Haulin' Oats! Grain Wagons Next For IRM's "Project Bulleid"

[Warbonnet]

With our Bulleid Open wagons on the high seas, and the very recent news that our Bulleid flats are about to depart the factory too, it's time to announce our next star of "Project Bulleid" for IRM; The grain wagons!

Under the tenure of Oliver Bulleid as the company’s Chief Mechanical Engineer, Corás Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) embarked on a programme of rolling stock renewal beginning in the early 1950s, centred around Bulleid’s patented triangulated underframe construction.

Goods vehicles of several types were based on a standard two-axle chassis with a 10ft wheelbase and an intensive production programme commenced at Inchicore Works, with up to 12 wagons being outshopped every week.

Among the more distinctive wagon types to appear was a series of bulk grain hoppers developed from the H Van design, which was also being constructed during this time. These vehicles had a 12 ton capacity and augmented a fleet of earlier hopper wagons which had been constructed by the Great Southern Railways (GSR) in the 1930s and could be spotted in mixed goods trains throughout the country in the course of conveying grain from collection points such as Ardee, Ballina, Ferns, Monaghan and Wicklow to mills which included Polloxfens at Ballysodare, and the Ranks plants at Clara and Limerick.

Distinguished from standard H Vans by the presence of walkways and manholes on the roof, along with bodyside access ladders and an unloading chute on the underside, 56 of these wagons were produced by Inchicore in 1955. However, the level of traffic called for several standard H Vans to be converted to bulk grain wagons over the coming years, with 29 being reconstructed in 1961 and a further 20 following in 1964.

These vehicles remained in service for two decades, eventually being withdrawn when grain traffic ceased in the mid-1970s, with a number of the wagons being observed awaiting disposal at Drogheda towards the end of the decade. Some wagon bodies were then offered for sale, mostly to farmers who used them for storage and animal housing.

As you can see above, this is a model we have been working on for some time as part of our "Project Bulleid" range, with the engineering sample wagon in hand for many months now. Following on from the opens, flats and tankers, this is the fourth of many wagons that sit on this chassis, and also give a preview to a future release...

We're offering three different triple packs over two liveries for these wagons, with a price of €89.95 per pack, with our famed 10% discount when you buy two or more packs. Delivery will be in Q4 of 2024.

Pre-order for no money down below!

Pre-Order Your CIE Grain Wagon Here

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[leslie10646]

Emm? Thinking out loud .........

This is a "H" Van with bits. I had thoughts of doing one  as an easy win based on my H Van kit.

BUT, I did the H van first! Have I missed an announcement?

So, we know what's next .....

I wanted them, so:

Order in, 9 minutes after announcement - am I the first?

Good luck with them. Good choice.

 

Edited April 24 by leslie10646

[Georgeconna]

The  early CIE years looking more interesting day by day with the latest wagon announcements.

No brainer really, you can make up small trains instead of the large block ones so more scope for 'playing' trains.

Looking forward to seeing those in the flesh.

Edited April 24 by Georgeconna

[Robert Shrives]

A good next move on a common chassis, but teasing with the emotions on other things like the Hunslets  and early livery enterprise stock !!  I hope they find a home on many layouts.

Robert  

[Darius43]

I can’t go for that…

No. No can do.

Actually, don’t mind if I do

Cheers

Darius

[Patrick Davey]

Nice prototype!

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Georgeconna said:

The  early CIE years looking more interesting day by day with the latest wagon announcements.

Exactly!!

This is precisely the point I’ve been trying to make for years - though IRM are a good bit better than I am in conveying that messsge!

We’ll all have our own opinions and preferences for what era we model, but it’s a statement if numerical fact that there was way, way, way more variety in the “grey’n’green” era than at ANY time since.

Throughout Ireland, we now have two types of locomotives, with zero locos on the greater mileage of track.

We have six types of railcar; of only four distinctly different types. We have basically a solitary type of wagon - a bogie flat - in use.

Zero shunting locomotives now for several decades. Virtually no shunting to be seen anywhere anyway

On most routes, including the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th biggest population centres on this island, not a solitary freight train. 

There is now considerably less to see on the entire island’s railways now than could have been found on one sleepy branch line in 1960.

Let THAT sink in, in terms of modelling possibilities!

Even in the 1980s there was a lot more to see. In the 1970s there was a lot more than in the 1980s. And so on; the 1960s saw the variety of the 1940s/50s decimated.

