From the Catacombs

[DJ Dangerous]

Just now, Noel said:

Or a 22k rollar skate yoyo  

Never know, we could be lucky and have the 22000's in model form one day. For now, we can but silently hope.

[Noel]

2 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Never know, we could be lucky and have the 22000's in model form one day. For now, we can but silently hope.

Hope so, I'm in need of some extra door stops, ran out of Lima 201 peat briquettes.

[DJ Dangerous]

4 minutes ago, Noel said:

Hope so, I'm in need of some extra door stops, ran out of Lima 201 peat briquettes.

LOL, so quick to knock what was once a pioneering model...

What will you be saying about the A Class in two years time (when IRM release their 22000's)???

[Galteemore]

16 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Never know, we could be lucky and have the 22000's in model form one day. For now, we can but silently hope.

I’ve nothing against some green railcars being produced 

[Westcorkrailway]

13 minutes ago, Noel said:

Hope so, I'm in need of some extra door stops, ran out of Lima 201 peat briquettes.

I wonder is it cheaper to make steps out of hymek/lima stuff or pure marble!

[DJ Dangerous]

19 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

I’ve nothing against some green railcars being produced 

Wow, looks kind of like a broken down old-timey bus, but at least they knew that railcars were the heart of the railways!

[Galteemore]

That was the height of modernity. This is a broken down old timey bus .....

Edited April 21, 2021 by Galteemore

[DJ Dangerous]

2 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

That was the height of modernity. This is a broken down old timey bus .....

I thought you were gonna post a picture of JHB when I saw the caption.

[DJ Dangerous]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

It's time for your medicine, DJ!

Medication time, JHB...

 

 

[jhb171achill]

I was delving through old issues of "Irish Ralfans News" this afternoon, and found this "snapshot" of the CIE motive power situation as at December 1972, which may be of interest:

1. In December 1972, the last "C" class was re-engine as B220 (thus still black and tan livery, as opposed to recently introduced "supertrain" livery, which was introduced during summer 1972. Was this the last engine ever painted black'n'tan?

2. In traffic:

60 x A

15 x B121

37 x B141

12 x B181

32 x C (now B201) with GM engines

2 x C (now B233 / 234) with Maybach engines

12 x B101 (goods and PW almost totally)

The "E" and "G" class locos are not mentioned, though at that stage while all of the former were technically in traffic, theG601s hadn't been used in years, nor ever would be again, and it is not certain that all sever G611s were usable. It may also be presumed that the D class, even if "on the books" were defunct.

All of the above locos were officially in traffic, but the following were out of use: B101 class 111/3/4, and B234 and K801. So only nine B101s were available for use, mostly way "down south", and only one of the Maybach "C"s was in use - though it is noted that its use was restricted.

The first main line locos had been repainted into "Supertrain" livery. These were 001, 158 and three of the B181s; 183, 187 and 188.

Among the last GNR coaches in service - five of them - had been withdrawn from traffic for scrapping, along with some of the last wooden-panelled GSWR stock, eight of them.

Meanwhile, in the north, the last BCDR thing on wheels in use, the diesel loco No. 28, was withdrawn and (disgracefully) scrapped in Belfast, as were among the last ex-GNR AEC railcars.

 

 

[David Holman]

On 21/4/2021 at 7:19 PM, DJ Dangerous said:

Wow, looks kind of like a broken down old-timey bus, but at least they knew that railcars were the heart of the railways!

Well ahead of its time. Could be driven from either end and had sliding doors, albeit not mechanical.

 The railbus meanwhile had Howden-Meredith patent wheels, where the steel, flanged railway tyre was fitted outside the conventional rubber ones, in an effort to improve the ride. Even had pressure sensors that sounded a hooter in the cab if any of them started to go flat. Now a standard feature on most modern cars of course, but Dundalk works thought of it about 90 years ago.

[Old Blarney]

One for The Catacombs?

Fifty years ago, yes, can you believe it?  If you are unable to recall what happened on a certain section of CIÉ, have a wee LOOK at this link:-

https://www.railscot.co.uk/locations/E/Ennis/

HOW TIME FLIES

[Irishswissernie]

The photo showing goods traffic in the sidings at Ennis looked a little suspect with the Molasses tank and even more so the bulk cement! It looks more like Limerick Works alongside the wagon shop I think. The caption to it gives the date as 1996

Edited May 16, 2021 by Irishswissernie

[airfixfan]

Yes not Ennis and that website is not reliable

[jhb171achill]

More tomorrow....  

From P Dillon / C Fry collection 

Edited May 25, 2021 by jhb171achill

[popeye]

Some of the loco's have the white line, did they all have that first and then later repainted without it?

[jhb171achill]

On 25/5/2021 at 3:30 AM, popeye said:

Some of the loco's have the white line, did they all have that first and then later repainted without it?

Seems to have been random, Popeye. Some always seemed to have them, others seemingly never did and others again were seen in both forms - but it’s worth remembering that both the lines, and numerals (and “snails” on the “A” class were light green, rather than white)....

Edited May 27, 2021 by jhb171achill

[airfixfan]

Some early colour photos of A Class in Silver ar Sligo in current issue of Backtrack magazine

[jhb171achill]

The green started being replaced when the grey and yellow 121s appeared, and the following year the first Black and Tan appeared. For several years, through the 1960s, the norm was a mixture as the next few pics will show.

