DERAILED

Iarnrod Eireann Working Timetable operative from 17th September 2000 to 9th June 2001.Internally nice clean condition but curly corners on laminated covers.298 pages of vital information for the railway enthusiast€12 including p+p or can be collected from Enniscorthy for €10.

Sold to Weshty - many thanks.

Back on Track: Ennis-Athenry Railway 1859-2009.Souvenir guidebook published by CIE to mark the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor Phase.1.Profusely illustrated large format guide, 72 pages (glossy) with card cover. Cover showing some slight wear but nice clean interior. The story of how CIE were forced to reopen a rail route that they thought they had finally got rid of in the late 1990s.No fan of West on Track or self-respecting gricer should be without a copy.€12 including p+p in a card envelope or (€10) collected from Enniscorthy.

Various Railtour brochures for sale (8) Silvermines Railtour (1974) 20 pages + cover, incl.track diagrams and photographs. Has been folded at some time, grubby cover but clean contents. Scarce in any condition. Burma Road Railtour (1975) – 20 pages + cover, incl.track diagrams and photographs. Has been folded at some time, grubby cover but clean contents. Scarce in any condition. The Top Link Railtour (2009) – 44 pages + cover. Glossy production in good condition with track diagrams and plenty of photographs. MkIII Excursion to the Western Rail Corridor (2010) – 12 page glossy itinerary with NO photographs. Good condition. South Kerry Railtour (1980) 20 pages + cover, incl.track diagrams and photographs. Slight wear to cover but nice clean interior. Scarce in any condition. Gall Tir Railtour (1998) 48 pages + cover, glossy pages with track diagrams, gradient profiles and photographs. Slight wear to cover but nice clean interior. Scarce in any condition. The Silver Cloud Railtour (1999) – 20 pages plus slightly grubby card cover and A Guide to Ireland’s Railway Heritage – A Bord Failte guide. €15 FOR ALL EIGHT INCLUDING P+P - No offers please!

The Station Masters and Inchicore books are now sold.

The Station Masters by Gregg Ryan & Bernard Share Paperback, 58 pages, Published by CIE (2000) Heritage Series No.2. €10 including p+p on the island of Ireland or can be collected from Enniscorthy. Coras Iompair Eireann Railway Engineering Works, Inchicore, Dublin Published by CIE – Date unknown. Pocket guide running to 22pp + card cover. Scarce, especially in good, unread condition Photographs of locos and freight stock . €10 including p+p on the island of Ireland or can be collected from Enniscorthy. A Guide to Ireland’s Railway Heritage by Gregg Ryan and Bernard Share Read but in very good condition. Published by Iarnrod Eireann (2002) Paperback, 104pp, illustrated, and translated into four languages. Without doubt the worst guide ever published on the topic. Yours for only €10 including p+p on the island of Ireland or can be collected from Enniscorthy.

The Garden Railway mags are still available and can be left in Dublin this week for collection.

Owens was certainly an institution - like the Tardis bigger on the inside than the outside! In the 1960s for Airfix soldiers and in the late 1970s I bought my first camera there (a Zenith E) the afternoon before I set-off to photograph the weedsprayer on the North Kerry. Happy days.

Here's some of the better staffs. Many of the small staffs sold for less than they would have 20 years ago - so too did many scarce large staffs. Full catalogue with prices is available here https://www.purcellauctioneers.ie/catalogue/EC143CDF71FE633714CD229813CDBD1C/81B29AB6FA187A02A829C1899B734425/irelands-largest-railwayana-auction/ but it won't stay online for long.

Prices were quite low - as expected when you dump such a vast amount of similar items on the market at the same time - and I'm surprised they held up as well as they did. Pic above and another tomorrow of the many, many staffs. Looks like the bulk of the collection must have been stored in a shed for years with no restoration attempted.

The cast iron plates that 90 carried when displayed at Mallow were removed for safekeeping by a Cork based GSRPS committee member. They haven't been since as far I know.

See Ireland by train is now sold.

Three items IE public timetable from 2007 - mint, unused condition - 180 pages. CIE Mainline Rail Timetable - mint and very rare - June 1974. Ulster from the Carriage Window - self published booklet by William Robb - 20 pages A5. Grubby cover but nice clean interior. The three - €20 including p+p on the island of Ireland - or can be collected from Enniscorthy or left for collection (pre-paid) adjacent to Connolly Station.

I was on an IRRS special that stopped at Avoca - late 1970s/early 80s - must have been one of the first trains to stop there in years. I seem to remember that the family in the station house were sitting watching TV and suddenly there were a couple of hundred enthusiasts peering in their window. The house itself has been bastardized but the water tank remains. Of course the station should have been reopened years ago but CIE have no vision. I was told perhaps 10/15 years ago that it would cost a minimum of €500k to reopen it - I suppose that would include extending platforms, cobblelock, palisade fencing, lifts, OTT signage....I could go on but I'll leave it to Boards.ie...

Here's a couple of pics of the trailer that were sent to me when it was at the convent at Bessbrook - I'm assuming that's the one? The photographs were taken in 1987 by Thomas Mathers - Newry - I often wondered what became of him and the trailer!

Here's one at Straffan.

It left Stradbally in 1983 and was moved to Mallow (GRSPS), then Cahir Railway Museum and finally to Dromod in 1993. It was then sent for regauging and re-engining to Alan Keef in Ross-on-Wye and returned in the mid-1990s. The motorised chassis has been used to give enthusiast rides at Dromod but the bodywork remains stored. It was originally a 5ft 3" inspection car.

Modelling Irish Railways by Johnston & O'Rourke - good condition - €5 plus postage Three copies of NIR's Rail Issues magazine - €3 plus postage or can be collected from Enniscorthy or Dublin (adjacent to Connolly Station).

What's this?

16mm Today - 9 copies + Modelling In 16mm (members guide). Issues are as follows: 2006 - No.118 - November 2007 - Nos.120/121/122 2008 - Nos.123/124 2009 - Nos.127/128/129 All in mint condition - €12 for the lot. Too heavy to post but can be collected from Enniscorthy or Dublin (adjacent to Connolly Station - payment in advance!)

Just bumping this - surely somebody must want? JUST SOLD.

A few more pics. Thurles Beet Factory Sidings Knock special at Youghal circa 1983 The Railway Bar, Lixnaw from the LC.

Tralee - Fenit. The GSRPS/CIE inspection car trip 28th January 1987 - how could I forget! Of course, I can't put my hand on any photographs - probably disposed of on eBay. Happy New Year everybody.

Although very definitely an ex.enthusiast I'm looking forward to getting hold of a copy of this.

Other long gone lines that I was luck enough to travel over include Tuam Bfs Thurles Bfs Mallow Bfs Above: 1987/88 GSRPS volunteers recovering sleepers. Dun Laoghaire – Dun Laoghaire Pier (an RSPI tour was my last trip over the pier line) Athlone – Mullingar – regular services, specials. Sligo – Sligo Quay (RPSI) Athenry – Claremorris – Knock specials, enthusiast specials and a loose coupled beet to Tuam. Cahir Railway Museum Dromod – Clooncolry (unlikely to reopen. I drove the first loco into Dromod Shed since the line closed! Roosky Supermarket Private Railway (2ft) REGRETS – lines that were intact when I became an enthusiast but were already closed. Cork City Railway Ardee Loughrea branch Castleisland branch NO REGRETS Tralee – Blennerville (unlikely to reopen) but I never travelled on.