Broithe

http://www.irishrail.ie/news/phoenixparktunnelpublicconsultation

I once got on at Ballybrophy and ended up in the First Class by mistake. I had just realised my mistake when the ticket inspector came along, she took pity on me and said nothing, having clipped my ticket with her heart-shaped punch. She the went amongst the legitimate occupants and handed them all handwritten cards, saying to them, "Just pay for a standard ticket next time and show these to the ticket man, and you'll get a First Class ticket then - the service hasn't been quite right today!"

I first came across it at the Stafford show - http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/2681-Ballyconnell-Road?highlight=ballyconnell and http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/2902-Stafford-Railway-Circle-2014-Exhibition?highlight=ballyconnell They seem to be using a double L at the end.

In my innocence, I was rather sceptical about this set up, but I'm pleased to see it starting well - the opportunity was there for anybody to take, and they took it.

Another networking train coming up. http://www.dubchamber.ie/events/upcoming-events?id=58247

Further reports suggest that the digger on the back of the truck on the hard shoulder connected with the lowest part of the sloping footbridge and dislodged it. Also, it seems that the footbridge may have been closed for repairs. All told, it was a remarkable escape, even for the sole injured party.

To be fair, it looks like somebody else may have initially hit a supporting pillar, then others hit the (now lowered) bridge. Only one injury, apparently, a motorcyclist with a few cracked ribs. It was a footbridge, and, presumably, there was nobody on the collapsed section at the time.

Sometimes a bridge-strike is cleared up after a quick inspection - sometimes not... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-37204050

Every now and then, I see a picture that has "the look" of a model layout, but turns out to be real. Captain Sensible posted this view of Limerick from his hotel window this morning. At first glance, I thought I was on one of the many Facebook model pages... It looks a bit too 'clean' and well-ordered, as some layouts are.

Bridge strike currently causing issues through Port Laoise.

Mine is A+ Only the best for me.

Emperor Hirohito was still officially a Field Marshal in the British Army at the outbreak of WW2.

How many armfuls is that? I'm up to 62 here and have had a pin-badge and a ballpoint pen.

The Hino is the most 'Irish' of all trucks, surely.

Whoops - that should have been __lly_r_phy - obviously.

IÉ is supporting the current blood donor campaign. Perhaps there will be a picture from ally rophy..?

An interesting cameo scenario.... ..seems to have been a fairly quiet day..

It was at around 8am on a calm, pleasant morning. Even if they were taking advantage of standing broadside to the early Sun, some of them could easily have been 180 degrees to the others. It really did look quite artificial - I'm now even wondering if they were real, or if it might have been some weird "art installation"..?

Some work has been done on this - but, I've never seen anything as 'organised' as I saw yesterday. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7575459.stm

Indo article on the Belmond - http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/europe/belmond-grand-hibernian-ireland-trains-rail-tickets-price-dart-translink-a7185076.html - and other things.

I will confess to "hunting the cracks" when perusing an exhibition layout - the camouflaging of the joints on some layouts is almost perfect now. I forget the name, but I do remember one where the joints were only traceable on the front boards - even when you could see where they started, they were not visible. I am also often (internally) critical of the placement of farm animals - however, yesterday, I saw about eighty sheep in a largish field, scattered randomly, but all facing in exactly the same direction - it would have looked totally 'false' in a model context. I was on the M40 at the time and, so, was unable to take a picture.....

That looks like a twin pod from a B 36.

Not quite sure what's going on here - it all looks a bit bonkers - I presume that it doesn't pull passengers sat on the top, anyway...

And, do they not have to have the contrasting doors? Maybe that doesn't apply if it isn't a "scheduled" train...?