DART8118

For two years now I have tried to get Google to commemorate the first commuter train service in the world on the 17th December by dedicating their Homepage doodle in Ireland to the Dublin and Wicklow Railway. Alas, there also, there is no joy. So, you might imagine how delighted I was to see that today the 18th December 2018 their doodle celebrates the 139th birthday of Paul Klee. I'm sure that Irish people will understand how important to it is to see Klee (whoever he was) being celebrated in preference to the Irish railway service that is the oldest in the world. I wonder what Mr. Dargan would say about that. Maybe next year? Meanwhile, model DART8118 has done a few laps of the layout in celebration.

Just couldn't let the day pass. Today, 17 December 2018 is the 184th anniversary of the opening of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway for the 'Conveyance of Passengers'. This was the first ‘commuter’ line in the world, running from Westland Row terminus in Dublin city centre to Kingstown. There had been trail runs from July 1834, but the first regular train service ran to Kingstown at 9:30am on Wednesday, 17 December, 1834. There is (was) a DART at 9:31am and it's a pity that it can't be claimed that the service continues to run at 9:30am 184 years later. What would Dargan say about that? But alas, no acknowledgement that I can see of this significant event. In any other country everyone from government minister, railway company, tourist authority, preservation groups, et al. would be celebration their great worldwide First. What would Dargan say about that? Maybe next year?