Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[Irishswissernie]

Looking at the photos I put on then the line off to the left on them is just a siding as the map shows the Branch as leaving the GNRI line in the down direction ie behind the photographer.

 

[airfixfan]

11 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

I thought that too, but I have just checked an old OS map which suggests the siding in Ernie's photos is a short station siding - the line into the airfield would have started behind the photographer, headed north and made an almost complete circuit of the airfield, terminating near the village of Killead - see the attached screenshots.

Thanks Patrick was speaking to.my friend Paul.earlier this evening about this. We plan to.update the existing Disused Stations page for this station and the Antrim branch

 After I get a book to the printers and 4 new articles completed by next Friday week!

Edited September 8, 2021 by airfixfan

[Irishswissernie]

County Donegal Railways today:

Photographer recorded this as Donegal Town but I'm not so sure Railcar 18 , 1July 1959

This is though 24 August 1954

 

[airfixfan]

Donegal Town it is and Railcar 18 after being rebuilt after fire damage in 1949 always looked a little bit different.

[Andy Cundick]

I hate to say it but its Railcar 16 and i don't think its Donegal the signal for a start(no pun intended) is wrong.I would suggest its Strabane on the rump of the Derry line by the engine shed.Andy.

[Irishswissernie]

1 hour ago, Andy Cundick said:

I hate to say it but its Railcar 16 and i don't think its Donegal the signal for a start(no pun intended) is wrong.I would suggest its Strabane on the rump of the Derry line by the engine shed.Andy.

Yes Andy  you are correct. Checked my files whilst grabbing  my tea. This one isn't uploaded yet. The signal gives the location away, when the Derry line was open it had another arm at the top of the post This is Railcar 14 0n 2 July 1959.

[airfixfan]

Now I have enlarged them.must say well spotted guys. First and last photos are Strabane checking some other Strabane photos in.my collection. Second photo is Donegal Town towards Stranorlar. Still sure it is 18. We can chat more about these new CDR photos on Sunday Colin!

[Irishswissernie]

9 hours ago, airfixfan said:

We can chat more about these new CDR photos on Sunday Colin!

Hi Jim , you can still call me ERNIE on Sunday although my first name Colin is technically my 'Sunday name'

[Irishswissernie]

NIR 111 & 112 at Dublin Connolly 16 May 1988

 

[Andy Cundick]

Sorry definitely Railcar 16,after the fire 18 was rebuilt with smaller front windows this was reversed when she was restored,it can't be 17 as she was gone by then,and neither is it 15 as the clue from the front is a taller vac pipe which is in line with top of the rad core whereas 16s only came up about 2/3rds.Andy 

[murphaph]

I always find that the light blue NIR shade (is it French blue?) looks way lighter on the MM model of 111 than any pictures I've ever seen of it. I know pics can be deceiving etc.

[Irishswissernie]

Limerick 241 on probably the Foynes mixed 12 July 1955

Awaiting the trip to the scrapyard D14 62 Ashtown Halt 23October 1960

 

[Dhu Varren]

On 9/9/2021 at 7:03 AM, Irishswissernie said:

County Donegal Railways today:

Photographer recorded this as Donegal Town but I'm not so sure Railcar 18 , 1July 1959

This is though 24 August 1954

 

 

There seems to be some confusion over the picture of railcar 16 at Strabane. Airfixfan is adamant it is railcar 18, Andy Cundick says it can’t be 18, as 18 has different front windows.

Not being an expert on CDR railcars, I did a bit of research on the subject, and I found the following, but I am open to correction.

Ironically, Airfixfan and Andy are both correct, in a roundabout sort of way.

No 18, as built, was very similar to 16. However, following the fire in 1949, 18 was completely rebuilt with different front windows. The passenger compartment also received different windows. Both these differences made 18 easily recognizable. 18 ran in this condition until preservation.

In 1996, in preservation, 18 was extensively restored to it’s original ‘as built’ condition, which makes it once again look similar to 16. Hence the confusion. Dating of photographs becomes essential for identification of the railcar. In the case of this photograph, since it was taken before closure of the CDR, it has to be No 16.

[the Bandon tank]

I vividly remember remember them loco,s sitting at Ashtown, I would have been six years old.

[jhb171achill]

Never saw those, unfortunately! Saw the remains of a few steam locos lying about at Inchicore, too little left to identify, plus two 0.6.0s at Adelaide, and a lot of loco wheels there........

[airfixfan]

18 hours ago, Dhu Varren said:

There seems to be some confusion over the picture of railcar 16 at Strabane. Airfixfan is adamant it is railcar 18, Andy Cundick says it can’t be 18, as 18 has different front windows.

Not being an expert on CDR railcars, I did a bit of research on the subject, and I found the following, but I am open to correction.

Ironically, Airfixfan and Andy are both correct, in a roundabout sort of way.

No 18, as built, was very similar to 16. However, following the fire in 1949, 18 was completely rebuilt with different front windows. The passenger compartment also received different windows. Both these differences made 18 easily recognizable. 18 ran in this condition until preservation.

In 1996, in preservation, 18 was extensively restored to it’s original ‘as built’ condition, which makes it once again look similar to 16. Hence the confusion. Dating of photographs becomes essential for identification of the railcar. In the case of this photograph, since it was taken before closure of the CDR, it has to be No 16.

Tracked some archive photos down of both 16 and 18 down from different sources

 Yes indeed after this task that indeed it is Railcar 16 as suggested. Accurate dating is so important and it took new photos of both railcars from 1948 before 18 went in fire to confirm Andy is correct!

