MD220

Merlin is a GNRi V class loco.

The Ballynahinch Junction gate is still there, I pass it regularly!

Lovely job!

E428 was based in Limerick for quite a while and I've seen photos and film footage (on the IRRS YouTube channel I believe) of 429 shunting oil wagons in Cork.

This is looking fantastic. Great job!

The 421 class had lifting eyes which pivoted out from recesses behind the buffer beams, perhaps this was a lesson learned from difficulties in lifting the 401s !

One small point worth noting in this photo is that the silver handle fitted centrally on the control desk was not a standard feature. This is only to be found on E428 and was a control handle for the vigilance system which was added in preservation to allow for main line use. The rest of the class were never equipped with vigilance.

039 is Sinead, although she doesn't carry that name currently!

That is exquisite. Mind blown!

Lord Dunleath also provided the land required for the fledgling DCDR to begin construction in the mid '80s.

As a Downpatrick man born and raised I've spent all my 49 years living in and around the town and I have never seen anything like this. Shops and businesses in the town centre are under several feet of water. This is a devastating time for business owners along with the the DCDR, not only an important local attraction but a railway heritage centre of national importance. Truly awful.

These are lovely looking models. Does anyone know if any examples of these vans survived into preservation? I know that Westrail had one (2213N) but I have a suspicion that it might have been cut up, though I can't be sure.

The idea of using hydrogen as a clean fuel in internal combustion engines is great in theory as the only emission, as it burns, is water; however the problem lies in the creation of the hydrogen in the first place. Manufacturing hydrogen (by electrolysis of water) is hugely inefficient, requiring a lot of electrical energy. This can be accomplished using renewable energy sources, so called Green Hydrogen, but the amount of green hydrogen available currently is minimal. I still think its important to explore this idea of using clean fuels to run old technology but until an efficient method of creating hydrogen is developed I don't think we're really any better off.

If I read the article correctly they aren't going to re engine the loco, but will modify its current engine to run on hydrogen. Hopefully this won't alter the noise made by these magnificent machines!

This photo shows cars on a goods train at Claremorris. Not sure of the year...40s or 50s maybe? Photo credit: Rob Cross photography.