Broithe

I went to ten schools, often a long way from wherever we were living at the time - for one year, I had to go eighteen miles there, and back, every day, in what amounted to a old van with wooden benches that were fitted fore and aft - whenever the brakes were applied we all slid up to the front in a heap... There would be a queue of clip-boards a mile long if you tried it today.

A career in the Observer Corps beckons.....

I believe that it's been repainted in Dutch colours. http://www.flyinginireland.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=2412&start=0

2014.

http://visitwicklow.ie/ai1ec_event/toy-model-collectors-fair-bray-wheelers-clubhouse/ ? Whoops, that was in June?

Eh, what? Merely answering Wrenn's question about whether or not the link works.

Works for me.

BTP must have a highly efficient internet surveillance system. Having said that I've never seen a BTP officer, I just gave someone a lift to the station and two of them were coming out as we went in. They appeared to be on a mission or I would have asked them if I could take a picture (risking arrest as a terrorist suspect).... The only available parking space was next to their car, too. I'm getting a little paranoid now.

Lovely picture.

Link?

Hell! There's a Tiger approaching.....

I presume that the idea was to 'raise awareness' or something like that. BTP officers are easily recognisable just by the sheer number of pockets - even if you're not near enough to read the badge.

British Transport Police - http://www.btp.police.uk/ - a national service dedicated specifically to the railways. I've never actually seen one of them, if you get hassle on a train and somebody does turn up, then they will invariably be a 'real' copper from wherever you happen to be. I imagine they spend a lot of effort in combating metal theft, but I don't really know. They did once have an actual engine, which was really a little embarrassing, I thought. I saw it once and wondered what they would actually do with it...?

Moving on now - 40 minutes late. https://twitter.com/IrishRail

Difference should be clearly visible. Plastic frog - or metal frog.....?

Porter? - looks a posh place, bet they have a commissionaire....

Should be - it was good last year.

I wonder if this chap'll be performing as the support act..? http://iraallen.com/

Ah, right - I thought it was getting cramped last year...

Portlaoise? Is that the Abbeyleix event?

I would go to that....

http://www.irishrail.ie/news/meet-the-managers.

Very nice. Three points, though. 1, You might distress the mirrors on the vans, few of them get very far without hitting something. 2, If you want some finer chain for the cement wagon, you could ask your Domestic Supervisor for her advice. 3, It wouldn't hurt to have a little bit of track on that railing for future photo opportunities.

They seem to have bodged up doorways in the sides, several of them. I do wonder about the weight situation, though, a carriage full of turf must be way over a carriage full of people and a few bits of luggage. Nip into Easons and have look at the real picture - the book is on the stand in the middle of the floor at the far end. The picture shows the first three carriages, and the fifth, to be of one type and the fourth is a similar, but different type. The book also contains some other railway pictures, including one of a fatal mail train derailment - I showed the book to 'my agent' over there - and it turned out that his wife had lived across the road from the unfortunate victim of the crash - small world.