Nenagh Branch

[murphaph]

It may have been posted before but I found an interesting video from Tom Tuohy on YouTube. It seems to show ECS mk2d's being taken in a short train of older stock. I can't quite make the loco out.

 

Edited January 16, 2021 by murphaph

[Noel]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

It may have been posted before but I found an interesting video from Tom Tuohy on YouTube. It seems to show ECS mk2d's being taken in a short train of older stock. I can't quite make the loco out.

 

Looks like a black and tan livery 141/181. Yes interesting to see a few mk2 coaches tagged on at the end of the formation. Wonder how that worked (ie mix of vacuum braking and air braking stock in the rake)? The two mk2 were downstream of the Mk1 GSV. Might just have been repositioning

[Billycan]

That video shows 2 barrows that seem like they would be a home on many station platforms.  Does anyone do a model of that or would there be a market in volumes similar to a buffer stop?

Just thinking out loud.

[murphaph]

The mk2d's were also vacuum braked. Only the second hand mk2a's etc. acquired used in '89 or thereabouts were air braked. The original AC stock delivered from BREL was vacuum braked though. 

[jhb171achill]

The Mk 2s will be locked off and unavailable to passengers. Yes, vacuum braked but corridor connections between the Mk 2s and the older stock (BR vans / Cravens / Laminates / Bredins / Park Royals) were impossible.

The loco is a 141 in black'n'tan, so the pic must be taken circa 1973/4/5. Not before '72.

The train is the through Dublin - Limerick, carrying mail too, and is composed of typical stock of the time (Mk 2s excepted). The genny van will be noted as being absolutely filthy. This was commonplace with these and with the various types of 4 and 6-wheeled "tin vans" - but passenger-carrying stock was always kept pretty clean except from memory on Cork - Cobh locals!

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Billycan said:

That video shows 2 barrows that seem like they would be a home on many station platforms.  Does anyone do a model of that or would there be a market in volumes similar to a buffer stop?

Just thinking out loud.

Good thinking; yes, both two-wheeled and four-wheeled versions of this were commonplace on all passenger platforms from the late 1960s (replacing older platform barrows) to the 1980s.

[Mayner]

The Nenagh Line was treated a Main Line with through Dublin-Limerick passenger and goods trains routed by Nenagh until the line was downgraded to branch line status and all through trains routed by Limerick Junction during the early 80s

[DiveController]

On 16/1/2021 at 1:33 PM, Billycan said:

That video shows 2 barrows that seem like they would be a home on many station platforms.  Does anyone do a model of that or would there be a market in volumes similar to a buffer stop?

Just thinking out loud.

I'd say there would be room for a whole set of line side things like the extra containers and fertilizer. 2 and 4 wheeled, scales, signage, porter (the fellow, not the drink), station master, driver, guard, signalman passing token, staff snatcher, passengers attired in yesteryear, woman pushing old style pram, typical Irish cart (donkey include, all the better), 1970s passengers for lighted coaches (ahem), the list is endless, but a representative assortment from that would not go astray at all. We all need to think out louder (telepathy server ON... Check!) 

[Broithe]

On 16/1/2021 at 7:33 PM, Billycan said:

That video shows 2 barrows that seem like they would be a home on many station platforms.  Does anyone do a model of that or would there be a market in volumes similar to a buffer stop?

Just thinking out loud.

This one is still at Ballybrophy.

[Broithe]

Taking a friend to the hospital in Nenagh today, for him to be stabbed in the eye, I realised that, in my whole life, I have never really had my feet on the ground in the town, beyond the hospital carpark - except for occasionally putting one foot down fifty years ago, if I had to stop briefly on a motorbike, when you still had to go through the town in those far-off pre-motorway days.

Knowing that he would be there for at least an hour, as they would first have to stun him sufficiently for the stabbing to be done in a reasonably civilised manner, I had a stroll up to the station area.

 

The footbridge, of course, is not necessary now, as public access to the other platform is not required, so it has not been upgraded for disability access - indeed, it is fairly disabled itself now.

 

The fairly large carpark was around 85% full and I didn't see any notices requiring payment anywhere.

 

The goods shed is fundamentally sound.

As is the station building itself.

