From the Catacombs

[DiveController]

EDIT:Length 22' 3.5"  Wheelbase 5' 0" & 5' 11" Weight 23T 8cwt,  10" x18" cylinders and 12" x 18" cylinders at one point, 3' 8.5" drivers

 

Edited April 5, 2020 by DiveController

[Galteemore]

Midland Man said ......Lovely stuff My future OO gauge layout will only focus on small traction would 100 be as long as a juntie chassis 
 

Way too big, I think. Brighton Terrier would be nearer, but still on the large side I’d say. Maybe even an SECR P class.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Galteemore

[DiveController]

P class: Length 24' 1",  wheel base of 11', 3' 9' drivers, weight 28T 10cwt, 12" x 18" cyclinders

Edited April 5, 2020 by DiveController

[jhb171achill]

The SECR "P" class would probably have the nearest suitable chassis, but the wheel design, spokes, etc., wouldn't be right. 

The ex-Midland J26 or "E" class tanks worked in there too from time to time, especially during the beet season. Had the line lasted into the 1960s, and had steam also lasted, 90 & 100 would still not have done. You'd have seen 560 coming back from Tralee to work this line.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Galteemore said:

That picture sums up the appeal of Irish railways, and why I model a 1950s backwater.  Pure class.

Me too. It's much easier to do a convincing model of a backwater or very small terminus than a huge one.

Imagine trying to make a scale model of Connolly Station, or pre-elimination-of-goods Heuston! It would probably cover an airport hangar.

This gets me thinking. How to model a compact city terminus.

Elsewhere, someone had mentioned Galway and Harcourt St. One mighty add Letterkenny or Derry (CDR). I always thought that if done as 5'3" stations, the same potential is there. Equally, the station at Albert Quay is suitable for scaling down, and the terminal building (the only bit of the station left) is an ideal prototype for a city terminus due to its handy shape and comparatively compact size.

In Senior's collection, there is a photo of Letterkenny taken about 1945 (need to check date). The place is absolutely jam-packed solid with goods and a long loco-hauled passenger train from Strabane. I will fish this out and post it.

Edited April 5, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Galteemore]

Yes, you’d really need tiny LNWR type wheels or similar

[Midland Man]

My first real ideas of building Moate in the 1920s was when I saw a LSWR model of Semely in England. Right know I am building the mocks up engines For Moate Today I am working on a C class.

[jhb171achill]

8 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Yes, you’d really need tiny LNWR type wheels or similar

Something like that....

By the way, I obtained more detailed about 90's ancestry recently. This shows that some of the parts were made by Grendon's in Drogheda, while obviously the thing was built in Inchicore. It is thought that the carriage portions of these engines may have used "re-cycled" carriage wheels from the GSWR....

While 90 was built in Inchicore, it was not a GSWR loco originally. Instead of a number, it was designated "C" (for Castleisland), only acquiring the number "90" a few years later when the GSWR took over the Castleisland Railway Co. 91 & 92 would follow, with 99 & 100 some years later; some with and without carriages portions.

It has been rebuilt heavily. It was very substantially rebuilt about 1915/8 and at one stage was given the boiler out of "Sprite".

[Midland Man]

Interesting history number 90 is always reminded me of the engine used to build the Achill line that ended up with the GNRI and St Patrick (not the c class) but the only engine bought the LLSR in 5ft 3in gauge. Both are lovely engines.

[GSR 800]

3 hours ago, Midland Man said:

Lovely stuff My future OO gauge layout will only focus on small traction would 100 be as long as a juntie chassis 

Jinty would be far too large, as said a P class is probably the best bet.

Terrier would be closer to a J26,  coincidentally I've been meaning to get a terrier so comparisons between the two can be made in proper and decent order!

[jhb171achill]

57 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

Interesting history number 90 is always reminded me of the engine used to build the Achill line 

This is what was used to build the Achill line, in later GNR guise. It seems to have shunted around Clones, and possibly used on the Belturbet branch, up to the early 1930s.

It would have been perfect for Downpatrick.

[Midland Man]

 The engine has such a pesonality I believe it was called Achill when working on the line in the 1890s 

[jhb171achill]

No, “Achill” was “E” class No. 115, later “J26” 560, which ended its days shunting in Tralee and working to Fenit in 1962 or so.

