17 December 2019 - Dargan Day

[DART8118]

185 years of service to Irish commuters

 

 

Well, here we go again.  Another great Irish railway occasion worthy of commemoration and celebration and not a word to be heard anywhere.  Since last year, I've continued to contact Google in the hope that they would mark the day with one of their doodles and I even prepared this simple image for them.  But alas, there is nothing on my Google home page this morning.  Surely, 185 years of the oldest suburban railway in the world is worthy of one of their doodles?  Maybe they don't believe the fact.  It's even more curious when you know that the trains pass their Dublin office block every day.

For the future, 17 December will be known as Dargan Day in the miniature world that I'm working on.  And, if you're of a mind to erect a poster, or other sign, on your layout celebrating 185 years of Irish railways, perhaps you'd share a photo.

DART 8118

 

 

 

 

Should have taken the tablets first.  Maybe tomorrow.

DART 8118

 

[DiveController]

Those kids didn't have a railway set 

[Broithe]

 

[DART8118]

 

Iarnród Éireann writing about it and 77 people talking about it has to be a good sign.  They write, "reputed to be the world's first commuter railway".  Perhaps they don't believe it either.  They should be singing it from the rooftops and selling excursion tickets all day long.

DART 8118

[murrayec]

Hi DART 8118

Ireland's first commuter railway, a monumental occasion to be sure, I'm a fan of Mr Dargan and as you know I model D&KR stuff and my DART display layout currently being worked on is based around Dun Laoghaire and Seapoint. I'm also developing a model of the ' Hibernia', which can be viewed on this forum in the 'Manufactures' area......

But, may I suggest that your future canvassing should relate to 'Ireland's First' or 'One of the World's First' and not 'The First'. If one does a Google search for the first passenger railways in the world, you will find that a number of passenger railways were in existence before the D&KR- the Stockton & Darlington of 1825, passengers were hauled by horse up to 1833- when steam took over, and the Liverpool & Manchester of 1830- to name two of the most significant.

We should also consider that the 'Hibernia' type loco was purchased from Sharp Roberts in Liverpool- a box of spares a number of years old, leftovers from Mr Roberts unsuccessful 'Experiment' loco for passenger hauling on the LMR or who ever they could sell his de-funked invention to. Passengers on the D&KR suffered the same fate as the Liverpudlians- knocked heads, sore bums and also the poor drivers had a difficult time staying on the footplate.

Although the D&KR were advised not to purchase it I'm glad they did- it's my no. 1 favourite Irish Loco........

Eoin

 

 

 

[WRENNEIRE]

What about The Rocket?
Built for the Rainhill trials in 1829

Ran on the L&MR from 1830 - 1834

[NIR]

Depends what you mean by commuter. Liverpool and Manchester doesn't sound very commuter, Stockton and Darlington even less so, but London and Greenwich or London and Blackwall do and they're later.

Edited December 18, 2019 by NIR

[DART8118]

Hi Eoin, and thanks for the post.

My source for this is IRRS/CCE's Department of IE and they say, 'first commuter railway in the world, opened in December 1834'.  I'd give that a little more weight than a Google search.  But that's not the issue.  I'm making the point that 185 years is a wonderful achievement and not a single minute of commemoration or celebration anywhere on the network.

Looking forward to seeing some photos of commemoration on the model network.

DART 8118

 

[murrayec]

Hi DART818

My comment about a Google search and the title you are using is an example if Google themselves did a search they would find evidence that passenger carrying railways were in existence before 1834 and it may influence their decision negatively in supporting your request.

The 'Commuter Railway' descriptor has been under long debated as to what it means. UK railway historians and avid followers of the early first railway systems argue who was first to carry passengers proper! whether pulled by horse, pulled by steam, taking passengers from town to outlying areas, or from town to town.... - endless! and are still debating!

Interestingly some UK historians ignore most railways as 'commuters' until 1836 with the opening of the London & Greenwich Rail Road connecting London to the English Channel and boats to France, which they say was based off the L&MR, and they claim was the first to solely carry passengers!!

Interestingly again- this railway was first developed as the Kentish Railway around 1826, while under development an anti-railway writer penned words referring to ''Congreve's richocher rockets'' (from the American national anthem) while having a go at discrediting the railway, it is said that this quote led R Stephenson to name his 1829 loco 'Rocket'

Eoin

 

 

[DART8118]

Hi Eoin,

You're being very forgiving of Google.  Even if they were unsure about the 'First' they could always have marked the occasion of 185 years of Irish railways.  But not a word.  Also disappointed with the CIE group.  Not a minute of celebration nor a word of commemoration.  Maybe next year.

I'm not familiar with the arguments made by historians other than I've often thought that 'they would say that theirs was first, wouldn't they.  They'd spin it accordingly, and would give little credit to a wonderful Irish achievement.  I think that the Stockton & Darlington is the most extraordinary claim of all.  In my world a suburban or commuter service in 1834 would have been for the transport of city business-men who lived in the local suburbs.  In this case I've wondered what city and what suburbs given that both Stockton and Darlington were small market towns.  I also believe that when passenger trains were operated they were horse drawn.  I guess it's all to do with definition.  My tuppence worth to the historical debate.

Meanwhile, I'm happy with the IRRS/CCE's office statement.

Regards

DART 8118

 

 

[minister_for_hardship]

I would expect little from the CIE Group, the Dublin Port Rally marked the 70th anniversary of CIE in 2015, plenty staff in attendance but officially a big fat nothing from the company.

I think you were lucky to get a tweet off them.

[murrayec]

My own little 185th year celebration for one of the first locomotives on the Dublin & Kingstown Railway;-

Eoin