[Irishswissernie]

Two more  from the late JW Armstrong courtesy of the Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust. Both ca 1950

Enniskillen 88 heading north.

D17 98 at Inchicore running shed

 

[DiveController]

On 1/9/2021 at 1:56 AM, Irishswissernie said:

NCC no 16 at Belfast Docks, looked ancient but was built 1915 to an old design.

 

and the signage on the warehouse advertising asbestos slates!... another time

[Irishswissernie]

GNRI Derry shed today. HC Casserley views on 19 April 1948. 25 and 140 coaling.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Two from September 1978.

021 at Limerick Junction, the first coach looks interesting (possibly!)

A pair of 121's at Rosslare Harbour.

 

[flange lubricator]

1 hour ago, Irishswissernie said:

Two from September 1978.

021 at Limerick Junction, the first coach looks interesting (possibly!)

A pair of 121's at Rosslare Harbour.

 

The coach behind 021 is 32xx BGSV converted from 1950's built stock 

[DiveController]

The entire train is 1950s stock including the converted brake genie if I'm not mistaken, seen here late 70s. They persisted in BnT for quite some time

[airfixfan]

On 14/9/2021 at 7:47 AM, Irishswissernie said:

GNRI Derry shed today. HC Casserley views on 19 April 1948. 25 and 140 coaling.

 

Like the photo on the left and photo on the right was used and badly reproduced in an old Stenlake book.

[Irishswissernie]

JW Armstrong views today from the Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust. Dublin Heuston and Inchicore shed ca 1950

 

[Mayner]

2 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

JW Armstrong views today from the Armstrong Railway Photographic Trust. Dublin Heuston and Inchicore shed ca 1950

 

 

329 was a member of the 321 or D2 Class the largest express passenger 4-4-0s used by CIE. The class were basically re-built as new locomotives in the 1920s with new frames, boilers and contemporary styling, the modern looking tender was originally built to run with the 342 or D4 Class mixed traffic 4-4-0 locos introduced during the late 1930s Inchacores last class of 4-4-0 locomotives.

The van on the left looks like an ex MGWR "Butter Wagon", MGWR wagon and non-passenger stock wer3e fitted with distinctive knuckle hinges.

 

[Galteemore]

Very smart locos. The Irish 4-4-0 was such a varied phenomenon - and the early 50s was arguably the Indian summer of it all - everything from ancient, spidery GSW types as in Ernie’s lower photo, to the gleaming blue bulk of the GN VS, not to mention the 3’ tanks hammering across south Leitrim……

Edited September 16, 2021 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

7 hours ago, Mayner said:

329 was a member of the 321 or D2 Class the largest express passenger 4-4-0s used by CIE. The class were basically re-built as new locomotives in the 1920s with new frames, boilers and contemporary styling, the modern looking tender was originally built to run with the 342 or D4 Class mixed traffic 4-4-0 locos introduced during the late 1930s Inchacores last class of 4-4-0 locomotives.

The van on the left looks like an ex MGWR "Butter Wagon", MGWR wagon and non-passenger stock wer3e fitted with distinctive knuckle hinges.

 

Tis indeed an ancient "butter wagon" - but actually it's GSWR! It does resemble the Midland ones, though.

[Irishswissernie]

A view of Limerick on 14 May 1988 with in the distance 184 on a Special. There are close up views of the loco also added to Flickr today.

 

[Irishswissernie]

I'm working through a bunch of newly acquired negs; can anyone identify this location taken ca 1957-60

 

[Irishswissernie]

Here is another said to be at Limerick Whitsun 1960 although if it was Whitsun then Spring was incredibly late that year as other photos so annotated show trees etc completely devoid of any leaves. I think the bogie coach number is 962 possibly ex WL&W can anyone identify it. Also what does the M stand for

[airfixfan]

On 16/9/2021 at 7:04 PM, jhb171achill said:

Tis indeed an ancient "butter wagon" - but actually it's GSWR! It does resemble the Midland ones, though.

Photo of MGWR Butter wagon on page 131 of your new book JHB

[jhb171achill]

22 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Here is another said to be at Limerick Whitsun 1960 although if it was Whitsun then Spring was incredibly late that year as other photos so annotated show trees etc completely devoid of any leaves. I think the bogie coach number is 962 possibly ex WL&W can anyone identify it. Also what does the M stand for

If that’s what the number is (I can’t make it out) then yes, it’s one of the WLWR’s few bogie coaches. Don’t know what the “M” is - it’s a completely different font to anything used by the railway. Suspect it’s something “unofficial”.

[iarnrod]

962 was withdrawn in 1906 and broken up at Inchicore in 1908, so can't be that coach if the photo is from 1960.

562 possibly.

Edited September 18, 2021 by iarnrod

[Irishswissernie]

A couple post closure of the CDRJC at Strabane today but slightly different from the sad views of locos and coaches awaiting rescue or demise. The narrow gauge vehicles escaped the cutters torch and were on transporter wagons awaiting removal to Belfast. Interesting Transporter wagons.

Directors saloon No 1

Trailer 3 and wagon 136

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[Galteemore]

When ‘Blanche’ was loaded, she was 15 tons over the load limit for the wagon. The bearings kept running hot and the crew taking her to Portadown spent 18 hours booked on, as it took so long to get the load safely down the line. Delays to the Derry Road schedule that day were significant….my dad saw these loads in transit, and recalls Blanche at Portadown without a chimney (presumably removed for gauging purposes).

Edited September 18, 2021 by Galteemore