IRRS Journal 201

[StevieB]

This dropped on the mat on Saturday morning and is, as usual, a good read.

In the news section there is a reference to the clearance of vegetation on the former line between Midleton to Youghal and the fact that there is local opposition to the greenway proposal. This is based on continuing growth in housing between the aforementioned places and the fact that reinstatement of the railway would be environmentally beneficial, something that the greenway could not provide for long distance travellers. The transport plan for Cork includes dualling Cork to Midleton, together with electrification of the remaining suburban routes along the lines of DART, CART? Re-opening of Midleton to Youghal then becomes the logical next step. From experiences elsewhere, you can build a greenway alongside an existing railway but you can’t easily re-open a railway where a greenway has been built on the former railway alignment.

Stephen

[Noel]

Yes as our population continues to grow, any long term planning taking housing, commuting and climate change into account could not but see the benefits of rail for commuters. Here's hoping, but I won't hold my breath. I am a leisure cyclist, but when it comes to a choice between weekend cycling or daily commuting railways always gets my personal vote over a greenway. Do we not have enough greenways already as it is? Westport and Dungarvan are stunning. Do we really need more. Tow path along the royal canal does not interfere with the rail line and could be beneficial for cyclist commuters.

[minister_for_hardship]

I'd like to know where the local opposition was during the public consultation stage.

[Noel]

9 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I'd like to know where the local opposition was during the public consultation stage.

Interesting cause I can understand local business interests may favour greenway due to the tourism boom they bring to scenic areas, but local residents/commuters would favour public transport and green transport. Commuters cannot cycle 30km to Midleton and then catch a train to work in Cork, not in Irish weather. Commuter rail can be an aid towards access to affordable housing outside of cities.

Edited February 24, 2020 by Noel

[Georgeconna]

2 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I'd like to know where the local opposition was during the public consultation stage.

Plenty of oppostion if you take a gander on the net. Frankly it will be a bit of a boring run down there anyhow.

15-20 million for a Tarmac track, Nuts. The 'Ethnic Minority' could do it for a Fraction of that cost plus a few gutters  along the way fixed. Win Win.

No doubt others have vested interests in other things hapening too which enabled this to go through, With Youghal Councillors backing the plan there was never any train gonna come down that way any time soon, anyway it would probably be a bus shelter for a Station.

Committee Chairwoman, Cllr Mary Linehan Foley, backing Cllr Twomey’s Motion, said “there is definitely an opening for a campervan facility in Youghal, where you can go in, get your water and plug in.”

Cllr McCarthy, who sits on the Youghal Socio Economic Development Group, said Council needs to support the provision of a campervan park at some location.

She said “It would be remiss of us not to be looking for a site for campervan parking because Youghal badly needs one for tourism and the Ironman.

Ms McCarty added “the impending Greenway should be yet another incentive for us to look at it.”

With all this extra money coming in for the large wallets the bike riders will carry down from Midleton lets hope they just might be able to fix the viewing area by the lighthouse.

I heard there will be an airport there now anyhow....

 

 

 

 

 

[hexagon789]

9 hours ago, StevieB said:

The transport plan for Cork includes dualling Cork to Midleton, together with electrification of the remaining suburban routes along the lines of DART, CART? Re-opening of Midleton to Youghal then becomes the logical next step.

Perhaps a use for some of the stored DART units?

[K801]

the turn table is still in place?

  RPSI steam from Connolly station to Youghal would be a great day trip!

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, K801 said:

the turn table is still in place?

  RPSI steam from Connolly station to Youghal would be a great day trip!

Indeed it is, though as you can see, covered in weeds and sundry gunk....

[Noel]

It is a shame the local councillors got successfully lobbied by local business interests more interested in generating tourism footfall and accommodation bookings, hospitality than the greater need for local commuters living in Youghal who work in Cork. The rail line would also generate seasonal footfall for B&Bs, hotel, hospitality from summer tourism, but no where near as much as a greenway would. Route looks rather boring and flat from a leisure cyclists point of view unlike Westport and Dungarvan. The bigger economic picture is Ireland Inc, needs more high quality commuter infrastructure as our population rapidly grows and climate change makes rail idea from both a cost/return and environmental point of view as well as quality service for customers/commuters. Commuters need to form a lobby group to counter the vested interests of the local chamber of commerce members.

[StevieB]

Well said Noel.

Stephen

[minister_for_hardship]

On 2/24/2020 at 1:01 PM, Georgeconna said:

Plenty of oppostion if you take a gander on the net. Frankly it will be a bit of a boring run down there anyhow.

 

 

 

 

Plenty?

12%, from CCC's own report, on the net. All submissions received are there for perusal.

"Of the 388 public submissions, 312 (80%) were supportive of the proposed development. Of the 
total public submissions, 46 (12%) were opposed to the proposed Greenway and instead favoured 
the reopening of the railway. The remaining 32 (8%) submissions were neither clearly in favour nor 
against the proposed development and made observations or comments on the proposed development."