The loco above was named “Newmarket” by the contractor, as it had previously been used building the Banteer - Newmarket line.

[jhb171achill]

For tonight, several unrelated pictures..... 

1.  NCC open at Antrim in UTA livery, 1970s. By this stage they were only used for ballast trains.

2.  The last loco*-hauled carriages on NIR were mostly ex-NCC stock, with one or two ex-GNR, and several de-motored ex-GNR railcars. They were all maroon (same colour as railcars) with a 3 inch (I measured it!) light grey band at waist level. This was the same light grey as on the upper panels on the railcars, not to be confused with the ONE-inch WHITE band used on maroon & blue railcars and Enterprise stock.

(*  I mean “proper” locos, steam not diseasel!)

3.  The ONLY pic which Senior took, the one time he travelled on the Castlederg line just before it closed! An axlebox!!!!

4.  Evidently, this engine was under repair when he saw it; the cream-coloured highlighting of the number now barely noticeable. 

[DERAILED]

Poor old No.90. seen departing from the Bay Platform at Mallow in 198x. The only way was by road - ie along the road on rubber mats. Not a straightforward operation as we had to bring the loco down a steep hill, turn 45 degrees and pass under the mainline, followed by another 45 degree turn and up the hill on the other side into the goods yard. It was winter, the height of the beet season and we had to direct traffic as the Gardai didn't want to know. One JCB pulling and one holding back it took the whole day as I remember and it was pitch dark by the time 90 reached the goods yard. All done to stop Westrail getting it!

Sorry about the poor photo - I binned the rest years ago.

 

[irishrail201]

On 3/26/2020 at 11:25 AM, jhb171achill said:

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.

 

Excellent pic JB. As has been stated here very similar scene has been recreated from this angle. Those interested should look at us on Facebook for more upto date information.

 

[Midland Man]

43 minutes ago, DERAILED said:

Poor old No.90. seen departing from the Bay Platform at Mallow in 198x. The only way was by road - ie along the road on rubber mats. Not a straightforward operation as we had to bring the loco down a steep hill, turn 45 degrees and pass under the mainline, followed by another 45 degree turn and up the hill on the other side into the goods yard. It was winter, the height of the beet season and we had to direct traffic as the Gardai didn't want to know. One JCB pulling and one holding back it took the whole day as I remember and it was pitch dark by the time 90 reached the goods yard. All done to stop Westrail getting it!

Sorry about the poor photo - I binned the rest years ago.

 

That livery is lovely I seen a model of the engine in that livery and it looks lovely as well. Is  the green GSR green?

[Lambeg man]

Hi JHB,

May I ask where the picture of NIR No. 340 was taken? - LBM

[airfixfan]

NCC 340 is at Whitehead RPSI 

[Lambeg man]

Dromod in 1990....

View west from the footbridge....

 

Front of the C&L building, then a private residence....

 

Trackside view of the same building (obviously without any track).....

 

Many thanks Airfixfan, I did not recognize the background.

Edited April 5, 2020 by Lambeg man

[DERAILED]

The Fenit line had long been abandoned by the GSRPS at the time  those photographs were taken. I had given up on it along with most of those involved after our inspection car trip over the line on the 28th January 1987. The last 'legal' vehicle to traverse the line.

The Ruston at Fenit was from CSE Mallow and eventually passed to Noel Phair, a scrapman from Clonakilty, who passed it on to the Clonakilty Model Railway Village. It's there to this day with a clock on the front pretending to be a steam engine - all part of an EU/Public funded farce.

[Lambeg man]

Many thanks for the info on the shunter Derailed. That was all news to me. May I ask if you know why was the removal of track so sporadic, i.e. it was still in place at a number of sections and gone in others?

[DERAILED]

4 minutes ago, Lambeg man said:

Many thanks for the info on the shunter Derailed. That was all news to me. May I ask if you know why was the removal of track so sporadic, i.e. it was still in place at a number of sections and gone in others?

I cannot say, obviously it was intact when we travelled over it and I was never in the area since apart from a flying visit to Fenit in 1997 to remove the ground frame.

