Fantasy Railways??

Chrisplayfair

Check this out....Does anyone think this will ever happen....

http://www.bcdr.co.uk/

gobnaitolunacy

No.

corktina

what would be the point? It wouldn't be preserving Irish railway heritage in any way.

Sounds like someone wants to play trains

Chrisplayfair

I remember some time ago I attended a meeting he had in Ballynahinch regarding this...I remember him removing several gentlemen for basically saying this will never happen...

Cyberbeagle

corktina wrote: »

what would be the point? It wouldn't be preserving Irish railway heritage in any way.

Sounds like someone wants to play trains

This person has been wanting to play trains for nearly twice my age. And in that time all the remaining heritage on that section of the line has gone. The landowners just roll their eyes now any time there's a new press release issued by him saying things are "imminent". It was to be *all* open in time for the 150th anniversary of the opening of the BCDR line to Ballynahinch, then this February, and no doubt again further on.

There's also no consistency, for instance they have been toying with the idea of 4ft 8.5in for years (remember Eurotrack Ireland was going to BUY NIR and reguage it to GB gauge? Same man) but yet had a public appeal for donations to buy an IE 141 class that he was going to call "David Healy". How was this 5ft 3in engine going to run on 4ft 8.5in track??

I have higher hopes for the New Ross line!!

corktina

didnt someone import some UK locos a few years ago? same guy?

Judgement Day

Nope. As far as I know nothing was ever imported. Paper never refused ink in relation to this individual and his madcap schemes.

CIE

corktina wrote: »

Sounds like someone wants to play trains

Ireland has been "play(ing) trains" ever since the creation of the GSR 87 years ago. They sure never ran them like a serious business, did they?

What was the purpose of titling the thread "fantasy railways" anyway...? Tempts me to throw in a few pipe dreams of my own. How about resurrecting both the Cork & Muskerry and Cork, Blackrock & Passage West as a unified electric narrow-gauge high-platform light rail system running underground in Cork city...?

Eiretrains

corktina wrote: »

didnt someone import some UK locos a few years ago? same guy?

I think the only UK 4ft 8.5 line is that short one at Riverstown, Co.Louth, which has a stored UK industrial steam loco and a railbus like NIR RB3, but it has been out of use for several years now, photos anyone?

CaptainFreedom

Eiretrains wrote: »

I think the only UK 4ft 8.5 line is that short one at Riverstown, Co.Louth, which has a stored UK industrial steam loco and a railbus like NIR RB3, but it has been out of use for several years now, photos anyone?

No photos to hand (buried somewhere no doubt!!) ,but Im probably one of the few who can say they travelled the line. The plan was to have the railway as a car park shuttle. He had the 0-6-0 saddle tank (which was a little bit like RPSI's Harvey in appearance) a flat wagon and a BR 20T brake van. It might not have run for many years but at least he got something to happen, unlike many and certainly unlike the BCDR trust. Apart from some original BCDR memorabilia/artefacts he has the rotten body of a BCDR 6 wheel coach in his garden, nothing more!

corktina

CIE wrote: »

Ireland has been "play(ing) trains" ever since the creation of the GSR 87 years ago. They sure never ran them like a serious business, did they?

What was the purpose of titling the thread "fantasy railways" anyway...? Tempts me to throw in a few pipe dreams of my own. How about resurrecting both the Cork & Muskerry and Cork, Blackrock & Passage West as a unified electric narrow-gauge high-platform light rail system running underground in Cork city...?

now THATA a fantasy...given Corks flooding problems and the fact that much of it is on an island.

Had you said an extention from Kent along the Quays to Patricks Bridge LUAS style, I'd ahve been with you all the way

comradestalin

Eccentric lunatics, it is hilarious that they were ever taken seriously.

Look up the address given on the website using Google maps, and you'll find this rather non-descript semi-detached house in the middle of nowhere :

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=9+kilbright+road+carrowdore&hl=en&ll=54.580214,-5.523795&spn=0.003047,0.008733&sll=54.667775,-6.802165&sspn=1.556685,4.471436&t=h&hnear=9+Kilbright+Rd,+Carrowdore,+Newtownards+BT22+2HQ,+United+Kingdom&z=17&layer=c&cbll=54.580151,-5.523736&panoid=5PlvYBmxMnEdilA7VLl8JQ&cbp=12,61.63,,0,6.27

Cyberbeagle

corktina wrote: »

didnt someone import some UK locos a few years ago? same guy?