 

There is a display of a water crane featured by the carpark entrance.

And other historical buildings in the immediate vicinity.

 

I suspect that the nice cast iron railings on the overbridge might not be approved if they were suggested today - they seem a little low to me and it would be easy for someone six-foot plus to stumble over them.

I did check below and there were no bodies, bloodstains or suspicious dents in the ground surface.

[jhb171achill]

15 minutes ago, Broithe said:

Taking a friend to the hospital in Nenagh today, for him to be stabbed in the eye, I realised that, in my whole life, I have never really had my feet on the ground in the town, beyond the hospital carpark - except for occasionally putting one foot down fifty years ago, if I had to stop briefly on a motorbike, when you still had to go through the town in those far-off pre-motorway days.

Knowing that he would be there for at least an hour, as they would first have to stun him sufficiently for the stabbing to be done in a reasonably civilised manner, I had a stroll up to the station area.

 

The footbridge, of course, is not necessary now, as public access to the other platform is not required, so it has not been upgraded for disability access - indeed, it is fairly disabled itself now.

 

The fairly large carpark was around 85% full and I didn't see any notices requiring payment anywhere.

 

The goods shed is fundamentally sound.

As is the station building itself.

 

There is a display of a water crane featured by the carpark entrance.

And other historical buildings in the immediate vicinity.

 

I suspect that the nice cast iron railings on the overbridge might not be approved if they were suggested today - they seem a little low to me and it would be easy for someone six-foot plus to stumble over them.

I did check below and there were no bodies, bloodstains or suspicious dents in the ground surface.

The local bears, hyenas, pythons and cheetahs eat them every night, so I'm told...............

Recalls to mind, when Senior was a small person, they used to get the train from Dublin to Birr each summer for a week's holidays on my great-aunt's farm, which was near Birr. 

At Ballybrophy, the station master would be on the platform, bellowing out "CHANGE for Roscrea, Birr and Nenagh!" over and over again.

For years, a youthful Senior thought that there was an exotic-sounding place down in the stix somewhere near there called "ROSSgreyburranena"...........!

[Broithe]

22 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

The local bears, hyenas, pythons and cheetahs eat them every night, so I'm told...............

Recalls to mind, when Senior was a small person, they used to get the train from Dublin to Birr each summer for a week's holidays on my great-aunt's farm, which was near Birr. 

At Ballybrophy, the station master would be on the platform, bellowing out "CHANGE for Roscrea, Birr and Nenagh!" over and over again.

For years, a youthful Senior thought that there was an exotic-sounding place down in the stix somewhere near there called "ROSSgreyburranena"...........!

Many years ago, on the nine o'clock train down to Ballybrophy, which met a branch connection, the announcements were being done by a chap of some sort of African origin. He was making valiant attempts at Roscrea, Nenagh and Cloughjordan, but it was clear that his introductory training package had not covered this aspect of the job thoroughly.

I spent a profitable few minutes coaching him and the next announcements were noticeably better, even though anybody likely to be heading off to the side would have a fair idea of where they were going anyway.

I must send IÉ that invoice soon.

Also, I see - or don't see - that I seem to have failed to record the Edward VII post box in the wall by the station building - a rare enough item on the Big island.

[Mol_PMB]

5 minutes ago, Broithe said:

Many years ago, on the nine o'clock train down to Ballybrophy, which met a branch connection, the announcements were being done by a chap of some sort of African origin. He was making valiant attempts at Roscrea, Nenagh and Cloughjordan, but it was clear that his introductory training package had not covered this aspect of the job thoroughly.

I spent a profitable few minutes coaching him and the next announcements were noticeably better, even though anybody likely to be heading off to the side would have a fair idea of where they were going anyway.

I must send IÉ that invoice soon.

As someone who commutes regularly by rail through Slaithwaite (pronounced Slawi' (with near-silent t at the end) in true Yorkshire economical style) I think there are quite a few railway operators who would benefit from some training on pronunciation!