This was in 1963. The first vehicle is one of quite a few wooden-bodied brakes or mail vans still in use. This one is of obvious GSWR parentage. It’s in faded green - non-passenger-carrying vehicles never got the cosmetic attention that locos and coaches did - it’s as if they were treated like wagons. Then comes the obligatory tin van. Also seen are laminates and (I think) a Bredin, in both the new and old liveries.

 

Edited May 25, 2021 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

This unique version of the black’n’tan livery was applied for a very short time to just a few B101s, never anything else. Full height tan, but no CIE logo, and only a white flash on the ends, as if it was all black.

General rule: if no tan, white on ends only. If any tan (low or high band), white line continued round the side.

[jhb171achill]

Most who saw B101s in use will remember them in black, as this was the livery most carried, most of the time in the 1960s.

 

[Mayner]

19 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Most who saw B101s in use will remember them in black, as this was the livery most carried, most of the time in the 1960s.

 

That's an interesting train consist 2 4w Post office vans, TPO followed by a Park Royal------------possible location Cork Coaching?

The B101s were pretty much as "Southern" loco working on the GSWR system, Dublin-Cork, Dublin-Waterford and Waterford-Limerick mainly on freight and mail trains after the introduction of the B141 Class.

In they worked Heuston Goods-North Wall transfer freights and Parcel Trains to Dunlaoire . 

My first sighting of a B101 was in the bay platform (old station) in Dunlaoire  with a parcels train, I noticed the shape of the loco and bogies were different to a Metrovick.

There usually appeared to be a B101 at Liffey Bridge Junction (waiting to depart with a transfer freight for the North Wall ) when I passed on the 23 bus on trips to the city center or visits to relatives on the Northside. The loose coupled transfer freights were usually banked by an E Class from Island Bridge Junction through the tunnel to Cabra.

[skinner75]

Were the recesses for the staff catcher on the sides of the 101 class ever actually used? I've never seen a pic with a staff catcher fitted in that space. 

It makes the cab side rather ugly compared to the side of a 001/201

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, skinner75 said:

Were the recesses for the staff catcher on the sides of the 101 class ever actually used? I've never seen a pic with a staff catcher fitted in that space. 

It makes the cab side rather ugly compared to the side of a 001/201

I never saw them myself, but it has to be also said that my sightings of them in use were very few!

[connollystn]

I think the recesses give the locomotive a bit of character. I've seen a lot of photographs of the 101s and, until mentioned today, didn't know what the recesses were for. All the same, the B101 is a little beaut. B109 looks really nice in that livery.

[Garfield]

46 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I never saw them myself, but it has to be also said that my sightings of them in use were very few!

I've seen a photo of a silver Sulzer with snatchers fitted, but oddly they were installed the opposite way around so that the snatcher in the rear cab would have to be used to exchange staffs. 

Always thought it was odd that they went to the trouble of incorporating the snatcher recesses into the design only to remove them so quickly, while at the same time the snatcher system remained in everyday use for a number of years after the last Sulzer was taken out of service.

[connollystn]

Any guesses which locomotive IRM will be producing next?

[jhb171achill]

6 minutes ago, connollystn said:

Any guesses which locomotive IRM will be producing next?

NOW ye're talking!

[Garfield]

50 minutes ago, connollystn said:

Any guesses which locomotive IRM will be producing next?

I wouldn't go laying any money down with Paddy Power just yet...  

[jhb171achill]

6 hours ago, Garfield said:

I wouldn't go laying any money down with Paddy Power just yet...  

You must know the IRM guys...........!

[jhb171achill]

Back to the 1960s, and a typical train of the early years of the 141s. Remove the black'n'tan coach, and it applies also to green or silver "A"'s, or grey 121s.

Of the six coaches, five different types are represented, the second being an old GSWR wooden bogie (IRM will release one next week). The silver "livery" is still represented in a few vehicles - the one here uncharacteristically clean. The very end of the train has another old wooden type.

Just one black'n'tan; the rest green or silver. This was where the "grey'n'green" era merges into the "black'n'tan" era - 1963/4/5.

Edited June 1, 2021 by jhb171achill

[Noel]

Great pic of a classic Irish train scene.

[jhb171achill]

My grandfather (1879-1951) started building this (live steam) model in the 1910s. He never got it finished. Too busy working on boiler drawings in Inchicore Works!

I think it was intended to be a 60-class 4.4.0. I believe that at some stage he was working on improvements to these locos.

Sound familiar? How many of us never manage to get a model finished!

 

[GSR 800]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

My grandfather (1879-1951) started building this (live steam) model in the 1910s. He never got it finished. Too busy working on boiler drawings in Inchicore Works!

I think it was intended to be a 60-class 4.4.0. I believe that at some stage he was working on improvements to these locos.

Sound familiar? How many of us never manage to get a model finished!

 

An outside cylindered version?

[jhb171achill]

2 minutes ago, GSR 800 said:

An outside cylindered version?

True!!!!! D'oh!

OK, not sure what it was then. Maybe he was planning to do a 60-class - something lurking in the back of my mind!