To an enthusiast in 1960-65 (and I lived with one!), all of the following ended within a cataclysmic 2-3 years (to us, let’s say just since covid):

1.  All steam finished - mass dieselisation complete 

2.  AEC railcars the staple diet on many main lines

3.  Almost every remaining branch line closed

4.  Several secondary main lines about to go (North Kerry, Port Laoise - Kilkenny, Burma Road, Mallow - Waterford)

5.  Entire West Cork gone

6.  Last narrow gauge gone; C&L & CDR in 1959, WCR thirteen months later in 1961

7.  Last non-UTA/CIE lines gone

8.  Last cross border line other than Dundalk - Goraghwood gone

9.  Statement of intent by UTA to eliminate ALL railways in the north bar the Bangor line

10.  Elimination of virtually all pre-GSR wagon stock - bar a handful of more modern GSR & GNR wagons - and these would go a few years later

11.  Elimination of all six-wheeled stock (bar 4 full brakes) in 1963 - and the survivors only lasted a few years more

12.  Elimination of all ex-CBSCR, DSER & MGWR bogie passenger stock from traffic

13.  Elimination of ALMOST all GSWR passenger stock from traffic

14.  Elimination of all but about 8-10 non-corridor carriages from traffic (and they were gone by ‘73)

15.  And of course, replacement of the time-honoured “flying snail” and green-for-everything paint, as seen on locomotives, carriages, mail vans, buses, road freight, signal cabins and station buildings!

16.  Removal of services from many rural stations, thus making them passenger-only or goods-only

17.  Significant reduction in trip working and shunting operations, connected with closure of many rural loco sheds.

17.  Almost total elimination of loco sheds and turntables, and complete elimination of any form of goods sheds

17.  Removal or decommissioning of all but a very small handful of signal cabins 

Now - again - just imagine this is all in our era; everything above and more has happened only since the end of covid, and there’s an all-pervading fatalistic culture within the railway enthusiast movement - I remember this, as a small and declining handful of readers here will too. Read old IRRS journals, and it’s just matter-of-factly reported that “CIE have announced the closure of the Ballygobackwards line with effect from 30th January next”…. it was accepted. It’s “just the way things are”…..

“Sure there’ll be no railways soon”….

So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!”

(I’m saving for the RTR B101 & AEC railcars, RTR UTA “Jeep”, and RTR GSWR / GNR steam stock & MGWR six-wheelers…..)

 

 

Edited April 24 by jhb171achill

[Westcorkrailway]

14 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Exactly!!

This is precisely the point I’ve been trying to make for years - though IRM are a good bit better than I am in conveying that messsge!

We’ll all have our own opinions and preferences for what era we model, but it’s a statement if numerical fact that there was way, way, way more variety in the “grey’n’green” era than at ANY time since.

Throughout Ireland, we now have two types of locomotives, with zero locos on the greater mileage of track.

We have six types of railcar; of only four distinctly different types. We have basically a solitary type of wagon - a bogie flat - in use.

Zero shunting locomotives now for several decades. Virtually no shunting to be seen anywhere anyway

On most routes, including the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th biggest population centres on this island, not a solitary freight train. 

There is now considerably less to see on the entire island’s railways now than could have been found on one sleepy branch line in 1960.

Let THAT sink in, in terms of modelling possibilities!

Even in the 1980s there was a lot more to see. In the 1970s there was a lot more than in the 1980s. And so on; the 1960s saw the variety of the 1940s/50s decimated.

To an enthusiast in 1960-65 (and I lived with one!), all of the following ended within a cataclysmic 2-3 years (to us, let’s say just since covid):

1.  All steam finished - mass dieselisation complete 

2.  AEC railcars the staple diet on many main lines

3.  Almost every remaining branch line closed

4.  Several secondary main lines about to go (North Kerry, Port Laoise - Kilkenny, Burma Road, Mallow - Waterford)

5.  Entire West Cork gone

6.  Last narrow gauge gone; C&L & CDR in 1959, WCR thirteen months later in 1961

7.  Last non-UTA/CIE lines gone

8.  Last cross border line other than Dundalk - Goraghwood gone

9.  Statement of intent by UTA to eliminate ALL railways in the north bar the Bangor line

10.  Elimination of virtually all pre-GSR wagon stock 

11.  Elimination of all six-wheeled stock (bar 4 full brakes) in 1963 - and the survivors only lasted a few years more

12.  Elimination of all ex-CBSCR, DSER & MGWR bogie passenger stock from traffic

13.  Elimination of ALMOST all GSWR passenger stock from traffic

14.  Elimination of all but about 8-10 non-corridor carriages from traffic (and they were gone by ‘73)

15.  And of course, replacement of the time-honoured “flying snail” and green-for-everything paint, as seen on locomotives, carriages, mail vans, buses, road freight, signal cabins and station buildings!

