From the Catacombs

[PorkyP]

These pics and stories are gold dust JHB..!  

[Galteemore]

Another good option for Swilly modelling would be 15mm scale in the garden - a suitably wild garden naturally, strewn with rocks and heather! In that scale one could even contemplate a coal-fired tender engine....

[jhb171achill]

A friend of mine had planned years ago to build a live steam 3 1/2in. gauge Swilly tender loco. Never got round to it, but THAT would have been a sight for sore eyes!

[jhb171achill]

We’re off to Dromod and Ballinamore. I haven’t an exact date but these are about 1931/2, taken by my grandfather this time. Locomotive No. 1 “Isabel” was the last C & L engine to remain in pre-GSR leaf green livery. Here this may be discerned, in its typical C & L cosmetic shabbiness once the GSR & later CIE were in charge.

[PorkyP]

The Ballinamore station building is still in good condition, and in use as far as I know (not as a railway station of course! ). I got the Mrs to take some pics recently when visiting relatives nearby..

Edited March 26, 2020 by PorkyP

[PorkyP]

There's a little memorial stone and a few feet of track nearby..pic taken when over that way last year.

[jhb171achill]

Is that 3ft gauge? Looks more like 2'6"....?

[Midland Man]

Aint there a presentation movement there at Dromod?

[Noel]

12 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

Aint there a presentation movement there at Dromod?

There is indeed a preservation movement at Dromod right beside the railway station. They also have about 1/2 mile of narrow gauge track. Very eclectic collection of vehicles and strange things collected in their yard. Everything from yellow submarines, to loco parts, to old trucks and buses and their narrow gauge rolling stock. They have the cab of a 121 loco. The guy who runs it is the spitting image of Norman Wisdom. Well worth a visit.

[jhb171achill]

At Dromod they have two steam locomotives. One was a new-build, "Dromad", currently out of traffic and under repair. The other is a little beauty - newly restored and back in working order just over a year ago, i think - she is "Nancy", a rare 3ft gauge British industrial loco. They have a short line to operate on, though my understanding is that this is currently under repair. The actual original Cavan & Leitrim station is in use and very nicely done up. Great atmosphere there.

They have, for long term restoration, the remains of two ex-Tralee & Dingle carriages plus one of the West Clare railcar trailers. As others have mentioned, there's other stuff too.

I saw "Nancy" in steam last year during the RPSI's annual "May Tour", Sadly, this tour can't operate this year due to the coronavirus.

As an aside, folks, all of our preservation groups will need every red cent of help they can get this year as the finances of even the biggest are never exactly overflowing with spare cash, and grants are becoming harder to get.

The middle one of my pictures above is of Dromod station about 1931. It has barely changed today.

[PorkyP]

57 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Is that 3ft gauge? Looks more like 2'6"....?

I get the impression they just found a few bits of old track and bits of sleeper, and threw them on the ground any old how,  just as a token memorial, it wont be a section still in place. Where the track was going thru the station has been filled in to 'ground level'. Its just a flat area now behind the building.

Edited March 26, 2020 by PorkyP

[jhb171achill]

I'd love to buy that building and restore it!

My late grandmother used to play in the loco yard as an 8-year old girl with her two friends, one of whom was the daughter of the traffic Manager, William Henry McAdoo..... and they'd no PTS or dayglow vests.......

She used to relate a story about chasing the hens which belonged to one of the railwaymen, which used to potter about at the back of the loco shed....

Only in Leitrim!

[Noel]

All I know is the Ballinamore bridge on the Shannon-Erne waterway is one of the lowest on the waterway and some boats only have 1" headroom clearance requiring it to be walked through by hands under the bridge roof rather than by power.

[Galteemore]

6 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I'd love to buy that building and restore it!

My late grandmother used to play in the loco yard as an 8-year old girl with her two friends, one of whom was the daughter of the traffic Manager, William Henry McAdoo..... and they'd no PTS or dayglow vests.......

