Mayner

After over 10 years manufacturing kits and rtr 4mm models, I basically decided that it is not worth it financially to continue producing kits and models mainly as a result of high production costs and a relatively low level of demand. I comissioned a laser cut model of a GSWR signal cabin from my own CAD work through York Model Making several years ago and considered supplying the model as a kit directly through York Model Making (to minimise shipping costs to Irish and UK customers. I had one indirect enquiry from a customer in the UK asking whether he could order the kit directy from York Model Making, but seems to have been put off by the price. Card or etched kit design and assembly tends to be complex as your converting a 2D drawing into a 3D object, producing a 3D model/design is a totally different ball game to 2D drafting but producing a model as a 3D printed object may be a better option than a card or laser cut kit. Hopefully ceasing to produce models comercially will free up time for my own modelling projects, I have already have enough 3D printed wagons (kits and rtr) for my own use, but have several etched loco and coach kits to complete and assemble Kiltimagh Station buildings from Wills material parts and my own custom etches I have had in stock for several years.

Personally I preferred the appearance of the superheated locos to the original saturated version of the A Class, Celtic is likely to have been pronounced Keltic in Ireland. Jack Kennedy a prominent Irish steam age railway photographer and enthusiast once told me the the MGWR would have not been interested in an IC125 unless it was capable of hauling cattle trains. The A and C Class 4-4-0s were built with 6'3" driving wheels and crossed eccentric rods on the Stephenson valve gear (visible in the GA) in contrast to the 6'7' drivers and open (straight) rods on the GSWR express passenger 4-4-0s of the same era. The crossed rods apparrently had an advantage in starting and hauling heavy loads at low to moderate speed required for a mixed traffic loco. The main purpose of the superheating would have been to reduce the running costs of the loco by reduced coal and water consumption, while the MGWR 4-4-0s were considered poor/sluggish engines by the 1948 Inchacore appaisal they were likely to have been considered a 'foreign design" with different arrangement of valve gear to otherwise similar Inchacore 4-4-0s likely to have been quite run down with little maintenance since the beginning of the Emergency. Enginemens comments on the mechadically identical Cs (D5 & D6 Classes) in "A Decade of Steam" and various IRRS papers speak of free-steaming locos that ran roughly at high speed, that were tried successfully on Kingsbridge-Nenagh-Limerick trains. Haven't read of comments of rough riding with the As (D5) Class, the problem with the Cs may have been tied up with raising the boiler centre line when the locos were superheated, the shorter coupled wheelbase of the Cs and the valve gear not like being 'pulled up" for high speed running. Problem seems to have been widely known but apparenty nothing done to improve the ride quailty. Quite a few photos of Cs on cattle trains including double heading an empty westbound special with a Cattle Engine. CIE appear to have plans to "rebuild" some Woolwich as 3 cylinder 4-6-0s with 400 Class boilers, effectively new locos with Woolwich driving wheels, not dissimilar to the Midland's 'rebuilding'/Renewal of the 2-4-0 "Mail Engines" of 1889/90 into the C Class from 1909 onwards. The problem with overloading of the Woolwich would have arisen as a result of the changing in operating patterns following the "Fuel Crisis: of the late 40s which would have resulted in the running of less frequent heavier trains in response to fuel shortages and increased running costs. Similarly CIE reduced train frequency and increased train loadings in response to fuel shortages and cost increases following the 1973 oil crisis. The design developed to the stage that the CIE produced a diagram of the loco!

The most striking thing I experienced working buiilding a "Community Centre" in a 'deprived" area of Dublin about 20 years ago was one evening seeing a toddler of 2-3 walking alone on a darkend street, what chance would a child have growing up in such an environment. On the positive side there were some very good people from the local community working hard to improve the lot of the local community, but it was a hell of a struggle to overcome the difficulties and stigma attached with living in that particular neighbourhood both in terms of raising a family and earning an honest living. Government were pretty good at throwing money at the bricks and mortar stuff but hopeless at supporting and empowering communities with few notable exceptions such as Dublin Corporation social housing schemes of the 1930s and certain Inner City housing schemes of the late 70s/80s which helped re-build communities.

