minister_for_hardship

Very hard to find pics of the Ranks wagons, only ever seen pic of one with Ranks lettering still on it. There was a pic of the Denny container in a recent IRRS journal when new or nearly new. Looks well, red and white and Denny lettering in black. http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6190&d=1362575085 http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=443&d=1336039221

The Murphy Bros wagon did exist, have seen a builder's photo of one in New Irish Lines a good while back. Never seen one elsewhere though, so must have been either very short-lived and bought out by the GSR or whoever and painted grey like the rest or become so filthy and neglected that the wording couldn't be seen. The Kilkenny Coal Co, like most of Hornby's Irish interpretations, are pure fiction. The only other bona fide PO wagons from days of yore that I can think of off-hand are Ranks grain wagons, Mex/Irish Shell etc. oil tank wagons, Lyons Tea and Denny's containers. Think there were Guinness wagons, not a lot it would seem, there's a pic of one in Achill in the 1890's/1900's in Rails to Achill by what's his name and I *think* the RPSI had a bogie version?

Maybe add in the waves of closures in the 1960s and major incidents? eg Buttevant. Here's a useful page: http://www.irrs.ie/Common%20Files/CIE.htm

Most likely in storage with the rest of the collection.

True. World and his mother know all about it now. Add to that the sterling rate and Irish based sellers flogging stuff in sterling as main currency rather than Euro. Sneaky humongous postage charges for quite small things etc.

So would they look more 'scrunched up', like Hornby's interpretation of a 4 wheeler? (which I assume is freelance) http://www.intertrains.com/userfiles/Hornby%20GWR%204%20wheel%20coach.jpg

Just passenger coaches. Like this example: http://79.170.44.87/roxeymouldings.co.uk/assets/images/products/P1010091.jpg

Just wondering.... know that the Tramore had some positively antique rolling stock well into GSR days and the Waterford & Central Ireland had a lot of 4 wheelers, the W&CIR were reputed to have the worst passenger stock in the country, but how long did they last until? (Not counting 4 wl heating vans or Schull & Skibb ng stock here)

The plot thickens...

Yes, and there's a modern pallet wedged under them.

Most mining gauges are on the smaller end of the scale, maybe something to take some sort of rolling gantry or trolley?

IIRC most of it was bridge section rail, spiked onto longitudinal baulks. Towards the end it looks like they went for something more modern; bullhead rail, cross ties and chairs. The galv bolts look modern-ish.

Was anything marked on the chairs? Maybe leftovers from a broad gauge new build/replica project? Chairs are very close to the sleeper ends. Thought maybe some BG sleepers might have survived incorporated into buildings or holding up signs and things, but not out in the open with chairs still bolted to them? http://www.broadgauge.co.uk/library/images/locations/torquay_station/torquay_station_01_large.jpg

The tank locos used on the Kenmare branch on opening, which had quite a few tight curves, were equipped with water pipes that sprayed water onto the wheels. Don't know how long this arrangement lasted though.

"A typical (BR) ham sandwich would contain one slice of ham with another slice folded in half and placed diagonally over the first one. When the sandwich was cut diagonally it would make it appear that it contained three slices of ham when in reality it only contained two."

Hope they were nicer than the fabled British Rail sandwich. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1413962/Revealed-the-secrets-of-a-British-Rail-sandwich.html

The rule books would have been based on a Railway Clearing House standard set of rules with little difference between the ones used here and the ones used in Britain. See p31/32 here http://www.metadyne.co.uk/pdf_files/RULE_MAIN_V4.pdf Think Junctionmad is looking for something more specific to signalling and Irish/CIE conditions.

Have a CIE book on signalling regulations c 1970s, that I rescued from condemned signal cabin a number of years ago, must see can I root it out. There's a lot in it though..

At least if a steam loco or heritage diesel on a railtour fails...it's not the end of the world. There's something about gadding around in a 75 y/o-ish aircraft that doesn't inspire confidence in me. Nice to watch yes, at a distance.

How far away would this be from an ex-WL&LR (or B&CDR) tank I wonder? The flat-topped dome jars a little...

Pot was a cooking utensil and smack was something you got when you were bold...

Trippy, man. Right on....

Sorry, couldn't resist...

We had dual gauge, not a lot of it mind, in Derry and Ennis.

He once set off some unfortunate underling to design a pen so Bulleid could write letters using just one finger.