16.  Removal of services from many rural stations, thus making them passenger-only or goods-only

17.  Significant reduction in trip working and shunting operations, connected with closure of many rural loco sheds.

17.  Almost total elimination of loco sheds and turntables, and complete elimination of any form of goods sheds

17.  Removal or decommissioning of all but a very small handful of signal cabins 

 

So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!”

(I’m saving for the RTR B101 & AEC railcars, RTR UTA “Jeep”, and RTR GSWR / GNR steam stock & MGWR six-wheelers…..)

 

 

not to mention about 3984029834 different liveries, introduction of the GM'S 

[jhb171achill]

10 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

not to mention about 3984029834 different liveries, introduction of the GM'S 

40 squillion billion trillion gazillion shades of weathering, more so than liveries!

Despite incorrect theories about the GNR having had fifty shades of loco blue, and CIE sixty shades of green, the reality was that these things were all as strictly and meticulously painted the same corporate colour - just not very often! And older types of paint pigments tended to fade quicker. Add to that more brake dust flying about, and steam, hot oil vapour, coal smoke and Crossley exhaust floating about, and you’ve as much variety in weathering finishes as you have in goods wagons in 1955!

Edited April 24 by jhb171achill

[Georgeconna]

3 hours ago, Darius43 said:

I can’t go for that…

No. No can do.

Actually, don’t mind if I do

Cheers

Darius

Oh God.....

[Georgeconna]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

Exactly!!

This is precisely the point I’ve been trying to make for years - though IRM are a good bit better than I am in conveying that messsge!

We’ll all have our own opinions and preferences for what era we model, but it’s a statement if numerical fact that there was way, way, way more variety in the “grey’n’green” era than at ANY time since.

Throughout Ireland, we now have two types of locomotives, with zero locos on the greater mileage of track.

We have six types of railcar; of only four distinctly different types. We have basically a solitary type of wagon - a bogie flat - in use.

Zero shunting locomotives now for several decades. Virtually no shunting to be seen anywhere anyway

On most routes, including the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th biggest population centres on this island, not a solitary freight train. 

There is now considerably less to see on the entire island’s railways now than could have been found on one sleepy branch line in 1960.

Let THAT sink in, in terms of modelling possibilities!

Even in the 1980s there was a lot more to see. In the 1970s there was a lot more than in the 1980s. And so on; the 1960s saw the variety of the 1940s/50s decimated.

To an enthusiast in 1960-65 (and I lived with one!), all of the following ended within a cataclysmic 2-3 years (to us, let’s say just since covid):

1.  All steam finished - mass dieselisation complete 

2.  AEC railcars the staple diet on many main lines

3.  Almost every remaining branch line closed

4.  Several secondary main lines about to go (North Kerry, Port Laoise - Kilkenny, Burma Road, Mallow - Waterford)

5.  Entire West Cork gone

6.  Last narrow gauge gone; C&L & CDR in 1959, WCR thirteen months later in 1961

7.  Last non-UTA/CIE lines gone

8.  Last cross border line other than Dundalk - Goraghwood gone

9.  Statement of intent by UTA to eliminate ALL railways in the north bar the Bangor line

10.  Elimination of virtually all pre-GSR wagon stock - bar a handful of more modern GSR & GNR wagons - and these would go a few years later

11.  Elimination of all six-wheeled stock (bar 4 full brakes) in 1963 - and the survivors only lasted a few years more

12.  Elimination of all ex-CBSCR, DSER & MGWR bogie passenger stock from traffic

13.  Elimination of ALMOST all GSWR passenger stock from traffic

14.  Elimination of all but about 8-10 non-corridor carriages from traffic (and they were gone by ‘73)

15.  And of course, replacement of the time-honoured “flying snail” and green-for-everything paint, as seen on locomotives, carriages, mail vans, buses, road freight, signal cabins and station buildings!