She used to relate a story about chasing the hens which belonged to one of the railwaymen, which used to potter about at the back of the loco shed....

Only in Leitrim!

And that was south Leitrim. North Leitrim is another story again!! Michael Hamilton tells a fantastic story of an SLNC guard on a break between turns at Enniskillen (Fermanagh, I know, but the SLNC was really a Leitrim railway ) on 12 July or similar occasion. He ended up getting rather gregarious in the refreshment room with some of the brethren, culminating in him parading through the town banging a drum. Another guard had to be found for the return goods..,.

Edited March 26, 2020 by Galteemore

[PorkyP]

14 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I'd love to buy that building and restore it!

My late grandmother used to play in the loco yard as an 8-year old girl with her two friends, one of whom was the daughter of the traffic Manager, William Henry McAdoo..... and they'd no PTS or dayglow vests.......

She used to relate a story about chasing the hens which belonged to one of the railwaymen, which used to potter about at the back of the loco shed....

Only in Leitrim!

I believe they're planning to use it next as a community centre or something, it has been a school previously..

[jhb171achill]

13 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

And that was south Leitrim. North Leitrim is another story again!! Michael Hamilton tells a fantastic story of an SLNC guard on a break between turns at Enniskillen (Fermanagh, I know, but the SLNC was really a Leitrim railway ) on 12 July or similar occasion. He ended up getting rather gregarious in the refreshment room with some of the brethren, culminating in him parading through the town banging a drum. Another guard had to be found for the return goods..,.

I could WELL believe that! My grandmother had stories of these people falling out with locals in the area. She lived there from about 1900 until about 1908. HER father, my great-grandfather, was not one to mince his words on all things political, and the rest of the family tried to steer him away from such discussions.....! County Leitrim at that time was a place where you were better keeping your opinions to yourself.......

Edited March 26, 2020 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

Fancy a jaunt?

[jhb171achill]

Cork (Summerhill) closed in 1893!

These were lent to me by a friend, to choose some for inclusion in the Clifden book.

[Lambeg man]

Hi Jon,

Thought some of these may be of interest to watchers of this thread.

 

  

[jhb171achill]

Superb stuff, Lambegman!  Great Northern Heaven...

Edited March 26, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Lambeg man]

Here is one more and probably the most interesting. Most published photographs of an AEC set working on the Bundoran Branch cite the service being an excursion from Dublin. A relatively simple operation if the train ran non-stop between Clones and Bundoran (no Customs inspections required). However this little trip from Belfast would have entailed Customs inspections at Kesh (H.M.) and Ballyshannon (ROI). Although there were some BUT Railcars around in August 1957, this working was surely an AEC set? I assume the date in question was a Bank Holiday? Arrival back in Belfast would have been around 23.00.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Lambeg man

[jhb171achill]

Sticking with the GNR, we have the following.....

1.  “It’s just a diesel”, as Snr. Might have commented - yet it didn’t stop him taking a picture of it! An AEC set in Amiens St., ready to go to Belfast. Evidently this was within weeks, or possibly days, of their introduction (1950?).

2.  Local train in Lisburn, late 1930s.

3.  A big blue 4.4.0! I’ve a nite somewhere of which it was, and the date, but I don’t have it immediately to hand.

4.  This is a very poor print but the negative is MUCH better, so all is not list. I’ll hopefully get it enhanced some day. This is at Fintona in October 1958, and the tram is being prepared for its last ever journey to Belfast.

Edited March 27, 2020 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

The 70 class, between 1975 and 85.

Several of these are not mine - they were given to me by a friend.
 

Livery detail: the second one has a maroon NIR logo on the front, but normal gold one on the sides. This was unique and only appeared late in the day. The other power car appears not to have a logo, but as was often the case, you could just see traces of it, as they tended to get worn away by power washing to get flies off the ends in summer.

