50 - not out!

[Lambeg Man]

I recently decided to clean the old paint off my collection of goods wagons and vans, preparatory to re-painting the whole lot to higher standard than before.

 

Using 'Model Strip' to clean them took many back to their original manufacturers' finish. When I examined the wagons seen in the photo's below I found they were all 'Triang' models. The five blue vans were 'insul-fish' (two originally with white roofs), I then realized that these nine vehicles represented all that remained from a layout that I had from about 1968 onwards. Accordingly they are all in excess of fifty years of age, yet following a repaint will re-enter service on "Lisburn North".

 

This left me wondering if anyone has got any older model stock still running in 2019 in regular use on their layout?

 

 

 

 

 

 

    

[jhb171achil]

I had those same ones! Good to see such a long life.

 

Will they be UTA grey?

[Lambeg Man]

Oh yes, but this time (thanks to your timely advice JB), no black underframes!

 

My previous attempts at weathering were pretty unsightly, hence the repainting programme.

 

The above were found in a shoe box in my mother's loft circa 1984. I think I originally painted the blue ones a green colour to match the other two.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Lambeg Man

[jhb171achil]

Weathering, of course, would form the major part of any UTA wagon livery!

 

You could do one of two of the opens in the all-bauxite red “Courtaulds” livery.... and throw into the mix one of Leslie McAllister’s “Provincial Wagons” CIE corrugated open wagons, and / or CIE “H” vans in somewhat cleaner grey....

[Lambeg Man]

I have four 'opens' (low-sided) already in "Courtaulds' red". The two 'open's in the photo (plus one other) are higher-sided and all three will "loco coal" wagons for Portadown shed. A trick I am going to attempt is to paint all (but the fitted vans) grey, daub the letters 'G' and 'N' on the van sides, then paint a 'wash' of various grey hues over them in an attmept to replicate vans as they would have appeared 1964/65 - the last applied UTA grey livery fading to reveal the old GNR one.

 

There is a photo somewhere of a wagon at Adelaide (late in the day I think), where the UTA applied grey has peeled/faded, revealing the letters "B&CDR" underneath!  

[Hunslet 102]

I still have the Hymek (non runner) , the container crane and the 2 container flats with containers. The containers have been repainted to Bell containers and the flats chopped down to 40ft, while the crane is still in use at Adelaide yard, all from my 1967 train set!

[Lambeg Man]

Yes Andy, your crane and container flats are indeed front runners..........

 

However I kept my ace card until now....... Still running on my current layout is a Triang Southern Railway bogie Utility Van, masquerading as a 'P' van in UTA green. However the doors still open to reveal their original red colour. This van came from the remnants of a cousin's train set that he was given circa 1962. So I am claiming an age of 57 years at least for that one.........

 

The wheels on it are a sight to behold as I've never been able to remove them and fit modern replacements........ Still, it runs okay-ish.....

 

Regarding your Hymek, given how the GNR was for years wedded to Beyer Peacock steam engines, had the company survived post 1958 and sought diesel engines from Britain, I have often pondered that they may well have bought Hymeks. How about painting your non-runner up in the GNR's 'MAK' livery and leaving it in a siding either awaiting scrapping or preservation as a non-standard?

 

Thank you John for the helpful suggestion. All my goods vans whether they be Triang, Hornby (later), Wrenn, Airfix/Dapol or Bachman are wooden bodies. These are fine for those that worked behind UTA steam until 1966, but I have little in the way of more modern vans that would be appropriate for late 1960's CIE freight trains. Something I will need to work on. However I have just got six 'bubbles' to be getting on with.

Edited June 2, 2019 by Lambeg Man

[jhb171achil]

If you're pre-approx. 1968, your bubbles will be the original grey colour, as just recently released by IRM..... orange ones came in about 1968/9, if I remember correctly. About then anyway.

 

I went through the papers of the late Marcus Bailie-Gage, most of which were so damp- and mouse-infested that they had to go to the bin. Marcus was a very close family friend, and the last Works Manager in Dundalk. What was salvageable I retained and forwarded to the IRRS, I think. There were two boxes of manufacturer's brochures, which he had obtained (and rubber stamped with his office stamp!) for perusal. 

 

These showed that the GNR was almost entirely looking towards Germany for potential dieselisation of locomotives, yet Britain for railcars. MAK, Sulzer, and some others were to the fore.

 

There was a double-cabbed yoke not unlike a British "Peak" but with A-1-A wheel arrangement, and various other designs. Needless to say, nothing ever came of it as Stormont wouldn't cough up.

[Lambeg Man]

Yep, got the grey ones and very nice they are.

 

Your mention of the name Baillie-Gage rang a bell. In my papers I have a copy of a Memoranda dated 1943:

 

15th October 1943 M. Baillie-Gage wrote the following to Harry Wilson (Chief Draughtsman);

 

Please note that the Vans of Carriages No. 53 (L 12), 87 and 315 (L 6) have been fitted with two notice boards on the inside of Vans, one notice board marked “VIA LIFFORD” the other “VIA CASTLEFIN” also a white line 3″ painted longitudinally down the centre of the Vans. On the outside the destination boards were painted as follows: -

 

On one side “DUBLIN FROM COUNTY DONEGAL”, and on the other “STRABANE FOR COUNTY DONEGAL”.

 

The Vans are fitted with staples and locks on the doors so that they can be sealed by the Customs. Carriages No’s 53 and 315 are already in traffic. No. 87 will go to traffic today, 15th instant. These are per your verbal instructions of the 30th ultimo.

 

7th December 1943 M. Baillie-Gage again wrote to Wilson to advise that No. 244 (L 6) had also received the same treatment as Carriages No. 53, 87 and 315.

 

These alterations were obviously for the "Free to Free" traffic.

[John M]

On 03/06/2019 at 09:01, Lambeg Man said:

 

 

Regarding your Hymek, given how the GNR was for years wedded to Beyer Peacock steam engines, had the company survived post 1958 and sought diesel engines from Britain, I have often pondered that they may well have bought Hymeks. How about painting your non-runner up in the GNR's 'MAK' livery and leaving it in a siding either awaiting scrapping or preservation as a non-standard?

 

 

Beyer Peacock tendered in 1956 to supply a 1000hp diesel hydraulic to the GNR (B) in the 1950s, so a Hymek for main line use might not be too far fetched. The Beyer Peacock proposal was for a single B-B not unlike the BR Clayton Type 1 in appearance.  

 

There are articles with sketches of most of the proposed locos in the Nov 2005 & May 2006 New Irish Lines https://newirishlines.org/archive-2/.

 

I always liked the Triang wagons and vans nice blank canvas for conversion for Irish or freelance modelling.

Edited June 4, 2019 by John M

[jhb171achil]

Yes, they also had brochures from Metropolitan Vickers.

 

Marcus also had a brochure from Hunslet, with one of his compliment slips in it. Was he going to send it to someone with a view to recommending it?

 

I get the overall impression, though,  that Marcus was very much focussed (personally) on German products in particular.