No, though he has regularly put out appeals for donations towards purchasing them, such as some Polish ones (in a rather, IMHO, opportunistic and poor taste appeal towards Armed Services veterans...). There is a risk to these two locos, but salvation will not come from the BCDRMT.

http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/local/steam-engine-fans-in-bid-to-honour-troops-1-3302524

comradestalin wrote: »

Eccentric lunatics, it is hilarious that they were ever taken seriously.

Look up the address given on the website using Google maps, and you'll find this rather non-descript semi-detached house in the middle of nowhere :

https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?q=9+kilbright+road+carrowdore&hl=en&ll=54.580214,-5.523795&spn=0.003047,0.008733&sll=54.667775,-6.802165&sspn=1.556685,4.471436&t=h&hnear=9+Kilbright+Rd,+Carrowdore,+Newtownards+BT22+2HQ,+United+Kingdom&z=17&layer=c&cbll=54.580151,-5.523736&panoid=5PlvYBmxMnEdilA7VLl8JQ&cbp=12,61.63,,0,6.27

Usually only taken seriously by local councillors in other districts who don't know him. He is "well known" by the DRDNI. But you can find council minutes online from Armagh, Strabane, etc., where his various incarnations of "organisations" are going to rebuild their railway lines for them...

comradestalin

Usually only taken seriously by local councillors in other districts who don't know him. He is "well known" by the DRDNI. But you can find council minutes online from Armagh, Strabane, etc., where his various incarnations of "organisations" are going to rebuild their railway lines for them...

I assume he is the guy named in the article - Bob Pue.

I googled him and found him named as Chief Executive of the Belfast Express Transit Network. He shows up in a bunch of other places too.

Reading the BCDR website I have to say I am quite disturbed. He's talking about raising £100K to rebuild an entire railway. I'd like to know what this money is for as we know that rebuilding a railway is substantially more expensive than this. I'd be very concerned if people were contributing real money to this fund.

CaptainFreedom

comradestalin wrote: »

Reading the BCDR website I have to say I am quite disturbed. He's talking about raising £100K to rebuild an entire railway. I'd like to know what this money is for as we know that rebuilding a railway is substantially more expensive than this. I'd be very concerned if people were contributing real money to this fund.

It was probably £100k when he started out, 40 odd years ago. And yes it is RP

Sligo Quay

CIE wrote: »

Ireland has been "play(ing) trains" ever since the creation of the GSR 87 years ago. They sure never ran them like a serious business, did they?

In the freight department they don't even know how to play trains, its a struggle to get some to see the light, eh I was going to say ''at the end of the tunnel'' with the price of diesel going through the roof its never been a better time and they can't see it, there is nobody more blind than those who do not wish to see.

corktina

Been said before but " what freight?" and "trains run on diesel too"

Iolaire

comradestalin wrote: »

I assume he is the guy named in the article - Bob Pue.

I believe it is. I wouldn't give him ten pence but I won't elaborate here.

cbl593h

The OP has gone very quiet on this. Hop the ball and see what argument he can cause. Again,as usual etc as seen elsewhere today :rolleyes:

Victor

cbl593h wrote: »

The OP has gone very quiet on this. Hop the ball and see what argument he can cause. Again,as usual etc as seen elsewhere today :rolleyes:

Keep it constructive.

Moderator

Stonewolf

corktina wrote: »

Been said before but " what freight?" and "trains run on diesel too"

I tried to find the clip from The First Great Train Robbery where one man leans to another and says "He's off again" but it's not on youtube

Sorry for picking on your post, I mean it in terms of the whole freight conversation.

http://www.countydownrailwaymuseum.org.uk/Rolling%20Stock.htm

I look every so often to see the latest idea!

Says he bought a locomotive and stuff.
Where he intends to put it or what he intends to do with it remains to be seen.

With his 4' 8.5" fetish I don't know why he doesn't try to obtain the stock and track from Riverstown Mill. It would be an instant railway. He could even just rename it B&CDR and leave it where it is and that would save a fortune on transport.

Judgement Day

God loves a tryer but I wouldn't be in a hurry to join-up.

CaptainFreedom

Judgement Day wrote: »

God loves a tryer but I wouldn't be in a hurry to join-up.

Could he even be considered a tryer anymore though? I live not too far from where he 'intends' to start the line and there is not even a billboard or information point, not to mention any clearance in the forest....