LNERW1

The general layout of the plant hasn't changed much despite a big fire in the early 2000s, so for an idea of the track layout I just use OpenStreetMap, as it shows the track layout in detail. Having been to the plant in person, a lot of the point levers look like they could be from the 80's at least, so I'd assume not much has changed, apart from there no longer being any track by the former broad gauge alignment. However basically all the track layout I need is in this photo: I'm only working with 18" depth so I couldn't model the whole plant unfortunately! The broad gauge was just a siding and a run round, so only needs two turnouts and could have fixed uncouplers, whereas the narrow gauge I'd like to have run in with wagons full of peat and run back out with empties. This could probably be done with a hidden traverser inside the shed.

Well, I have found a new prototype to throw my energy at instead of working on my actual layouts (There are, I think, 4): Coolnamona! As it's my local BnM line, I've always had some interest in it, but a few days ago I was shocked when photos were sent to a WhatsApp group I'm in of a main line siding that served the works along the old Portlaoise-Kilkenny alignment. These photos are shared here, thanks to Seán Cain and @Hawkerhellfire for sending them, and of course their owners! Peat trains ran to Waterford, New Ross and North Wall until the 1980s. Now, I'm sure it's clear, from being a genuinely good prototype, to being very local, to being so unique, this has captured my imagination, so I have started a process I'm calling the feasability study, basically seeing, can I make this, not just do I want to, and while this is still underway, the relatively simple track layout, added to the fact I already have several baseboards to build it on, bumps it a little higher than all the other projects I've "proposed". As always I would advise not to get any hopes up, as I am frankly irresponsibly erratic, but watch this space.

What did I tell you about never underestimating how autistic I am? Well that certainly sort of explains it.

Archive Wednesday An artefact from the SLR's archive to brighten up the hump day. Here we see "Brisbane" the side tank bought from the NCC upon closure of the Ballymena and Larne in 1950, to try relieve pressure on the rapidly deteriorating fleet of steam trams, and numbered 8. However, it derailed at Ivy Road in 1952, taking it out of service for two years as the railway underwent bankruptcy. It was finally returned to service in 1954 to haul the heavy trains dragging the final peat harvests from Sheehaunmona, which relied on the railway and was attempting to stockpile as much peat as possible in Sheehaunmore so as to not run low while roadworks were completed between the town and the bog to allow peat to move by road. After these duties were finished in summer '55, number 8 languished in Knockadeen shed, only running to haul the 1956 Goodbye Special a week before closure. It remained at Knockadeen until sold to a planned museum in Cork in 1960, however this scheme fell through and she instead went to the Hutton Steam Railway in rural South Australia. This is where this photo was taken of the locomotive, in fresh NCC livery to honour its history. This footplate view, taken by Frank Scott of nearby Peterborough, shows the loco a few months after she arrived in 1961, and also shows one of the railway's regauged, ex-3ft 6 bogie coaches. However, it was not to be and the HLR went out of business in 1970. Number 8 sat in a shed in Australia for a decade until she was bought for a pittance by a private collector in Victoria, and was moved to a back garden in Altona, Melbourne in 1983. Here she was at least cared for and had some of her more dilapidated parts repaired, but only visually, so that she looked remarkably good but was far from running order. This was an unpleasant surprise for his children, when, after he passed in 2007, failed to sell the engine to a railway in Victoria or NSW, and had to resort to sending her home- to be displayed in the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra. However, before she was put on display, the newly formed SLR group purchased her and brought her "home" to Ivy Road, naming her in honour of, well, the capital of the state she worked in- Jackie was left to name her and sure you know what he's like with geography. Anyway, here she now is, in running order and due for fitting of new control and safety systems within the next year. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this bit of backstory- I plan on doing this every Wednesday, staging photos around my garden and dipping into old collections from their previous home, Model World in Wicklow, and maing little stories for each picture. I'm not quite sure why the semi-mushroom pun but the line will ideally pass behind the shed, through a "tunnel", sharing space with an access area that can also be used to store bikes. This allows for Knockadeen and Botanical Gardens to be either end of a tunnel, which I hope will add a bit of interest and simulated distance to the line.

Haha I didn’t want to mention you as I always get a bit iffy talking about private conversations without the other conversee’s consent. Oh yeah of course basically nothing happening but they were on the network at the same time as the ICRs, which have been (I think) on every currently open passenger line on the network, and sure they’d be going along the Cork line. There’s also a possibility, now I say it, they could have been photographed on the quad track as well, as far as I know it only opened in 2009, the year they were retired, but surely it was under construction for a few years beforehand?

