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I know it’s ambitious but could you imagine a Galway-Sligo service. Yes there is very little in the way of but intermediate stations on the Claremorris - Sligo route but then again, places like adrahan and Craughwell got stations and there doing ok.

Good news! https://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligo/news/its-the-end-of-the-line-for-the-proposed-sligo-greenway/a582742941.html

I wonder how many of the people promoting this 4-4-0 project will still be alive and able to contribute in 20+ years time? Will they succeed in attracting and training young blood to join the team? Will the next generation of young people see a fossil-fuel burning loco as something they want to be associated with and give up their time and money to support? I can't help feeling that the heritage railway business in general has passed its peak now. The DCDR clearly have done well here, but it's an ongoing challenge to attract volunteers and to develop and maintain competencies, even before you think about the money...

In the latest Railway Magazine is a short article about a new build loco, of all things a Midland & Great Northern 4-4-0. They reckon it will be a 20 year project. One of the reasons for choosing it, apart from being a very pretty engine, is its small size should make it economical to run, including a firebox designed to use ovoids. Certainly nothing if not ambitious!

Those shutters will be a lot easier to model than window frames!

Thank you for this. Yes, Mella was from Abbey Street, Omagh. Her surviving niece and family allowed me to photograph her medal and scan other personal railway momentos last year. She has been remembered in my book and recent talks on the tragedy.

theres always wood like the heritage lines in the states use on their western 4-4-0s But wood does burn quicker compared to coal

Thanks I was curious as we bought former HSTs and BREL mk3s from the UK and wondered if they were put up for sale i was told by Johnaton from DCDR and niall from tailte whos also from dcdr at SDMRC show that the mk3s and 6105 are at glamping sites in the Uk Im unsure if others that went to the Uk were to heritage lines if not the mainline

Hi Derek. No apology necessary. I wasn’t in the least offended by your question. Cheers Darius

Tis a statement of truth!

I’ve a notion there’s another of one of the trams - will delve.

6pm on Friday, super slides and a acknowledgeable speaker. If you're near London, come and be there - without live meetings, the London Area will die! But if you're miles away - tune in - details below! LIVE + ZOOM : 18.00 – 20.40 Friday 5 December 2025 18.00 “Last days of the Irish narrow gauge – through the lens of David Soggee” by Joe Begley 20.00 London Area AGM David Soggee was a much travelled enthusiast with renowned camera skills. A vast collection of his colour slides bequeathed to the IRRS show a preference for branch lines and smaller railways. On three visits to Ireland in 1959 and 1960, he travelled on the last three remaining Irish narrow gauge railways, the C&L, CDRJC and West Clare lines. Joe Begley shows images from these visits which present a vivid snapshot of these lines as they moved towards the end of their working lives. COME TO OUR LIVE MEETING ….. ….. at The Gallery at Alan Baxter, 100m from Farringdon station. Door opens at 17.30. The Gallery is a smart and spacious community space, ideal for our talks, and with stepfree access available. We hope as many as possible will be able to come along, see the speaker live, contribute directly to the discussion, meet the Committee and other members, and enjoy refreshment in a nearby pub afterwards. Advice for those attending the live meeting, including directions to the venue, is attached ATTENDING BY ZOOM To obtain a Zoom link for the meeting, please register by clicking REGISTER HERE and fill in your name and email address to be sent a personalised Zoom ink. You can register at any time up to (or during) the meeting, and you can copy this registration link to others. Please note that the link will be sent by Zoom(not IRRS London) and will arrive immediately after registration. Those who have registered should also receive a reminder from Zoom nearer the meeting. Alternatively, open Zoom on your device and enter the following : Webinar ID: 848 9043 3111 passcode: 126948 For those participating in the meeting via Zoom, please note that should Zoom fail and there is no transmission, we will try and email everyone on the London Area email list with an update so please watch your Inbox LIVE MEETINGS - PLEASE COME We invited more people to come to our live meetings and were very pleased with the attendance for Roger Joanes’ talk on 21st November. Please try and attend our live meetings when you can as, to encourage the speaker and add to the atmosphere in the room. DONATIONS TO THE IRRS (LONDON AREA) We invite voluntary donations to support the IRRS (London Area) from those of you who watch our meetings online and who do not have an opportunity to otherwise contribute. The London Area needs to raise funds to cover inter alia the day-to-day running of the Area, our publicity, publishing Irish railway books, and safeguarding, referencing and digitising significant Irish railway collections given to us. If you would like to support our activities, please go to www.irrs.ie , click on Branches > London and then the Donations tab. We suggest £3/meeting or you may prefer to make a single donation to cover the whole season. The exact sum is at your discretion. Payment is by GooglePay, credit or debit card. You do not need to register or set up a Square account. Please note that Square accepts payments in sterling only and as the IRRS is a Limited Liability Company, donations are not eligible for UK Gift Aid. Payments can be made from credit cards based in other currencies subject to the usual charge made by many card companies and banks for foreign transaction handling and currency conversion.

No

I think Mullingar and Sligo also still have tables in place although long disconnected. Portrush still has one too I think - deeply covered in foliage now and invisible from google earth

071.mp4 Here’s more from photographers and spotters that I had saved months back the only one I know is my own and that’s the model with IE black and silver 082 Was there any shipped to be used on the British main line like for HSTs or bought by the likes of LNER

Connolly,Inchicore,Rosslare,Tralee and Claremorris-currently only Connolly and Rosslare are operational Whitehead has one also

Rosslare I think. Was talk of Tralee being recommissioned. In NI, tables at Whitehead and Coleraine. The latter was refurbished in 2016. It’s had quite a history, being used at Ballymena and Great Victoria St before being salvaged and installed in a brand new pit at Coleraine in 1986, for RPSI use.

A BR parcels van..

These Mk3s were purchased by Belmond for their Grand Hibernian luxury train-they were being shipped over to Scotland to be refurbished at that time in 2015, After Belmond finished here in Ireland in 2019-they were sent back again for another refurb job and are now part of the Britannic explorer train touring the UK-albeit not without their faults-they are currently back in the workshops for more attention.

Here’s more From David Walsh and a few other photographers and spotters that names I’ve forgotten Again feel free to correct me

Which turntables on the network still work? I know there’s Connolly for one but how many else can still be used to turn steam locos?

I had a root around of just some pics I saved most are from David Walsh but I also have Mike Hughes, ciaran cooney and one or 2 other photographers There are some more around 2013/14 from a mate of mine sent onto me at north wall and Waterford

Hi Brendan Commiserations that you have a similar issue. The bogie which leaps off sets to be the trailing bogie of Car 3 (next to the trailing motor coach). As I said on an earlier post, it was really bought for the Glass Cabinet, so like you, I may swallow the issue. Of course, if I do build that SR layout it would be a station between two fiddle yards, so a nice straight shuttle arrangement for the $DD would work fine? As for Irish modelling being easier - IT IS if you model diesels - but steam IS A DIFFERENT MATTER. As almost no RTR steam exists, you end up with brass locos built from kits which need an Andy Candice, or a David Holman, or a David Richardson on hand to fiddle about with the things. THEY derail with impunity - mainly the leading bogies. Dr Edgar produced a working solution which has helped my S Class, but then there's the PPs (two) ALs (two, the Glover tanks (one quite well-behaved, the other two short out very happily), etc etc . Still, it's a nice problem to have - they look lovely just sitting around!!!!!