Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[Irishswissernie]

I am thinking Limerick , the old steam shed yard

 

[Lambeg man]

This surely is NIR No. 4 on the 1968 RPSI 'Brian Boru' Railtour. Could well be Limerick. 

[airfixfan]

Limerick sounds right that was the Tour when No 4 came off the road a few times!

[NIR]

4 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Bottom pic - looks like a tamper

I don't think I have ever seen a tamper on NIR. Something to do with the spoil trains maybe?

[Galteemore]

Tamper at Downpatrick (now converted to a hedge trimmer) looks  roughly similar. I do remember NIR had several when I was growing up.

Edited February 25, 2021 by Galteemore

[NIR]

24 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Tamper at Downpatrick (now converted to a hedge trimmer) looks  roughly similar.

Built 1971 so two years too late for the photo

https://www.downrail.co.uk/rolling-stock/nir-hedgecutter-hc1/

The other yellow stuff at Downpatrick is 1978 or later.

It's a mystery...

[Lambeg man]

Roy Beattie was NIR's first civil engineer, though he later went on to become the General Manager. In 1968 he organised the purchase of NIR's first modern PW machines, e.g. a tamper and I think some other mobile track maintenance gadget. The UTA never had anything like this. From memory 'Mac' Arnold bewails their purchase in 'NCC Saga' as the money would have been better spent on repairing steam locomotives! Moving house tomorrow so no access to books at present to give more details. 

Edited February 25, 2021 by Lambeg man

[airfixfan]

Bottom photo at York Road would be around 1969 for two reasons. Firstly the poor condition of the Jeeps. Secondly the photo looks like it was taken in the summer so that rules out 1970

Remember seeing my first tamper about 1969 as well.

[NIR]

10 hours ago, Lambeg man said:

Roy Beattie was NIR's first civil engineer, though he later went on to become the General Manager. In 1968 he organised the purchase of NIR's first modern PW machines, e.g. a tamper and I think some other mobile track maintenance gadget.

I don't think I've seen another photo of them. I expect they got a fair bit of use fettling track during the spoil contract.

[Irishswissernie]

4 was at Limerick! Probably a good idea to check my own slides/negs first! 26 april 1969. 171 was also used

Edited February 26, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[Galteemore]

Yes. Interestingly, 4 was not an RPSI engine at this point, and was still in ‘company’ service. 171 was running with an old VS tender in those days. And the RPSI didn’t own her either at that point - think it was the NI Transport Holding Company who actually owned 171 until 2003. As her boiler went out of ticket in 02, she has, technically, never steamed under RPSI ownership! 

Edited February 26, 2021 by Galteemore

[leslie10646]

As Lambeg man said earlier, it's on the 1969 Brian Boru tour, just after 171's return to service after the H&W overhaul. It was, I think, the RPSI's biggest enthusiast tour contingent - Ian Allan travel brought 70 over in a single group, to bring the passengers up to 300-odd.

Just after the No.4 shot, her pony truck derailed on the iffy shed trackwork and trapped 171 inside! The late Inspector Paddy Gannon, Bless him, simply said to Drew Donaldson - "Decide what you want to do?". The local PW men set to and had her on the track again very quickly - 171 (complete with blown gland) took the train forward on her own, but later 4 caught up (running LE bunk-first and double-headed from Ballybrophy - it's a long story .....   which I often re-tell during talk on the RPSI over here.

"Another place, another time" ...............    and a very different world!

Great stuff, Ernie, as always, thanks.

[Irishswissernie]

Yes its all coming back to me now! I also have scans of photos taken by the late Ken Groundwater (courtesy of the Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust) Ken was on the Tour and took a couple of shots of No 4 receiving 'treatment'  It does look as if the fitter is kicking the pony truck back onto the track whilst his mate is holding the loco up. Big strong lads at Limerick 

One of Ken's photos I put on here a few months or years back shows a number of Tour participants using a 141 as a bandstand.

[NIR]

18 hours ago, Lambeg man said:

Roy Beattie was NIR's first civil engineer, though he later went on to become the General Manager. In 1968 he organised the purchase of NIR's first modern PW machines, e.g. a tamper and I think some other mobile track maintenance gadget.

The only yellow machines at that time seem to have been:

Unilok A2500 works tractor (1965) (now RPSI)

Plasser 05 tamper (1967)

Plasser AL203 lining machine (by 1968)

https://www.ontrackplant.com/forum/on-track-machines/old-nir-machines

https://steamtrainsireland.com/stocklist-diesel-locomotives

Edited February 26, 2021 by NIR

[Irishswissernie]

A couple at Cork, Albert Quay, 90 shunting 12 September 1960

[Galteemore]

LOL I liked those so much I’ve already posted separately ! Interesting details such as the sheer size of the larger vans, and the lightly rebranded ex GN open. 

