minister_for_hardship

I have a notion they were stencilled "CIE" or "GS", etc, with an id number. Need photo or eye witness evidence regarding this and colour.

The detail pack has four really tiny lamp irons, but no locating hole or recess for them on the model that I can see. There's a black cylinder like thing and two red coloured squares in the pack, but I don't have the foggiest where they are supposed to go. Also are the cables intended for later 121s?? On the plus side the oil lamps are a welcome addition.

The long defunct R.O.P. (Russian Oil Products) aka Rotten Old Petrol.

What we have here are a cohort of folks, with the connivance of certain of the legal eagles, who go out of their way to "injure" themselves, exaggerate injuries and so forth in hopes of a payout that would not be entertained on the Continent. That's why we have to plaster signs over everything and anything, build fences etc.

Nothing north of the border save Dub-Belfast, Belfast-Cultra. Haven't done Westport or Ballina branches. Everything else currently open covered, including mothballed South Wex.

Maybe removed and stored for use in coaches in service.

I would imagine they would have been unloaded firstly by climbing up on top, when fully loaded, then firing them out through the doors when they've dug down to that level to enable them to open. I think the windows would need to be boarded up, they would be shattered in a short time anyhow.

Given the number of preserved lines in the UK chances are the purchasers may well have travelled on one. Flying Scotman and Mallard are household names over there. Are Maedhbh or Merlin household names here outside of the enthusiast fraternity? I wouldn't think so!

Shame this site, once an intact although derelict terminus, is now unavailable with hotel development. The inevitable greenway is also making inroads into what is left of the trackbed.

Noticed it derailing a lot, put it on a flat surface and one axle, perhaps one of the axleboxes is a bit off, maybe when I made the hole a bit bigger. Any suggestions to rectify this?

That looks like the kind of thing, after a bashing around, a few pokes with a screwdriver and a spell in a container of tea could fool the experts. Curiously missing the comma in Company's. Unlike these days, they were sticklers for correct punctuation.

Sometimes that happens with mine. Not on purpose of course.

Unless B Na M resurrect the passenger carrying bog train and operate bog heritage environmental tours after cutting ceases I can't see much else happening.

If councils were only as enthusiastic about this as they are about greenways!

Stradbally have assembled short demonstration turf train. Probably the only working demonstration goods in the country.

I believe the tunnel at Newport is not part of it due to landowner issues. I don't doubt the success of the above but let's not forget that region was already on the tourist map for many many decades, probably kick started by the MGWR, and the results may not be identical in less traditionally touristed areas. Dungarvan was an up and coming town in it's own right before the greenway appeared. There's current debate over a portion of WRC to become greenway, the scenery and towns there are, let's be honest, quite pedestrian at best, unattractive to tourists at worst.

The proposed South Kerry greenway is currently mired in a dispute between KCC and farmers over compulsory purchase orders, the land was purchased by farmers from CIE decades ago. There's a great deal of presumption that these projects are welcomed by all, and if they are a silver bullet to revitalise local economies. Unlike preserved lines, 'someone else' does all the work, and free money* is available for funding. *money may not actually be free.

Do as I say, not as I do.

At least they got the name of the railway right. Had to wince when I saw this full colour poster displayed at Mullranny MGWR advertising the so-called Great Western Railway... as it's known as now! Worse, some marketing folks thought it best to call a future greenway on a portion of the DN&GR the "Great Eastern Greenway", an obvious copying of the Achill version

They're entitled to be on it. They're cyclists don't you know?

Old Mallow line, good luck with that one. There can't be very much left of that alignment at this stage. If only there was as many interested in a rebuilt railway as greenways that mountains seem to be moved to accommodate. Witnessed an amusing incident recently at the Maam Cross project site. Picture this, heaps of these cyclists came pedalling through, two mounted the platform on their rufty tufty all terrain carbon fibre bicycles only to be forced to dismount when they encountered the water tower at the far end. One reportedly asked "is this going to be the new greenway?" despite all this railway track quite obviously in place. It's like a craze, a quasi religious cult. Everything has to revolve around my pedalling leisure activity.

I'm pretty certain it is not Muskerry. Doors at extreme ends and open saloon with longitudinal benches, not compartments, a la Tralee and Dingle, should be a dead giveaway.

If it had match strikers, these may have had initials, luggage rack brackets, or a builder's plate on the frames underneath if that's still there or accessible to see.

Compartment passenger coach. Could be anything from mid 19th to early 20th cent. Hard to tell without more photos. Is it in Ireland?