[Mayner]

Only set foot in Nenagh as a 16-17 year old in 73-4 with my parents on the drive from Dublin to two weeks summer holiday in a caravan park in Kilkee, main recollection was the local skinheads with their cropped hair and 'bovver boot' wore standard cut jeans and denim jackets unlike our neighborhood skins and bootboys who wore half mast high cut jeans. To make the long story short we could not find anywhere to eat lunch in Nenagh or Limerick City all cafes/resturants were full on a busy Holiday Saturday and ended up with a very late lunch in Ennis.

My father sometimes talked about into Dublin City Centre on a weekend to watch the fights (often with women) in the streets late at night in the 1940s and the street fights (knives and razors) between rival gangs. 

 

[jhb171achill]

19 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

As someone who commutes regularly by rail through Slaithwaite (pronounced Slawi' (with near-silent t at the end) in true Yorkshire economical style) I think there are quite a few railway operators who would benefit from some training on pronunciation!

Eyyyup lad!

[Broithe]

7 minutes ago, Mayner said:

Only set foot in Nenagh as a 16-17 year old in 73-4 with my parents on the drive from Dublin to two weeks summer holiday in a caravan park in Kilkee, main recollection was the local skinheads with their cropped hair and 'bovver boot' wore standard cut jeans and denim jackets unlike our neighborhood skins and bootboys who wore half mast high cut jeans. To make the long story short we could not find anywhere to eat lunch in Nenagh or Limerick City all cafes/resturants were full on a busy Holiday Saturday and ended up with a very late lunch in Ennis.

My father sometimes talked about into Dublin City Centre on a weekend to watch the fights (often with women) in the streets late at night in the 1940s and the street fights (knives and razors) between rival gangs. 

A career in tourism promotion beckons...

Your comment also reminded me of the time that the people across the road came to ask my father to keep an eye on the house, post, etc. He asked them where they were going, they said they were off to Dublin Airport to fly to Venice. His manner made it clear that he felt this was an unnecessary extravagance, but both sides glossed over this and nothing more was said.

It was only when a postcard arrived for him that we found out he thought they were flying to Ennis, when it was only a few stops down on the train.

[jhb171achill]

13 minutes ago, Mayner said:

My father sometimes talked about into Dublin City Centre on a weekend to watch the fights (often with women) in the streets late at night in the 1940s and the street fights (knives and razors) between rival gangs. 

Not the place to be political here, but that's the very point I am often at pains to make to today's internet-informed bigots who insist that immigrants have made Dublin unsafe. It's a HELL of a lot safer on the streets at night in almost all areas than it was back then. And it's not people from Somaliastan, Muslimistan and Immigrastan who carry out the vast bulk of what trouble we do have - it's "good ole" white, Dublin-born, 100% Irish! Saw the guards gather up two of them fighting in the street, off their heads on something, only yesterday.  

Edited Thursday at 19:35 by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

On 16/1/2021 at 6:41 PM, Noel said:

Looks like a black and tan livery 141/181. Yes interesting to see a few mk2 coaches tagged on at the end of the formation. Wonder how that worked (ie mix of vacuum braking and air braking stock in the rake)? The two mk2 were downstream of the Mk1 GSV. Might just have been repositioning

Yes, BnT 141. The Mk 2s on the end were a rare enough type of working and would have been empty. It was not possible to have mixed Mk 2s with any other passenger stock within a train - though the non-Mk 2s were an absolute mix of everything else!

[Mol_PMB]

My childhood memories of Dublin in the late 80s early 90s are that it was a rough and scary place, if you wanted to park a car you had to pay protection money to one or several gangs if you wanted it to still be there when you returned! 

Despite the craters in the street I felt safer in Belfast because the heavy police/army presence kept the gangs under control. 
 

That’s just my impression as a teenage tourist, it may well be inaccurate or an over-simplification. 

[jhb171achill]

There was a tale of an American tourist who had hired an expensive car. He got lost and decided to park somewhere and go to ask for directions. 

As he parked in a dodgy-looking street, he noticed several dodgy-looking young lads eyeing up the car. He went over to them and said, "Lads, I'm a bit lost here, and I want to go into that shop across the road to get directions. If I'm being honest, this doesn't look like that safe an area. Do you mind me asking if it's safe to park here - like, will this car be here when I come back?"

.............. "Jaysus, bud, ye can park that yoke anywhere in Dublin ye like, an' it'll be here when ye come back!"