The Hunslets are Branchlines Kits. 

Extreme left; No.1T a 2-6-0-Hunslet (477) of 1889.  It had a tractive effort of 9918lbs at 85% and was sadly scrapped in 1953 with its sister No.2T.  It was involved in the Camp disaster in 1893 when the train 'ran away' down the gradient (1 in 29) towards the 3 chain radius curve leading onto the bridge there.  It hit the curve at about 40m.p.h and went flying into the river (p16 The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrath pub. Plateway Press).  As a result this loco lost the sandbox on top of the boiler just behind the chimney - visible on No.2T.  

Middle left two;  No.2T (478) in more natural surroundings and natural light for a change! Apart from minor derailments she was never involved in a major accident. The loco was built based on a photograph in Ivo Peters 'The Narrow Gauge of Yesteryear' (pic. No 36) and is in 1950's condition, out of period for the layout, but originally we had plans on an overgrown last days look.  Then we thought it would be better to have some passenger stock to add variety.  As passenger services ended in 1939, so the 1930's look prevailed! The loco was already built however and I'm not changing it!  

Right; Hunslet 3T.  Works 479 following on from the other two locos.  These three were bought together and were used in the construction of the line.  She was sent to the C&L in 1939 on cessation of the passenger services and was finally cut up in 1959 along with the T&D Kerr Stuart 4T.  I will try and get a better picture of her.

Far right;  No.6T in close up from another picture which is not perfect but OK! Hunslet No. 677, she was built in 1898 and scrapped in 1960 after going to the West Clare in 1953 and the Cavan and Leitrim in 1957.  She and No.8T had a slightly higher tractive effort then the earlier three Hunslets of 10626lbs at 85% due to extra tubes in the boiler.  This loco was involved in several incidents, (she featured in more Great Southern Railway, GSR, accident reports than all the other T&D loco's together!) the worst being when she came off on the approach to Lispole viaduct and ended up halfway down the bank ( If you look at the picture at the bottom of the 'Dingle' page -right- you will see it in the distance or click here).   Others accidents included, hitting a car on the first day of GSR ownership of the line, and running down a travelling circus, putting the Cork and Muskerry steam roller incident (re-enacted by 'Sir Handel' in 'Gallant Old Engine' by Rev. Awdry, who even paraphrased some of the official report) to shame! 

No 5T - construction in pictures

Above left; a nice shiny loco with Patrick and Michael proud of their new steed!  Centre; almost completed, just the weathering to go, staff to man it and some coal up top.  Right;  The real thing on the turntable at Dingle 1934.  

For more details of the construction of this loco please click here.  Then just click on the download pdf file link!

Left;  Coach No. 10T with 6T alongside (again Branchlines kits).  With all T&D coaches the numbering should be gold/yellow with a blue background I think.  There are also no GSR crests.  If anyone knows where I could get some.....  No.s 10T and 6T were built in 1891 and 1890 respectively.  They were both 27ft long and made by the Bristol Carriage and Wagon Co.  Amazingly 10T still survives (see p 109 The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrath) and is being restored though  6T (see p 137) was scrapped after its sojourn at the West Clare, where most of the T&D coaches went apart from some of the brake's which were converted to brake / cattle trucks in the 1940's!  Middle;  No.14T (see p 70 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton) was also built by 'Bristol' but was a 30ft brake 3rd. It also went to the West Clare and was scrapped there.  This is a Worsley Works 'kit' - in the sense that you are provided with excellent etches for the sides but have to do the rest yourself - labelled 'a scratch builders aid'.  Right;  No.18T built by Midland Carriage and Wagon Co. in 1907.  It was 30ft long and a composite coach with a smoking compartment in the middle (see p105 The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrath p112 for drawing as running on C&L, or p72/3 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton)  Far right;  Brake coach 13T built in 1898 by Bristol C&W, it was the only 1st/3rd composite brake.  Thoughts are that it must have been involved in an accident as it is the only Bristol to have plain sides rather than the usual matchboard ones - even the Midlands had these.  However the homemade 16T had plain sides which implies it was a Tralee thing!