Edited April 5, 2020 by DERAILED

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Lambeg man said:

Hi JHB,

May I ask where the picture of NIR No. 340 was taken? - LBM

Whitehead. It was one of three that the Society had just acquired from NIR, another seen behind. Two of ex-GN origin would follow, one of which would fall to bits through rot, in the year, after a storm (595). You'll note some of the droplights have still the light grey livery.

A short time later, I started work on an external repaint of this coach. Given financial constraints, the instructions I was given, and a cheap deal on paint, I painted it in the wrong shade of maroon, with the wrong markings, incorrect lettering and font style..... My apologies!

I was ably assisted in those days by my coaching colleagues of the time, Ken Pullin, Alan Edgar and Alan Love. 

Them wuz the days. There was always a nice pint in the Dolphin at the end of the day.......

[Irishswissernie]

Going back to your photo of 129 at Sallins which I identified as Kildare I couldn't find a photo at the time to confirm my theory although the 25" old maps  confirmed the track plans at both stations. I should as usual have checked my own flickr images as the above one of 171 which shows the distinctive Water Tower and doors in its wall as seen in your photo confirms Kildare as does the church tower in my photo.

Ernie

[jhb171achill]

Interesting, Ernie. I definitely had a note of this being Sallins, which I visited twice. Could there have been another water tower like it, I wonder? Seems improbable, but I’m puzzled now.....!

———————————————————

BANG!!!!

B201 (ex-C201) after an unfortunate encounter with two milk churns placed in its cab in 1973.

 

Edited April 6, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Irishswissernie]

I found another view in the IRRS photo Archive on flickr (this is only accessible to IRRS members) taken by Norman Gamble of a wagon in the Kildare sidings with the water tower wall and but also that leaded window.

All very interesting, please keep them coming

Ernie

[jhb171achill]

Cavan & Leitrim, Ballinamore, mid 1930s.

I think my grandfather took this.  

It shows the original carriage shed, which the GSR short-sightedly demolished to save paying the rates; they would end up paying more for carriage repairs.

The rainy Leitrim weather does no favours to anything with a wooden roof and sides, stored in the open!

[Midland Man]

9 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

I found another view in the IRRS photo Archive on flickr (this is only accessible to IRRS members) taken by Norman Gamble of a wagon in the Kildare sidings with the water tower wall and but also that leaded window.

All very interesting, please keep them coming

Ernie

I am a member of the but I never knew about the online archive how do you log in.

[Irishswissernie]

If you look at their web site there is a members section which tells you how to do it.  I think you have to send a flickr mail  request from your flickr site with your name + membership number and they then accept it. Takes a few days.

They have been expanding the flickr photo archive quite a bit recently.

http://irishrailarchives.ie/index.php/archives/photographs/

Ernie

[jhb171achill]

At the DNGR station at either Dundalk or Greenore, late ‘30s.

 

[jhb171achill]

Time we went back to the narra gauge. 

This shows just how busy the County Donegal could be. 

Had the border never appeared, it’s likely we might still have Derry - Strabane at least, maybe Donegal.....

First, an absolutely chaotic Letterkenny in the early 1940s.

Secondly, a not-quite-so-busy Victoria Road (Derry). Shunting is in progress, and I understand that it was a hot sunny day (whaaat?). I think the date is either 1944 or 1947.
 

 

[murrayec]

JHB

There is an interesting detail on the roofs of the 6 wheelers- the gas feed pipe running along the surface feeding into each lamp!!

Also the roof grab rails are only on one end!!

Eoin

Edited April 6, 2020 by murrayec

[jhb171achill]

1 minute ago, murrayec said:

JHB

There is an interesting detail on the roofs of the 6 wheelers- the gas feed pipe running along the surface feeding into each lamp!!

Eoin

Yes, and it looks as if he got up onto the roof of the coach to take the picture! Goods traffic was very heavy in those days into Letterkenny, and that's only the stuff for the town. Any laden wagons and vans to go further on, up the Lough Swilly, will have been siphoned off and shunted way out to the far left of this picture, into the Lough Swilly yard.

[Midland Man]

Hey 

do you have any pics of Moate station. I know it can be a big ask but with no IRRS it is hard to get pic apart from my own collection from books