Jump to content
  1. Irish Railway Modeller

    1. Irish Models

      Chat, question and discuss Irish Railway Models.

      18.4k
      posts
    2. News

      What's new! News, announcements and general news can go here.

      24.1k
      posts
    3. General Chat

      Irish Railway Modelling in general, not specifically related to the models themselves.

      24.1k
      posts
    4. Irish Model Layouts

      Showcase your layout here - or ask for help in planning, designing or building one!

      27.2k
      posts
    5. Tips & Tricks

      Handy little tricks and tips to make life easier - post them here!

      1.3k
      posts
    6. What's On?

      Use here and the Irish Railway Modeller calendar to track events, exhibitions and things to do!

      6.6k
      posts
    7. Questions & Answers

      Need help with something? Members can ask for help here!

      18.4k
      posts
    8. Workbench

      Share what you are working on !

      17.7k
      posts
    9. For Sale or Wanted

      Classified Ads for members (relevant) items for sale, as well as Models / items wanted posts!

      10.2k
      posts
    10. Site News & Help

      Announcements, news, tips, tutorials and general info about the site itself!

      1.6k
      posts
    11. Weblinks

      Useful or relevant weblinks can be added here.

      701
      posts
  2. Photo Galleries

    1. Photos of Models

      Photos of Irish Railway Models

      2.5k
      posts
    2. What's happening on the network?

      A forum to post interesting events, movements or works on the network. (the real thing!)

      5.3k
      posts
    3. Photos & Videos of the Prototype

      The real thing! Ideal reference material for Modellers!

      11.6k
      posts
  3. Railway related Modelling

    1. Bus models

      Single or double decked, modern or classic - no model railway is complete without a bus!

      1.6k
      posts
    2. Trucks, Vans and cars

      Bring your layout to life with authentic vehicles

      1k
      posts
    3. Buildings and kits of buildings

      A forum for discussion, dissemination and build blogs for railway related and layout buildings and kits

      297
      posts
    4. Aviation & Maritime Modelling

      From Airfix to ZTS Plastyk - Aviation Modellers are go for takeoff!

      763
      posts
  4. Non Irish Railway Modelling

    1. British Outline Modelling

      BR, Railfreight, Modern Liveries - chat here!

      4.5k
      posts
    2. US / Canadian Railway Modelling

      The 'Yanks'! Railway models from the USA and Canada

      1.1k
      posts
    3. Continental European Modelling

      German, French, Spanish - come on in!

      1.1k
      posts
  5. Shops, Manufacturers & Services

    1. Shops

      Official stockists in Ireland of Irish Railway Models and related items.

      135
      posts
    2. 1.3k
      posts
    3. Services

      Painting, Resprays, Weathering, Detailing, DCC Installation and more!

      293
      posts
    4. Defunct and Closed Down

      Shops and Manufacturers no longer trading, or open for business, or no longer engaged.

      478
      posts
  6. Letting Off Steam

    1. Letting off Steam

      The doss house, mess room, anything goes (except politics or religion) area of the site!

      8.6k
      posts
  • Upcoming Events

  • Latest Posts

    • I presume it's safer to call off the next one to avoid the same issue happening and in the meantime see if a simple solution can be found, I think it will be grand.🌧️
    • The GSR in the 1930s in a way was a bit like the UTA wanting to replace loss making rail services with buses with no real long term need for a fleet of 'modern' steam locos for branch and secondary duties. The GSR proposed a series of closures in the mid-late 1930s that would have closed most branch and secondary lines such as the West Cork. In a way the GSR had a surplus of 4-6-0s for the Cork Line and the 27 Woolwich filled the bill in terms of a modern mixed traffic loco for main line work. The GSWR 333 Class supplemented by the 1930s built 342s (both classed as D4) were a useful mixed traffic design which proved themselves capable of working passenger trains on the South Eastern, Rosslare Route and popular locos for working excursion trains. The superheating of the smaller goods and passenger locos could be justified by reduction in operating costs as a result of reduced fuel consumption without going to the expense of building new locos for passenger services the GSR hoped to replace with busses. Many of the short feeder branches had lost their passenger services by the Mid-30s but traffic from cattle fairs justified retaining the lines for goods traffic. The GSR had already gone for the jugular by closing the Clifden, Achill and Killala Branches by the Mid-30s as the building of the lines were financed by Government grants and closure did not result in a major write off of capital. The Drumm Battery trains appear to have been forced on the GSR possibly a quid-pro quo for passing of the Transport Act that gave the GSR similar monopoly powers to the Northern Ireland Transport Board and dependent of the supply of electricity from the Shannon scheme at a discounted rate. The system was surely capable of development but the Government  "was not prepared to subsidise inventions" when Drumm and the GSR applied to funding for new batteries during the  late 30? or 40s. This was at an age when railways were still expected to stand on their own feet fund improvements from their own resources or borrowing and operate without subsidy, after all immediately before WWI the GSR and Midland were efficient and reasonable profitable companies. The main issue with the Drumm Trains appears to have been the high capital cost compared to steam and short battery life. Two car Drumm Unit similar capital cost to a new steam loco and a 5 coach train. My father at the time subscribed to a conspiratory theory that "the Drumm Trains were driven off the rails" (possibly the mid 30 Sandycove derailment or perhaps 'brown envelopes" from AEC and the oil companies. Certainly something to be said about a train that 90 years ago was capable of a trial trip from Amiens St to Gorey and back with minimal topping up and a battery life of 5 years before needing refurbishment (not replacement!) Definitely left a favourable impression on my father though at the time the family lived in Ballinascorney in the Dublin mountains, their transport was a Ford V8 and pony and trap!
    • I say that having seen numerous theories, all currently just that. You made a blanket comment about a steam ban in spring/summer too, completely unsubstantiated 
    • Turning out well. Hope it didn’t take too much fiddling.
    • Moguls cost £5000-£6000 dependent on build year. They were trialled against an S on the GN main line in the 30s so not unfeasible that GSR could have arranged similar. Probably a bit small for Cork trains but could have done pretty much anything else - they did a lot of GN-region mileage at the end of their lives and could handle most things. The Jeeps interestingly did not do well on the Derry Road due to their limited braking capacity as opposed to tender locos.   
  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      1,600
    • Most Online
      1,480

    Newest Member
    Hawkerhellfire
    Joined
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      11.2k
    • Total Posts
      198.1k
  • Blog Statistics

    • Total Blogs
      120
    • Total Entries
      102
  • Gallery Statistics

    • Images
      956
    • Comments
      38
    • Albums
      2

    Latest Image
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use