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40 squillion billion trillion gazillion shades of weathering, more so than liveries! Despite incorrect theories about the GNR having had fifty shades of loco blue, and CIE sixty shades of green, the reality was that these things were all as strictly and meticulously painted the same corporate colour - just not very often! And older types of paint pigments tended to fade quicker. Add to that more brake dust flying about, and steam, hot oil vapour, coal smoke and Crossley exhaust floating about, and you’ve as much variety in weathering finishes as you have in goods wagons in 1955!

not to mention about 3984029834 different liveries, introduction of the GM'S 

You win today's sarcasm award. Where have you been all my life?

Exactly!! This is precisely the point I’ve been trying to make for years - though IRM are a good bit better than I am in conveying that messsge! We’ll all have our own opinions and preferences for what era we model, but it’s a statement if numerical fact that there was way, way, way more variety in the “grey’n’green” era than at ANY time since. Throughout Ireland, we now have two types of locomotives, with zero locos on the greater mileage of track. We have six types of railcar; of only four distinctly different types. We have basically a solitary type of wagon - a bogie flat - in use. Zero shunting locomotives now for several decades. Virtually no shunting to be seen anywhere anyway On most routes, including the 2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th biggest population centres on this island, not a solitary freight train.  There is now considerably less to see on the entire island’s railways now than could have been found on one sleepy branch line in 1960. Let THAT sink in, in terms of modelling possibilities! Even in the 1980s there was a lot more to see. In the 1970s there was a lot more than in the 1980s. And so on; the 1960s saw the variety of the 1940s/50s decimated. To an enthusiast in 1960-65 (and I lived with one!), all of the following ended within a cataclysmic 2-3 years (to us, let’s say just since covid): 1.  All steam finished - mass dieselisation complete  2.  AEC railcars the staple diet on many main lines 3.  Almost every remaining branch line closed 4.  Several secondary main lines about to go (North Kerry, Port Laoise - Kilkenny, Burma Road, Mallow - Waterford) 5.  Entire West Cork gone 6.  Last narrow gauge gone; C&L & CDR in 1959, WCR thirteen months later in 1961 7.  Last non-UTA/CIE lines gone 8.  Last cross border line other than Dundalk - Goraghwood gone 9.  Statement of intent by UTA to eliminate ALL railways in the north bar the Bangor line 10.  Elimination of virtually all pre-GSR wagon stock - bar a handful of more modern GSR & GNR wagons - and these would go a few years later 11.  Elimination of all six-wheeled stock (bar 4 full brakes) in 1963 - and the survivors only lasted a few years more 12.  Elimination of all ex-CBSCR, DSER & MGWR bogie passenger stock from traffic 13.  Elimination of ALMOST all GSWR passenger stock from traffic 14.  Elimination of all but about 8-10 non-corridor carriages from traffic (and they were gone by ‘73) 15.  And of course, replacement of the time-honoured “flying snail” and green-for-everything paint, as seen on locomotives, carriages, mail vans, buses, road freight, signal cabins and station buildings! 16.  Removal of services from many rural stations, thus making them passenger-only or goods-only 17.  Significant reduction in trip working and shunting operations, connected with closure of many rural loco sheds. 17.  Almost total elimination of loco sheds and turntables, and complete elimination of any form of goods sheds 17.  Removal or decommissioning of all but a very small handful of signal cabins  Now - again - just imagine this is all in our era; everything above and more has happened only since the end of covid, and there’s an all-pervading fatalistic culture within the railway enthusiast movement - I remember this, as a small and declining handful of readers here will too. Read old IRRS journals, and it’s just matter-of-factly reported that “CIE have announced the closure of the Ballygobackwards line with effect from 30th January next”…. it was accepted. It’s “just the way things are”….. “Sure there’ll be no railways soon”…. So; in my attic it’ll always vary between 1955 and 1965! Thus, as far as Provincial Wagons and IRM are concerned, I say “bring it on!” (I’m saving for the RTR B101 & AEC railcars, RTR UTA “Jeep”, and RTR GSWR / GNR steam stock & MGWR six-wheelers…..)    

I wonder if an accessory pack with the refurb ends could be included as a snap on piece to knock two birds with one stone (Not the prettiest solution but probably depends on viability of making separate models)