AEC railcars

[Old Blarney]

The 122 Class Locomotives were used with the former railcar stock on the to push/pull service between Bray and Greystones. Not sure how long they served on this duty for.

[irishthump]

I belive 121s did on rare occasions but it was mainly the preserve of the C class; their withdrawal followed not long after the last former AEC push-pull set was taken out of service. A class locos, as well as 141/181s and 071s were never fitted for push-pull working.

 

The 121's worked the push pulls on the Bray/Greystones shuttle until the Dart was extended to Greystones.

[Garfield]

The 121's worked the push pulls on the Bray/Greystones shuttle until the Dart was extended to Greystones.

 

Ah, that makes sense... getting stuff muddled in my head! Although it was operated by one of the 80 class sets on hire from late 1980s, after the last push-pull was withdrawn (to much joy of passengers, no doubt).

Edited December 7, 2015 by Garfield

[josefstadt]

121 Class locos were used on the ex-AEC push-pulls operating the Bray-Greystones shuttle for the period between the withdrawal of the last of the B201 Class in November 1986 and the withdrawal of the final push-pull on 14 September 1987. The shuttle ceased to operate from that date.

 

The 80-class DEMUs hired from NIR took over the working of the shuttle and the service was restored from 30 October 1987. They remained on the service until 25 November 1990 when, at 13:26, the final shuttle departed from Greystones. From that date until DART services commenced almost ten years later on 10 April 2000, Greystones was served only by the Up and Down Arklow commuter services and the three Rosslare Harbour trains in each direction.

[jhb171achill]

Going back to that picture of the railcar with what the book caption called a "vintage trailer".

 

That is actually one of four 1898-built GSWR dining cars; either nos. 412 or 413, or 343 or 344. At the end of the train is a GSWR 6-wheeled passenger brake van of late 1870s to mid 1880s vintage.

[Garfield]

I've just been looking through the photos Wrenneire linked to here: http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/3454-Bits-on-Flickr?p=85089#post85089

 

Among them is this nice shot of a Bulleid-bodied AEC unit at Bantry in 1960:

 

Bantry station, with passenger and freight trains. 15.9.60 by Roger Joanes, on Flickr

[connollystn]

Hi guys,

Just discovered this post today and, despite my age, wasn't aware that diesel railcars had been so widely used prior to the arrival of the 22Ks. This has been a very informative thread and I enjoyed reading it. Keep up the good work guys.

Gerard

[DiveController]

That link redirects back to this thread though @Garfield

 

 

[Garfield]

7 hours ago, DiveController said:

That link redirects back to this thread though @Garfield

 

 

Clearly I pasted the wrong link...

[DiveController]

No problem. I know its a long time ago. I was going through the thread to see how much interest there was in these railcars and thought you might recall. The Bulleids were very interesting as I hadn't realized they were incorporated into the 2600 class

Edited September 3, 2018 by DiveController

[jhb171achill]

Yes - it would be an interesting rarity. Before seeing it, I'll wager that it was an ex-GSWR dining car!

It is just a terrible pity that Jimmy O'Dea took nothing but black and white. I have been through his entire collection several times, and he has some amazing stuff. It is all available via the National Photographic Archive, free for view.

However, errors in captions are very common, some ridiculously so. the photo above of an AEC car being built at Inchicore as late as 1960 may be an error - it is at least as likely to be a refurb, perhaps after accidental damage. Knowing the railcar number would assist in this.

I notice in the GNR set at Clones...look away to the right of the photo in the distance; a DNGR brake passenger luggage van, still in brown and cream. 

I might add that these photos simply amplify, if such was ever necessary, the great necessity to have a ready to run AEC set; these monopolised many services on the GNR, CIE, UTA and NIR for twenty five years.

[minister_for_hardship]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

 

It is just a terrible pity that Jimmy O'Dea took nothing but black and white. I have been through his entire collection several times, and he has some amazing stuff. It is all available via the National Photographic Archive, free for view.

Slightly ot but in light of the fact that there are "reasonable" amounts of home movies and cine film of railways here in 50s and 60s, it's a shame there's no sound film I'm aware of. We will never get to hear what lost classes of loco (or railcar) really sounded like. 

