reality the line curves slightly before reaching the yard. Mullingar was awash with water towers, two on the Galway and Dublin platform and one at the sheds. A mock up of the latter can be seen. There was also a signal box just ahead of the siding adjacent to the shed, still debating whether it should be put in or not. A cattle engine is a must it however!

G2 has seen a good bit more work, overall easy to assemble, clear instructions and an enjoyable build, credit to JM. Everything else to be done when the likes of wheels actually arrive! While I think the grey is overall a tad too dark, the grey was rarely clean anyway and dulled to an almost black, perhaps with the assistance of the odd oily rag. Seems to be several shades of grey due to the lighting... The darker colour is a bit clearer next to the J15.