 

[Lambeg man]

 

45 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

 “It’s just a diesel”, as Snr. Might have commented - yet it didn’t stop him taking a picture of it! An AEC set in Amiens St., ready to go to Belfast. Evidently this was within weeks, or possibly days, of their introduction (1950?).

Hi Jon,

It is not an AEC set, it is a BUT set. The date is July/August 1958 and despite the absence of a nameboard MAY be the 17.30 down "Enterprise". No. 901 is probably on the other end with two '700' cars tucked behind it. The carriage next to No. 901 is an All First 'C 2', next to which appears to a Brake/Second.

Edited March 27, 2020 by Lambeg man

[NIR]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

The 70 class, between 1975 and 85.

Great pic of that weird bogie. Coil secondary springs like the B5 but maybe set more laterally, like the dampers, to help with tracking/ride?

Edited March 27, 2020 by NIR

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Lambeg man said:

 

Hi Jon,

It is not an AEC set, it is a BUT set. The date is July/August 1958 and despite the absence of a nameboard MAY be the 17.30 down "Enterprise". No. 901 is probably on the other end with two '700' cars tucked behind it. The carriage next to No. 901 is an All First 'C 2', next to which appears to a Brake/Second.

I bow to your superior knowledge, Lambeg man! Thus, it’s within a few weeks of those sets?

Body-wise, AEC-style appearance - now I recall there were some of those, and if I’m not mistaken, some actually went into traffic just after the GNR has been divided up?

[Lambeg man]

Hi Jon,

Not so much "those sets" as that type of Composite full cab BUT Railcar numbered '90x'. There is an E. M. Patterson photograph on page 126 of Diesel Dawn dated 23rd July 1958 showing BUT Railcar No. 902, describing it as "brand new" and on the 10.30 up 'Enterprise'. My guess is that "Brand new" No. 901 (as shown in your photograpgh) was on the other end of the same train.

BUT Railcars (the initial '700' series power cars) first entered service in June 1957.

The following is a short table of details for the '900' series BUT Railcars showing dates of introduction:

901	07/1958	Painted in the UTA ‘Regional’ blue/cream livery circa 1965/66.	131	?
902	07/1958		132	?
903	08/1958	Ran in service for a period around July & August 1964 with noticeable damage to the front panel. Withdrawn following bomb damage at Gt. Victoria Street station on 23/3/1972.	133	3/1972
904	08/1958	Damaged in a derailment at Glenealy, Co. Wicklow on 24/5/1966.	CIÉ	?
905	09/1958	Painted in UTA ‘Regional’ blue/cream livery July 1965.	134	?
906	09/1958		CIÉ	?
907	10/1958		135	?
908	10/1958	Destroyed by fire at Finaghy on 28/2/1960. It was erroneously reported by IRN in October 1963 that rebuilding was underway.	CIÉ	?/1962

Information courtesy of Martin Baumann.

As you correctly stated, the last two came out of Dundalk Works after the dissolution of the GNR(B). No. 907 which was already destined for the UTA came out in GNR 'Railcar' livery, while No. 908 came out painted in the then current CIE 'green' livery. 

Edited March 27, 2020 by Lambeg man

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, NIR said:

Great pic of that weird bogie. Coil secondary springs like the B5 but maybe set more laterally, like the dampers, to help with tracking/ride?

Quite possibly, NIR. I can tell you one thing - they were very lively indeed to travel in! Especially north of Ballymena, where the state of the track didn't help......

2 hours ago, Lambeg man said:

Hi Jon,

Not so much "those sets" as that type of Composite full cab BUT Railcar numbered '90x'. There is an E. M. Patterson photograph on page 126 of Diesel Dawn dated 23rd July 1958 showing BUT Railcar No. 902, describing it as "brand new" and on the 10.30 up 'Enterprise'. My guess is that "Brand new" No. 901 (as shown in your photograpgh) was on the other end of the same train.

BUT Railcars (the initial '700' series power cars) first entered service in June 1957.