 

An rtr AEC would be a winner for me, haven't the patience, expertise or equipment for anything other than a simple wagon kit.

Edited November 15, 2019 by minister_for_hardship

[jhb171achill]

They had a very distinctive sound, minister. A bit "throatier" than anything seen after the 1970s!

I looked up one of the preserved AEC cars of GWR origin in Britain. They sound much the same as I remember, though I think the Irish ones were a bit louder - maybe bigger AEC engines?

Edited November 15, 2019 by jhb171achill

[GSR 800]

1 hour ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Slightly ot but in light of the fact that there are "reasonable" amounts of home movies and cine film of railways here in 50s and 60s, it's a shame there's no sound film I'm aware of. We will never get to hear what lost classes of loco (or railcar) really sounded like. 

 

An rtr AEC would be a winner for me, haven't the patience, expertise or equipment for anything other than a simple wagon kit.

The Tom Ferris videos surely would have some audio, not the best quality perhaps but I digress.

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

The Tom Ferris videos surely would have some audio, not the best quality perhaps but I digress.

Much of the soundtrack on those is dubbed, as the originals were mostly silent movies.

 

[DiveController]

At Clara, presumably on a Dublin to Galway service by John Phillips on Flickr

CBSCR to Bantry wasn't a quick trip either. @jhb171achill had the timetables on here at some point c. 2hours

 

Edited April 21, 2020 by DiveController

[jhb171achill]

27 minutes ago, Noel said:

Wonder what it was like travelling from Westland Row to Galway on the 2600............

Did the AEC sets ever do any of the other main line routes in the 50s or 60s (eg Cork, Limerick, Galway, Sligo, Westport, Belfast)?

 

The AEC 2600 cars were very comfortable seating wise and very solid and steady. Like all older railcars they were noisier, though, especially in later years. 

They did all the routes you mentioned above, plus others. The GNR used them in Belfast - Clones and Belfast - Portadown - Derry as well as Dublin - Belfast. CIE used them to Kerry, both the Mallow route and the North Kerry Line, also Waterford - Limerick and Limerick - Sligo. They appeared on Dublin - Wexford too and, of course, Cork to Bantry. (They only did that one route in West Cork).

Indeed, immediately before the “A” and “B101” classes were introduced in 1955/6, they were the principal main-line power.

[Midland Man]

The 2600 are one of the wonders of Irish modeling. The reason they are a wonder is that they came in 2 or 3 railcar units but during GAA specials they would use older stock to accommodate more people thus a unit could consist of 7 carriages (not including the original units). This means you mix and match different stock to your fancy.

MM

Edited April 18, 2020 by Midland Man

[jhb171achill]

Hopefully there will be some day a model of one.... they are a completely essential item on any GNR, GN-area of UTA / NIR or CIE layout of the 1950-70 period.

[Noel]

24 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Hopefully there will be some day a model of one.... they are a completely essential item on any GNR, GN-area of UTA / NIR or CIE layout of the 1950-70 period.

Or could IRM perhaps be on the verge of announcing a 22k?

[Noel]

AEC 2600 push pull set. Silverfox 2600 Driving trailer + Silverfox C class kit on a Bachmann bo-bo donor chassis. One of my abiding memories of AEC 2600 were the massive round buffers, standing at Bray station behind the closed railway gates waiting to depart for Westland Row.

 

[Midland Man]

Lovely model @Noel

 Are they get kit or are they RTR?

[Noel]

43 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

Lovely model @Noel

 Are they get kit or are they RTR?

Cheers MM, The C class was a resin kit, the AEC 2600 DVT was RTR bought a few years ago from SF (Silverfox models) http://silverfoxmodels.co.uk/ir-ie-2600-class-railcar-pushpull-trailer-car/

 

 

SF RTR AEC ex2600 6107 class driving trailer sitting on the former loco release road between platforms 4 and 5 at Kingsbridge. The model passes the 'duck test'.  

AEC DVT 6107 sitting on platform 5

 

SF C class kit below. Reengined C class were later used to push-pull former AEC 2600 sets where the power unit had been converted to a driving trailer. These ran between Bray and Dublin until the Dart tool over.

