From the Catacombs

[Patrick Davey]

3 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I'll dig out some more GNR photos tomorrow and then we can go NCC, or GSR......

Yum to all!  Thanks again JB.

[jhb171achill]

This is the last GNR for a while. I haven’t a date but I think it’s not long after the railcars were introduced. PW work is in progress at Malahide, and a service train is being allowed across at slow speed.

 

[Midland Man]

although I like the GNRI I  can not wait to sea what Next. Any Waterford and Tramore or Dublin and Blessington. 

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

although I like the GNRI I  can not wait to sea what Next. Any Waterford and Tramore or Dublin and Blessington. 

Unfortunately not, but I've a few other bits and pieces...!

[jhb171achill]

We’re up north today.

A Giants Causeway tram awaits departure from Portrush station, and a strange vehicle is parked up at the depot nearby. This was a wagon for inspecting overhead wires.

These pictures were taken in 1939.

 

Edited May 1, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Midland Man]

what gauge are they?

[jhb171achill]

10 minutes ago, Midland Man said:

what gauge are they?

3ft gauge.  One of the few electric narrow gauge lines.

Quiz question: how many narrow-gauge electric lines were there, including tramways? I can think of six.....

Edited May 1, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Garfield]

6 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

3ft gauge.  One of the few electric narrow gauge lines.

Quiz question: how many narrow-gauge electric lines were there, including tramways? I can think of six.....

Hmm...

Giant's Causeway Tramway
New & Bessbrook Tramway
Cork Electric Tramway
Belfast Corporation Tramway
Dublin & Lucan Tramway

Does the DUTC system count because it was 5 ft 2 3⁄16 in, not 5ft 3in?  
Or are you including the Luas?   

[Galteemore]

Annaghmore Turf Railway

[Garfield]

1 minute ago, Galteemore said:

Annaghmore Turf Railway

I came back to add it, but you beat me to it!   

[Galteemore]

Sorry Garfield !  Dimly remembered from an old book my dad had. The most intriguing system I remember in it was Bianconi’s private farm railway in Clare, which even had a full signalling system. Some of the loco wheels allegedly survive at Moyasta. Would make a fun model. 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Galteemore

[Patrick Davey]

Wow JB those were unexpected!  The upper photo was indeed taken at the depot on the outskirts of Portrush, St. Patrick's RC church is visible in the left background.  Mighty photos!!!

Edited May 1, 2020 by Patrick Davey

[WRENNEIRE]

Little bit of Belfast Tramway history

A Love Token from a lass in Gormanstown when the "Refugees" were billeted there during the Troubles

 

 

[Dhu Varren]

4 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

We’re up north today.

A Giants Causeway tram awaits departure from Portrush station, and a strange vehicle is parked up at the depot nearby. This was a wagon for inspecting overhead wires.

These pictures were taken in 1939.

 

 

There are still quite a number of stumps of the old overhead line poles to be found by the roadside between Portrush and Bushmills, particularly between the Junction of the Ballintrae Road and Bushmills, which is where the photo was taken.

The overhead line poles suffered badly from corrosion due to their close proximity to the sea, and when new poles were needed, to keep costs down, the original poles had reinforcing steel rods inserted, and then were filled with concrete.

  

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Sorry Garfield !  Dimly remembered from an old book my dad had. The most intriguing system I remember in it was Bianconi’s private farm railway in Clare, which even had a full signalling system. Some of the loco wheels allegedly survive at Moyasta. Would make a fun model. 

Bianconi, Annaghmore, Cork City, Bessbrook, Giant's Causeway and Lucan were the ones I had in mind. I did not count Belfast (or Dublin, other than Lucan!) And not the LUAS either....  naturally, by Irish standards, all of these are narrow gauge too!

I have an idea there was some sort of short-lived thing out in the wilds of Leitrim or Longford or somewhere - I remember reading of such a thing years and years ago. Must look it up. 

[Midland Man]

The C&L was meant to extend to Roscommon via Arigna so it may have been a tram way. As for the rail link in Longford sound like a (stupid) idea that would have been done to link to manors or something.

[jhb171achill]

Fifty years ago to the day, today, NIR operated the last ever steam train in service with a company-owned locomotive in Ireland. I was there to see it.

Over thirty years earlier, also on the NCC, Senior spotted a gleaming maroon just-out-of-the-paint shop U2 hurrying itself along. Location unknown, but would appear to be either between Belfast and Whitehead, or more likely Belfast - Ballymena, as I think his earliest spin on the NCC was on the main line.

I

[Patrick Davey]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

Fifty years ago to the day, today, NIR operated the last ever steam train in service with a company-owned locomotive in Ireland. I was there to see it.

Over thirty years earlier, also on the NCC, Senior spotted a gleaming maroon just-out-of-the-paint shop U2 hurrying itself along. Location unknown, but would appear to be either between Belfast and Whitehead, or more likely Belfast - Ballymena, as I think his earliest spin on the NCC was on the main line.

I

What a sight that must have been!! Looks like the number 80, was that a U2 number?

[Midland Man]

I wounded whitch batch it came from the Belfast the crewe or the Scotland batch? I know Duluce castle is a Scottish engine and all the Belfast engines were once 2-4-0s.