The following is a short table of details for the '900' series BUT Railcars showing dates of introduction:

901	07/1958	Painted in the UTA ‘Regional’ blue/cream livery circa 1965/66.	131	?
902	07/1958		132	?
903	08/1958	Ran in service for a period around July & August 1964 with noticeable damage to the front panel. Withdrawn following bomb damage at Gt. Victoria Street station on 23/3/1972.	133	3/1972
904	08/1958	Damaged in a derailment at Glenealy, Co. Wicklow on 24/5/1966.	CIÉ	?
905	09/1958	Painted in UTA ‘Regional’ blue/cream livery July 1965.	134	?
906	09/1958		CIÉ	?
907	10/1958		135	?
908	10/1958	Destroyed by fire at Finaghy on 28/2/1960. It was erroneously reported by IRN in October 1963 that rebuilding was underway.	CIÉ	?/1962

Information courtesy of Martin Baumann.

As you correctly stated, the last two came out of Dundalk Works after the dissolution of the GNR(B). No. 907 which was already destined for the UTA came out in GNR 'Railcar' livery, while No. 908 came out painted in the then current CIE 'green' livery. 

Interesting information, Lambegman - thank you! I was unaware the very last came out in CIE green.....

Some of the AECs, plus at least one of the Gardner artics,  ran in the early 60s still in navy & cream but with UTA roundels.

Out near Hazelhatch, about 1940. Senior is out cycling and 800 scuttles past.....  the second coach is a "Great Southern Pullman" in the 1929-34 brown and cream GSR livery. The leading coach, a GSWR side-corridor, is of course in maroon.

Edited March 27, 2020 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

Back to the Derry Central, and other things NCC.

The winter of 1947 had the heaviest snow ever seen in Ireland. One of the worst affected areas was the NCC. And they built an almost totally unknown thing in Ireland, a full size snowplough.

Again, this is a copy of a truly dreadful print, but I have negative and it’s much better.

The other pictures are the dual gauge track at Larne Harbour, and a crane.

Regarding the crane, I don’t know what’s happening other than its on the Derry Central, it’s sometime between 1944 and 1947, and there’s a Civil Engineer’s possession. I suspect it might be a bridge replacement. 

Answers welcome on the back of a €100 note.

[jhb171achill]

QUIZ QUESTION; the answer to which might surprise someone!

What and where is this?

 

[Patrick Davey]

Awesome photos - the quiz photo looks like a top 'n' tail with a tank loco nearest... are you still in NCC territory.....can you give us a clue re. the year JB?  A spoil train obviously comes to mind but am thinking it's not as simple as that?

 

[Patrick Davey]

And the 060 with the snowplough suggests Ballyclare Junction with the footbridge and tall cabin?  The chimney pot arrangement on the station building also matches with the photo on page 93 of Ian Sinclar's 'Along UTA Lines'.

[jhb171achill]

12 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

And the 060 with the snowplough suggests Ballyclare Junction with the footbridge and tall cabin?  The chimney pot arrangement on the station building also matches with the photo on page 93 of Ian Sinclar's 'Along UTA Lines'.

Ballyclare Junction it is. Not sure WHICH 0.6.0, no mention of it in his list. Some he quoted dates and everything else not obvious - others, the notes appear not to have survived.

The pic from the footplate - yes, you've got it. From the cab of a "Jeep"; on a spoil train about 1968/9. The most unusual "spoil train" photo I've ever seen. This particular one was taken by someone else - not sure who.

[Patrick Davey]

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Ballyclare Junction it is. Not sure WHICH 0.6.0, no mention of it in his list. Some he quoted dates and everything else not obvious - others, the notes appear not to have survived.

The pic from the footplate - yes, you've got it. From the cab of a "Jeep"; on a spoil train about 1968/9. The most unusual "spoil train" photo I've ever seen. This particular one was taken by someone else - not sure who.

Chuffed (ha!)  Great photos JB, please keep them coming, much needed at the moment.

[jhb171achill]

Tomorrow's lot are more modern - NIR in the maroon'n'grey era.....