Branchline121

Video hot off the press: https://youtube.com/watch?v=yLmnSDxKxCE

Here’s the link to the picture of the real thing out ‘n’ about if anyone hasn’t seen it yet.

The new DART has been on the line, as seen on this Facebook post. First new type since the ICRs I'm guessing? Interesting nonetheless.

A 201 in Navan… never knew that had happened before.

Although the 2700s are due to be scrapped, I’ve heard word of 2751 possibly being kept as a shunter for the Portlaoise ICR depot. I’ve also heard that the lads at Maam Cross are investigating acquiring the unit for preservation, but nothing since. Has it been moved already or is it still in storage? It’d be interesting to see it return to service after so long but likewise it could be a useful asset for Maam Cross. I’d be interested in hearing if anyone has updates on it anyway.

I wouldn’t call the 071s inactive as I’ve seen them on IWT liners around Dublin and AFAIK the hydrogen project hasn’t been cancelled.

I used to enjoy playing a game called ‘Railway Empire’ (Wikipedia) on the Xbox years ago… it even had a map of Ireland to build on, but most of the game was based around the Great Plains of America — and the stock for the Ireland + GB DLC was mostly recycled French locos. I think there’s a sequel by this point but I never got around to playing it, but I might at some point as the first one was a fairly decent strategy game.

Probably for the best: Dublin should bide the time it has left until it’s cursed with the Heuston West station “building.” I suppose I should be looking on the bright side — at least Spencer Dock looks presentable.

Don’t forget all the HOBS wagons still with the old logo.

90% sure I saw the unit on the main line outside Inchicore this morning.

Looks like this sort of thing has been done before: https://www.railjournal.com/regions/north-america/cpkc-trials-use-of-hydrogen-tender/

085 is now being converted, but it's components are going to be kept as intact as possible incase the hydrogen thing doesn't work out. Apparently there's only a range of ~50 km so if they go into proper service they'll require a hydrogen tender!

I’m late to this conversation, but I’d have to point out a restaurant that has recently enough opened near me in the village of Kilmainhamwood, called the “GNR cafe”, despite the fact Kilmainhamwood is on the MGWR Kingscourt branch, not to mention its logo has a loco with an American-style cowcatcher — just like the Railway Bar in Navan. I wouldn’t mind only Google is free.

I already posted a comment on this thread before, but if I was asked a second time I’d say Cabra, or, as many others have said, Navan. If we were opening Navan on the GNRI branch, I’d also reinstate Duleek, and maybe extend the line into Kells. Finally, if there was infinite money for building new lines, I’d love to see Navan—Armagh to open as envisaged back in the 19th century to tie in with the All-Island Strategic Rail Review, it’d certainly be a useful diversionary route!

Well, action has now started taking place for the reopening of the Derry Road (article), which I find somewhat interesting considering the AISRR didn’t recommend undertaking for another 10 years, but I’m still glad it’s starting sooner rather than later.

Huh. I wonder if it’d be worth anything creating an article for the 80000 Class too then?

Seemingly a Wikipedia page has sprung up detailing the new DART fleet. “IÉ 90000 Class,” is there any proof that they use those numbers yet? No sources either, so I’m confused as to where the author got the numbers from. Other than that, the page has little information, not even an infobox — I guess it’s too early for an article, considering the info about the fleet has been scarce at best.

Found this article that says Irish Rail are considering buying Stadler Euro Dual electro-diesel locos similar to the Class 99 entering service in England, apparently to replace the 071s and 201s. Didn't think the 201s need replacing (the 071s are good too but I suppose they are almost 50) but here we are; either way, the article's worth a read.

The BBC article about the opening is here if anyone is interested. There’s a short bit about the late Noel Playfair’s son too. Hopefully the Lisburn-Antrim line reopens soon enough so the station can be filled up a bit, but overall it’s good to see it open.

This locomotive has seemingly been preserved… sort of…

Croatia and Serbia have a similar problem. The border between them was drawn up during the federalisation of Yugoslavia, but the problem lies in that Serbia claims the border follows the modern course of the Danube (thereby giving them more land), whereas Croatia asserts it should follow the original course drawn before the Danube was straightened for ease of navigation. This leads to one piece of land being claimed by neither. Naturally, this has lead to some chancers to travel to the land and claim it as their own ‘micronation’, such as a Czech man who proclaimed “Liberland” on the territory, although neither Serbia nor Croatia take him seriously. While not on the topic of unclaimed land, I feel, seen as this is a railway forum, I should mention the peculiar Belgian-German border. After the Great War, the Treaty of Versailles granted some land to Belgium as reparations — one of these is the Vennbahn, a strategic railway line that crossed the border. The Vennbahn’s path would be granted to Belgium, in the process separating land west of the line from the rest of Germany. Although the line is closed now, the irregular border remains.

It hasn’t seen a passenger service since 1995 AFAIK (albeit that was a special), but you’d think that the GNRI station could be opened in the interim for a service to Dublin to bridge the gap between now and when the ex-D&M reopens in 2036, a good 12 years from now, especially considering the line is so sparsely used now. The lack of a Navan branch platform is an issue, but a wooden platform could probably be thrown together hastily, right?

The GeoHive Maps also have satellite imagery that is, in many cases, much higher quality than Google Maps; although the satellite imagery is all pre-2015..

I used to have a large layout that covered my whole bedroom floor when I was younger, but it's all stored up in boxes now...

It’s a strange idea alright — but I’d hate to see Malahide or the other stations destroyed for quadruple-tracking like they did to all the stations between Heuston and Hazelhatch.