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The clarity of those photos are incredible. Look at the PerWay on the Loughrea branch. Amazing. And you could have cycled in the cess, all the way to Attymon. That was the way things were, into the mid 70's, even on the main lines.

Another BNCR wagon plate coming up for auction on Victor Mee, on March 21st. https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/e3da13836b8385e88605d21a04458fb2/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/battlefields-silver-screens-lot-394/

One for the Christmas and the new Westport stationmaster.... Long ago, maybe back in the late 70's. Ronnie Drew presented himself in a rather agitated state in Westport station for the morning train. Ronnie's focus, though wasn't on the departure time, but where he could get a drink. He was informed that the only drink available was on the dining car, but the only person that had the keys was the attendant and he hadn't arrived yet. "Ah jaysus". Off went Ronnie, marching up and down the platform, checking his watch. 10 minutes went by, then 15. Ronnie's steps were getting faster. By now, word had spread and the entire staff were agog. Driver, signalman, shunter, guard, checker, platform men, stationmaster, the lot were all looking out of windows, around corners, at Ronnie, thinking, God all the stories are true about the Dubliners. The attendant strolled up eventually and was directed,lively like, to get the bar open for Ronnie. Onto the train, he went, Ronnie's behind him, breathing on his neck. Rattle of keys, the panels sprung open. "What can I get you, Ronnie" "Do yez have a can of Fanta? I'm fecking parched" And the whole station let out a sigh of disappointment......

Brilliant!

I saw a great one down in Blacksod on the Mullet peninsula, about twenty years ago. It was possibly the remotest point from the nearest railway, that I'd ever seen a H van. Alas, even if we discovered one kept under cover, we have no underframe or wheel sets left.

Dem were the days...Can't clear the section signal, the Ballina boys are running late' "Hmm, must have been delayed.… again..."

That wasn't as interesting as the detonators(they weren't described as such),that were originally listed as an lot in the initial auction listing. They were taken down by the following morning. Fair to say that they're not railway experts. The Bundoran Junction cabin diagram was interesting, went for €850

https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/74c390738486581e27670828fac76ee5/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/bimonthly-auction-of-general-railwayana-a-wide-select-lot-383/ I know one or two collect these. This is on the GCR auction this coming Saturday, so postage and possible custom charges would have to be taken into account

In all my time on the railway, I have never heard a tamper, described as a tamper. It's always a "packer". Would you agree ttc0169? "Btw, yellow paint is in situ"

Alas, to have survived to the 21st century............. http://www.cs.rhrp.org.uk/se/CarriageInfo.asp?Ref=3316

https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/54ee3251ee27c9df2db675211286eb78/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/some-amazing-clearances-this-week-so-its-going-to-be-a-lot-282/ Looks like the real deal. BTW, I've no interest in BNCR stuff, so knock yourself out.

It' s freezing. Back in the day, and don't ask me why..... I was sitting on a 201, heading East and it was so cold with fog, that you could just about see the starting signal. It was horrendously bad, and it never lifted for about 30 miles, Now I thought I knew the road pretty well, and the driver certainly did, so we took off at line speed. And we never stopped, with a maximum of 300 yards of visibility. And then I realised about running in the dark, back in the day, when the headlight "failed", which it usually did within a mile of the final station. Boy, you learn very fast about route knowledge.

I considered very casually preserving one, about 15 years ago, principally because of their location. I took a look at one and I ended up counting 24 or 30 marine ply panels, before I reached anywhere near the end of the wagon. That wasn't including painting them either. Of all wagons, the ferts, would have been a money pit.

Allegedly, it's going to be tied into the Flying Boat Museum, and why not? It's an absolutely logical decision.