Wooden Thomas railways seemed to be a standard feature of railway museums and heritage railways we visited in the States several years ago, and kept our kid amused while Dad was checking out the other exhibits. At one stage an LGB layout suspended from the ceiling was almost a standard feature in some bars and resturants! Our kid lost interest in playing with trains when they were 7-8 shifting towards Fantasty modelling in Lego and into (computer) graphic design as they entered their teens potentially becoming a graphic artist, computer animator, architect or property developer which should helpful support their interest in horses, best not mention toy trains.

While I have sympathy for the damaged and distress caused by the vandalism at Downpatrick, I find the hang them flog them reaction towards the perpetrators on this newsgroup distasteful. Most developed countries are currently experiencing a significant youth mental health crisis, both Northern Ireland and New Zealand have a significantly higher (almost double) the youth suicide rate of the Republic. (NI 17.8, NZ 19, ROI 10, per 100,000 people 2020). Perhaps the 16 year old apprehended simply comitted wanton vandalism or has a mental health problem, but what about parental responsibility both for the upbringing of their child and taking responsibility for their actions? My Dad had a story of his interactions with the 'locals" while on picket duty in Dublins Docklands during the "Maintenance Mens Strike" of the late 60s, casual work for Dockers and Carters had more or less dried up and a lot of people were literally living on their wits' One an old guy used to bum cigarettes from the strikers and Dad and his mates asked how he managed to survive 'Its like this if I see a hall door open in he flats and a Radio on the table, Ill take it and sell it in Talbot Street in a couple of minutes" the other incident was a group of Urchins in 'hand me down" clothing were hanging out walking up and down on the picket line with the strikers while two of their mates robbed some 'cans of paint" from the back of Dad's car (he had filled the cans with rubbish to dump and the Urchins helped out. Its likely that 55 years later the grandchildren of the urchins have graduated to more serious and profitable crime. No doubt similar conditions apply in parts of Northern Ireland, as they do in New Zealand and other 'post industrial countries" A high proportion of the people that end up before the Justice system and are convicted have quite serious untreated mental health conditions. (inmates in prisons in Northern Ireland have a 25% higher prevelence of mental health problems than in England) I have skin in the game having worked with the justice system in Ireland and NZ and as the parent of a teenager witth a mental health problem. I suppose the question to be asked is whether menal health or the childs parenting contributed to the vandalism at Downpatrick and if so what could society/the community in Downpatrick in particular childs parents could have done differently to support the teenager. There is an old African saying 'that it takes a village to raise a child" which applies in the wider context of todays complex societies as a traditional tribal society. I remember a Maori 'Auntie" (formidible older woman) taking a group of troublesome city teenagers under her wing (and scaring the life out of them) by teaching them some 'life skills" by taking them out to sea on a small boat, where they learned to fish and catch fresh Kai (food) for their families and started them on the right path. Possible 'community work" as we call it in NZ where the perpetrator could be sentenced to work on the DCDR, p.w. work on our local 'hertiage railway" for the past 20 or so years has been carried out by non-violent offenders sentenced to "community work", the Society Members generally becoming too old and decrepit to carry out heavy physical work.

Anbrinco railcar assembled to resemble County Donegal No 19, the window detail on No 19 differed from No 20 and the Anbrinco kit. I originally assembled the railcar to run on 009 with the cab and body as a single unit in accordance with the instructions, I fitted an N gauge Fleischmann 0-4-0T chassis fitted in place of the Anbrinco power bogie (bascially a drect replacement) and probably used a N gauge coach bogie for the trailing bogie. I rebuilt the railcar about 30 years ago with the cab and body as separate units using a Fleischmann diesel shunter chassis mounted on Bemo HOm wheel sets (at some stage (1989?) I re-united the Fleischmann Maeffi loco 0-4-0T with its chassis and sold complete loco, somewhere along the way having discarded the Anbrinco power and trailing bogies possibly with wheelsets. No 19 is due a mechanical rebuild/upgrade after 30 odd years if I ever get round to it. One problem that cropped up when separating the cab and body into separate sections was that the metal had become quitte brittle and subject to damage since I originally assembled (glue) 10-15 years earlier and likely to require carefull handling at this stage! The very noticeable joint between cab side and front may have been as a result of damage while I re-assembled the railcar or accidental damage at a later stage.

