Triang R29 Irish Kitbash Potential

[Auto-Train Original]

I know it is probably pointless, but just in case,  someone gave me a box of Triang R29 'shorter' BR coaches  - not the really short ones  - would they have any potential to kitbash into something Irish? Thanks.

Edited November 27, 2025 by Auto-Train Original

[33lima]

I was happy just to repaint a few ínto black and tan, and add a converted Mk1 genny. Tried to stick to ones without the bowed ends and may replace the clip-in underframe units at some point. Usually seen behind my black and tan A or C Classes. Have a second rake repainted in lined mid green.

[jhb171achill]

On 27/11/2025 at 12:56 PM, Auto-Train Original said:

I know it is probably pointless, but just in case,  someone gave me a box of Triang R29 'shorter' BR coaches  - not the really short ones  - would they have any potential to kitbash into something Irish? Thanks.

While close up they’re not remotely like anything that ran here, the black’n’tan livery is so striking that these will look very credible in it. An excellent budget job.

Make sure you paint the roofs black as well, rather than grey, whether in green or black’n’tan.

Edited February 26 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

My understanding is that the BnT livery was specifically designed to make a disparate rake of carriages look uniform. The black helped to conceal the style and size of windows and whether the coaches were panelled or flush-sided. The original specification had the split line between the black and the tan defined at a consistent height above rail for all stock, so they all seemed to line up and looked consistent. Then after a few months they decided to change the height of that split! The tan ('golden brown' on the original drawing) was also well-chosen so that a bit of weathering and brake dust didn't look obvious.

[jhb171achill]

52 minutes ago, 33lima said:

I was happy just to repaint a few ínto black and tan, and add a converted Mk1 genny. Tried to stick to ones without the bowed ends and may replace the clip-in underframe units at some point. Usually seen behind my black and tan A or C Classes. Have a second rake repainted in lined mid green.

 

13 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

My understanding is that the BnT livery was specifically designed to make a disparate rake of carriages look uniform. The black helped to conceal the style and size of windows and whether the coaches were panelled or flush-sided. The original specification had the split line between the black and the tan defined at a consistent height above rail for all stock, so they all seemed to line up and looked consistent. Then after a few months they decided to change the height of that split! The tan ('golden brown' on the original drawing) was also well-chosen so that a bit of weathering and brake dust didn't look obvious.

That’s correct, yes. It looked odd on some older stock when the split between the black and (technically incorrectly described) “golden brown” seemed to look as if it was in the wrong place! Latterly, it tended to be at a level more suited to the contours of the individual vehicle.

Also, in earlier experiments with this livery in 1962, the white band above the windows was thicker.

 

[Mol_PMB]

More details and examples of the early variant here. As JHB says, the depth of the colour bands was changed, generally with more tan and less white, photos indicate that change was implemented from May 1962 and then the livery stayed pretty consistent until the late 1980s.

 

[jhb171achill]

6 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

More details and examples of the early variant here. As JHB says, the depth of the colour bands was changed, generally with more tan and less white, photos indicate that change was implemented from May 1962 and then the livery stayed pretty consistent until the late 1980s.

 

That was a carefully-pushed publicity photo. It includes a railcar set in a fairly random-looking consist very likely because these were the very first things painted in this livery.

[Mayner]

On 27/2/2026 at 1:48 AM, 33lima said:

I was happy just to repaint a few ínto black and tan, and add a converted Mk1 genny. Tried to stick to ones without the bowed ends and may replace the clip-in underframe units at some point. Usually seen behind my black and tan A or C Classes. Have a second rake repainted in lined mid green.

The repainted coaches look reasonably ok from a distance/as a complete train, ideal if you want to get something running in a reasonable time frame.

Accurately modelling 1950s CIE stock involves either a considerable level of time and effort modifying or scratchbuilding stock, its really a question of how a person prefers to spend their spare/model railway time.

[Westcorkrailway]

I was always happy with how mine came out