Three as far as I'm aware, the third is in deepest Clare. The next week or two should see something interesting emerge

Nothing Beats 1:1 I would look forward to having a pint or two, if you ever track west, Leslie. Speed the day

Hi Leslie No, I think what I'm talking about, came from an earlier IRRS Journal, it always stuck in my head, especially about the half day on the Saturday. Needless to say, I can't find the reference. I could be totally wrong. But, anyway, you're going to like, hopefully, what's going to emerge from the chrysalis,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

The beet wagons, in the 40's in Inchicore were being created and finished at 12 a day, and 6 on a Saturday, because it was a half day. Ended up at nearly 1200 in total, a fixture in nearly every station down through the decades. So universal, that they nearly fell through the cracks, like the one or two H vans or the absolute shameful lack of preservation of a cattle wagon. The most humble of wagons, but you cannot tell the history of Irish Railways without it. Well, we can't revisit the past, but maybe we can hold on to what's left.

Lovely model, Noel, would be interesting to compare it with an original beet wagon fully painted. "Ah, but such a thing no longer exists" Wait, what's that now.........

In fairness, the top one isn't even advertised as a railway item.........

Getting ridiculous now.... https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/417a52ac8ecd384480a5a1bb6a17771e/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/another-super-great-weekly-timed-auction-this-week-with-lot-166/ Two examples of this "wagon plate" have appeared in auctions in the last fortnight. https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/1fb5e223cb02cc14453f223ed796efc4/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/another-super-great-weekly-timed-auction-this-week-with-lot-308/

Many thanks to all of you for your condolences for Mam. I really appreciate your kindness. This post has nothing to do with railways but for the weekend that's in it... Back around 1989, I was working in a pub called the Greyhound down near the Oval in South London. Ran by a legend called Eddie Moran from Wicklow. Anyway we had a great clientele, huge mixture of people, that all got on. One of them was a Dub, I can't remember his name, we'll call him Jimmy, but he was about retirement age, never lost his 'Ah Jaysus Dub accent' He had worked in the Royal Horseguards for decades looking after the Queen's coaches and carriages. I said to him one night, any chance of a look around. "When are you off" "Tuesday" "Be at the gate at 2, I"ll be coming back from the lunch" I was there at 2, Jimmy marched in, I went after him, security came out, "Ah Jaysus, no he"s with me* In we went, complete tour of the place, Jimmy at one stage was showing one of the carriages used for Epsom or Goodwood "We put an extra step onto this because we're afraid she'd slip, she turned around and snapped at me "I"m not that bloody old"" Anyway we came to this shed, and inside was the State Coach used for opening Parliament and Coronations and the like. Jimmy was nearly whispering at this stage. I looked at it and I reached out and opened the door, and this is one of the greatest regrets of my life, I didn't hop up into it and do a royal wave. Jimmy would have either fainted or killed me but it would have been too late! So next time you see Charlie riding along in the State Coach, think of how close an Irish arse was to that cushion.....

That's correct, the hotel is being used exclusively to host Ukranians. Very nice people btw. The bar is open during the day to cater for the bus tourists. They have a food truck and bar outside the hotel which seems very popular. Maam is really the crossroads of Connemara. If the railway offering is correct, it will do very very well.

I buried Mam last week. I held her hand as she breathed her last, looking out of a window, that has seen trains pass by for over 150 years. And Mam fought so hard for the rights of gatekeepers. They were treated as the absolute lowest grade by the company. They were officially employed 24/7, no days off. They had to pay for the luxury of a bathroom or a water supply or septic tank. They ran to the shops in between trains In most gates, there wasn't even semaphore signals. Mam was one of the organisers getting the union involved. She went up and down the line along with others, persuading each gatehouse to stick together. And they did. And they got what they were entitled to. Actual days off and relief at night. The working time act came in 97, and it solidified everything.. There's not many gatekeepers left anymore, everything is remote now. But those that are left are in better conditions You fought and you won, Mam. It won't be the same without you. Rest easy now, with Dad.

Amazing what turns up at auctions. https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/dd379d341a8dae9cdf0cb55ef4da5071/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/contents-of-broadway-bar-greenore-clarkes-bar-carl-lot-271/ https://www.easyliveauction.com/catalogue/lot/3a2c231da208a96f288e6d924ae2b09a/0af8d24542e81eb9357e7ef448a6646f/contents-of-broadway-bar-greenore-clarkes-bar-carl-lot-237/ I'm not sure what you could do with them though, maybe the ultimate entrance to a mancave................