According to Clement's & McMahon GSR locos the 1933 rebuild of 546 (formerly 129 Celtic) produced a hybrid combining the wheels of 546, frames and cab of withdrawn 549 and the boiler of withdrawn 646 (J2) O-6-0. The rebuily 546/549 featured the raised running board and canopy cab fasionable in the 1920s also fitted to 548,549,550. The rebuilding of the large MGWR 4-4-0s with superheaters and piston valves from 1917 onwards would have been intended as an economy measure to reduce coal and water consumption. The GSR had a surplus of medium power locomotives following the arrival of the Woolwich Moguls and the effects of the Great Depression, leading to the withdrawl of a number of large MGWR 4-4-0s and 0-6-0 Types. Business appeared to have improved enough by the mid 30s to justify the re-instatement of 546/549 the construction of the 5 342 Class 4-4-0s and the 800 Class. 1948 Inchacore assessment indicates that the As/ D5 Class were mainly used on goods/cattle trains in CIE days and occasional passenger trains in the Cork Area and considered a 'poor design' Comparison of the A Class in its original as built condition and rebuillt form with superheater and pistpn valves. The styling of the raised running board and canopy cab in the A1 version is similar to the final batch of Cattle Engines. Reprints of MGW A.As,A1 weight diagrams issuedwith New Irish Lines Sep 2014

Interesting the way Waterford-Limerick and the Nenagh branch have been virtually ignored by the powers that be within the NTA and CIE/IE. Striking contrast with the effort that went into retaining and building up passenger traffic between Limerick and Ennis and the effort that went into establishing passenger services to Athenry and Galway. It almost looks like Tipperary and Waterford just don't have the same level of political influence as Clare and Galway. The present service appears to be a throw back to CIE's policy of the 60s which focused on improving rail services on the radial routes from Dublin with CIE Expressway services covering cross country routes such as Limerick-Waterford and routes where road services could operate a more direct route e.g. Limerick-Nenagh-Portlaoise-Dublin or Clonmel-Kilkenny-Dublin. CIE were refused permission when the applied to close Limerick Junction-Waterford-Rosslare passenger services during the 70s and have done nothing to promote or inprove services on the line for the past 50 years. The two Strategic Rail Reviews and NTA seem to focus mainly on big high profile projects, with little apparrent interest at local or central government level at improving services at fairly minimal costs on an underused line like the Waterford and Limerick, though there was sufficient local interest/pressure to split the morning Limerick-Ballybroply at Nenagh several years ago to operate a Nenagh-Limerick commuter train with minimal investment in signaling. Though a local politician was criticised by the press for wasting public money by diverting a Limerick-Dublin railcar service to run via Nenagh. Looking at the practicalities running additional Waterford-Limerick or Ballybrophy services may involve recruiting and training additional train crews, its possible the persent timetables on both lines are based on Train Crew rosters rather than passenger demand, many branch line passenger services in steam days were based on rostering a single train crew for an 8hr shift resulting in the final train running in early afternoon. Re-opening crossing loops and closing/automating level crossings would require substantial investment and committment to keeping lines open, over 40 years ago British Rail invested in low cost options for signalling and crossing upgrades on lightly trafficked routes in rural areas of England, Scotland and Wales that continue in use to the present, big difference between Ireland and the rest of the world is that outside of Ireland the local and regional councils are directly involved in the provision and funding of local rail transport. In some areas the trains are operate on contract to the local or regional council

First photo I have seen of the 'country end" of Tralee station its hard to believe that the area between Rock Street and the narrow gauge station was not built up. I remember looking for a 'gap between the houses" to figure out where the Dingle line crossed Rock Street when I first visited Tralee on a 'rover ticket' in 77 or 78. Although both Tralee Station and Basin Halt were ingood condition in residential use, I counln't trace the trackbed between the two stations. At the time I spent most of my time checking out the North Kerry Yard still in use and the recently closed Fenit Branch and North Kerry between Tralee and Abbeydorney on ahired bike!

