Garfield

Just to clarify... like the ballast wagons, they'll be sold in packs of three.

JB... funding secured via a legacy and site identified. The council's involvement mainly centres around the planning application. Everything else is being handled by a steering group, not directly by the council itself, as Eoin says above.

Local government is a multi-faceted operation, Ed. No reason why they can't progress the project while tackling other issues. </politics> Edit: Especially as private funding is already set aside for it. Cheers for that, Eoin!

So you're optimistic, then?

In 4mm/OO gauge, HOm track is close to OOn3 - or 3ft at 1:1 scale, so ideal for Irish narrow gauge. As Joe says above, Tillig produces dual gauge track.

I'm fairly certain that they are... they pretty distinctive vehicles. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305631 I only came across one photo of a Bulleid driving car during my online search, taken at Inchicore in 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304878

Not everyone cares as much as you do, JB!

Simple enough explanation, JB... the range of ready-to-run locomotives and rolling stock produced so far focuses chiefly on a later period of time... Supertrain, IR, IÉ - and in the case of the 201s - InterCity and Enterprise. The average modeller uses these as their starting point and builds up a collection of rolling stock to suit. Add to that the fact that runs of BR four-wheel box vans wearing CIÉ flying snails or roundels are commissioned from time to time to fulfill the need for 'something older' that looks sort of like a H van, and suddenly such a project becomes an unattractive financial proposition for a ready-to-run manufacturer. I wouldn't be surprised if a kit was to appear at some point, though. Now, about those bubble photos...

JB, those photos weren't posted by Old Blarney... Thanks for posting those pics, Tom!

Much better!

But the ground in the cover image is flat...

Cheers, JB!

Look at those wheels... wouldn't fancy travelling at speed in that.

Hi folks, While work continues apace on development of the ballast hopper, we're using the quieter moments to work on its follow-up: the cement bubble. To this end, we're appealing for photographs which clearly show the topside hatch detailing, even more so than the photo below... If you can help, please touch base with us by emailing patrick[at]irishrailwaymodels.com or richard[at]irishrailwaymodels.com. All assistance is greatly appreciated. Regards, The Irish Railway Models team

If it was the early '60s it would have been a railcar formation, Noel. The conversion to push-pull took place in the early '70s and it was the re-engined C class which became synonymous with providing the motive power for them.

Thanks for that, Dhu Varren. I moved that link to the 'GNR railcars' thread as it's more appropriate there.

Mystery solved; thanks!

I came across some interesting photos of GNR railcars whilst trawling through the O'Dea collection for pics of AEC units, so I thought I'd post them here. Railcar C1: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304552 C1 at Redhills, Co Cavan, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304785 C1 with luggage trailer at Inniskeen, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304436 Driver and friend, presumably in the cab of C1, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304437 A couple of driver's eye view photos, presumably on board C1, at various locations in 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304646 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304649 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304647 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304648 Railcar A1 crossing Ballybay Bridge, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304779 Articulated set at Amiens Street, 1958: Articulated set at Howth: Articulated set in UTA colours at Newry, 1963: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307100 Former GNR BUT set on Enterprise duty in 1966: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306832 And a curious one... it appears to be railcar A and it either has its body chopped down for use on the lifting train or it's being scrapped on-site. It's in UTA colours and the location is given as Kilmessan, Co Meath, which surely can't be right, can it? http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306977

That would make sense alright... was going on the information contained within the photo's caption. Should have known better, though, as there are frequent inaccuracies.

Ah, well oberved... I've gone goggle-eyed after trawling the entire digitised O'Dea archive! I'll move that link to another thread... along with the pics of the GNR articulated railcar set.

Another shot of the 1959 IRRS special, this time at Monaghan: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304770 And at Ballybay: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304760 Driver and foreman beside an AEC railcar at Tralee, 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305070 'Mr O'Flahety in BFP Tractor, Amiens Street, 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305292 - you can catch a glimpse inside the first class compartment in this one. A view of an AEC cab from the passenger compartment at Athlone, 1962: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305933 Driver Mick Keaveney peers out of his cab window, Athlone, 1961: http://catalogueEx.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305310 Ex-GNR railcars withdrawn from traffic and cannibalised at Sallins, 1970: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307671 Ex-GNR set in CIÉ green at Dromin Junction: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305068 Driver's eyeview at Bandon, 1961: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305384 And elsewhere on the journey: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305385 Watching the driver at work from the first class compartment, Portarlington, 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305069 Evening train for Bantry stands at Albert Quay, 1961: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305399 Former GNR units still wearing blue and cream livery on Enterprise duty in 1966: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306832 (edit: actually, per the eagle-eyed Dhu Varren in the post below, these are BUTs) At Straffan, 1961: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305580 Railcar in Inchicore paint shop, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304460 'Cu na Mara' at Clara, 1961: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305513 'Cu na Mara' at Tullamore, 1962: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306548 'Cu na Mara' near Kingsbridge, 1962: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306045

Nice shot of one of the Bulleid-bodied units receiving attention in the diesel shop at Inchicore in 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304878 Another shot of AEC units undergoing maintenance in Inchicore: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305443 Railcar body being fabricated at Inchicore: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304879 Powered intermediate coaches at Inchicore in 1961: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305631 A former GNR set(?) in charge of an IRRS tour at Inniskeen, Co Monaghan, in 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304755 The same set pictured under the station roof at Carrickmacross: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304562 And at Castleblayney: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304757 And again at Clones: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304761 And once more at Dundalk: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304560 At Bantry, 1959: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000304738 AEC set operating an express service through Hazelhatch, 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305041 Passing through Glasnevin while working the 'Cu na Mara' service in 1960: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305183 2633 pictured at Limerick in 1967: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306151 Railcars being converted to push-pull units at Inchicore: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000308277

The coaches were modified but were not solely used on railcar services.

An eight-piece set in CIÉ green headed by 2611, pictured at Tullamore in 1962: http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000306086

Excellent! Thanks, Ciaran.