Branchline121

I wish they went back into service on smaller trains... Shame it's unviable.

tbh I think it would be cool to have the remaining 141s restored and used on local freight trains, but that’s unrealistic and unlikely. It still would be cool.

You forgot the J26!

One of the main industries to use rail freight worldwide would be the car industry, using trains to transport their shiny, new cars from the assembly line to the dealership. Many of us know that a large industry in Cork from the 1910s to the ‘80s was the Ford factory, producing many iconic models from the Fordson tractor to the Sierra. My question is: were there ever automobile trains in Ireland, and if so, where did they run between? If anybody has photos, I would love to see them.

This post has convinced me that a Forza game on the Canaries would actually be great.

Good ol’ bones. It’s a shame they’re all being scrapped on the continent.

Um, the GNRI didn’t build the Armagh-Castleblayney but operated its services and acquired it in 1911, and the INWR was already there, so that couldn’t have blocked the line; might you be referring to the Carrickmacross branch opened by the GNRI in 1886? I will take into consideration your book.

I wonder what stock would be ordered for an electrified Great Northern line? Would a more conventional TRAXX or Vectron loco be ordered? Or would they go with a full bona fide high-speed electric Velaro EMU? Whatever it may be, they would presumably have to be dual-voltage for the 1500 V DC Malahide-Connolly section, so maybe a Euro Dual loco will be ordered if the BR Class 93 is a success.

The line was supposed to have made it to Kingscourt, if that had came to fruition that part of the railway probably would have lasted a bit longer.

The old GNRI station used to connect up to Waterside via the lower deck of the Craigavon Bridge, but seen as that is nowadays a road, I don't know how it would play out.

What was the story with the Drogheda-Navan line? All the OS Maps show it as single-tracked (although the final 6-inch signifies accomodation for a second), but various photos show two lines, and it was singles again from c. 1965 onwards(?) Can anyone clear this up?

Perhaps this is a silly question but is/was there a platform 9 in Heuston station. There’s the terminal platforms 1-8 and the now-shut(?) through platform 10, but what ever happened to number 9? Was there ever a plan or did they just name platform 10 that because 10 is cooler than 9?

... But also the most boring!

It is!?

It's good to see the possibility of more rail reopenings, so hopefully that happens (and the northernmost MGWR line in the east reopens!) Maybe this is impossible to answer, but what was the line with the highest ridership to close?

Thomas the Tank Engine suddenly looks a lot more realistic!

or a dreamy Kingscourt…

It seems consideration was given to a CIÉ standard fleet of steam locos (perhaps similar to the BR Standards?), but full-on dieselisation was chosen instead, probably not that smart considering the reliability of the A & C engines…

The railways of Eden sound great!

Also, the 121’s livery doesn’t nicely line up with the DVT. Either they were experimenting, or they were going to have a low green band on the loco and high one on the coaches, which would make the colour not the worst thing about the livery!

Not to jump the gun, but… Judging by the design of the locomotive it seems IÉ are planning on buying a fleet of electric Alstom Traxx engines, and the mountains and freight signify that the Kilkenny line is going to be electrified!

Here’s the mock-up — on a parade float!

Compared to the UK, not a lot of Irish lines have names. Example: the lines in Britain have many names, like the Tees Valley Line for the Bishop Auckland-Saltburn line, or the East Coast Main Line for the London-Edinburgh line. I could go on with examples, but the point is, the lines aren’t just the “A-B line” or whatever company built the railway (some are, but that’s besides the point); so, which Irish examples have names? All I can think of is: Derry Road (Portadown-Derry) Great Northern main line (Dublin-Belfast) Meath Road (Dublin-Navan) Western Railway Corridor (Limerick-Collooney) Branches (Youghal, Kingscourt, Oldcastle, Fenit, Castleisland, Ardee, Foynes, Ballina, etc.) Can anybody think of more?

All we need is a 5ft 3 version of that and take it to the Kingsc- oh wait, that’s a greenway now; maybe the Foyn- wait, that’s being lifted; how about Yough- greenway also; Feni- ditto. I guess there’s no abandoned tracks in Ireland to ride a yoke like that down anymore… Apart from the WRC! Hopefully that doesn’t get greenway’d.