In a phone conversation with a friend around my age, we were discussing withdrawal dates and whether we were alive to see certain loco types on the IÉ network (as all cool young people do). In the process we stumbled across the fact that some 121s were in service until 2009, and so for two years or so could have been seen beside an ICR. Now, in my mind these two are worlds apart and seperate the "good" (121) and "meh" (ICR) eras of IÉ, but represent two whole different eras nonetheless. As such, I wondered whether anyone on here has a photo of the two side-by-side, as my curiosity is piqued- I have to see this now! I'm sure given the vast photo collections from members on here that this is almost certainly recorded somewhere. Bonus points for 121s beside MKIVs or 2800 and 2600s. Please help me fulfil my incredibly specific curiosity- what else is this forum for? All the best, LNERW1

Unfortunately not. I've discussed it with d'parents and they seem to agree there isn't much way of doing that without defeating the point of insulating the cabin. Mainly painting fences on work days at Stradbally, but I've also become reasonably proficient in the brake van and, more excitingly, had some experience on the footplate! And I've met some great people in the process, and it's inspired me to bring in some human aspects of characters around the railway. I'm very lucky to live so close by. As for the SLR notice, well, I like doing things like that, simply put. Well I love dogs and like cars (If it doesn't run on rails and isn't powered by steam, it may as well be a UFO to me but they're still class)! Thanks for the support lads. Without this forum I would never get anything done (as it is I barely do anyway, but I might be on ADHD meds soon so that'll hopefully change)

A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SHEEHAUN LIGHT RAILWAY We’d like to apologise for yet another long gap, as large planned development along our alignment has forced a rethink of our plan and drawn resources away from our restoration project. However this development will ultimately allow us new facilities and provide for another project in the area, so we consider it a net benefit. A PRESS RELEASE FROM THE BORING B*****D BEHIND THE SHEEHAUN LIGHT RAILWAY Well who could have foreseen another months-long break like this? At least I have at least some reason this time. Explaining myself: After Christmas a huge amount happened. Long story short I started getting overwhelmed and stressed and doing poorly in school, and it had a huge knock-on effect on everything until the end of the school year, but things started easing up at Easter as I’ve started volunteering at the Stradbally Woodland Railway and it’s done wonders for my wellbeing- I’m doing very well now. However this took up a lot of the time between Easter and leaving to holiday in the West in June. Since returning, a plan has emerged for a shed/“garden room” at the end of the garden allowing for a large railway room. However this has thrown another spanner in the works of the SLR as it occupies the space meant to be occupied by the town and faux-bog spud patch. As such the progression of the line around the back of the garden has had to be hugely modified, requiring a reshuffling and pushback of the whole line. As such, it’s clear no huge progress with the whole line will be made until installation of the shed, which could be in less than two month’s time! Hopefully this provides new opportunities and an uncluttered space where I can decompress and work uninterrupted on projects. This is a huge step and I hope it goes some way to explaining why I’ve been a bit gone for a while. Now, why am I choosing to bring this up now? Well, although the whole line cant be worked on for a while, the line along the south side of the garden can indeed be worked on now (the north side of the garden is also slated for “redevelopment”), and the SLR is also planning to start the overhaul of several locomotives to work on RC control, with the whole fleet planned to be converted. Until then a new smaller loco is planned to be sourced for RC operation during construction, until the rest of the fleet can be converted. I’d like to apologise for being away, and I hope this time I don’t disappoint anyone- I know im good at it… All the best, LNERW1

The poor man. As many late figures in our community, I only learnt who he was too late, but he seems like a wonderful person. May he rest in peace.

I thought only 8501 and 8405 still existed?

I asked him the same day and he had no idea it was even there.

More than a million trips a day- fair impressive, I’d say thats about 10x LUAS isn’t it? But then I’d use a rail line if it was built by my house so fair enough.

Anything for good public transport. It's long past time we got a proper European metro system, never mind rail. Hopefully this leads to more development of the Luas and new rail lines in cities around Ireland.

Headed to Stradbally to volunteer at the railway this morning, and as we were approaching on the road in from Ballyroan, I was shocked to see a driving car of a DART 8200, in a field to the left of us as we drove in. Two other volunteers, one in the IÉ CME department and one in timetable management, had no clue what was going on. Even stranger, it appears to be gone as of a few minutes ago, headed home the same way. Can anyone help shed light on this? The working theory is it’s for the Electric Picnic, as it’s held on the Cosby Estate.

Just started playing the NIR game, has better in-train physics than SCR as far as I can tell, which is a nice quality of life improvement.