skinner75

Saturday was my first time taking the train in maybe 3~5 years - Athlone to Newbridge. Had to change in Portarlington, and noted three locos in the ballast sidings - 086 , and two 201s - one of which was started up while I was waiting.

I just received an email from IE regarding catering on Intercity services: On board catering services update Iarnród Éireann regrets to inform customers that our catering provider, RailGourmet has advised that it is no longer able to provide catering services on Iarnród Éireann’s Intercity network. This is despite extensive efforts by both Iarnród Éireann and RailGourmet to see on-board catering services resume, following their enforced absence for two years of the pandemic. Since the lifting of face covering regulations in February 2022, RailGourmet has not been able to resume services, primarily due to the challenges in resolving staffing issues, and significant additional costs. As a result, a termination of the contract with RailGourmet has been agreed, and catering services will remain suspended. (Catering services on the Dublin / Belfast Enterprise train, under a separate contract with Corporate Catering Services Ltd, are continuing to operate on a limited basis.) We will quickly commence the process to tender for a new catering contract. However, this will mean that catering services are unlikely to be available on board until at least early 2023. We sincerely apologise to customers who will be inconvenienced by this and we look forward to returning the on-board catering service to you as soon as we can. Meanwhile many of our Intercity stations have existing retail / catering facilities available for customers, and Iarnród Éireann will work with CIÉ Property in the interim to further enhance, where possible, station based retail and catering options for customers. Customers planning a substantial Intercity journey should be aware especially those making early morning trips and in general for travel over the summer months.

I've been working in IT support for 25 years - and have had many dealings with people who have lost work due to having no backups made. One guy lost his thesis as he had no backup copies made, and didn't even have a copy of it on his network drive space, as he was the paranoid sort. No pity felt for him!

I've got one of those panels too!

I must investigate the insulators on the head of an old telegraph pole that is laying on the ground in a friend's housing estate, next to the old Athlone-Mullingar line

My A42 arrived this morning - sold out now I see!

Nice one - just ordered the bundle of the two of them there

C class would be a winner in my books!

It's great to see it reassembled in it's new home. Very interesting to see the steel frame used for the supports - when I go to build a layout of my own, this would be the way I would go about supporting it, after seeing it first on Barrow Street!

Never been myself - I tried to go years ago to one, but missed the tour start time as I couldn't find the entrance to the Works in time!

Argh - my eyes!! It burns, it burns!!! http://emdexport.railfan.net/samerica/brasil/brasil47.html http://emdexport.railfan.net/samerica/brasil/brasil30.html http://emdexport.railfan.net/demos10.html and this little cutie: http://emdexport.railfan.net/demos2.html

Perfect for testing out skills before tackling a large scale layout - looks amazing!

This screams scam to me! He's only on ebay since 2nd Feb this year too

Yep - bit daft if you ask me!

Still 5 running Kriegslok WW2 locos running in Tuzla, Bosnia - 80 years service from a loco only designed to last 10 years! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH96yjd6BKU

Funny enough, I only watched a vid on youtube on this a couple of months ago! Great channel this guy has - he has a vid on the Lartigue railway too https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGwjtjgiivE

It reminds me of the time when I was in college, we drove down to Spain. Coming back, we went through Andorra, and went mad on buying whiskey etc. When we were leaving, heading into France, the French police/border guards saw the Irish plate and pulled us over. Their eyes lit up when they saw the bottles of whiskey! We had to pay a 'fine' for each bottle, then, if we wanted to keep them, pay even more. As it was the end of the holiday, we had little cash, so we left the bottles with them... Kind of a foreshadowing of the Brexit customs since the UK became a 'third country'

"Play stupid games, win stupid prizes" as the saying goes!

Brexit - the gift that keeps on giving

make that 11

Nothing like a purpose built home for the layout! Construction looks great I built a block shed with my dad's help some years back, but it is dedicated to a workshop for my motorbikes. Maybe time to build another one...

That, and the shot where the exterior is from along the stretch around Bray head - the angle of what is passing by the window doesn't line up with the carriage! Are the carriage interior shots from a Cravens? Maybe one of the RPSI coaches was used.

Apparently this was on the Irish syllabus - long after I left school though! Seriously dark stuff I reckon. Footage of train arriving into Rathdrum (I think), and also arriving into Rathdrum at the end of the short!! Brendan Gleeson is in it "Cáca Milis" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW-tdaO2s9o

I think I remember an article in the IRRS journal in the last couple of years (could be more!) on mining in Avoca - I'll see if I can find it later

Got notification from Book Depository today that they have it in stock now, so order placed!