minister_for_hardship

I guess by the 30s-50s it was probably seen as just another antique loco they had to work with, old pre GSR company brand loyalty having dissolved somewhat.

The railways would have generated tons of the stuff; accident report forms, luggage labels, returns of stock held at stations (everything from shunting poles to pen nibs), handbills, etc etc. There was a specialist collecting group called the Railway Print Society, unfortunately it folded a few years back.

Real, most paperwork is of relatively low value, bar say the likes of posters. Not worthwhile faking.

Interestingly, one of the old buildings has the Masonic compass and square symbol carved into a keystone.

Another auction room favourite. The worthless Indian made 'vintage" candle lamps, never used on a real railway.

The real deal, looks nothing like the one pictured above.

They are up against some stiff competition: 1st gen Sulzer Sci-fi B movie props, Morton's extended loco smokebox tumours, Guinness' Hudswell Clarke diesel/chelsea boot on wheels, Listowel & Ballybunion freak shows.

Sorry, no deal.

The GS&WR ones were long ago melted down, but the ones carried at Fermoy and Mallow may be in an attic perhaps...

"Sage green" is defined as a grey-green. Could be any shade, so not a very helpful description.

I realise a lot of research went into the Downpatrick rebuild of 90, but the current numberplate appears almost square in comparison to the oblong one carried at Mallow and that presumably carried first day?

I've been entertaining myself with photos of weird wagons on the IRRS Flickr pages, unfortunately can't reproduce here for copyright reasons. GSR open with a timber turf creel and GS&WR open with some sort of an extension of netting. CIE snail branded 6 wheel brake van but built on an old loco tender chassis. MGWR, always with an eye for a bargain, Spanish steel opens with brakemans shelters and "Norte" (Northern Railway of Spain) axlebox covers. Gas wagons but with CIE broken wheel logos, why were these retained so late in the day?? Fascinating how far some wagons wandered from their parent systems, 6 wheel ex CBSCR closed wagon at Liffey jct etc.

Spotted a very clean palvan on IRRS Flickr with a snail on upper right part of the sliding door, probably a very early one and only worn for a matter of months I'd imagine.

I shouldn't worry about that much. I haven't got access to my books here but after a bit of googling, found an image of 2 x 6 wheelers and bogie stock and there's a significant height difference between the two.

Crowbar, rope, saw, axe I believe were carried for emergencies. A hatchet would pretty useless. These things would be recorded and invariably be marked with company initials to deter theft. The auction lot hatchet blade, looking closely, is marked 'GNRI' but could be easily faked with letter punches.

How is it a "railway" hatchet? I'm convinced auctioneers are just calling random objects "railway" to make them more saleable.

The crews on the RPSI look like the Lyons Tea Minstrels after a spell of tender first running.

Note weasel words "vintage style", "antique style", auctioneer code for "fake".

The Clogher Valley ran its locos a**e about face by design. I've seen a small number of photos of Muskerry locos captured running bunker first into Western Road.

Looks like a real handbill but going by the sheer amount of fakery passed off as the genuine article at auctions, I can't help suspecting this is a laser printed copy dunked in tea. IF genuine, it's really rare as it's a throwaway sort of item.

Absolute beauties when turned out in WL&WR crimson lake and brass. On a side note, I wonder what's driving the current resurgence in interest in the colourful pre grouping scene in uk? Seems to go against the modelling what one remembers convention.

Not far off the GS&WR 2-4-0, extinct by CIE days.

The love child of a IOM tank and an American 4-4-0, sprouting a Cockerill VB shaped growth.

Was going to convert to Jeep but changing priorities means I'm moving this on. Comes with a red LMS Fowler spare body. Tested, running, boxed. I rummage out the front coupler before dispatch. €100 incl registered postage anywhere in Ireland.

Kind of disappointing a newly produced piece of rolling stock won't take the tighter curves.