CIE 1950s train

[jhb171achill]

55 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

Maedbh makes a spirited departure with the Day Mail 

Latest addition to the train, one of the two IFM bogie TPOs

Really wonderful models from Tommy, very impressed!

OUTSTANDING work!!!!

On 1/12/2025 at 7:18 AM, David Holman said:

A fine ensemble. There is something rather nice about a mixed take of vehicles and certainly more interesting than a fixed unit railcard set...

Light years more interesting.

 

On 13/12/2025 at 11:09 PM, GSR 800 said:

Some more work done today. The clerestory and the Bredin Mk2 got some lining, decals and detail picked out. Once again picking out the windows in silver on the Bredin Mk2 was a tedious process!

And with that they now join the train!

Longterm I'd like to change the roof vents on the Bredin mk2 to something smaller, the dapol ones are enormously overscale.

This WHOLE LOT is truly inspirational!

[GSR 800]

6 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

OUTSTANDING work!!!!

All I did this time was buy them and advise all to be silver! Great work from Tommy, quick postage too!

6 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Light years more interesting.

This WHOLE LOT is truly inspirational!

Funnily enough, while I agree, I'm also interested in what CIE had in mind with the American streamliner inspiration.

What they got was about the furthest thing from the 20th century Limited or the Hiawatha!

 

[Mayner]

4 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

Funnily enough, while I agree, I'm also interested in what CIE had in mind with the American streamliner inspiration.

What they got was about the furthest thing from the 20th century Limited or the Hiawatha!

 

Stainless steel stock sometimes tends to look quite battered and rough in close-up   Stock from NZR presitigious Silver Star express stored in Thames after 24 of the coaches were re-gauged and converted for use on the Eastern & Orient Express between Singapore, Malasia & Thailand

https://nzrailphotos.co.nz/photos/silver-star?page=1#lg=119&slide=2167

I suspect Irelands climate with its high humidity and rainfall & the use of unpainted aluminium had a lot to do with the poor weathering/severly tarnished state at CIEs 'silver locos and stock. 

NZR Silver Sar often appeared to be hauled by heavily weathered GM or GE locos which did not help the image.

[skinner75]

1 hour ago, Mayner said:

Stainless steel stock sometimes tends to look quite battered and rough in close-up   Stock from NZR presitigious Silver Star express stored in Thames after 24 of the coaches were re-gauged and converted for use on the Eastern & Orient Express between Singapore, Malasia & Thailand

https://nzrailphotos.co.nz/photos/silver-star?page=1#lg=119&slide=2167

I suspect Irelands climate with its high humidity and rainfall & the use of unpainted aluminium had a lot to do with the poor weathering/severly tarnished state at CIEs 'silver locos and stock. 

NZR Silver Sar often appeared to be hauled by heavily weathered GM or GE locos which did not help the image.

Stored in the Thames more like! 

[Metrovik]

Just had a look through this thread. You've made rolling stock I can only dream to have! Very well done!

[Horsetan]

On 21/5/2026 at 10:03 PM, GSR 800 said:

 

Latest addition to the train, one of the two IFM bogie TPOs

Really wonderful models from Tommy, very impressed!

Incidentally, were the TPO Commonwealth bogies originally 8ft or 8ft 6in wheelbase?

[Mol_PMB]

7 hours ago, Horsetan said:

Incidentally, were the TPO Commonwealth bogies originally 8ft or 8ft 6in wheelbase?

8ft

As far as I’m aware it was only the coaches built at Inchicore in the early 1960s that received the 8’6” commonwealth bogies from new. 

Edited 16 hours ago by Mol_PMB
Last 2 words

[Horsetan]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

8ft...

In that case we're going to have to cut and shut the BR bogies supplied...

[Mol_PMB]

5 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

In that case we're going to have to cut and shut the BR bogies supplied...

Or keep leaning on IRM to make spares available from the Park Royals. There are more differences than just the wheelbase. 

[Horsetan]

24 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

Or keep leaning on IRM to make spares available from the Park Royals. There are more differences than just the wheelbase. 

Yes, I seem to recall the suspension arrangement was slightly different....

[Mol_PMB]

3 hours ago, Horsetan said:

Yes, I seem to recall the suspension arrangement was slightly different....

A couple of photos from Ernie, I could find better ones given time.

8' type (most common in Ireland) had an equalising beam prominent on the outside of the bogie, so the vertical damper is also more obvious:

8'6" type has the equalising beam tucked inside the bogie frame, and vertical damper tucked in a bit:

The BR type is slightly different again (image from John Turner on Flickr) both in suspension (prominent external swing links) and headstock shape:

Modifying one type to the other will be a challenge. I'd say either leave them alone, or replace entirely. 

That's why it would be very helpful if IRM would provide the 8' type as a spare part.

 

A couple more useful links to IRRS photos of bogies. A nice clear closeup of the 8' type:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53508990164

And a couple of views of the rare Irish 8'6" type:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53505734292

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54251290771

 

Edited 10 hours ago by Mol_PMB
added 3 photo links

[Horsetan]

20 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

.... it would be very helpful if IRM would provide the 8' type as a spare part.

We can but hope.

[leslie10646]

On 30/11/2025 at 10:06 PM, GSR 800 said:

"...And we've a tender full of round coal the like of I havent seen in ages and the train isnt too heavy.."

"...Peter curls up on his box and has a sleep and for once I can fire in real comfort. She's burning next to nothing, the injectors are good, it's on the old tender with the flat tank so you throw down instead of lifting, the night is fine - in fact it's the sort of thing that never happens these days."

 

Excerpt from the IRRS Journal no.203, Clements on the Midland.

I'll just mention that that article wasn't even the tip of the iceberg - I have hundreds of pages of Bob's travels to ponder in my dotage. I was going to write something, but the other gent beat me to it.

Great models @GSR 800.