jhb171achill

Is it near Tunnocks Island? (Sorry, DCDR “in joke”!)

The area has traditionally been flood-prone. While the town has hilly parts, as the name suggests, the railway entered the town across the flood-prone River Quoile Estuary, and just west and south of the town skirts this area, which was actually at one time the coastline of a long since flooded inland bay. Thus it is low lying. The station, being on the western side of the town, was also built on low-lying ground and has always been prone to flooding even in BCDR days. The DCDR was estabished just less than 40 years ago. There have been floods at the modern preservatyion site before, but they have caused more inconvenience than actual harm. This time is different. As a member, I sent off a donation today. Every member will agree, please all of us send what we can; this is a unique and highly interesting railway with a fantastic collection of locos and rolling stock which can no longer operate on the main line, and thus will not operate anywhere else.

Yes and no. At Dromod, their locomotive has always been wood-fired - which obviously saves a fortune in fuel. However, speeds are low, distance is very short, and loads are very light, and it's flat. If you're looking at a very small engine over a hundred yards or so, that may be a solution. Turf - apart from the current ecological debate - doesn't work so well in loco fireboxes and to operate succussfully would need massive modification, possibly not soable on a given locomotive. For a loco the size of 186, I can't say for sure but would suspect that it wouldn't be satisfactory. Stradbally use a sort of biomass, but while again suitable for a small narrow gauge loco with a small load and a short journey, this would not be suitable for a bigger loco, as I understand. 186 may well work again, as little would be required to put her back in traffic - but 184 certainly won't. If 186 does, it'll be on the main lines, so she'd get a chance to stretch her legs (wheels!).... Oil burning - major work to convert, the result being still expensive to run and maintain. Also, like the turf, the environmental police mightn't be so keen.......

Most interesting stuff!!

My initial thoughts were “gawwwd, look what they’ve done with the original, and still GNR-painted, timberwork”. However it transpires that they WANTED to preserve it - but it was riddled with woodworm. So, to a bonfire, unfortunately.

In 1915, this was the public train service on the GNR’s Co Down lines. A few pics of Ballyroney station, currently under restoration, and Ballyward today.

Yes, just a 3-car, and jam packed.

ICR on the 17:05, this one with no first class.

227 + 9003 seen heading south at Porteedown. ”S” class 173 and five bogies on the down Cavan, and there’s an SG3 adding a number of Provincial Wagons to the Derry Goods…..

Coach A - food servery in 1st class. Upgraded to 1st to have quiet, breakfast and a doze. Standard class packed, 1st only a few. BUT - there is a table of four LOUD “shopping women”. Near Portadown, and not one of them has shut up for a millisecond. And they’re right next to me. Despite being hard of hearing, I hear every syllable of non stop babble…….

Seems quite well filled leaving Connolly…… Breakfast ordered!

Tis an ICR with 1st class. Nice breakfast smell - hope it’s not just a trolley service.

I’ll report back shortly! I’m on my way to get it now….

BR blue is the only show in town for this yoke, as far as I'd be concerned! Indeed, the only show in town for most British stuff.........

Is the 10:00 northbound on Sundays (tomorrow!) likely to be a railcar or a De Dietrich?

They can always be attractive static exhibits, even if unsuitable for use.

Never knew an ICR had got to Antrim!!!

It can run alongside ICRs even, on a modern image layout using RPSI livery Cravens, on RPSI specials….. Once the very essential AEC railcar is available RTR, a “Jeep” will provide the necessary accompaniment for a UTA-era layout, now only possible - and even then to a limited extent - with kits and scratch-builds. A much neglected part of our railway history would then be covered.

184 would need a complete rebuild; most of it is worn out way beyond the point of being restorable, and will thus remain an exhibit at Whitehead. However, the economics of preserved railways in Ireland - even in Downpatrick, never mind very remote places like Maam X (or, for that matter, Moyasta or Finntown) are such that operation of a steam loco any bigger than a sugar company O&K, are light years beyond uneconomic. To light up a loco like a J15 alone eats several hundred euros worth of coal, unfortunately. Despite the resources behind Maam X, it is economically more sensible to operate as, perhaps, a narrow gauge line. In addition, well-insured covered accommodation, complete with coaling & watering facilities and inspection pit, as well as reasonably equipped workshop facilities, would have to be provided in advance, before a steam locomotive of any type could be brought in. Dealing with Downpatrick’s finances for some 11 years tends to be just as sharp a learning curve as a longer period doing the same for the RPSI!

8208 on Enterprise this morning, with 8209 spare outside Connolly shed - it was zebra 231 two days ago.

You’ve one o’them wireless things?

Totally agree. This is Ireland's only operational 5ft 3 line, and it has a unique and fascinating collection. I, too, would urge all who can to donate to their disaster fund and / or go up there and assist in person if possible.

“What’s wrong with that train?” “It’s come off the track. Look at the front wheels. Those men are fixing it”. ”But how can four of them make a big train get back on the rail?” “Ye see, guard, there’s no-one here after seven in the evening. The door’s been crow barred open. Second time since August” ”What’s missing?” ”Ah, shovels, crowbars, lamps…. probably Timmy’s bottles o’holy water, but sure ye know that!” ”I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that! Nice stuff, though, he got me a bottle too…”

“The Council’s building seventeen of them, two bedrooms each. They’ve all got inside lavatories, the lot, like in Dublin…AND a gas cooker!” ”That’ll take up that whole field. I heard that the Dalys got a hundred pounds for it from the council….” “John says the re-railing ramps are in the old lamp store somewhere but I couldn’t find them….” ”They’re in the lifting van in the yard. We need this on the road by six…”

Perfect for this setting. When compiling “Rails Through North Kerry”, I recall looking through some of Barry Carse’s images of mail trains. Going back to Senior’s time, the mails were by far THE most important traffic, with the main line ones also carrying large numbers of passengers. Senior recalled seeing the down Cork mail leaving Kingsbridge with over fifteen bogies and a handful of six-wheelers for good measure. By the “black’n’tan” era thus had dwindled to irrelevance in terms of passenger accommodation, and latterly had none. This scene at Gort evokes those last days, and some of Barry’s photographs show this very thing - two bogie vehicles. I personally recall seeing a mail train about forty years ago - dunno where it was going - with just a TPO & BR van. I travelled on an up night mail from Sligo to Westland Row twice a decade before that. From memory, one had an old side-corridor brake standard or early CIE origin; whatever way it had been converted it rebuilt it only had two compartments. One contained a woman who got out at the first stop, Collooney; me in the other. I was the solitary passenger the whole way back to Dublin. Other than that, two TPOs and a tin van, I think. At Athlone you had to change. This time, two TPOs and a BSGSV. No other passengers, as we rolled home through the dark, via Mullingar of course. I’ve a recollection of seeing a mail train somewhere else with three or four tin vans in a row, and a couple of bogies of some sort. You just never could tell what would turn up on a mail train…..