josefstadt

Did CIÉ / IÉ actually put the two new cranes into service? Or was their usefulness overtaken by the increasing lifting capacity of road cranes?

Dave182, during storms on the Bank Holiday Monday in 1996 (28 October) one of the gantry cranes at Belview collapsed, blocking the Waterford - Rosslare Strand line. The line remained blocked until 11 November, the delay in clearing the wreckage of the crane being due to the presence of some HazChem containers in the debris. During the closure of the Waterford - Rosslare Strand line beet trains from Wellington Bridge to Mallow were diverted to operate via Wexford and Dublin. The IRRS Journal of February 1997 (No. 132) has a great picture of 087 with a beet train on Bray Head on 30 October 1996 (see page 351).

Here is another item. This one I do need some suggestions as to what it is. It's a small metal plate, about 6¼" x 2¼", painted black with the number 2622. On the rear are four folded over metal clips. I found it by the trackside on the DSE section around a mile south of Killiney in about 1967 / 68. From the number, 2622, I assume that it came from the AEC railcar of that number, but as to its purpose and to where it was attached I have no idea. One suggestion that has been made is that it was attached somewhere on one of the engines / transmissions. Has anyone any more ideas about this?

Thanks John. Had forgotten about the hotels.

An Ulster Transport Authority ashtray dating from the early 1960s. Not sure where it came from, but probably it was from the bar/buffet in GVS.

A couple of scans of photos of the NIR flat wagons:

The filler pipe was moved to that location to prevent any potential H&S problems when filling the tender under the wires in the DART area.

Good luck with the new job George! I suppose that this means you will be taking up modelling German railways!

Excellent pics and video Heirflick!

Welcome to the site Tony and thanks for the info.

The Bluebell Railway has hired a two-car diesel railcar from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway at Wirksworth, Derbyshire. The set will operate some winter services between East Grinstead and Horsted Keynes while works take place on the line towards Sheffield Park. They will be the first Diesel Multiple Units (DMU) to visit the line. The two carriages have been refurbished, maintained, and repainted by volunteers from the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway DMU Group. Passengers will be able to enjoy the Sussex scenery through the driver's cab for the first time during January and February. That didn't take long!

Things seem to have been sorted out: Iarnród Éireann‏@IrishRail·58 mins Update: Drumcondra Station has reopened following earlier fault on a freight service.

Love the product description on the ebay entry '... a bespoke model incorporating a precision resin cast body ...'. Precision body???

As far as I remember, the signalman would hand the staff to the driver of a Down train at the platform in the station. For Up trains, the driver would throw the staff out when passing the cabin and the signalman would come down to collect it. Of course, when two branch trains were crossing in Portarlington the signalman would have to come down to collect the staff from the Up train, then go back up and put it through the staff instrument, go back down to hand the staff to the driver of the Down train and finally go back up to the cabin. They must have been fit!

IRRS Diesel Tour - 19 July 2014 The Irish Railway Record Society (IRRS) has arranged a diesel railtour on Saturday 19 July 2014 using the RPSI Cravens set and GM 071 class locomotives. The scheduled route is Dublin Connolly - Waterford - Limerick - Ballybrophy - Dublin Connolly. Subject to availability, there will be change of locomotives at Waterford and Limerick. Departure from Connolly is scheduled for 09:20 and the train is due back at 19:40, providing connections off the 06:50 Belfast-Dublin and into the 20:50 Dublin-Belfast services. For more details and the booking form, please see the IRRS website at the following link: http://www.irrs.ie/Common%20Files/Booking%20Form%20-%20071%20Diesel%20Railtour.pdf IRRS Programme Organiser

Wishing you a speedy recovery Walter.

Great to see you back on the site Anthony. Love the videos. Ballykay looks like it has gone from strength to strength. I suppose the Station Hotel does rooms by the hour!

Fantastic! The whole scene just shouts 'rural Ireland' - it couldn't be anywhere else.

I presume you mean the KFA (the KTA is a pocket wagon). While not exactly 62' 9" in length the KFA has a loadable deck length of 60' so it must be fairly close to the Irish wagon.

Amazingly lifelike. Fantastic workmanship Kieran.

Longford 1974. H&S hadn't been invented!

Congratulations Popeye! Your Park Royal looks amazing - really captures the spirit of the real thing.

Many thanks for turning up the additional info Hunslet. As you say, a complex and interesting leasing arrangement between IR and NIR.