Waterford to New Ross

[Riversuir226]

http://www.hidden-dublin.com/images/rail/rail_summit.html

 

Rare pics of probably the least photographed line in the country.

Edited August 20, 2013 by Riversuir226

[purple]

According to a certain Facebook page I'm told digging has started near Staffords in New Ross to get the line back in order for heritage working.

 

Hopefully they'll get it running eventually ...

[heirflick]

 

 

some classic shots there but this my favourite pic from the site

[jhb171achill]

Excellent stuff... I think the "digging" that has started might be moles....

[purple]

Well I'll let you know if it is moles or not next time I'm back home. There are two early stage serious projects to get the line working again.

[purple]

That is a pretty big mole:

 

[Broithe]

That is a pretty big mole:

 

http://www.molegroundworks.co.uk/ ...?

[minister_for_hardship]

Is is simply IR/IE (or whatever it calls itself now) reasserting its right of way as opposed to a crackpot preservation scheme?

[Broithe]

Is is simply IR/IE (or whatever it calls itself now)

 

Irish Railway Authority next..?

[minister_for_hardship]

Excellent stuff... I think the "digging" that has started might be moles....

 

Norn Iron branches of B&Q had Mole repellers in stock a few years back....moles are not native to the island of Ireland.

[Broithe]

Norn Iron branches of B&Q had Mole repellers in stock a few years back....moles are not native to the island of Ireland.

 

Shows how good they are....

[Sulzer201]

That is a pretty big mole:

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]5879[/ATTACH]

 

Good stuff purple, at least it is good to see the Permanent Way being preserved in some kind of order - some interest is being taken in the route when they are prepared to spend money clean it.

[purple]

It isn't my picture I robbed it off their Facebook page.

 

I'm not directly involved but AFAIK IE granted a licence for line clearing work to be done privately.

 

IE haven't asserted a right of way on the line with a vehicle since 1995.

 

People are trying to make a genuine effort to get some sort of heritage line going.

 

Let's not resort to the usual oirsh begrudgry by calling them "crack pots" and it'll never work. Plenty of preservation projects in the UK started on shaky foundations. People from New Ross are pretty used to being put down and bashed by everybody else so it probably won't work either .

[Shinkansen]

Spotted a hi-rail digger in action on the Waterford - New Ross line yesterday afternoon. It was operating on-rail just behind the Rhu Glenn country club hotel close to the N25. Looked to be clearing branches and over growth from the line. Good on them for making some preservation effort, whoever they are.

Another observation whilst travelling yesterday, there was a bit of activity down new the stored Mk 3 rakes in Waterford West, couple of vans, lots of dudes in Hi-viz down around the carriages... any thoughts?

[Riversuir226]

Spotted a hi-rail digger in action on the Waterford - New Ross line yesterday afternoon. It was operating on-rail just behind the Rhu Glenn country club hotel close to the N25. Looked to be clearing branches and over growth from the line. Good on them for making some preservation effort, whoever they are.

Another observation whilst travelling yesterday, there was a bit of activity down new the stored Mk 3 rakes in Waterford West, couple of vans, lots of dudes in Hi-viz down around the carriages... any thoughts?

 

Tom, they were removing the gen's out of the gennys id say, of course they left the roof off to increase the speed of the rotting.....,

[minister_for_hardship]

Looked to be clearing branches and over growth from the line. Good on them for making some preservation effort, whoever they are.

 

Just because the line is being cleared it does not follow that it will be for preservationists. And it's not being cleared by a preservation group either.

 

'Kilkenny LEADER Partnership (KLP) have been given

permission by CIE to carry out the necessary technical

studies required to test the feasibility of developing one of a

number of tourism projects on the disused 20 kilometre

Waterford to New Ross railway track. The decision of the

type of feasibility of the projects will be based on a series of

technical studies.'

 

Short description

KLK000263 - South Kilkenny Railway Clearence

Detailed description

The following party has been awarded the tender contarct for this project: McCormack Brothers Plant Hire, Ballymahon, Longford

Edited April 12, 2013 by minister_for_hardship

[irishrail201]

On their facebook page the chair or site owner said that there would be no trains to new ross and effectively gave in, he said that the railway enthusiasts kept going on about what type of locos instead of looking at the big picture.

 

Apparently there was an investor ready to go.

 

I think it is due to become a cycleway that is why there has been track clearance.

 

 

P.S The T&D revival is not going swimmingly either

[purple]

It doesn't matter really what happens as long as it is of some use to the public.

 

Just saw this posted to the Facebook group:

 

[video=youtube_share;kmhPaHsu3_o]

[jhb171achill]

Interesting. While involved in RPSI finances some 20 years ago, I was appoached by a gent who represented a business consortium. These people were Dublin-based, and had seen how successful the Severn Valley Railway was while on holiday in England, and thought they could replicate it here. One of them owned a large amount of property in the south-east, including a former branch line terminus and several miles of track bed adjacent to it.

 

Their question was that if they rebuilt the line, would the RPSI be able to sell them "any old trains". I met them independently, rather than wearing an RPSI official hat, to discuss their plans. Should these come to anything, I would then guide them through what questions they might reasonably expect the RPSI to be able to answer. Once they learned of the issues - both financial and technical - surrounding steam engine maintenance and operation, and the likely costs of operation (never mind their takings), they were somewhat disconcerted. Adding to that the costs of restoring the only carriages likely to have been available at the time, and they were off like a shot.

 

It is easy to look at a preserved train and say, "That would look great in my area". Few are fully aware, though, of the time, money and specialised expertise involved in operating them, and it gets worse: not one serious proposal I have ever had any detailed knowledge of, has the slightest clue as to the potential market - thus income - which is essential fo9r the scheme to survive, even if it has 100% unlimited financial backing to get it going.

 

I suspect that well-meaning as the promoters of this New Ross scheme are, they are learning realities now. Fair enough; this is how we learn. Good for them to give it a go.

 

To run a steam engine to New Ross and back from Waterford will dispose of several hundred euro's worth of coal per round trip. A 7-10 year boiler exam will cost that times ten. Insurance will cost perhaps €10,000 per year. Track maintenance, carriage restoration, maintenance and certification to run. An inconvenient truth perhaps; but how many return fares will it take to cover these items alone?

 

The DCDR has a total of some 7km of track, of which just 3km is regularly used. The maintenance and upkeep for the PW, fences and stations costs over double the entire steam loco, diesel loco and coaching budget for the year. For a longer line, multiply accordingly; adding a few zeroes when you come to bridges and level crossings. Downpatrick has yet to need a comprehensive signalling budget but this is coming as the volunteers develop this aspect.

 

I do genuinely wish anyone who tries to preserve any railway the very best of luck. But unless they have answers to ALL (not most!) of the above, they're wasting their time.

[purple]

There was a lot of people insisting that a steam loco must be run if the line was restored. I think some didn't even realise it was a different gauge to Britain.

 

I remember suggesting to them they rent a diesel to reduce maintenance or even build one from scrap tractors as project to give people experience and employment (So many excellent unemployed engineers in New Ross, several friends are out of work there. Main reason I live in Galway).

Edited June 7, 2013 by purple