Just over the state line in North Dakota.

Languages and dialects tend to evolve differently in settler communities after they leave the 'mother country', or sometimes appear to remain frozen at a particular time. Apparrently the French Canadian's consider their language to be a purer version of the mother tongue and New Zealand English is now considered to be a separate version of the English language, the accent apparrently evolved from that spoken by the eraly settlers who migrated from the English Home Counties. The Tudor Kings always appear to have been struggling to bring their Irish Anglo-Norman Vassals into line and pay their tribute to the King probably spoke a different version of English to that spoke at Court in London with a Cork accent! Like the children and grandchildern of modern day emigrants to England, the grandchildren and great grandchildren of the Anglo-Normans invaders of the 12th Century are likely to have spoken a version of English with a regional accent. Did the Fitzgeralds (Earls of Desmond) speak with a Cork or Welsh accent during the 1st Elizabethan era!

An inland Enterprise route via the M1 (also serving Swords) would make more sense than quadruppling the existing line. More direct than the coastal route less expensive from a civil engineering prespective (no expensive Estuary crossings) and less costy/disruptive demolishing than the large scale demolition of homes and business required to quadrupple the existing right of way. Main reason the M1 took an inland route between Santry and the Border, much cheaper to CPO agricultural land and cross the Boyne west of Drogheda. Cloud Cuckoo Land unless Ireland is still hoping for the EU to finance its infrastructure over 50 years after it first joined the EEC in the same manner as the EU financed the 1990s upgrade of the Belfast line South of the Border

Once tried to have a conversation with some Doric (Northeast Scots) speakers on the Aford Valley Railway in Aberdeenshire about their Fowler steam loco the only word I cound understand was fuck. Lot of Dutch and Afrikaans speakers in thus part of the World Hans the owner of the local gourmet cheese shop advertised for Dutch speaking staff too much hassle to explian technical terms into English. Dairy farmers are often of Dutch ancestory, Afrikaaners migrating in more recent years, I have an acquaintance of Italian-Afrikaaner extraction so much for Northern and Southern European stereotypes! Wife is from a part of the States settled by Scandanavian's with the coming of the Railroad in the late 1800, one of her classmates a farmer has a classical 'sing song' Scandanavian accent not unlike the Swedish Chef in the Muppet Show.

It looks like Shapeways Eindhoven has resumed production as Manuevo https://manuevo.com/. The business appears to operate as a print bureau (customer/designer orders prints from their own designs) rather than a market place where designers put up 3D files and wait for customers to order prints. I have used similar businesses locally (New Zealand) and Asia for 3D printing, usually there is a minimum order value whether regardless of whether you use an overseas or a local bureau. Most 3D print companies charge a 'set up" cost per per print for "Slicing' converting the 3D printing file into a format usable by the printer.

Had an interesting conversation with a Kiwi Asian call centre agent yesterday as we struggled to understand each others accents dailects, but being a pragmatic Asian he quickly figured out and solved the problem while while I was trying to longwindly explain what was wrong! Reminded me of the girl in a Sallynoggin chip shop asking a Kerryman to interpet of a Meath Man about 40 years ago. The two boys were working on a construction site and decided to order fish and chips for lunch or a friday the girl could not understand what Noel from Rathmaloyn was saying and asked his friend who was from Killorglin to explain with similar results. Interesting Dairy Farm Managersand Stockmen/women from the Philippines are much sought after in New Zealand alomg with trained medical staff having an excellent work ethic.

