jhb171achill

Quote Originally Posted by jhb171achill View Post .... a railway is a social service too. In order to determine REAL demand, Iarnrod Eireann must first provide a good service, at realistic speeds, for a period of several years at least. Yes, but the holders of the purses things would have to subsidize it, whereas they'd acquire income in so many ways from forcing train travelers onto the roads Quite right, Dive; same as many times before. That's what the Stormont Government did to the UTA.

Damn! Tis me age.

As others have correctly stated, the "livery" was better described as "NO livery", due to the absence of any paint! Bogies, wheels, couplings, gangways and roofs were also unpainted, though photographs often APPEAR to show a darker or grey roof, but this is due entirely to exhaust fumes, as on covered vans. The whole idea was to save money through not having to buy paint (!) but it looked shabby and dirty after only a very short time, and the green came back quite soon. Having said that, "silver" vehicles were to be seen into the 1960s, with a few painted directly from that to black'n'tan without seeing the intermediate green. No "flying snails" were affixed to unpainted stock, nor anything at all bar the class number on the door, and the running number. These were usually in RED, not green. I have heard it suggested that some might have been lettered in green, but have yet to see any evidence of this. It's well known that some memories can play tricks about accurate colour - ask any policeman who has ever had to ask witnesses the colour of a getaway car!

USS "Enterprise"?

400 and 500 classes weren't all green - some were always grey. There is an old ColourRail image of one in green, 409 I think, in very dirty and shabby condition.

Yes..... the GNR being virtually all steam and wooden carriages right up to its demise in 1958 always draws my interest.....

Exactly. Just like in the late fifties, early seventies, etc etc......

The Nenagh branch, and Junction - Waterford, should have a five year plan tested with a train every hour and a half, widely advertised and at discounted fares, giving connections to get people to limerick, Waterford and Dublin and back at reasonable times, especially for students and commuters. After give years, if it hasn't worked, then shut them. Ennis to Athenry will never come close to being economically viable, but a railway is a social service too. If enough people use it, a case can be made for funding it. If they don't, it can't, and it has to close, or at least be mothballed. And if mothballed, adjacent farmers told that if they destroy or move the boundaries, or build over it, their structures will be removed without notice, and they'll be billed for the demolition work! In order to determine REAL demand, Ironroad Eireann must first provide a good service, at realistic speeds, for a period of several years at least.

Over dramatic terminology; judging by the 17:50 Tralee - Mallow - Dublin yesterday, with the vestibules packed with people standing, there's no lack of usage.......though I suppose it has to be accepted that this doesn't necessarily represent any sort of financial surplus. The report is designed to get Shane Ross to cough up. Incidentally, buses now often have notices about how many seats there are for passengers. Also, how many "standees". This is the latest incarnation of makey-uppy words invented by half-literate idiots, or garbled transatlantic linguistic inventions. There is no such thing as a "standee". Any word ending like this indicates the party to which something is being done, not the party doing it. Thus, a person standing is a stander, not a standee. If the word standee DID exist, it would indicate someone who is being STOOD ON!!!

Senior had fascinating stories of travelling by narrow gauge to Bessbrook, Burtonport, Schull and Castlegregory....

Excellent!!!

Hopefully there's Guinness. And a well done fillet steak with pepper sauce.....

Many thanks, folks!

Yes, I think I heard years ago that the tracks were never fully lifted. I would be interested in information on what that station actually looked like.

When did the last relics of Summerhill station go? Is there still a buried platform there, I wonder?

I wonder what has been done with the removed woodwork? Has it been retained or burned?

Ah! I know it. It was under the main roof? No, that one wouldn't have suited the DCDR. Pity.

Platforms 1 & 2 look ghastly now, and totally out of place. What does this about-to-be-removed signal cabin look like? It might do for the DCDR?

Jimmy O'Dea's stuff can all be viewed at the National Photographic Archive, Temple Bar. Amazing stuff. You need to make an appointment though, and it took me several days there to go through his entire collection a few years ago. there's a good lot of railway stuff in the Lawrence Collection there too, dating from the 1880-1920 period. For those interested in trams or floating things, there's much to provide interest as well.

Those aerial photos make it look like the bay platform road is not there.....?

Or.....keep the thing under wraps and only fly it in rural areas when nobody's about!

Many thanks, Patrick. There's a third one in planning stage, Patrick, but so is a history of the Clifden line, so I'll just have to see what time I have. I'd like to get Clifden finished. After the next "picture" book, I've a long term plan for a fourth. The next one will be a collection other than Barry's; while the last one will be a mix of photos from several contributors stretching from the 1920s to the 1990s. Now, none of this will happen overnight as being "retired", I'm exceptionally busy with all sorts of stuff....

This will be launched in the Flying Boat Museum, Foynes, on Saturday 26th November. And none of the pictures in it are upside down......! All welcome. Probably about 2pm.

Ah! Now I understand it all perfectly......... hmm......!! On the subject of the wagons, I was wondering if a grey version with a tan / white roundel going to be one of the options? I think you had also said that extra strapping could be added to the roof - obviously from photos, there were a couple of varieties. Again, congrats on this venture; folks, this one deserves our support!

Just out of curiosity - I've seen references to "memes" before....what, exactly, is a "meme"? This sort of stuff is too new-fangled for old, old persons like me....