StevieB

I take my hat off to you, sir, for your services to the felines of the Canaries. We had three Bengals, Lily will be 16 later this year, Bayley was 13 when we lost him to kidney failure two years ago, while Lucas will be 12 later this year.

Stephen

Yes indeed.

Stephen

PM sent.

Stephen

I like the cats. Are they orientals/foreigns?

Stephen

Some more lovely photos, keep them coming.

Merry Christmas.

Stephen

I spent my working life dealing with river and sea flooding. The sandbags may only give limited relief but it will allow time to lift vulnerable equipment out of the way of the flood water. Make sure you know what is irreplaceable and what is not.

Stephen

On 7/12/2023 at 5:38 PM, 226 Abhann na Suire said:

@DoctorPan I never looked at it from that angle before at all somehow, I actually never thought about that. Having read that, I went to look at the route map and website of Metrolink and I don’t know how I completely didn’t realise that as you say, serving the airport is only a bonus side effect, and it actually provides hugely populated areas of North Dublin with otherwise limited transport connections, with a frequent and integrative service to the city centre. I apologise about going on the tirade, and thank you for pointing that out!!

 

I do still think that Dublin Airport could benefit from a heavy rail link and there are certain aspects of Metrolink’s route that could be slightly altered to improve connectivity. Specifically the O’Connell Street stop which is currently located linking with the Luas Green Line’s O’Connell Upper stop (thus connecting with only one direction of only one Luas line…). This could be moved slightly southwards to around the intersection of Abbey and O’Connell Street, thus connecting with Red Line and both directions of the Green Line by way of having numerous exits from the underground station. DART Underground (or DART + Tunnel as the big wigs are calling it) can also only be seen as complimenting Metrolink with a potential connection at O’Connell Street being amazing but the planned Stephen’s Green or Tara links also being very viable.

 

I also couldn’t agree more about taking services away from Connolly, it is very congested and aside from the Northern Line, has little scope for track capacity enhancements and not much space for additional platforms either. I think the Strategic Rail Review’s idea of the Maynooth-Lucan rail link would be fantastic if implemented as it will allow Sligo (and potential future Monaghan and Cavan services from Mullingar which are also recommended in the review) to terminate at Heuston, where there is loads of space for capacity enhancement and extra platforms (unlike poor Connolly) and which will be reached by full quad-track thanks to DART + SW (also unlike poor Connolly). 

 

They also recommended Rosslare line services terminate at Bray, with passengers wanting to journey on to Dublin making a very easy cross-platform interchange for an increased-frequency DART service to Dublin. While this may seem bad, it allows for more frequent services from Rosslare and Wexford to Bray and there would be no actual increase in journey time at all by having to change train, as Rosslare trains are stuck behind DARTs all the way from Bray and so take the same time as them to reach Connolly anyway. This would allow Connolly to be a completely commuter/DART only station (aside from the Enterprise), with 5 platforms (3 through and 2 bays) for DARTs to serve Maynooth, Drogheda, Hazelhatch/Kildare, Bray and maybe the airport being very sufficient and 2 platforms for the hourly Enterprise. 

 

I apologise to everyone for that Shpeel, I’m not great at getting my point across quickly at all, so sorry about that and thanks again @DoctorPan for opening my eyes to being pro-Metrolink again! Now, back to the Foynes line!!…

I could be missing something, but a solution potentially…?

The old route is clear apart from the building in the centre of the photo. 
They can always be a problem.
 

Stephen

Stephen

Had a wonderful day at the Warley show yesterday, purchased a much sought after copy of IRRS Journal from Leslie, viewed the new IRM products and spent a long time at Ballyconnell Road, truly a wonderful model railway. All it needs is GNR(I) railcar set to complete the scene, and maybe a CIE one as well.

Stephen

Try bradytommy101@gmail.com.

Stephen

I’ve never tried one myself but I have read elsewhere that they can drive you mad. Brilliant job.

Stephen

The brake gear under the Palvans was different to that on the Bulleid underframes.

Stephen

They look the DB’s. You lovely people. 
 

Stephen

C/201 class in its many guises and liveries.

Stephen

9 hours ago, Mayner said:

One 80 Class set was used on Bray-Greystones shuttles, a second on Cork-Cobh suburban trains.

The third a maintenance spare rotating between the Greystones and Cobh sets, one of its more unusual workings was a Sunday morning Dunlaoire-Heuston 'Boat-Train rather than the usual Dublin City Services bus transfer between Dunlaoire and Connolly. Its possible an 80 Class set was rotated between Dublin and Cork on a weekly basis for maintenance purposes, though I don't know if the transfer working  was a revenue or ECS working.  Passengers were regularly carried in Mitsui 2600 railcar sets on Cork-Dublin transfer working during the 1990s a long slow uncomfortable journey compared with a MK3 set.

Another oddity was that IE advertised a Sunday afternoon/evening Mayo-Waterford passenger service reversing at Kildare following the arrival of the 2700 railcar sets in the late 90s most likely aimed at Waterford College of Technology students. 

Checked out Kildare Station on the appointed date to find a long 80 Class set (Most likely 10 car) waiting in the platform, but no signs of a 70 Class set. The 80 Class was actually on a NIR Curragh Race Special. IE stopped advertising its Mayo-Waterford Sunday evening service, the 2700s were eventually introduced into service on Pearse-Drogheda trains after a very long commissioning period apparently as a result of design and manufacturing defects.

Wasn’t the third class 80 set used on the reintroduced Dublin-Maynooth service?

Stephen

Or what about Waterford North with five routes and eight platforms.

Stephen

Can only agree with the comments immediately above.

Stephen

One of many excellent histories of the railways Ireland. Thoroughly recommended as a read.

Stephen

When she had her overhaul at Tuam, she received a new boiler courtesy of the SVR.

Stephen

To anyone involved in the early of getting a heritage railway off the ground, these photos evoke powerful memories. Lovely to see.

Stephen

A lovely video. There’s an interesting reference to the role of the Stormont government in the closure programme of the 1950’s. It wasn’t interested in anything outside of the six counties, very inward looking. I’m not sure if that view has changed in some parts of unionism. Apologies if I have strayed into a no-go area but it was part of the video.

Stephen

Sold out.
 

Stephen

On their website is the following announcement:

Breaking announcement 30 July 2023. Due to high demand we will be doing another batch of GSR/CIE Class 101 locomotives. Taking orders now.

Wow.

Stephen

We need all modes of transport but working together than against each other.

Stephen

Another good Beaumont/Carse read.

Stephen

I thought for a moment that Kirley had returned to this forum. No, just someone bringing to our attention his YouTube channel. Better than nothing I suppose.

Stephen