Some locos retained their Santa Fe freight scheme into the 2000s both in BNSF ownership or on lease to Shortlines/Regional Railroads. 6202 in use as a remotely controlled switcher at Moorhead Yard MN 2004 (one of the main yards on the BNSF northern transcontinental route from Chicago to the Pacific. The RR worker in the photo is wearing a harness with the radio controller for the loco. 3043 is a ATSF rebuilt GP20 on lease to regional Dakota Missouri Valley and Western in 2004, at the time the DMVWR used a motley collection of 2nd Generation EMD Bo Bos including ex-CN, SP and ATSF power to work freights over its undulating trackage. These days Regionals in the grain growing regions are increasingly using 6 axle units like SD40s and even SD70 to move unit grain trains between the Elevators and the Interchange with Class 1 Roads such as the BNSF, UP, CN & CP

These days I tend to build models for my own use using CAD work and a producttion process like etching, laser cutting or 3D printing, my hands are not as steady as they once were. PPD are basically geared up to produce one off/small orders with a 4-6 week turn round basically looking at approx £28.00 tooling and £12.00 production cost for a 290X135mm sheet of 0.4mm brass, there is quite a learning curve in volved in preparing artwork /CAD work) for an etched model inparticular allowing for the impact of the etch process and material characteristics in designing a model. Re-sizing the MGWR vans to 2mm for Angus was relatively straightforward basically reducing the artwork and metal thickness by 50% though I think it was necessary to carry out some re-design work to the chassis. I would be reluctant to 'blow up" one of my existing 4mm models to a larger scale without first reviewing the esting CAD work and building a test etch.

I don't know about Ireland or the UK, but our largest bus company runs a bi-annual competition for the best Bus Driver in New Zealand. https://gobus.co.nz/page/36/go-bus-drivers-compete-for-the-crown Private event basically a Bus Drivers convention hosted several years ago at the local showgrounds, buses and drivers from all parts of the country. Trucking industry runs similar competition with international recognition and decent prizes! https://www.nztruckingassn.co.nz/driving-championships

The big question is whether the Irish voters would elect a Government that would raise taxes (income, rates and road user charges) to a level required to provide a Scandanavian standard of infrastructure, public services and maintain its heritage. Ireland has currently one of the lowest effective rates of income tax in the OECD at 15% compared with the 30+% rate in the early 1990s when IE still carried a fair amount of rail freight. One of the biggest shocks I experienced after moving to New Zealand that although the tax rates (income & vat) were lower I ended up paying more tax than when I lived in Ireland or the UK. Tax was charged at a flat rate without a tax free allowance or Credits, Pension contributions, Mortgage Interest and Medical insurance contributions were not tax deductile. These days I pay more in rates on our family home (including subsidies for local bus and rail services) than I pay in income tax on a moderate income. Again there seems to be an expectation that central government or 'someone else" should take responsibility for redundant rail structures rather than the local community getting involved and raising the funds. Local communities on the Central Wales Line took ownership of maintaining stations and halts on the line the community of Dolores Colorado on the trackbed of the Rio Grande Southern built a replica of the old (ornate) railroad Depot and restored a Galloping Goose railcar largely out of their own resources with some state assistance https://www.gallopinggoose5.org/. Is there anything to stop communities in Waterford, Foynes and Mullingar getting involved in the restoration of redunt buildings. Restoring the station and train shed would be small change to the Limerick-Foynes Port Company perhaps a local community heritage history group could get involved and estanbish a museum like the community of Kiltimagh did 30 odd years ago?

Big international names with exoerience in similar projects involved in the design of Grand Central https://www.mcaslan.co.uk/work/belfast-grand-central , so not exactly unfamiliar with rail work. Interestingly although Irish Rail was often the Government's whipping boy for waste and in-efficiency during the late 1990s-early 2000s, IE found that it could carry out major projects such as the Heuston re-modelling of the early 2000s, Mini-CTC and PW upgrades at a lower cost and more efficienty than by using external consultants and contractors.

