jhb171achill

That was their plan, but I doubt if it’s sustainable long term for reasons outlined.

I’ve seen one in green - I think!

The three G601s ran in green, but the G611s entered traffic in orange & black.

Needs to be the correct shade of pink, though.

You're looking at the following criteria, apart from manpower and funding. 1. Proximity to greater Belfast or Dublin areas, or Cork at an absolute stretch. With Downpatrick in the former category, we're now just looking at Dublin. So counties Dublin, Meath or Wicklow; maybe Kildare. 2. Good road / parking access and proximity to main roads. Access needs also to allow a low loader to bring rolling stock in. No use if it's down some country boreen. 3. Planning permission for staff and public car parking, maintenance sheds / covered accommodation for stock. As Whitehead and Downpatrick will attest, it's a fool's game to leave rolling stock outdoors in all weathers. 4. Sufficient length of line to give the public something like a journey; half a mile is useless, 10 miles is too long to be economically viable in this country, DCDR's 2.5 miles is about right from the point of view of fuel economy when operating; and ease of maintenance. Double it to 5 miles, you double the coal or diesel used, but you won't get away (in this country, anyway) with doubling the fare. 5. Somewhere to go to. A train ride from a small unremarkable rural halt to a buffer stop in a field is useless, as far as sustainability is concerned. It has to GO somewhere. Downpatrick has Inch Abbey. One scheme considered in the past, Trim to Athboy, had a heritage town near a motorway connecting with another in which there is a fmous castle. That sort of thing. As enthusiasts, we're all good at the "ideas"; the "what-ifs"; and what WE think would be interesting. But "normal" people - who pay the bills (enthusiasts won't) do not think the way we do. Cold hard reality must always take precedence over "it would be nice to preserve XYZ". As a diehard, hardcore, proper nerd-level enthusiast myself, but who spent 25+ years dealing with day-to-day management practicalities of both the RPSI and DCDR, I have seen chapter and verse, plus the full boxed set, on all of this!

In MY book, vastly superior to it! (Apart from the “lifting” bit…..)!

”Yeah, I saw one in Mallow on Tuesday like that, first I’d seen. Very bright, isn’t it?” ”Ye see they’ve dropped the “B” from the number. I wonder does that mean the “A” class will just start with “1”?” ”Tell ye wan thing, I can’t see any o’them air-conditioned super trains, or whatever they call ‘em, coming down here!” ”Wonder what it’s like IN an air-conditioned train? Is it some sort of heating? And ye can’t open the windows in those things, apparently…” ”No idea….. what I’m wondering, is what’s for dinner!”

The same month sees the first-ever appearance at Dugort of a newly-repainted loco in the “Supertrain” livery….. it’s bringing in empty ballast wagons. Quite a contrast with its scruffy sister about to depart on the 11:40…

In the last few years of the Dugort Harbour line, A23R arrives one dull autumn morning with the midday connection off the Tralee mail. It’s September 1973…..

Probably up to a dozen, yes, at the absolute most, though I was once told 4 or 5. Under no circumstances were there 100, or even a quarter of it.

No. This has actually been extensively investigated. For anything like that to succeed sustainably in Ireland, a combination of available manpower - long term - and money; potential nearby market and so on, and suitable stuff to operate on it, with key competencies held by a sufficient number of people - is a very big ask indeed. While one can never say never, and HYPOTHETICALLY every single closed line in the country could be reopened as a tourist line, the actual reality is that there's not a snowball's chance in hell. This isn't England 9where they have ten times the population, and a much greater culture of appreciation of industrial heritage). We are just not a big enough country, or an interested enough country. And that, sadly, is the reality.

It would. The idea of 131 or 171 - or even the tank engine in Cultra - or a non-GNR J15 trundling over that viaduct with wooden coaches a la Downpatrick is enough to make one drool. But, unfortunately, the economics and practicalities of operating a heritage railway on this island are an exceptionally steep hill to climb; add to that the lack of cultural interest, thus few volunteers and fewer donations. I think Downpatrick will remain the only preserved 5'3" railway on this island. As one of those involved in a very extensive survey of all of the island some fifteen years ago, with a view to identifying a site with a market, we looked at some 18 sites. Something like 12 were eliminated point blank at first hurdle, and Navan to Kingscourt was one of them. Navan to Drogheda would be little better. No need to go into all of it here, but these are ones NEAR a big population centre, as is the DCDR - those out in the sticks haven't a hope of long-term survival.

Exactly; and this is what as always seems to be lacking.

They won't allow heritage trains over it, as it's not passed for passenger use. In reality, the best option is for the former MGWR line to be extended north from M3 Parkway with services going into Docklands - there's scarely any more capacity at Connolly, which is where they'd go to from Drogheda. A "wee birdy" who ought to have the right info has told me the mine trains will not be back. Of course, even if that is 100% the current plan, that could change (and hopefully will).

Outstanding stuff, Mol!