Edited February 27, 2020 by minister_for_hardship

[K801]

20 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Indeed it is, though as you can see, covered in weeds and sundry gunk....

jhb171achill, in a perfect world, back in the day, could the Youghal and Dungarvan lines be linked?

if not, is that why the Dungarvan line went to Mallow?

Edited February 27, 2020 by K801

[jhb171achill]

K801, in a perfect world they could - and what a highly scenic line that would have been.

I believe that the original promoters of the Youghal line had ideas about going further....... pity it didn't happen.

[DiveController]

On 2/24/2020 at 7:01 AM, Georgeconna said:

 

 

An Avro Anson EI-AGW (privately owned) for anyone interested in that aircraft that would have accompanied our railway prototypes

Edited February 28, 2020 by DiveController

[Noel]

That was one heck of a hairy manoeuvre in a trail dragger (ie taking off with left gear drag in the water). One slight extra wavelet and she could have have cartwheeled left due asymmetric UC drag. Those were the days, H&S free, folks standing on the beech in front of the aircraft, no eye protection for the sand.

[StevieB]

Back in the middle of the 19th century, the Cork and Waterford Railway was set up by Act of Parliament to link the two cities by way of Youghal, Dungarvan and Tramore. However, it was not to be but we did end up with the Cork to Youghal and Waterford to Tramore lines.

In my model railway world, it wouldn’t have been the Waterford, Dungarvan and Lismore Railway that completed the link but rather a line from Dungarvan to Youghal, providing a much shorter and quicker route between the two cities. It would certainly have stayed open for the magnesite factory at Ballinacourty together with BELL liner trains. Such is the power of imagination.

Stephen

[Mayner]

There is some interesting background on the Cork & Youghal Railway on https://spellerweb.net/rhindex/Ireland/GreatSouthern/Youghal.html.

The Cork and Waterford appears to have been promoted in connection with a Great Western Railway steam ship service from South Wales to Waterford, the cost of building and operating a line across the hilly country between Waterford and Youghal may have been a factor in the scheme being cut back to a Cork-Youghal Line.

The GSWR planned Cork-Fermoy line via Waterglass Hill  in the early 1900s to provide a more direct route than via Mallow for the Rosslare Express.

Interestingly at one stage it was planned to transport dolomite limestone from deposits near Lombardstown on the Kerry Road to Ballinacourthy during the planning stages of the Quigley Magnesite operation which would have kept the western end of the  Waterford-Mallow line in operation.

 

[DiveController]

17 hours ago, Noel said:

That was one heck of a hairy manoeuvre in a trail dragger (ie taking off with left gear drag in the water). One slight extra wavelet and she could have have cartwheeled left due asymmetric UC drag. Those were the days, H&S free, folks standing on the beech in front of the aircraft, no eye protection for the sand.

More right rudder!!

.....come to think of it you didn't actually see it take off, right? 

Edited February 29, 2020 by DiveController

[MOGUL]

On 2/28/2020 at 7:44 AM, Noel said:

That was one heck of a hairy manoeuvre in a trail dragger (ie taking off with left gear drag in the water). One slight extra wavelet and she could have have cartwheeled left due asymmetric UC drag. Those were the days, H&S free, folks standing on the beech in front of the aircraft, no eye protection for the sand.

Maybe that’s why the aircrafts ref is EI-AGW.. All going well is should take off!

[Noel]

2 hours ago, MOGUL said:

Maybe that’s why the aircrafts ref is EI-AGW.. All going well is should take off!

Watched a sea plane land on Lough Derg years ago, taxi up onto the beech at Dromineer, kids from the beech flocking fowards it to get a closer look, full power to get her up the beech incline before turning her 180 degrees throwing sand and pebbles at speed into the faces of about 100 curious on lookers standing 5-10m behind him.  One teen nearly had the head taken off them by the overhead prop as she swung briskly around to face towards the water again.  No crowd control on the ground beforehand, but nobody was inured, those were the days life was let run its course. Now days with H&S the shade of yellow on hi-vis jackets of the crowd would be tested for correct ISO colour before the aircraft was even given permission to taxi.

Edited February 29, 2020 by Noel

[Georgeconna]

Sorry to divert the thread but I'll Raise ya Noel, Cottesmore 2001 in the glory days! I was in the 4 o clock postion during this. Notice 1 burner did not come on so it sat there longer than normal. Ambulances were called for fellas with severe burns and inhalation. Cameras were strewn about the place, Fellas tumbling along the ground and driving to the floor to avoid the intesen hear. I managed to get some excellent shots that day of it though and came out unscathed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVdUi-8F8P0

[NIR]

At our local airshow back in the 80s you would get fighters on active duty with NATO turning up, those fellas didn't give a shit, fast and loud and low, over built up areas!