[airfixfan]

80 built at York Road in 1925. Looks like the Larne line from what little detail we have.

[NIR]

9 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

80 built at York Road in 1925. Looks like the Larne line from what little detail we have.

Are those suburban carriages the ones known as 'Larne steelers'?

[airfixfan]

Yes they look similar to coaches 238 and 241 preserved by the RPSI. 50 years since the end of the spoil trains today even though one book said May 3rd!

[Dhu Varren]

1 hour ago, NIR said:

Are those suburban carriages the ones known as 'Larne steelers'?

No, the coach behind the loco is not a 'Larne Steeler'. The Larne Steelers were steel, flush sided coaches, the one in the picture is a wood panelled coach, probably one of the 1924 or 1935 built batches.

If the 30 years quoted by JHB is correct, then this would date the picture as 1940 or before, which means that the coach could not be 238 or 241, as they did not arrive on the NCC until 1941 as replacements for stock destroyed in the Blitz of that year. 

Edited May 2, 2020 by Dhu Varren

[jhb171achill]

40 minutes ago, Dhu Varren said:

No, the coach behind the loco is not a 'Larne Steeler'. The Larne Steelers were steel, flush sided coaches, the one in the picture is a wood panelled coach, probably one of the 1924 or 1935 built batches.

If the 30 years quoted by JHB is correct, then this would date the picture as 1940 or before, which means that the coach could not be 238 or 241, as they did not arrive on the NCC until 1941 as replacements for stock destroyed in the Blitz of that year. 

Correct - the pic was some time in the mid 30s - after 1940, any "shiny" engines would have been in the unlined black livery too. I would certainly think it's one of the 1924 stock. Hard to make out 100% though.

I noticed a white patch on the smokebox door - anyone have any ideas as to what that might be? I don't.

52 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Yes they look similar to coaches 238 and 241 preserved by the RPSI. 50 years since the end of the spoil trains today even though one book said May 3rd!

That would be a typo - very definitely 2nd!

[Galteemore]

I think the patch is the door handle blurred in the exposure.

[jhb171achill]

16 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

I think the patch is the door handle blurred in the exposure.

Actually, you're right - I see that now!

[minister_for_hardship]

On 5/1/2020 at 12:44 PM, jhb171achill said:

3ft gauge.  One of the few electric narrow gauge lines.

Quiz question: how many narrow-gauge electric lines were there, including tramways? I can think of six.....

Another one.

[jhb171achill]

2 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Another one.

Wow!!  What is that? Is it the RDS show about the turn of the last century?

[minister_for_hardship]

No, the 1889 Percival/Burke indoor electric railway, Christian Bros Exhibition, Corn Exchange, Cork.

A Curtis electric motor from this should be still up in the North Mon, it was used afterwards for classroom demonstrations and, used at least once, to provide storm sound effects in a weeks run of The Tempest at the Opera House.

[minister_for_hardship]

Actually come to think of it, there were electric Siemens locos used at Ardnacrusha.

[Noel]

4 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Actually come to think of it, there were electric Siemens locos used at Ardnacrusha.

There was a considerable railway constructed from Killaloe all the way to Ardnacrusha down the 10km head race canal and on down to limerick. It was removed after the 5 year construction project was completed on time and on budget. Germans don't you know. There was a broad gauge railway line from Limerick to the face of the dam until about 40 years ago. There are photos of a pax special B&T stock at the dam.

[Dhu Varren]

8 hours ago, Midland Man said:

I wounded whitch batch it came from the Belfast the crewe or the Scotland batch? I know Duluce castle is a Scottish engine and all the Belfast engines were once 2-4-0s.

Three of the Class U2 Belfast built locos were built new, with eight being rebuilds of Class A and U 4-4-0s. Seven were built in Glasgow by the North British Locomotive Co..

The easy way to tell whether a U2 is a Belfast or a Glasgow engine is to look at the cab roof. All the Belfast engines have square corners to the rear of the cab roof. The Glasgow engines have a curved cutaway on each corner.

[airfixfan]

If is 1940 then cannot be 238/241 looks similar to 358 preserved by the RPSI. Stand corrected but still think it's the Larne line.

[NIR]

6 hours ago, airfixfan said:

Yes they look similar to coaches 238 and 241 preserved by the RPSI. 50 years since the end of the spoil trains today even though one book said May 3rd!

Still, we have the second spoil contract to look forward to. I remember passing a spoil train in a siding at Kilroot mid-70s, there seemed to be a conveyor belt heading out to a new jetty being built.

[jhb171achill]

27 minutes ago, NIR said:

Still, we have the second spoil contract to look forward to. I remember passing a spoil train in a siding at Kilroot mid-70s, there seemed to be a conveyor belt heading out to a new jetty being built.

Now that's a good point, NIR.

After the Shore Road motorway was built, with the stuff that the last few "WT" class tank engines hauled down from Magheramorne, there were further movements out of there, using diesels. I have seen a pic of a Hunslet with a string of spoil wagons behind it and while I could be mistaken, I don't think it was a ballast train. I also seem to recall being told of the little Hunslet 0.6.0 shunters hauling them about somewhere, but that probably WAS ballast. 

Any ideas?  As Michael Caine, or Trumpty Dumpty might say, "Not a lot of people know that"!