DERAILED

Two comparison shots of Blennerville station - I prefer to remember it as it appeared in the 1984 (Joe St.Leger) pic rather than its present incarnation.

Best of luck Eamonn - an heir, a spare and a substitute.

Sorry about the poor scan above but if you press Ctrl + it should enlarge enough to read. Two more T&D items from the archive. 5T at Liverpool on way home and the 'welcoming' committee in Dublin.

Good luck in your dealings with local officials/business interests in Tralee. It should be borne in mind that some of those who drove away enthusiasts in the first place are still in the mix.

jhb171achill - Loads of sense in your post. The FVR needs to be handed over to a volunteer based organisation or it's curtains. One thing that didn't exist back when I was active (1978/98) is the internet/Facebook revolution, and what this means is that a new volunteer organisation with literally hundreds of members could be put in place overnight! This, as I know from my own experience, would have taken years previously. I'm happy to pay an annual sub to such an organisation but my presence as a volunteer or a founding member would not be in anyone's interest.

It's news to me that IRN is gone - gone quiet but not gone surely? The person (me) was NOT banned if you look at the username on Boards - account closed which is a very different thing and I can't see what that has to do with the sad fate awaiting the FVR. There can be few if any preserved railways in these islands that have/had so much potential as the FVR and it's difficult for this outsider to apportion blame but surely differences can be buried for the common good? A narrow gauge - cross border - steam railway in the North West should be able to rake in grants. Even the C&L was able to cash in on cross border funding and it's far enough from the border.

I wonder how many here have been following the Foyle Valley Railway saga on IRN here: http://irnirishrailwaynews.yuku.com/topic/676/Foyle-Valley-Railway-Museum?page=1#.VNz2PCxcpgA and it would be great if it could be brought onto this forum. I have been giving out about the demise of the Foyle Valley Railway for years and writing to all and sundry about it but I can't contribute on IRN as it's a 'Parks Free Zone'. To be honest my heart isn't really in it anymore but it does deserve maximum coverage in the hope that even now something can be done! I started a thread about it on Boards.ie four years ago here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055970708 but I can't contribute to it anymore less my alternative username is spotted by the over zealous Mods. jhb171achill - I know that you contribute on IRN so perhaps you could bring the discussion on here?

I think 84m is one of these two seen here at Mallow in the late 1990s.

And here's Clifden just prior to its purchase by the present owners. Photo possibly by Des O'Donoghue from Ennis.

Whatever about 84m, what about this priceless survivor - ex.Mallow - and believed to be at Belturbet. Should be in Cultra! The carriage was CIE PW Departmental No.465a. ex.Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway Family Saloon No.900 of 1891 (?) - I have mislaid my file on it. The carriage was used by the WL&WR as a Royal Saloon in 1897 to transport the Duke & Duchess of York from Limerick to Killaloe and Adare during the occasion of their visit to Ireland. Full details here: http://books.google.ie/books?id=EznE...reland&f=false The Duke of York was later to become George V on the death of Edward VII in 1910. This carriage is probably the single most important 'unpreserved' railway vehicle on the island and it does not deserve to end its days marooned in Belturbet. A considerable amount of time, money and voluntary effort by the GSRPS went into rescuing the carriage from Claremorris in the mid-1980s.

The MGWR six-wheeler at Clifden is another survivor from the GSRPS (Mallow). Many of the signs and other memorabilia were 'fabricated' at Dromod in the mid-1990s. The entire development at Clifden is a horrible mess but I'm sure Failte Ireland approve.

For anyone interested, the pic of E402 in Mullingar Scrapyard was taken by Joe St.Leger and features left to right Brian 'Vortex' Greene, Bill Garrioch, Derailed and Joe St.Leger - a 50% survival rate!

Limerick Junction is the setting for this one. Joe St.Leger the photographer. As an aside, the Waterford inspection car had a hamper with a complete set of GSWR crockery which was used for special occasions (visits of the CCE) - I was given a soup plate from it many years ago.

CIE in La La Land would be a better title for the film. Freight customers were canvassed for where they would prefer the Dublin Sundries depot to be located - they chose Heuston so CIE put it in the North Wall. The proposed bogie Sundries wagons in the film were abandoned and 10ft containers chosen instead but somebody forgot to order enough of them and a huge amount of traffic was lost. Stations proposed for major freight redevelopment back then included Clonmel, Castleisland & Listowel! The beginning of the end rather than a new beginning. Interesting film all the same.

Here's a shot of 711 at Ballinasloe (?) in the mid 1990s - sorry for the poor quality pic.

There's no two ways about it, trying to shoe horn the Fry Model Railway into a totally unsuitable building, at an already proven unsuitable location is madness.

This issue of Irish Railfans News http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/IRFN/IRFN0803.pdf from 1962 shows 5 Wickhams being supplied and their depot allocations. I was lucky enough to travel over the Burma Road from Collooney to Claremorris in a Wickham in 1981 and over the Tralee/Fenit branch in 1988. I am searching for pictures of same and will post if they turn up.

One of the Downpatrick Wickhams en route from Portlaoise PW Depot to Dromod in 199x - at Tyrellspass. Photo: Joe St.Leger

All the info is available in the 4th edition of Irish Rlys Traction & Travel. There were at least 4 built by Wickham's of Ware, England - a firm that also built garden sheds. They were built in 1962 and supplied to CIE. CIE No - Builders No 710 - 8918 - was damaged in a collision on the Wexford line and subsequently dumped with the remains of another in Enniscorthy - both now gone. 711 - 8917 713 - 8916 714 - 8920 Two are now preserved at Downpatrick - one of which belonged to the Irish Narrow Gauge Trust at Dromod. They were all painted yellow and only one (711) ? had the running number painted on the outside.

Another completely unserviceable livery.

The crash report is something else - cut to the chase, no pages of waffle. The lack of innovative projects like Drumm trains on Irish railways today is one of my pet annoyances. In the days of the Drumm train they recharged at night. Today, presumably, battery technology has improved, there's excess capacity in the grid at night that could be utilised but has there been any interest in the technology.

Another addition to the list of items that I'm clearing out. Coras Iompair Eireann Public Train Services Timetable – Summer Timetable 4th July 1949. Published for Coras Iompair Eireann by Basil Clancy Limited, 33 Bachelor’s Walk, Dublin. 72 pages + covers. Contents: Principal Stations and Passenger Enquiries; Index to Services; Omnibus Connections; Availability of Rail Tickets on Omnibuses; Timetables; Seat Reservations and Travel Tickets; Restaurant Car Services; General Regulations; Lost Luggage; plus some advertising. In excellent condition. VERY RARE!! €20 including p+p or can be collected from Enniscorthy.

That's not Dromod but I wouldn't be surprised if Mr.Trebus is involved somewhere.

Just saw this on Boards.ie tonight! C202 the loco formerly exhibited at Cahirciveen and then dumped near Grace Dieu Junction in Waterford. In company with an ex.West Clare railcar unit from Blackwater and assorted other razor blade material. Location and owner not mentioned. http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2057273858

Do you not think it's a bit late in the day for that? Of course in an enlightened organisation this might have happened but not in a moribund, past its sell by date, dinosaur like CIE/IE. Also a tourist type train could have been another venture but our ex.Transport & Tourism Minister was too busy jockeying for position in FG to pay much attention to his brief.