Finally got 664 to the test running and running in stage. Even managed to pose a couple of wagons in GSR condition with the loco! Need to try and chemically blacken the front vac pipe, paint wore off as I fitted it to the loco, and give the loco some additional coats of clear as paintwork is quite easily damaged.

Portadown-Cavan-Navan-Dublin would make more sense is would be more direct linking up large (by Irish standards) towns, the Portadown-Inny Junction was alignment was abandoned and sold over 60 years ago. As a modeller I imagined Virginia County Cavan as an important intermediate station on a direct joint GN/MGWR line from Kells to Cavan, Enniskillen and the North West. would have been an excuse to run my GN and CIE (ex-Midland) trains on the one line. The Baronial Lines remind me of a 19th Century version of todays Public-Private partnerships used in some countries to provide essential infrastructure such as roads, water and sewrage systems. Financed by private capital (todays equivalent of the Landed Gentry and Merchant Families) with Local and Central Government taking on the financial risk if project goes over budget and does not achieve the expected rate of return.

The majority of the Main-Lines/Trunk Routes were financed by private companies mainly with Irish raised capital with the primary intention of making a profit. Some early schemes like the Londerry and Enniskillen and were London owned struggled to raise capital in the City, which largely resulted in the majority of lines being financed by Irish Capital, 'incentive schemes" such as the Baronial Guarantees and Government Grants. Interestingly the highly Festiniog Railway in North Wales was orignially financed by 'Dublin Capital" enticed by a monopoly in slate traffic between the mines in Bleanau Festiniog and Portmadoc 14 miles away. Both the Great Southern and Western and Midland Great Western demonstrated an aversion to building (financing) branch and secondary lines after completing their Main Lines or Trunk Routes. The Great Southern and Western showed little interest in extending its Carlow Branch (the original main line) to Kilkenny or Wexford. The Irish South Eastern linked Carlow with Kilkenny and was eventually absorbed by the GSWR. The Bagnallstown and Wexford intended to build a main line linking the two towns using locally raised finance (Landowner and Merchant families) and £50k from the GSWR, but ran out of money and went bankrupt shortly after opening the line to Ballywilliam. The Dublin Wicklow and Wexford acquired the powers to complete the line to Wexford, the physical junction between the Bagnallstown & Wexford and DWWR was in the Townland of Sparrowsland between Ballywilliam and Palace East. For a time Ballywilliam was a end on terminus for trains running from Bagnallstown and Macmine Junction, before Macmine-New Ross (and eventually Waterford) became the 'main line" and Macmine Junction became the terminus for trains from Bagnallstown. The Dublin Wicklow and Wexford shareholders would not have wanted the GSWR abstracting traffic and revenue from its coastal route. The Irish companies tended to fiercely defend their territory from competition, Lord Lucan the promoter of the Mayo Line played the GSWR & MGWR off against each other to no doubt his personal and companies financial benefit when it came to negotiating a long term lease to the Midland for the operating and eventual sale of the line. The MGWR attempted to obtain powers to build a Streamstown-Tullamore line in an unsuccessful attempt to block the GSWR entering Athlone to link with the Mayo Line and instead was forced to build to Clara. In GSR days Streamstown-Clara-Clara-Banagher were operated as a single branch with passenger trains operating Mullingar-Banagher until passenger services were discontinued in the late 1940s, Clara was quite an important railcentre with rail served Jute and Flour mills with its own pilot (shunting loco) up to the mid 60s. Likewise the GNR Carrickmacross branch blocked the Kingscourt, Castleblaney and Armagh building a line linking Kingscourt and Castleblaney. The intention appears to have been to build a line linking Armagh with the NCC at Cookstown with the potential for the MGWR to tap into the Tyrone coalfield and operate excursions over the NCC to Portrush! The Baronial Guarantees were a good investment for local investors (landowners and merchants) some guaranteeing a 5% return on capital in pertuity any shortfall funded 50/50 by the local ratepayers and the Treasury in Westminister. If the railway continued to loose money for several years ownership passed to the council, though the shareholders continued to receive their dividends. Baronial Guarantees became so controversial in County Leitrim that the ratepayers effectively blocked a Baronial Guarantee and Tresury Grant for extending the Cavan and Leitrim from Dromad to Roskery with a quay on the Shannon. Baronial Guarantees ceased in the Irish Free State under the 1924 Railway Act, the Government compensating the GSR for loss making services for 10 years after which no public subsidy would be paid. Its interesting the GSR closed the Muskerry including the Baronial Guaranted "Donoughmore Extension" in 1934 10 years after the passing of the Act. The case of the Clogher Valley Railway was an interesting one in 1928 the Government of Northern Ireland appointed a "Comittee of Management" with appointees of Tyrome and Fermanagh County Councils and two Government appointees (both practical railway men) to run the line, the Clogher Valley shareholders continuing to receive their dividend. The shareholders may have continued to receive their dividend until the winding up of the company was completed in April 1944 over three years after the last train ran on 1st Jan 1942. 1939 Select Committe on Rail and Road Transport in 1939 concluded that the continued existance of the railway was due to the extremely complicated legal and financial problems the abandonment would present chiefly the 5% guarantee on capital given by the two councils to the shareholders. Interestingly some of the shareholdings were held by the families of prominent members of the Northern Ireland's political establishment who were not exactly known to be pro-rail but had a soft spot for the Clogher Valley. While I am passionate about branch lines as a modeller and enthusiast, I believe its better to start with a 'clean sheet" in assessing mid-21st Century needs than re-opening railways that ceased to fulfil a useful function over 60 years ago, population centres, industries, trade routes and ways of doing business has changed in the 190 years since Ireland's 1st railway opened. The majority of the main lines were built to transport the mails from regional cities and towns to cross channel ports and livestock from the hinterland to the ports for export a function that largely ceased almost 60 years ago as personal travel patterns and mode ceased and Ireland diversified its economic base with agriculture playing a smaller role. During the past 20 years Ireland developed a modern roading network to suit the countries needs from scratch a similar approach needs to be considered for rail, but the question also needs to be asked is mass transportation such as heavy rail relevant to Irelands future needs.

