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The clarity of those photos are incredible. Look at the PerWay on the Loughrea branch. Amazing. And you could have cycled in the cess, all the way to Attymon. That was the way things were, into the mid 70's, even on the main lines.

Another BNCR wagon plate coming up for auction on Victor Mee, on March 21st. https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/e3da13836b8385e88605d21a04458fb2/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/battlefields-silver-screens-lot-394/

One for the Christmas and the new Westport stationmaster.... Long ago, maybe back in the late 70's. Ronnie Drew presented himself in a rather agitated state in Westport station for the morning train. Ronnie's focus, though wasn't on the departure time, but where he could get a drink. He was informed that the only drink available was on the dining car, but the only person that had the keys was the attendant and he hadn't arrived yet. "Ah jaysus". Off went Ronnie, marching up and down the platform, checking his watch. 10 minutes went by, then 15. Ronnie's steps were getting faster. By now, word had spread and the entire staff were agog. Driver, signalman, shunter, guard, checker, platform men, stationmaster, the lot were all looking out of windows, around corners, at Ronnie, thinking, God all the stories are true about the Dubliners. The attendant strolled up eventually and was directed,lively like, to get the bar open for Ronnie. Onto the train, he went, Ronnie's behind him, breathing on his neck. Rattle of keys, the panels sprung open. "What can I get you, Ronnie" "Do yez have a can of Fanta? I'm fecking parched" And the whole station let out a sigh of disappointment......

Brilliant!

I saw a great one down in Blacksod on the Mullet peninsula, about twenty years ago. It was possibly the remotest point from the nearest railway, that I'd ever seen a H van. Alas, even if we discovered one kept under cover, we have no underframe or wheel sets left.

Dem were the days...Can't clear the section signal, the Ballina boys are running late' "Hmm, must have been delayed.… again..."

That wasn't as interesting as the detonators(they weren't described as such),that were originally listed as an lot in the initial auction listing. They were taken down by the following morning. Fair to say that they're not railway experts. The Bundoran Junction cabin diagram was interesting, went for €850

https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/74c390738486581e27670828fac76ee5/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/bimonthly-auction-of-general-railwayana-a-wide-select-lot-383/ I know one or two collect these. This is on the GCR auction this coming Saturday, so postage and possible custom charges would have to be taken into account

In all my time on the railway, I have never heard a tamper, described as a tamper. It's always a "packer". Would you agree ttc0169? "Btw, yellow paint is in situ"

Alas, to have survived to the 21st century............. http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=3316

https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/54ee3251ee27c9df2db675211286eb78/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/some-amazing-clearances-this-week-so-its-going-to-be-a-lot-282/ Looks like the real deal. BTW, I've no interest in BNCR stuff, so knock yourself out.

It' s freezing. Back in the day, and don't ask me why..... I was sitting on a 201, heading East and it was so cold with fog, that you could just about see the starting signal. It was horrendously bad, and it never lifted for about 30 miles, Now I thought I knew the road pretty well, and the driver certainly did, so we took off at line speed. And we never stopped, with a maximum of 300 yards of visibility. And then I realised about running in the dark, back in the day, when the headlight "failed", which it usually did within a mile of the final station. Boy, you learn very fast about route knowledge.

I considered very casually preserving one, about 15 years ago, principally because of their location. I took a look at one and I ended up counting 24 or 30 marine ply panels, before I reached anywhere near the end of the wagon. That wasn't including painting them either. Of all wagons, the ferts, would have been a money pit.

Allegedly, it's going to be tied into the Flying Boat Museum, and why not? It's an absolutely logical decision.

Three as far as I'm aware, the third is in deepest Clare. The next week or two should see something interesting emerge