Garfield

Nice find, Fran! When you look at the side profile, apart from the nose and the circular windows there's a vague resemblance to the Irish Sulzers!

Actually, a lot of signals here used blue lenses because when the light shone through them, they produced a green glow... kind of like mixing blue and yellow paint on a pallet to get green.

Breaking news: the FAI have confirmed that Trapattoni is to remain in charge: http://thescore.thejournal.ie/fai-trapattoni-future-meeting-639482-Oct2012/?utm_source=twitter_self Queue the rage...

Looked into the background of the NSU class and it turns out they're actually sister locos to the CIÉ B101s, having also been constructed by the Birmingham Railway Carraige & Wagon Company. The NSU class locos had serial numbers ranging from DEL1-DEL14, whilst the Irish Sulzers were DEL20-DEL31. Like the Irish locos, they were powered by Sulzer 6LDA28 engines, and had an A1A-A1A configuration, but used Crompton Parkinson traction motors rather than Metro-Vick.

What I was inferring was that they need guidance. Their contact details are listed above, so it would be an altogether better idea to get in touch with them and offer advice, rather than slating them here for trying to do something for a charitable cause. I've already fired off an email and hope to hear back from them soon.

Kibri also have a gantry crane kit available that resembles a slightly larger version of the latticed types that were used in Sligo, Adeleide Yard, etc.

I understand the concerns here, but remember they're not experts in this field. And it is for charity at the end of the day...

All looks fine at my end...

Mint in box, so!

I received the following email at work this morning:

The question I want answered is... ...did he see his house from up there!?

A quick diagram which illustrates the current problems with the FAI and the the Irish team...

The thing is, it's not just Delaney that has to be axed... the entire FAI needs to be rebuilt from the ground up. Grassroots football in this country is badly neglected and the structures aren't there for developing youngsters into true professionals. In times past, we relied heavily on English academies to do this job but it's not good enough anymore. If the FAI invested in this end with the co-operation of the League of Ireland teams, it would go some way to solving the dearth of talent we currently have - look at the dividends such work has done for rugby over the past number of years. It would also have the added bonus of improving the domestic league - hopefully to the standard of, say, the Danish or Swedish leagues, for example. The teams in those leagues are nowhere near winning European silverware, but they can produce players who can cut the mustard at International level, as they have shown time and again. It always baffles me when I see some League of Ireland supporters smirking into their pints whenever they see Ireland losing a game, when both the international team and the LoI ultimately share a common destiny.

Don't forget to keep an eye out for original content, too.

Tick tock!

Delaney and Keane would never work together, so I think we can rule that one out. Realistically, someone like Owen Coyle is who they'll be looking at. Of course, if Denis O'Brien agrees to keep on bankrolling the manager's job then the first phone call the FAI should make is to a certain Mr Redknapp...

Thanks. I was aware of the 50/50 split of the fleet, just not sure if passenger and freight locks were divided equally. Merlin wouldn't really appeal to me as it never really strayed too far from its home patch...

Hmm... did many GNR 0-6-0s end up in CIE ownership?

Collins Barracks (and anywhere else within the National Museum umbrella) was ruled out because they don't give a f**k about transport heritage. The curator is on record (more than once) as saying transport heritage is 'adequately served' by the likes of the RPSI and the National Transport Museum. It's a disgrace that a person in that position has no problem leaving it up to voluntary groups alone to save what they can for posterity...

John Hamill, chairman of the Model Railway Society of Ireland, was one of the figureheads in that group. Perhaps Wrenn, or some other MRSI members here, may be able to provide further info?

I was going to comment sooner but I was too busy trying to pick my jaw up from the floor... amazingly good! If you squint a little, it's impossible to tell if you're looking at a model or the real thing!

Yeah, bidding seems completely normal on that one.

I regret that I have to announce the passing of another stalwart of the Irish railway heritage scene. Desmond Coakham, railway historian and author, passed away earlier today at the age of 91. May he rest in peace.

I didn't know him personally, but we had a few mutual friends and acquaintances and they all speak very highly of him. He was also the driving force behind much of the developments at the DCDR, and by all accounts he'll be a hard act to follow there. May he rest in peace.