Long establised Railway (and other Complex Organisations) of the various departments functions not talking or listening to each outher. One of the best examples was the Highland Railway River Class locos which were rejected by the Civil Engineer (in the middle of WW1) for being too heavy and then sold to the Calledonian, only to be used on the Highland Main line in LMS days. The Highland Chief Mechanical engineer Smith was forced to resign/sacked although he appears to have believed the Civil Engineer had agreed to the use of the new locos. Experienced a similar problem with a 'communications breakdown" as main contractor on a construction project for Dublin Corporation about 20 years ago, found out an early stage that the Drainage Department had refused to sign off on the project as a result of a dispute/disagreement with the development arm of the Corporation our client. The Drainage Department agreed to inspect the drainage works as they progressed on a 'without predjudice" basis as work progressed, eventually the Corporation as client and developer agreed to the Drainage Departments requirements and as main contractor carried out the additional works as a variation and received an extension of time to complete. Possibly a disagreement on "who" was expected to fund the additional cost of the infrastructure required to allow the Enterprise to run into Grand Central vs the CAF stock within NI, or possibly a disagreement on who was going to pay for upgrading Belfast Council owned infrastructure.

The dropped platform at the barrow crossing is probably a hangover from GSWR days. The platform ends at the Cork end of the station are 'curiouser still' and just look at those signals! https://www.flickr.com/photos/10152260@N05/48097002208/in/album-72157708799760341/ At the time Mallow still had the low GSWR platforms and staff used small wooden steps, possibly the last of the major Cork line stations to retain these platforms which may have been raised when the Cork Line CTC was extended to Mallow during the late 80s