16.  Removal of services from many rural stations, thus making them passenger-only or goods-only

17.  Significant reduction in trip working and shunting operations, connected with closure of many rural loco sheds.

17.  Almost total elimination of loco sheds and turntables, and complete elimination of any form of goods sheds

17.  Removal or decommissioning of all but a very small handful of signal cabins 

Now - again - just imagine this is all in our era; everything above and more has happened only since the end of covid, and there’s an all-pervading fatalistic culture within the railway enthusiast movement - I remember this, as a small and declining handful of readers here will too. Read old IRRS journals, and it’s just matter-of-factly reported that “CIE have announced the closure of the Ballygobackwards line with effect from 30th January next”…. it was accepted. It’s “just the way things are”…..

“Sure there’ll be no railways soon”….

So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!”

(I’m saving for the RTR B101 & AEC railcars, RTR UTA “Jeep”, and RTR GSWR / GNR steam stock & MGWR six-wheelers…..)

 

 

More or less the same for the UK outline too, the 40's to late 60's much more interesting. To me anyhow.

[GSR 800]

How was loading achieved, lobbed under a grain silo and filled?

[murphaph]

Lovely. Pack of the flying snail era ones ordered!

[BosKonay]

49 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

How was loading achieved, lobbed under a grain silo and filled?

They have roof hatches so likely yes. 

[DJ Dangerous]

18 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

They have roof hatches so likely yes. 

Will IRM be releasing an operational grain silo model, including scale grain, to load these?

[Broithe]

28 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Will IRM be releasing an operational grain silo model, including scale grain, to load these?

Do Faller do a combine..?

[Phil3150]

This is so frustrating. I am collecting bits and pieces for what I have dubbed my "retirement home layout". Hopefully its many years away but it will be a micro layout and I would love one of these, a corrugated open or two and maybe a flat but I will not need or have space for sets of three of each. If only there was a mix-and-match method of buying them ..................

[BosKonay]

7 minutes ago, Phil3150 said:

This is so frustrating. I am collecting bits and pieces for what I have dubbed my "retirement home layout". Hopefully its many years away but it will be a micro layout and I would love one of these, a corrugated open or two and maybe a flat but I will not need or have space for sets of three of each. If only there was a mix-and-match method of buying them ..................

Three in a pack means just €26 each with free post when you buy two or more (one of each type?) and 3% cash back in points. When larger market UK 4 wheel wagons from others are £35 + each we are working the volumes hard to make these as good value as we can. 

[leslie10646]

3 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

How was loading achieved, lobbed under a grain silo and filled?

Under ones like these at Clara, I assume. The Ranks siding. IRRS St Pat's Day Tour 1963.

                                                                                                                                                     Lance King Collection Copyright Irish Railway Record Society

[DJ Dangerous]

24 minutes ago, Phil3150 said:

This is so frustrating. I am collecting bits and pieces for what I have dubbed my "retirement home layout". Hopefully its many years away but it will be a micro layout and I would love one of these, a corrugated open or two and maybe a flat but I will not need or have space for sets of three of each. If only there was a mix-and-match method of buying them ..................

 

You can use the forum's swapmeet section to arrange swaps with other members.

https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/forum/53-swapmeet/

There are bound to be members who will be in a similar boat to you, happy to swap an open wagon for a grain wagon etc.

You could even create a Swapmeet post in advance, and coordinate with others prior to buying.

[leslie10646]

52 minutes ago, BosKonay said:

Three in a pack means just €26 each with free post when you buy two or more (one of each type?) and 3% cash back in points. When larger market UK 4 wheel wagons from others are £35 + each we are working the volumes hard to make these as good value as we can. 

Hear, hear! A lot of (interesting) wagon for your Bucks!

[Flying Snail]

6 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!”

Goods traffic is about to increase significantly at Dugort, it might escape Todd Andrews axe yet!

This is a nice wagon, I'll definitely pick up a pack

[Mike 84C]

Made mine several years ago quite an easy hack, good chance IRM's will be better detailed though! So is the next one a pallet van ? Here's mine!

[jhb171achill]

6 minutes ago, Mike 84C said:

Made mine several years ago quite an easy hack, good chance IRM's will be better detailed though! So is the next one a pallet van ? Here's mine!

VERY nice!

 

[Phil3150]

1 hour ago, BosKonay said:

Three in a pack means just €26 each with free post when you buy two or more (one of each type?) and 3% cash back in points. When larger market UK 4 wheel wagons from others are £35 + each we are working the volumes hard to make these as good value as we can. 