Left;  No.42T was one of three bogie vans that ran on the T&D.  It was built by the company in 1904 and by the 1950's was in use as a store in Tralee yard.  It was different in the respect that it had a 'triangular' roof rather than a curve.  There is a drawing on p117 The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrath although this is as built.  It was later modified see p115.  The model was scratch built by myself.  The other van No.3T is a modified 'Dundas' kit, with the open slats at the top (see p 116 The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrath).  The three variations of this kit are excellent and all pretty accurate - I think one of their best kits.  Middle;No.58T built by Pickering's of Yorkshire in 1904.  There were 10 of these wagons purchased with several variations amongst them.  A few had two uprights like that modelled, others had one!  The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton p24 shows both kinds in one train.  Whether some got damaged and then repaired at Tralee or were complete rebuilds of 'crashed' wagons we will probably never know! This model is scratchbuilt and not without some difficulty as both inside and out had to be detailed!  To it's right is Bristol van No.14T.  Built in 1890 it had shutters which could be opened for cattle use.  This convertibility was quite a common feature of Irish narrow gauge wagons.  Right;  No.76T a Midland cattle wagon was built in 1907. These all had roofs originally but age and ventilation requirements meant that many lost them.  I have modelled both types.   No.76T features on p16 & p79 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton with the hand brake apparently the other way round as is usual.  We have six of this type as produced by Peter McParlin of Backwoods Miniatures, though with my usual complaint about these wagons in that the doors should be flush with the front not recessed.  I cannot see why this basic error exists on all his wagon kits! To the right of this is No.1T - the horse van -numbered in with the carriages for some reason (p 74 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton) The Dingle Train by Rowlands & McGrathwhich allegedly shows this, though more likely is that it is a blurred tree), and that it was converted to a horse box after the crash.  However other railways had very similar wagons, for example see p138 (photo) and p143 (drawing) in The West Clare Railway by Patrick Taylor, pub Plateway - their wagon supplied by Bristol in 1897. The T&D's survived in derelict condition until 1954 when it was scrapped.  The kit is a very early Chivers one, but despite its ground breaking in being one of the first 4mm scale 12mm gauge kits, it still stands well with the other, more 'recent' wagons.  However, its maker claims it is a *** of a kit to build as all the strapping is separately etched and takes ages to solder on! 

Left; The open wagon No.21T is scratch built from drawings though when I look at it I am convinced it is slightly too narrow (p75 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton), a similar wagon, on p122 The Dingle Train it looks about right. There is now an open available from Worsley Works which is nearer the mark.   17T 'the butter van' of which there was only one was built in 1890 by Bristol.  It was converted in Tralee with louvred vents to maintain a cool environment for butter traffic (see p 77 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton).Right;  This is one of my scratchbuilt vans No.9T, made before Parkside kindly saved me the effort of producing more!  Again produced by Bristol in 1890, it should have slats at the top of the sides so its number will change at some time (p76 The Tralee and Dingle Railway by D. Rowland, pub. Bradford Barton).

The majority of the closed vans were built by 'Bristol', around the 1890's, the others were built by the Midland Carriage and Wagon Co. in 1907.  Such was the variation on wagons that it is fair to say there is no 'standard' of any type.  I thought I had explained away all the variations until I saw a variety of covered vans on p 12 The Dingle Train. I presume the bigger ones are the Midland ones, with what appear to be metal frames and the more usual brake 'V' hangers!  If you think you are getting clever at this, why not try to explain why the picture on p 121 shows a smaller 'van' ( with longer upright stanchions, below the main body, like the bigger one in the background on p12!) than the 'standard' variation with ventilators for cattle to its right, implying at least three variations of a 'standard'.  See what I mean?  We could start on the Midland and Pickering cattle wagons but there were even more variations of them, the ongoing policy of the railway being to make do and mend - a researchers nightmare!!

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