Newport History Weekend

[jhb171achill]

If anyone is bumbling about in the Newport area this weekend, I will be doing a talk on the Achill line as part of it on the Saturday.

Throughout the weekend there will be a number of talks by various people on different historical and cultural topics relating to the area.

Unlike Indakinny, I will neither be claiming that the line was narrow gauge, nor that it was specially reopened to carry the dead in 1937!

[Sean Hogan]

Where is it venue 

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Sean Hogan said:

Where is it venue 

Sorry, forgot to add that! Hotel Newport, at the top of the street. Here are the details:  https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/newport-300-history-weekend-tickets-421825420187

[minister_for_hardship]

Good to see the record set straight after that travesty of a tv series!

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Good to see the record set straight after that travesty of a tv series!

I think anyone trying to set the record straight on ALL of the errors in every single episode would have a herculean job to do! It has to be one of the single worst-researched programmes in Irish TV history. Truly awful.

 

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I think anyone trying to set the record straight on ALL of the errors in every single episode would have a herculean job to do! It has to be one of the single worst-researched programmes in Irish TV history. Truly awful.

 

...and yet people will take it as fact.

[Westcorkrailway]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I think anyone trying to set the record straight on ALL of the errors in every single episode would have a herculean job to do!.

 

Now I want to see it done!

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Horsetan said:

...and yet people will take it as fact.

This precisely why I witter on about such things as liveries. When a museum restores an artefact of any sort, the public have an expectation that how it appears on display is how it looked in real life.

It's easy to say "sure, you can always repaint it", or "the survival of the thing is what's important, not the colour" - or that tired old canard, "different people see different colours". But if we look at things we're familiar with today, like a DART, imagine, if in 70 years' time, there's one in a museum somewhere, and through lazy lack of research it's painted up in black and tan - those of us who SEE these things every day have very justifiable reason to rasie our eyes heavenward and say "WHY could they not have just got it right"! The other thing often heard, and when a volunteer on carriages 45 years ago I said it myself "If you don't like it, roll your own sleeves up and give a hand!" just doesn't wash in this case.

When we see the magnificent job done by the RPSI with 131, 85 and 171, and NCC No. 4, it is both easy and justifiable to point out not one, but two repainted Donegal engiens with black domes instead of red - SO easy to get right; and with the single exception of the grey currently worn by 186, never once an authentic livery on an ex-GSR loco - neither it, 184 or 461, or the Derry shunter "Harvey" as, well, unfortunate. Not to mention the "Ivan"; an eye-confusing assault on the senses of black lines, as all the ironwork is thus picked out, or the DCDR's equally unfortunate run of incorrect livery on every goods item it has ever restored, plus a green G611.

Cultra is not exempt. The BCDR tank, No. 30, is in an Isle of Man-esque apple green. Attractive though it is, the green is many shades too light; colour photos as well as personal memories will show that the BCDR green was so dark it almost looked black. They've added black paint to the metal parts of an otherwise-original Donegal open wagon, and let's not go into the C & L and Castlederg coaches, with modern plastic stick-on lettering.

I am always impressed by the great lengths that most preservation organisations - museums especially - go to in Brexitstan to get such easy-to-research details spot-on correct; maybe we, over here, just don't care!

Yes, yes, yes, I know - not everyone cares. But does anyone want to see a yellow, brown and red ICR in a museum in 2077?

Now, of course, the disclaimer: I've been the volunteer with the paint pot, when money dictates nothing else is available. But that ain't the above case. So I always respect volunteers, let me make that VERY clear. But please, research liveries - it is VERY easy.

Rant over. I need me cocoa.

Edited October 12, 2022 by jhb171achill

[connollystn]

19 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I think anyone trying to set the record straight on ALL of the errors in every single episode would have a herculean job to do! It has to be one of the single worst-researched programmes in Irish TV history. Truly awful.

 

You have to remember that Enda Kenny was involved and, look at the state he left the country in.......

[minister_for_hardship]

6 minutes ago, connollystn said:

You have to remember that Enda Kenny was involved and, look at the state he left the country in.......

To be fair to Inda, he was reading off a script given to him by 'researchers' who should have done their jobs properly.

I very much doubt Mr Kenny's general knowledge on railways would go far beyond 'Thomas' and 'choo-choo' trains.

[Galteemore]

1 minute ago, minister_for_hardship said:

 

I very much doubt Mr Kenny's general knowledge on railways would go far beyond 'Thomas' and 'choo-choo' trains.

The same could be said of many government officials on both islands, as we all know to our cost.

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

To be fair to Inda, he was reading off a script given to him by 'researchers' who should have done their jobs properly.

I very much doubt Mr Kenny's general knowledge on railways would go far beyond 'Thomas' and 'choo-choo' trains.

This is true.

I was contacted by one of the researchers at one stage, but unknown to me it was a bit late in the day. I sent her a load of stuff about the Achill and (I think) Clifden lines, along with references to youtube clips, stuff in the IRRS and so on, and information on who to contact in order to get copyright / reproduction approval.

