Broithe

Ah, the battery train..?

A friend has to do the odd day back in the Birmingham office now and today was one of them. This is New Street Station, pretending to be an airport for the next Mission: Impossible film.

When on the western island, if I check the time on time.is, I get this as my location - exact, but 90 years out of date... I have mentioned it to them, but they don't seem bothered.

Part of it can be seen on Street View - https://www.google.com/maps/@53.2687789,-7.8168261,3a,15y,278.28h,88.7t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1shnc6cmnWNGFRQM98BBTnfg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fpanoid%3Dhnc6cmnWNGFRQM98BBTnfg%26cb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile.gps%26w%3D203%26h%3D100%26yaw%3D353.99185%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D100!7i13312!8i6656 - and it looks fairly complete. And it looks very sound in other pictures. Some details on page 88 here, at the bottom of the page - https://www.offaly.ie/eng/Services/Heritage/Documents/Offaly_Bridges_Part_1.pdf

Priming us for the next announcement..?

I would be fairly confident of Portarlington - I just don't remember seeing that track still there in '76.

A few weeks ago, in a pub in Errill, I was convinced* to put some blinds up in a house in Lisduff. The house turned out to be next to the quarry, backing onto the line, about 200m away. The first two windows were facing the road and they were done about a week ago. I finished the job last night, as the remaining three blinds had been procured. These windows allowed a view of the track and I was treated to a few trains during my struggles with the blinds. The current warmth, plus my heated exchanges with the blinds, meant that I also had to have the windows open, to avoid expiring. It was very noticeable just how smooth and solid everything sounded as it drifted past. * It is possible that the location had weakened my defences.

That is beyond my remit, but it must be around 1950, I would think - that track may not have been there for long after the construction phase.* I was there in 1976 and I don't recall there still being a connection. More competent people may be along shortly. *Having said that, the tower looks well weathered...

Portarlington?

I think there are some obvious security issues that require a degree of secrecy about specific details.

Islas Canarias.. Get back behind us!

When your world is falling apart around you, in an accelerating manner, it can be easy to lose track of all that is going on. I'm really glad that this part of it has been resolved in the end.

For me, the Golden Age of Irish Railways was from 1995 to when the Mk 4s arrived. 95% of my experience was four journeys annually from Heuston to Ballybrophy and return. Clearly, this is not a huge sample of what was available, but the relief of getting on a train which, for me, was 100% reliable, clean, pleasant and comfortable, was a massive step up from the Stafford-Holyhead journey on the Big Island. that was never the same twice - utter chaos and unreliability. I don't think the Mk 4s were a great step down, but they didn't seem to be a great improvement either. In the orange days everything was just so pleasant and civilised, it was a shock every time after the struggles on the Big Island.

It's nearly ten minutes since you made this announcement about the future announcements - has there been any progress since?

There is not universal support for a fixed link - https://solentfreedomtunnel.co.uk/results-independent-fixed-link-study-survey/ - some islanders like the separation. There have even been calls to become an independent tax-haven, along the lines of the Channel Islands and Isle of Man. You could have trains with bullion vans and wagons full of washing powder...

For a good 150 years there has almost always been a campaign running for a fixed link to the Big Island, be it a tunnel or a bridge. The remains of a few abortive attempts can still be seen on the ground. You could pretend one had succeeded and expand your possibilities?

It's a long way from China in a Transit. Are you driving in shifts?

Facebook has just suggested that I might be interested in this picture, so I thought it might be worth mentioning here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1390742637606844?multi_permalinks=4895466017134471&hoisted_section_header_type=recently_seen © Ian Krause.

Well, it's not always railway bridges.

The skip appears to have "Berring" on it - I had hoped this might close down on a location, but I've come up with nothing. The logo on the Wickham doors means nothing to me, either. eBay has suggested this item to me today, with an indication that it is British. The 'style' of the site looks South Wales or North East England to me - possibly.

Ideal for those modelling German railways.

I do hope you manage to make it squeak as well as before.

Was this badge the right way up?

A Class packaging has been tested for the contents to survive an air drop?