heirflick

as for fry being the largest , there is a german one in hamburg that is 1300m sq.....

'A WEALTHY pensioner who saved Europe's largest model railway collection for the people of north Dublin has left more than €17m in his will. Patrick Michael Gaffney, a farmer who died aged 95 in January last year, left estate valued at €17.3m, it emerged yesterday. Mr Gaffney is credited with keeping the Fry Model Railway in Malahide after he bequeathed €1.5m towards a project to re-house it in a 17th century building in the heart of the village. The railway was bought by Dublin Tourism in 1976 from the late railway engineer Cyril Fry's widow and opened to the public in Malahide Castle in 1988. However, following the redevelopment of the castle, it was planned to relocate the railway to Busaras in Dublin city. Mr Gaffney donated €1.5m to help restore the 200-year-old abandoned Casino House in Malahide, which will house the collection. The Fry Model Railway is a 232sqm working miniature rail display, initially built in the 1920s and developed and modernised to become the largest model railway collection in Europe. The railway includes models of stations, landmarks, locations and Irish landscapes from throughout the 20th century. It was overhauled in the 1980s and a new layout built at Inchicore Works by retired CIE craftsman, Tommy Tighe. The model railway was closed in 2010 due to a lack of funding and the redevelopment project at Malahide, but will re-open to the public this summer at Casino House, which is located close to Malahide DART station. The new centre will include children's and educational displays, and allow for the Fry models to be maintained and upgraded. Mr Gaffney donated the money to restore Casino House on condition it housed the model railway.' thats great news! thanks tony for spotting it...now we know at last about its future. couldnt see it been open this summer though...

theres a bus load of us comming down to yours for drinks later on!

i hope i have the dates right lads, David is 73 years young, no hair but a few teeth left and still posting great stuff on the site. long may you continue to do so david, happy birthday from all here on the site!

another masterpiece richie!

dingle...organise a dig and we'll all come over with shovels! emagine if there was stuff buried there........

the only french loco that i ever liked is this beast.... ..you could stick a flying snail on her and let her loose as 'irish' running the bray line!

Sunday 14th June saw the greatest ever movement of people by rail since the 1932 Eucharistic Congress, on "Pioneer Sunday". 25,000 people over and above normal traffic levels came to Dublin by train. (Could this even be achieved nowadays?). This did NOT count provincial special trains to other places, or connecting with trains to Dublin! The specials to Dublin utilised 40 of the total stock of 60 x "A" class locos 5 x "B101s" 1 x "C" class 1 x AEC railcar set (ex-GNR) great info as always!

thanks for that !

agreed broithe..a fantastic reference book with some excelent pics from a byegone era!

aye, she can have that effect on people!

and you didnt call up for tea...why?

the worst part was when the young ones skirt fell off, the best part was the end!!!! passed the time though!

[quote=garfieldsghost; And another is in a dismantled state in Dromod: jesus...dromond again- i got to get to this place soon!

brilliant...love the silver liveried locos, espically the E class shunter

it is great sounding chip eamonn!

......stop teasing me!

to me they are your best work yet!

they really were superb machines with the most distincitve sounding engines....good on them! pat, any chance someone would dig up an old vampier in aer corp colours? shame to see the way they were left....

jesus castletowm, you rare the young ones tough in galway!!!

i should have copped that neil....being ther often enough! 299 in the gloom is a great shot....hope you had a hip flask full of brandy that day!

seen loads of english loco cold starts... [video=youtube;-JpQivta6MQ] anyone a clip of an irish loco doing the same?

the big question is ' can you resist the temptation to weather her?'