She thanked me and rang me up. She asked me a number of questions which I answered, all the while becoming more and more bemused / horrified by her utter lack of knowledge AFTER she had claimed to have researched stuff herself. She was unaware, for example, that Irish railways were never part of British Rail - and she was from Belfast! She was unaware of the meaning of the word "gauge" and did not understand why Donegal's trains could not operate through to Belfast or Dublin. And so on; now; as a "layman" (or "laywoman"), one cannot blame her at all for that as far as it goes; much of the public would be the same - and why not - a "normal" person, as opposed to us enthusiasts (!) sees a train as a thing to get them to work, or to Athlone to visit yer wan the odd time - and cares not one whit whether it's a Craven, an 80 class or an ICR in an incorrect GSWR livery.

But this lady claimed to me that she had already DONE "extensive" research.

Ennnnnyway; I told her all about the Achill line, and ended by saying, in jest "as long as you don't trot out that tired old tale about "the first and last trains carrying the dead". As readers here will know, the first bit of it is coincidentally true, but (a) the prophesy oft misquoted never said anything about any railway at all, and (b) the 1937 train carrying the dead happened a good two weeks before closure.

Sure enough, Inda even adds to this, courtesy, no doubt of our "researcher"; as well as the "last" train carrying the dead, he claimed that the line had already been closed since 1934 and was reopened specially - as well as saying that it was narrow gauge, as well as a few other howlers.

And whose name appears in the credits as "research"? Yup - mine.

To paraphrase an ancestor of King Big Ears; I was "not amused"!

Edited October 13, 2022 by jhb171achill

[NorthWallDocker]

Littera scripta manet.  "The written word endures."

[minister_for_hardship]

On 12/10/2022 at 10:33 PM, jhb171achill said:

This precisely why I witter on about such things as liveries. When a museum restores an artefact of any sort, the public have an expectation that how it appears on display is how it looked in real life.

It's easy to say "sure, you can always repaint it", or "the survival of the thing is what's important, not the colour" - or that tired old canard, "different people see different colours". But if we look at things we're familiar with today, like a DART, imagine, if in 70 years' time, there's one in a museum somewhere, and through lazy lack of research it's painted up in black and tan - those of us who SEE these things every day have very justifiable reason to rasie our eyes heavenward and say "WHY could they not have just got it right"! The other thing often heard, and when a volunteer on carriages 45 years ago I said it myself "If you don't like it, roll your own sleeves up and give a hand!" just doesn't wash in this case.

When we see the magnificent job done by the RPSI with 131, 85 and 171, and NCC No. 4, it is both easy and justifiable to point out not one, but two repainted Donegal engiens with black domes instead of red - SO easy to get right; and with the single exception of the grey currently worn by 186, never once an authentic livery on an ex-GSR loco - neither it, 184 or 461, or the Derry shunter "Harvey" as, well, unfortunate. Not to mention the "Ivan"; an eye-confusing assault on the senses of black lines, as all the ironwork is thus picked out, or the DCDR's equally unfortunate run of incorrect livery on every goods item it has ever restored, plus a green G611.

Cultra is not exempt. The BCDR tank, No. 30, is in an Isle of Man-esque apple green. Attractive though it is, the green is many shades too light; colour photos as well as personal memories will show that the BCDR green was so dark it almost looked black. They've added black paint to the metal parts of an otherwise-original Donegal open wagon, and let's not go into the C & L and Castlederg coaches, with modern plastic stick-on lettering.

I am always impressed by the great lengths that most preservation organisations - museums especially - go to in Brexitstan to get such easy-to-research details spot-on correct; maybe we, over here, just don't care!

Yes, yes, yes, I know - not everyone cares. But does anyone want to see a yellow, brown and red ICR in a museum in 2077?

Now, of course, the disclaimer: I've been the volunteer with the paint pot, when money dictates nothing else is available. But that ain't the above case. So I always respect volunteers, let me make that VERY clear. But please, research liveries - it is VERY easy.

Rant over. I need me cocoa.

I've noticed the infamous Clonakilty Model Village has turned out reasonably accurate models of Cork and Muskerry and Passage locos...but one NG Passage loco turned out in GREEN. Oh dear.

I hope to God they won't run these on the layout, causing even further confusion. But as usual here, some Nuala working in PR thinks they'd look "lovely" all running together. 

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I've noticed the infamous Clonakilty Model Village has turned out reasonably accurate models of Cork and Muskerry and Passage locos...but one NG Passage loco turned out in GREEN. Oh dear.

I hope to God they won't run these on the layout, causing even further confusion. But as usual here, some Nuala working in PR thinks they'd look "lovely" all running together. 

Maybe they’ll put a Thomas face on one, because, that would be like, awwwsum, and there’s a steam train thing up in Dublin that’s blue…..!

[Westcorkrailway]

2 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I've noticed the infamous Clonakilty Model Village has turned out reasonably accurate models of Cork and Muskerry and Passage locos...but one NG Passage loco turned out in GREEN. Oh dear.

I hope to God they won't run these on the layout, causing even further confusion. But as usual here, some Nuala working in PR thinks they'd look "lovely" all running together. 

Yeah I saw they have S&S, CBPR and CMLR locos all in the works or finished 

 

it’s not ideal but it’s still a whole lot better then plastic red, plastic yellow and plastic blue