minister_for_hardship

To access the oil tank when oil firing was all the rage. BTW I think I may have spotted a vitually complete oil tender tank over the weekend now serving as heating oil storage.

Hang on a sec...did the real Woolwiches not get the front steps put on?

'Video of the route made up of stills pieced together (those arty French!):' Apart from being arty, a great way of recording a disused line. A 'pretend' driver's eye view video.

Bubbles. Bulleid opens/beet would have been my 2nd choice but Shapeways sent me double the amount I ordered for nowt.

Changed my mind about the GNRI station building. Looking at pics I can't seem to find a small neat one, and they tend to have ornate awnings that look tricky to produce. Don't think it would fly, unless built up in 'modular' units that you could place end to end? I had been looking at souvenir Irish thatched cottages, most are pretty crude pastiche versions. https://ticktalkireland.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/claire-both.jpg

Riversuir, may be a gap in the market there. A lot of the Anglican church models have castellations rather than the 4 spired tower of C.O.I. churches here. The Hornby Scaledale St Andrews church doesn't look too far off a small Irish Catholic design. Could do with more windows I think. The GNR brick buildings would be a tough ones to do from scratch, involve a lot of bodging different brick papers together I'd imagine. A worthy candidate and natural companion to the GNRI cabin. I had thought of a thatched cottage, wonder what scale those souvenir shop ones are???

A GSR/CIE type concrete signal cabin? Also, some of the churches/creameries/national schools were really distinctive in design. Really nice little rural filling station/garage here. https://maps.google.ie/maps?q=ireland+national+school&hl=en&ll=52.22077,-8.503335&spn=0.000003,0.002733&safe=off&hq=ireland+national+school&hnear=Cork&t=h&z=19&layer=c&cbll=52.220852,-8.503337&panoid=3u4kH3CvYU8kgjvjC2x46g&cbp=12,281.99,,0,6.45

Maybe not, judging by the price of their Railcar 'B' lookalike!! http://www.precisionscalemodels.com.au/models/v-r-%E2%80%9Cwalker%E2%80%9D-rail-motor-102153-h-p-diesel-rail-car-trailer/ (VR blue and gold would look nice in Downpatrick??!!)

Jhb, the LNWR locos were brought over by the DW&WR. 'Accoiding to Clements and McMahon six former Webb 2-4-2Ts were sold to the Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway in 1902. The price was £1550 per locomotive. Nos. 59-63 were returned to Britain in 1916-17. No. 64 was acquired by the GSR, but before that it had participated in the Civil War when it was armoured and named Faugh-a-ballagh.For a time it was used at the Mallow sugar beet factory and led a protracted existence as a boiler for washing outs at Inchicore. The locomotive had begun as a 2-4-0T in 1877 and was rebuilt as a 2-4-2T in 1896. ' Other LNWR stock was used on the Dundalk, Newry & Greenore, a wholly owned subsidiary in modern speak, of the LNWR. Some Wolverton built 6 wheelers were sold off the DN&GR and saw further service on the Cork & Bandon section in GSR days at least. I imagine the wagons were the same as the LNWR ones? Also, the CB&SCR had a number of Beyer Peacock 0-6-0STs similar in design to those used on the LSWR. I think 1 or 2 of them made it into GSR times. Another oddball that made it into GSR stock and very early CIE days was former Allman's Distillery 0-4-0ST, a 'Beaufort' type Peckett a pretty much off the shelf product I think (apart from regauging) Having said that, all the above are not RTR, I'd imagine you could get LNWR 6 wheelers in kit form.

If they don't lift them, CIE may be open to claims from walkers slipping and tripping on old sleepers and rails. As noted, Kilkenny CC funded this, with a view to a study of different options as to its re-use.

I've seen one local news report about rails being removed in places by the scrap metal mob. If they don't lift it, it'll get 'lifted' anyway.

Just because the line is being cleared it does not follow that it will be for preservationists. And it's not being cleared by a preservation group either. 'Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) have been given permission by CIE to carry out the necessary technical studies required to test the feasibility of developing one of a number of tourism projects on the disused 20 kilometre Waterford to New Ross railway track. The decision of the type of feasibility of the projects will be based on a series of technical studies.' Short description KLK000263 - South Kilkenny Railway Clearence Detailed description The following party has been awarded the tender contarct for this project: McCormack Brothers Plant Hire, Ballymahon, Longford

WTF? (What The Flip?)

Victoria or South Oz you're thinking of. She'd look like a Hornby loco next to this yoke... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victorian_Railways_H_class

Is she named after Postman Pat's cat?

Been on one for a brief spin. No springs or anything so best to sit on a bag of rice or something soft as the jolts at the rail joints were hard on the spine! Seen one catch up to a 'proper' train and the bamboo train 'driver' threw a rope up to the train guard (no gangway door at rear!) as if it was a boat coming up to be moored. Guard then ties rope to fixture inside gangway and a fee was negotiated for towing the bamboo train. No Health and Safety there.

Happened esp. when a loco ventured down places that hadn't seen traffic for a while, a horn would get a battering from overhanging branches. Ballast and other debris could hit them too. Have seen a horn, allegedly removed from an A Class, still had layers of silver/black and orange paint and was of Swedish manufacture. The last 4'' or so of the copper 'trumpet' was pared back and replaced rather crudely with mild steel braised onto it. Plenty of bashes and bumps on it.

Is that UTA red/cream? How did CIE end up scrapping it?

I think that might be the 'internal user' fitted Bulleid open for drawing stuff around the Works. AFAIK it's still there.

It's not. Saw a pic of a real one, dark green with narrow stripe.

Or the SRNI* * 'Oh Mr Porter' reference.

Ever so slightly OT but why did GS&WR express locos carry a pair of smokebox mounted lamp irons into early GSR days? I've never seen a pic of them carrying lamps or a headboard of any description! Also they carried TWO whistles, one regular and one 'bass' toned one for the emergency cord. When was the second dispensed with?

An interesting interpretation on the CIE green livery http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/M-B-HORNBY-No-R469-PULLMAN-PARLOUR-CAR-CIE-IRISH-LIVERY-PROFESSIONAL-REPAINT-/370775622769?pt=UK_Trains_Railway_Models&hash=item5653f30471

The Midland 1F has a passing resemblance to a GSWR J11, apart from the cab and belpaire boiler.

The first (LMS) Stanier mogul was turned out with a GW-style safety valve bonnet, the story goes, to see if Stanier had a sense of humour. The offending piece of hardware was ordered to be removed pretty quickly!