Auto-Train Original

yes that is more sensible than a direct link to Derry. Most passengers would be going south from Letterkenny anyway.

I honestly can't see the Derry to Letterkenny thing as just talk. The Derry Road is the only game in town for serious reopening and would technically, provide rail service to 'Donegal'.

This is not a political post, and I hope I am posting this in the correct forum. Over the Christmas I met a gentleman who was in government (as a senior civil servant) in the 1980s and is now retired. Turned out he is a railfan and we had a great chat. Anyway, during the course of the discussion he told me how close the country came to having no railways left after 1990. It was literally unofficial policy to dismantle the network. Worst of all CIE management were actually enthusiastic to the point of literally lobbying for this to happen. The initial stage was to terminate all lines west of the Shannon. The station in Athlone was moved to the Leinster side to deliberately sabotage the Mullingar to Athlone route. After a while, all Intercity services were to be terminated. Including Cork and Belfast. CIE management tried to bamboozle ministers with replacing these with a 'state of the art inter-city bus guideway'. All that was to be left was the DART between Howth and Bray. That was it. He described the CIE managers as 'headcases'. If it were not for the community groups in Sligo who started to fight back against the closure all this may well have happened. At one point a government press release in 1987 categorically stated that no further investment of any significance was to be made. Ostensibly allowing it to die naturally. It is almost terrifying to think that we would have lost just about everything. Now I am not saying he was spoofing me, but I was actually in shock by what he told me. Can anyone here confirm this. Was the anti-rail faction literally that out of control?

Early 1970s my father took me to the shop on Monck Place in Phisborough and told me to pick out a carriage. I picked a Hornby/Triang Mk1. A few days later for Christmas I got a Hornby starter set with an O8 and some wagons. Still with the hobby now.

I have seen the CIE Roundel on both brown and grey painted goods vans. But was there ever brown painted goods vans with the Flying Snail logo on it? Thanks in advance.

This is a useful site. Loads of photos of factories with rail sidings. This is Ballyshannon. https://www.britainfromabove.org.uk/en/search?country=ireland&year=all&view=grid&page=2

They come in hard envelopes and are a quality product at an excellent price. Huge fan here.

Just listening to the radio the other day. As sure as rain some of the people along the line are predicted genocide, the wrath of Jehovah and tempests if a few gates are closed.. I suppose this being Ireland it is to be expected. Still great to see this line coming back.

Wow! I am simply blown away by everyone graciously sharing their information. Thank you all indeed. Delighted I joined this forum.

Did any Irish operator have coaches with two axles and four wheels? If so, are there any photos or drawings on line. Thanks.

Waste of time, West on Track already exists in 1/1 scale.

Has to be the most interesting train I have seen on Irish railways. Has anyone every tried to model one? Apparently they had some tractive effort and could haul a surprising amount of wagons. Freight train at Downhill - 1979 Built by the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) 1966-68, the eight 70-class DEMUs were used by the UTA and its successor Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) for both passenger and freight haulage. Their most notable working was the evening Monday - Friday freight service from Londonderry (Waterside) to Lisburn, operated on behalf of CIE whose own locomotives would then take the train on to Dublin. Headed by No. 71 "River Bush", the train is about to enter Downhill tunnel on its way to Lisburn via Antrim and Knockmore Junction. With improved roads in Donegal and Sligo, this service simply petered-out in the 1980s. For a 1977 view of this working, see: C7436 : Freight train at Downhill - 1977. © Copyright The Carlisle Kid and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.

I will get this book and looking forward to it. The line to Bandon at least should have been retained. It was the Harcourt Street of the south. That photo above with the railcars says it all.

Sorry to change the subject but I love your ballast. What is is?

it is a great idea and would be a good product for some people - but it would be like EM; a kind of ghetto demanding full commitment. While on a survey like this it costs people nothing to say 'bring it on' but that is not the same thing as this percentage answer actually buying it. Also the kind of people who really want this will just take something like Peco bullhead rail and cut it in two and fill in the sleeper gaps, as well as build their own points.

I should also add nothing ruins a club like pedantic rivet counters (especially with with deep pockets) who exclaim 'you can't run that!" - these types do exist and they are excellent at driving away new people to the hobby. Not to be negative but I have seen this too.

Another childhood memory is walking along the old sleepers to the closed mill alongside the Royal Canal at Phibsborough. To my amazement I found out later that the mill was rail served into the 70s. Firstly is that true? Secondly, are there any photos in existence of trains on the branch during the final years. Thanks in advance.

This is sad to hear but that's business. I have a few Fleischmann locos and railcars and even models they made in the 1970s still hold up. Their pancake motor - which Hornby "borrowed" for a few years, is still the best design to date.

Good luck with your aim of getting a club going. In terms of starting up, I would suggest begin with a homogeneous HO/OO layout. One that will have buildings and scenery that would be plausibly found in most of North America/UK and Ireland/Europe so people can run their own stock on. This kind of semi-blank canvas layout makes everyone feel welcome, and it can be great fun to have a theme night now and again. A large layout like this can be constructed in a short time and not cost a lot. A couple of loops of Code 100 track, few sidings and with a switchable DC/DCC control system. No one feels left out, or forced to model a prototype they are not interested in. Then, as the club becomes established, you can build that M&GW or Portumna and Macguire Bridge (joking!) specific layout. A new (all clubs in fact) club should be accessible to anyone who walks in the door. I know this as I have lived all over and joined model train clubs worldwide and a friendly smile and length of track is a beautiful thing to be offered on your first night in the door. Novice or master crafts builder.

thanks could well be. I think it was painted silver or white? Maybe a later livery. This was late 70s I'd say. thanks everyone - fantastic. Loving the forum.

I am trying to figure out if this is a false memory or something, but I recall as a kid my dad doing a job in the deep end of the Dublin docks and took me along. There was a rail yard with tank wagons there and I am almost certain there was also a small diesel loco working the yard that was not CIE. Can anyone tell me I was not imagining this? Thanks in advance.

Cyril Fry really was something else. Incredible photos thanks.

how did the brakes operate on this! GNR/CIE MAK diesel?

Cheers guys - I will try to get to Raheny so. Thanks.

Hi. I have been given a Silver Fox A Class in green as a gift. I would like to run some wagons with it. I am fairly good at kitbashing so is there any commercially available OO wagons I can repaint or alter to make a short train to be 'close enough' kind of thing? Also a Brake Van? Thanks in advance.