I'm certainly not complaining about the price - they are excellent value - it's simply that I don't need three of each. I'll certainly look into the Swapmeet possibilites.

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

How was loading achieved, lobbed under a grain silo and filled?

Certainly in some of them, yes. Unaware of variations, if any.

[Mayner]

Interesting seeing IRM announcing the release of the Bulk Grain wagon before announcing the H Van from which its derived. The Bulk Grain variant of the H Van was a relatively rare and camera shy type. Apart from the Wicklow photo accessible on the IRRS Flickr site, there is a photo of two distinct variants of the wagon at Ballysodare Mill in JHBs and Barry Carse's Rails through the West.

Stephen's comment of the wagons in a 3 pack retailing in Ireland at €26 each (incl Vat) is an interesting one , it currently costs me €25 (excl vat) to produce 3D printed versions of the GSWR & early CIE versions of the H Van in undecorated-kit form, and illustrates the impossibility of producing kits or quality 3D printed models at a similar price point to plastic injection models.

I am not complaining I was aware for several years that IRM were planning to release "Bulleid Wagons" and went down the 3D printed road seeing a narrow window of opportunity to produce a range of pre-Bulleid era wagons before IRM released its range of Bulleid era wagons. 

 

Edited April 25 by Mayner

[Mayner]

6 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

How was loading achieved, lobbed under a grain silo and filled?

Likely to have been initially loaded under the large Elevators at Dublin, Waterford and Cork ports and unloaded by gravity at mills around the country, apparently wagons were unloaded through a hole in a road bridge in Limerick and the grain then transhipped by road to Ranks Mill in the Docks.

There is also a photo (possibly O'Dea collection) of grain being transhipped from a grain wagon to a truck at Fermoy during the 60s using a portable conveyor

The GSR originally built 10 hoppers for its own use and 8 for Ranks traffic during the 1930s, the increase in traffic that lead to CIE converting H Vans to grain wagons likely to be tied up with large scale mechanisation of agriculture in Ireland during the 50s leading to increased grain growing and use of grain as stock feed (Anglo-Irish Free Trade Agreement?

Ferns County Wexford seems to have become a significant originating point in the 50 with Ferns-Ballysodare possibly Ardee traffic flows.

Grain seems to have been stored for loading in a typical Irish curved roofed agricultural/industrial building as opposed to a silo/elevator at Ferns and loaded through covered conveyors that projected out of the building.

Some photos of arrangements for loading/unloading at Clara. 

Built 1930s quite a contrast with stone mills built during 19th Century

Ranks Mill Clara 1990s Elevator on left, drystore? on right, seems to have been 2 siding in this area.

Mill Elevator on left smaller building may have been for storing finished product animal feed?  before dispatch

Close up of loading chutes and discharge point.

Looks like the discharge point was set up for unloading trucks after rail traffic ceased during the Mid 70s.

Clara an industrial town once relatively busy with freight traffic mainly tied up with the Goodbody family.

Jute mill served by a long siding west of the station and Goodbodys later Ranks Mill at the rear of the station and two goods yards with its own pilot loco laterly a G Class

 

[flange lubricator]

Great addition to the range ,  hopefully the H vans will be following very shortly. 

[flange lubricator]

Here is a picture of one from Ernie's railway archive on flickr

 

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, flange lubricator said:

Here is a picture of one from Ernie's railway archive on flickr

 

Nice selection.

(JM Design) GSR goods van and CIE guard's van, IRM grain wagon, and a nice GSWR coach in the background.....windows blanked, probably in departmental service and plain wagon grey (no lining)............

[Robert Shrives]

Brake van deffo needed now.   I guess it goes against the "grain" but just ordered a pack on the back of paying for the PW flats.

Robert  

[flange lubricator]

Now that we have nailed the oats don't suppose we could have a tank for the milk ?

 

[Mayner]

4 hours ago, flange lubricator said:

Now that we have nailed the oats don't suppose we could have a tank for the milk ?

 

Possibly Industrial Alcohol from the Chemici Teo Plant at Corry in Mayo shipped through Ballina, traffic survived into the 80s possibly 90s in 10' ISO containers.

The LL Flat particularly with 3 Guinness container or an Aluminium pre ISO CIE container would be a nice 60s era model at home on CIE and UTA and there is even a PWD version of the flat that survived into the 80s!.

 

[Leyny]

Anyone know if these would have been regulars on the Burma Road? Was the mill in Ballysodare supplied from Ballina?