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Post by Matt McNamara on Mar 4, 2011 12:48:09 GMT
Hi All I like many of the young lads growing up on the camp I was always fascinated with the railway track around the rifle ranges and the Engine that was housed in the Range Wardens workshops. I don’t know much about it, or how old it is, maybe somebody could throw some light on the background of our[glow=red,2,300]Little Red Curragh Diesel Engine[/glow] Matt
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Post by johnnykelly on Mar 4, 2011 14:05:14 GMT
Re:The Little Red Engine. Hi Matt the little red engine was not always the colur red as the original engine was green, i will make enquiries on monday if this is the same engine wit5h a coat of paint on it, as i was down with one of our lads last year and he took photos of it and it was painted its original colur green, there was a company from england over looking at the engine last year as they wanted it for a museum of small train engines, having lived across from the range wardens shed in owen roe rd, there was many the time we would get spins from Mr Mc Redmond on the float fullof targets as they were brought out as far as No 3/4 range to replace the targets that were u/s and manys the time in the summer that we watched the BFW Staff repair and make up the figure and snap targets. and when were often finished ramblingaround the area of ambush/trolly hills we would watch as the train was heading back from the butts to its base and we would run like hell and jump on board to get a spin back to quarters.and we often watched as the men cleaned the engine down with oily rags and it always was in pristine condition, so until further enquiries re its history i will sign off for now. Johnny
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Post by maryfarrell6 on Mar 4, 2011 23:59:10 GMT
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Post by Matt McNamara on Mar 5, 2011 14:56:05 GMT
Hi All A quick spray job by JJ Curran and maybe this is how some of the forum members or visitors may remember it Thanks JJ Matt
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Post by annemcnamara on Mar 5, 2011 19:53:40 GMT
Hi JJ, fair play to you.... a dab hand with the spray can Well done, Anne.
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Post by johnnykelly on Mar 5, 2011 21:14:19 GMT
Re:Little Red Engine. Hi all Rember wel often ambushing the little target express as it came round the bend just before No2 range and if this happened in the bow and arrow season well boys will be indians, once or twice the said engine was often borrowed from the shed and its amazeing where all the lads came from as you drove along the track. just harmless mischief, bye for now Johnny
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Post by jjcurran on Mar 6, 2011 17:59:03 GMT
Hi Anne, JJ here. To be honest I always remember the engine painted red, but Seanie Curran (6A McDonagh) tells me it was a sort of torquise green. I'm sure we will get put straight by some of the forum. I,ll sign off now because the fumes from all the spraying is killing me. Regards JJ
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Post by kathyo on Mar 8, 2011 16:25:19 GMT
hi jj as ann said you are a dab hand at the painting. all the best kathyo
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Post by johnnykelly on Mar 11, 2011 15:53:04 GMT
Re: Little Red Engine Hi all at last the mystry of the Little Red Engine is over. as promised i went about with enquireis about the Little Engine down in the Range Wardens shed (target sheds) and i discovered that the Engine there is the original engine that was bought by the Dept,of Defence in 1945, and here are the following stats in reference to the said engine, year of manifacture 1930- fuel Diesel-weight 2 1/2 ton-engine No 8970-Colour Dark Olive Green- Manafactured by MOTOR RAIL Ltd,Simplex Works Bedford England, The Engine was delivered on the 23/7 1945 So the Little Red Engine is the original one and has been in service since 1945 and is still in top condition and in PMO To this day, i hope that this information is of benifit to our forum users and watchers alike. bye for now Johnny
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Post by jjcurran on Mar 11, 2011 19:09:43 GMT
Hi Johnny...JJ here. Thank you for clearing up the pedigree of the little red/green engine. You say the original colour was Olive Green. When did metamorthous take plsce and the green turn to red? I expect there was an oversupply of red paint at some stage. As I remember there was a winch/pully mechanism on the ranges which looked to me like the engine was at some stage used to pull moving targets. I am thinking back 52 years so maybe my hard drive is 'fragmented'. Regards JJ
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Post by Matt McNamara on Mar 11, 2011 19:33:56 GMT
Re: Little Red Engine Hi all at last the mystry of the Little Red Engine is over. as promised i went about with enquireis about the Little Engine down in the Range Wardens shed (target sheds) and i discovered that the Engine there is the original engine that was bought by the Dept,of Defence in 1945, and here are the following stats in reference to the said engine, year of manifacture 1930- fuel Diesel-weight 2 1/2 ton-engine No 8970-Colour Dark Olive Green- Manafactured by MOTOR RAIL Ltd,Simplex Works Bedford England, The Engine was delivered on the 23/7 1945 So the Little Red Engine is the original one and has been in service since 1945 and is still in top condition and in PMO To this day, i hope that this information is of benifit to our forum users and watchers alike. bye for now Johnny Well done Johnny on finding out this information. Matt
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Post by johnnykelly on Mar 11, 2011 20:38:24 GMT
Re:The Little Red Engine Hi JJ as far as i am aware there was never a wagon used on the Ranges (rifle pistol machine gun) but at the bottom of the butt stops between the Range Sentry huts there was the Energa Grenade Range on which there was a set of rail tracks and a trolly on which was mounted a 4 foot target and was pushed up the hill and released down hill and troops in trenches fired anti tank projectiles from the top of the barell of the rifle, this area is also known as the Braveheart FILM area but was on the far side of the road at the bottom of the Hill on the ballysax side, maybe Congo Joe Mallon can say whether it was on a pully system in the Early years, bye for now johnny
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Post by andybrennan on Mar 11, 2011 22:26:42 GMT
Johnny a good bit of detictive work on both pieces The one for Gundy also the one for JJ. Perhaps you can set this one at rest for me, I could be wrong but I seem to remember a bogey that ran on those tracks that was propelled by a handle that was pushed up and down by a soldier or two at the back and the same at the front???
Andy
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Post by jjcurran on Mar 11, 2011 23:26:52 GMT
Hi Johnny... me again JJ The mention of the energa brings back memories. I always considered it a' Kevin Barry' weapon. I fired it once. Once was enough for me. What you say about the tracks makes sense all right. Thanks for that Regards JJ
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Post by maurakearney on Mar 12, 2011 11:34:13 GMT
Hi Andy I remember the Bogey very well with the handle that you had to push up and downto go along the tracks we would pester the men for a go on it . Maura Kearney,
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