From the Catacombs

[airfixfan]

As I posted earlier they are photos of Ballyboley Junction by Senior. Line not closed until 1950.

[jhb171achill]

In 1915, this was the public train service on the GNR’s Co Down lines.

A few pics of Ballyroney station, currently under restoration, and Ballyward today.

[Gabhal Luimnigh]

Great pictures.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Gabhal Luimnigh said:

Great pictures.

My initial thoughts were “gawwwd, look what they’ve done with the original, and still GNR-painted, timberwork”.

However it transpires that they WANTED to preserve it - but it was riddled with woodworm. So, to a bonfire, unfortunately.

[jhb171achill]

This was taken about 1947. I think it's Magherafelt, Co Derry. Note the stabled NIRTB buses and Railcar No. 3 in the background - Senior had it out for a PW inspection. (jhbSenior's photo)

Edited January 30 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

On 31/3/2020 at 4:40 PM, jhb171achill said:

NIR - Some railcars:

2.  80 No. 87 in ORIGINAL style of end white marking. They had no end logo. This is about 1974, the first year that the first batch entered traffic, and remaining AEC cars were set aside to be de-engined for a very short career as loco-hauled stock.

3.  After their first repainting, they got the “diamond” white patch, with NIR symbol included. This is 86 on an unknown date.

4.  69 newly painted with “citytrack” stickers, c.1979. These were put on MEDs too. I don’t recall seeing them on 70s, but I might be wrong on that.

Some interesting photos, especially the last one.

There were several variations of this front treatment on the 80s.

The first batch had the white 'moustache' as shown. 89 was delivered from BREL fully painted and had a thinner moustache than the rest, which were painted by NIR.

By 1976/77 they had all had the moustache trimmed so that it no longer wrapped round the corners, like this photo from Jonathan Allen on Flickr. 89's was trimmed too, but remained thin.

The second batch was delivered with the diamonds and NIR logos. As far as I can tell, 69 was the only one to have carried the CityTrack logo on the cab front, though it was applied to the sides of many of the class.

There was a lot of variation in the shape and size of the diamonds, this photo of 98 from Jonathan Allen on Flickr is quite different from your image of 69 above:

There first batch were repainted in the late 70s / early 80s with diamonds replacing the moustaches; again there was a lot of variation in the size and shape of the diamond. Later repaints (including some of the second batch) had the ends of the diamond cropped off like your photo of 86, but some had a full diamond like this photo of 81 from Jonathan Allen on Flickr:

So, when IRM get round to producing the iconic 80 class, there are plenty of livery variants to go at, even for the initial livery!

 

[Patrick Davey]

On 30/1/2024 at 3:10 PM, jhb171achill said:

This was taken about 1947. I think it's Magherafelt, Co Derry. Note the stabled NIRTB buses and Railcar No. 3 in the background - Senior had it out for a PW inspection. (jhbSenior's photo)

Looks like Ballyclare JB.

[airfixfan]

Agree broad gauge station as there was an NCC NG station here 2! Now Bus station here

 

 

[jhb171achill]

7 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

There were several variations of this front treatment on the 80s.

The first batch had the white 'moustache' as shown. 89 was delivered from BREL fully painted and had a thinner moustache than the rest, which were painted by NIR.

By 1976/77 they had all had the moustache trimmed so that it no longer wrapped round the corners, like this photo from Jonathan Allen on Flickr. 89's was trimmed too, but remained thin.

The second batch was delivered with the diamonds and NIR logos. As far as I can tell, 69 was the only one to have carried the CityTrack logo on the cab front, though it was applied to the sides of many of the class.

There was a lot of variation in the shape and size of the diamonds, this photo of 98 from Jonathan Allen on Flickr is quite different from your image of 69 above:

There first batch were repainted in the late 70s / early 80s with diamonds replacing the moustaches; again there was a lot of variation in the size and shape of the diamond. Later repaints (including some of the second batch) had the ends of the diamond cropped off like your photo of 86, but some had a full diamond like this photo of 81 from Jonathan Allen on Flickr:

So, when IRM get round to producing the iconic 80 class, there are plenty of livery variants to go at, even for the initial livery!

 

I could be wrong on this, but I've a notion one had the front NIR logo in either dark blue or maybe black at one stage, instead of maroon.

[jhb171achill]

Came across all this stuff while trying to figure out what year Senior visited a couple of places.

In the past, as an adolescent, Senior could get free passes to go where he liked, as in "Mr Beaumont's Son" on one below. "H C" was Senior - his father was "H J". Below a very small sample of a number of their free passes, showing just where one could go by rail in the past. Needless to say, on such travels he rarely saw the inside of a carriage; it was usually on the footplate.

His notes & diaries, such as he kept them, were brevity in extreme; and are now lost anyway, which is a shame. Often, when posting copies of his pictures, I can only date them by these ticket dates, or a map of his, or memory of what he told me.

But - look at the destinations on these.

Oh to turn the clock back!

Edited 16 hours ago by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

From the Catacombs, while I’m STILL looking for other stuff….

This from the 1894 Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford working timetable, showing the service out of Harcourt Street in that year. 

Note that New Ross - Wexford (plus, of course, the South Wexford line) is not yet built; these will open over a decade later in 1906.

DWWR trains then terminated at Ballywilliam, on the GSWR’s Bagenalstown - Palace East line.

 

Edited 15 hours ago by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

And finally, for tonight, extracts from the DSER winter WTT from 1923. Bear in mind this area was affected more than most by destruction during the civil war.

 

[minister_for_hardship]

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

[jhb171achill]

7 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Reduce, reuse, recycle!

Tis exactly what they did! NIR were issuing Lisburn to Connolly returns well into the late 1970s with "U T A" on them!

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Tis exactly what they did! NIR were issuing Lisburn to Connolly returns well into the late 1970s with "U T A" on them!

Used over 15 years after the MR NCC became the LMS NCC!

 

 

[jhb171achill]

One for the road, more recently.

We complain about the modern railway now in a number of ways (me included!), but there’s no denying the service is WAY better on most routes.

(Limerick - Rosslare & Nenagh branch, and catering (remember that?) excluded!)

 

[Patrick Davey]

Great stuff JB!