minister_for_hardship

It was an awful eyesore for visitors coming to the UFTM, like the previous poster I'm surprised the museum didn't make an offer for it as an admin building or something.

Thanks lads, I'll be looking into those over the next week or so.

What manner of bats**t is this?

Is there a site/resource that deals with doing this?

Something that would explain it in terms a 5 year old would understand.

Ta.

Wasn't the green Bandon tank the one that went 'foreign' (DSE section)?

Well spotted, Minister - I hadn't noticed that. That definitely makes this one ex-GSWR, as the GSR used the same flat-topped wagon numberplates as CIE did later - in fact to this day CIE's are still a direct copy of the old GSR ones, as are those on a few NIR ballast wagons. The word "fuel" can also be seen painted just above it.

The DSER also used oval plates, but I don't think they built steel bodied vans(?) GSR/CIE as you say had a 'D' shaped one with flat side up. MGWR had either small brass ones or a cast iron 'D' shaped one. GNR vans usually had tiny little tonnage plates bolted onto the body rather than the solebar.

still has own teeth, shame about the hair tho...

On the first pic you can see an imprint of where an oval plate (about the same size as the GSWR Inchicore Works plate) was carried.

Usually they were centred on the solebar, bit odd to see one bolted to it off-centre.

The sligo leitrim railcar looks to be in limerick junction shed?

What was the deal with the silver laminates?

Were they trying to match them up with the silver locos or did they just run like that until they got a proper paint job?

How long did they run like that?

Hang on, didn't the Irish Woolwichs not get the front steps???

+1 Mayner.

The Sentinels look well, hopefully they won't have the same flaws as the other 0-4-0s, stalling and going at 120mph scale speed.

There is still at least one or two steam Sentinels in everyday service in the 21st Century, somewhere in South America I think, undoubtably there would be a good few diesels still knocking about overseas.

Wonder why the Irish (steam) versions had such a short innings.

That LMS/BR van looks a bit like an NCC 'brown van', probably too long though.

Don't use meths. Get some IPA with at least 90% alcohol content and simply apply to a piece of fine cloth or piece of kitchen roll and just rub along the rail and you will be amazed at the dirt that comes off. Try to avoid abrasive solutions as you only create more scratches to catch more dirt. IPA is available from local chemists or ebay works out the cheapest option. Alittle goes along way. Great for cleaning loco wheels as well.

Thought it was India Pale Ale for a sec..

Classy indeed.

Nice to see the preserved Pichi Richi Railway in South Oz getting some publicity in the pics, v. nice set-up they have too.

Their numbersake to 'our' 186 featured in the movie 'Gallipoli' as No. 981 by the simple expedient of turning the numberplate upside down!

Also, the 'Stand Behind Yellow Line' painted-on warnings are alternately in English and Irish. Can't remember exact wording right now.

Putting the 'fun' into funicular.

[video=youtube;3VMSGrY-IlU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VMSGrY-IlU

Charlie on the MTA - Kingston Trio

Hal and the 'Gentlemen Callers' did a version in Malcolm In The Middle! Heard a sh*t-hot band from Carlow do a cover of it in Kilkenny one night, surprised to hear it on this side of the pond.

GSWR 90 was in lined green when on display in Fermoy.

I'm assuming it never worked in that condition and that it was a post-withdrawal paint job?

English vistor stepping off a train in turn of the century Ireland, takes a deep lung-full of country air:

"Isn't this invigorating?"

Porter:

"No, it's in Tipperary"

Not a joke as such, more a funny story.

Back in the day at Limerick Junction there used be staff dorms, this one was an awful rat-infested kip with a reputation for being haunted.

Apparantly, one night a staff member supposed to be booked in there for the night, ran up to that station and swore he wouldn't stay the night at any cost.

Said he'd looked in the window and saw the Devil, Old Nick himself....poking the fires of Hell with his pr*ck.

Apparantly, there was a driver already in residence, who happened to have a goatee beard and a penchant for sleeping in the nip, had gotten out of bed to poke the fire.

Most likely this, painted green.

http://www.shunters-junction.com/Pictures/Stamford%20collection/Stamford%20Coaches/Sta238.jpg

Not sure about the white line running under the lower Eau De Nil band, did they have that in real life?

The closest font I've come across that suits GSR/CIE bilingual signage

http://www.gaelchlo.com/bungc.html

Download the font file, unzip it, bung it into the folder that stores your Word fonts and type away.

What a christmas present Richie, you're some man for one man. Love the old enamel signs. You should at least put up a paypal link with your email to allow us to make a voluntary donation. I know from past experience just how much work is required! If Jimmy Wales can take donations well..so can you!

Looking at pics, the enamel advertising signs seemed to vanish from stations after the Emergency/WW2 for some reason, but remained on shops and other places for years afterwards. Tipperary had small 'Mazawatte Tea' signs, Foynes and Ballingrane had big 'Paddy' ones with the Whiskey bottle, Strabane had 'Virol'. BOVRIL was a popular one, got a huge one from my local station that was nailed up to block a hole in a shed after it was taken down. One that was hanging around loose for a bit had 'Prescotts Dye Works' but that got thrown away. There was a white/blue one that escaped for a long time at Mallow as it was so high up at the former freight yard approaches and covered with ivy with something about artificial manures (maybe Gouldings?) up to 15 years ago.

BR did distribute some posters to Irish Stations, seen a one with a hotdog logo advertising rail/ferry services to/from Ireland dated early sixties. Some poster boards did carry 'LMS' lettering and spotted a big posterboard with 'GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY' (painted over but the letters could still be made out) at Kilkenny well before it was redeveloped.

What in the name of Jaysus was that? A Crampton?