A good read!

[Mike 84C]

Have just finished reading "Saga by Rail: Ireland" by J.I.C. Boyd  pub; by Oakwood  Press. Although Boyd is not my favourite railway author  I have really enjoyed this tale of trips to the west of Ireland taken from the late 1930's to the early '60's, strong narrow gauge bias but a decent amount of 5' 3" . And clear photos, if a little small, one or two per A5 page.

The best thing is, a new/like new copy can be had from Periwinkle Press in Canterbury. (email  cswain1805@aol.com. )for a lot less than £16.95/e26.50. I think mine cost £9.00.

Sorry if this sounds like a book review but I had never come across this book before and thought you guys may enjoy it. I have no connection with any of the people mentioned  above.

 

 

[Andy Cundick]

Very good selection of photos in there,one bit that amussed me was when he went back to Arigna after closure he couldn't find it and assumed it had been demolished,can't quite see how he missed it as if it was any nearer to the road you'd hit it! Andy.

[jhb171achill]

I met James Boyd forty years ago on an Indian narrow gauge railway, and got on with him like a house on fire. He was known as a reserved, indeed prickly and extremely private individual but we had a great time - shared interest in the T & D helped greatly!

Tantalisingly, many of his photos have not been catalogued, let alone published. I know who owns them now and have often offered to assist in listing them. Time, however, is of the essence...........and the current owner of them doesn't seem in a hurry. Most, of course, is of British subjects by far, and with a strong emphasis on Welsh and Manx narrow gauge, as you'd expect.

Edited January 13, 2018 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

Thought these might be of interest; mid 1930s.

[David Holman]

Good stuff.

Got the Boyd boon not long after it came out and found it a really enjoyable read. 

Scary to think that Irish narrow gauge steam finished nearly 60 years ago, so memories like this are precious. Likewise photos of the period.

[jhb171achill]

Yes, and in six days time it'll be the 57th anniversary of the closure of the West Clare - the very last public narrow gauge line....

[jhb171achill]

2nd April 1973 until further notice..... hard to believe that the black'n'tan era was now in numbered days as the new "Supertrain" livery - then only on a few A and 121 classes, was ushering in the "orange and black" ("Supertrain") era.

And yet, forty five years ago when this was published, G class locos were still at work shunting Tuam Beet factory sidings and hauling passenger trains on the Loughrea branch. B101s could still pop up here and there, mostly on PW and goods, and mostly south - Waterford, Limerick and Cork areas. Despite their almost total absence on passenger trains, soon a few would also get "Supertrain" livery; their classmates would go to their graves in black'n'tan.

Loose coupled vans ruled the roost on goods trains. All-fitted bogie goods trains were a rarity; not that long before they had been non-existent. Fert bogies, however, were to be seen.

Sugar beet was in single wagons.

Bubbles were orange, but a few were still grey!

071s were a future fantasy, though shortly rumours would abound that CIE were getting new engines....

And life was good,and T Rex were No. 1 in the Top Twenty. And if I could get this algebra homework finished, I would have more time to play with my layout......

It just doesn't seem like 45 years to me.

Edited January 26, 2018 by jhb171achill