[Westcorkrailway]

29 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

A couple at Cork, Albert Quay, 90 shunting 12 September 1960

Irelands terrier. The old lady was a staple of rocksavage works. Even though the D class diesel had arrived and she was 75 years old at that point!

 

Delightful photo 

[Irishswissernie]

Added this one to Flickr today. Birdhill, Silver B109  6 June 1961

Edited March 5, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[Noel]

Classic scene. Great photo. Look how well the hedgerows and vegetation were contained back then and not allowed encroach on the track bed

[connollystn]

Don't recall seeing a picture of the B101 in the silver livery. Probably one of the most detailed photographs I've seen of this locomotive. Wonder if the guys at IRM have this in their' sights. Thanks again Ernie so uploading those photographs.

[airfixfan]

Great photo of a Sulzer loco

[popeye]

On 1/3/2021 at 9:23 AM, Westcorkrailway said:

Irelands terrier. The old lady was a staple of rocksavage works. Even though the D class diesel had arrived and she was 75 years old at that point!

 

Delightful photo 

It's a funny turn around with the GN open wagon in Cork and the No90 loco now in Downpatrick.

[Westcorkrailway]

34 minutes ago, popeye said:

It's a funny turn around with the GN open wagon in Cork and the No90 loco now in Downpatrick.

Hoping she will steam again in the near future. Small engine with a lot of character. Not to mention thats its called cork, kerry, down and galway home over its almost 150 years!

[Irishswissernie]

A bumper bundle of Irish narrow gauge uploaded to flickr; 71 Londonderry & Lough Swilly and 7 colour slides West Clare Diesels and railcars.

I thought there had been a colour shift on some West Clare slides but there does appear to have been 2 shades of green as both appear in some of the views.

 

[airfixfan]

Thanks for yet more Swilly!

[jhb171achill]

6 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

A bumper bundle of Irish narrow gauge uploaded to flickr; 71 Londonderry & Lough Swilly and 7 colour slides West Clare Diesels and railcars.

I thought there had been a colour shift on some West Clare slides but there does appear to have been 2 shades of green as both appear in some of the views.

 

These railcars, like the AECs, were delivered in the dark green then the norm. On the West Clare, they never had any lining at all, let alone "flying snails".

However, several (not all) were repainted the lighter green; this photo admirably shows the two shades, albeit in a heavily weathered state, The reason it's a light green cab and a dark green passenger portion is that towards the end, one of the four power cars was usually out of use. I have a note somewhere of which one it was, but not to hand. As a result, the four passenger portions got swopped about at times.

Another anomaly appears to be that some power units had green roofs, some black.

On 1/3/2021 at 8:59 AM, Galteemore said:

LOL I liked those so much I’ve already posted separately ! Interesting details such as the sheer size of the larger vans, and the lightly rebranded ex GN open. 

Yes, and comparing it with the "H" van, you can see the older one has a green flying snail on it. CIE used eau-de-nil for numbers and "snails" at FIRST, but used white from the early 50s onwards.

Anyone modelling late 1940s or very early 50s would therefore have some vans still with a white "G S" on them with white number, or a "new" CIE logo and number in light green.

There were still a couple of VERY shabby goods vehicles with light green snails in West Cork at the time of closure.

[airfixfan]

Some nice colour photos of the West Clare railcars in different shades if green in Narrow Gauge Steam Vol 1 by Kelsey Publishung

[Galteemore]

Cracking pics today Ernie. Downshire was my station for school - amazing to see what called in that day in 1968! 

[Irishswissernie]

Uploaded this one to flickr today.B129 at Boyle 8 June 1961. What makes it even more interesting to me is the footbridge. I like the shed built in to the footbridge support on the left and also the black painted  panels above the tracks - add details like these to your layout .

 

[Galteemore]

Great stuff Ernie. Isn’t this the railtour working to Ballaghadereen when the steam loco allocated failed ? 

[Irishswissernie]

Yes 603 failed at Sligo so B132 worked Sligo-Ballaghadereen and back to Kilfree where B129 took over to Mullingar (According to 6 Bells Junction Railtour files.) At Boyle the train waited to cross B130 heading to Sligo- have this slide to upload in due course.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Added this one to Flickr today. Unidentified 4-4-0. Looks like its probably in use as a stationary boiler. No buffers, no track! Broadstone Dublin shed

 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[Galteemore]

Nice one Ernie. I think it’s D16 532, ‘Wolf Dog’ - just coming off Mr Holman’s workbench as she was in happier times - look at his mail train thread

 Withdrawn 1949 or thereabouts and on washout duties at Broadstone till 57. Only scrapped in 1960 apparently after three years on a siding. 

Edited March 19, 2021 by Galteemore

[David Holman]

Correct! Another preservation opportunity gone missing - if only.

[Irishswissernie]

The Broadstone photo was 28 June 1952. By 23.10.1960 532 had been consigned to Ashtown Halt, next appointment no doubt the scrapman

Couple of views by GT Robinson

Edited April 3, 2021 by Irishswissernie