 

 

 

Edited April 18, 2020 by Noel
typo

[ttc0169]

24 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

Lovely model @Noel

 Are they get kit or are they RTR?

silverfoxmodels.co.uk/ir-ie-2600-class-railcar-aecpark-royal/

 

[jhb171achill]

This is the timetable mentioned above Regarding West Cork. This is September 1960 onwards, the last timetable issued for the section before closure six months later. It was much the same as for many previous years. 

The two return passenger trains to Bantry were AEC sets, normally three-car. By this stage, the branches and goods trains were all “C” class diesels.

 

[Noel]

What a loss that line was and how busy it could be today with both summer holiday traffic to the busy west cork hot spots and for commuters into Cork city. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

[Lambeg man]

The problem I have with the otherwise excellent Silver Fox models, is that the front is incorrect.

The cab front did not overhang the main chassis and large 2' diameter buffers were a CIE feature, not that of the GNR or the UTA. The correct profile for the front cab was an outward angled middle window bar, bottom of cab windows angled backwards horizontally, gentle but pronounced curve along the cab lower panel. On most models to date (INCLUDING MY OWN!) the front profile is too flat.

 

What may not be apparent in the upper picture but which can be seen better in the lower picture is the amount of buffer beam that was exposed at the outer ends by the curvature of the cab front. Also noticeable in many photographs of these Railcars are the grab handles on the front, one under each cab window.

 

I have asked before, but has anyone a suggestion as to how one might construct a correctly fashioned AEC cab front that could be retro fitted to an aspiring model of one these vehicles?

Edited April 18, 2020 by Lambeg man

[Midland Man]

Interesting @Lambeg man

My only problim is the front coplings as they are tooooooo massive.

[Noel]

36 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

Interesting @Lambeg man

My only problim is the front coplings as they are tooooooo massive.

I kadee'd mine. Less intrusive than the massive plastic Hornby hoop tension lock couplings.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Noel said:

What a loss that line was and how busy it could be today with both summer holiday traffic to the busy west cork hot spots and for commuters into Cork city. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Yes, indeed - I always thought that at the very least, Cork - Bandon should have been retained as a commuter line....or Cork - Clonakilty....

1 hour ago, Lambeg man said:

The problem I have with the otherwise excellent Silver Fox models, is that the front is incorrect.

The cab front did not overhang the main chassis and large 2' diameter buffers were a CIE feature, not that of the GNR or the UTA. The correct profile for the front cab was an outward angled middle window bar, bottom of cab windows angled backwards horizontally, gentle but pronounced curve along the cab lower panel. On most models to date (INCLUDING MY OWN!) the front profile is too flat.

 

What may not be apparent in the upper picture but which can be seen better in the lower picture is the amount of buffer beam that was exposed at the outer ends by the curvature of the cab front. Also noticeable in many photographs of these Railcars are the grab handles on the front, one under each cab window.

 

I have asked before, but has anyone a suggestion as to how one might construct a correctly fashioned AEC cab front that could be retro fitted to an aspiring model of one these vehicles?

And then there's the light grey roofs......

[Midland Man]

You are so right 

Wjen they closed it down there was a lot of opposition against it. Pity it closed.

[DiveController]

9 hours ago, Noel said:

Or could IRM perhaps be on the verge of announcing a 22k?

Oh, please no! The AEC would suit everything 50s-80s

4 hours ago, Noel said:

What a loss that line was and how busy it could be today with both summer holiday traffic to the busy west cork hot spots and for commuters into Cork city. Hindsight is a wonderful thing.

Foresight is a wonderful thing, surprisingly uncommon, like sense!

[Warbonnet]

10 hours ago, Noel said:

Or could IRM perhaps be on the verge of announcing a 22k?

I think we should stay on topic, we already had complaints about off topic posts on this thread today which has been dealt with. Let’s not go further with idle and unfounded speculation.

Thank you.

[Colin R]

So since I have had a very brief read of this tread one question which comes to mind is who is doing what in AEC Railcar kits in 4mm scale?

I know about the Silver Fox model, but is there anyone else doing a model of them and if so who?

I am not sure if Worsley works do the basic parts and if they are any good has anyone tried them yet?

[Galteemore]

http://worsleyworks.co.uk/4mm/4mm_Irish_Standard_Gauge.htm
 

2 car set here. Will be a basic etch only.