RAILWAY PRESERVATION

NiallBoo · 07-10-2016 02:38PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Well the thing at Blennerville does not bear any resemblance to anything that ever was on any narrow gauge line - anywhere!

Close but not quite there!

What do you mean? Why did you post the same photo twice?!

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 02:46PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

TBF what was left of Blennerville was a useless ruin. Not even 4 walls to work with.
The modern platform is hardly 'authentic', but it's very much a minor issue to gripe about.

If they had rebuilt it faithfully to every detail it would be a very nice building, albeit now a boarded-up very nice building.

It is faithful in no detail at all. Is the idea to present a glimpse of what the T&D was like or just to provide a train ride.?

The platform is grossly too high, rebuild it to the correct height and perhaps one could overlook the cobbleblock surface and that it is the wrong side of the track (perhaps). Re-creating the original building would have been reasonably easy (not as easy as providing no building at all of course) with the biggest complication being the run round loop which would entail the whole station moving to left by about 10 feet or a shunt back to a loop out side the station

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 02:50PM

Can I move the discussion north a bit to the West Clare? With my enthusiast hat on, would not reinstating the whole triangle provide a unique site, if it was possible, I can't see why not, notwithstanding two more level crossings.

whisky_galore · 07-10-2016 02:51PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

It is faithful in no detail at all. Is the idea to present a glimpse of what the T&D was like or just to provide a train ride.?

The platform is grossly too high, rebuild it to the correct height and perhaps one could overlook the cobbleblock surface and that it is the wrong side of the track (perhaps). Re-creating the original building would have been reasonably easy (not as easy as providing no building at all of course) with the biggest complication being the run round loop which would entail the whole station moving to left by about 10 feet or a shunt back to a loop out side the station

Missing the point.
Now that the T&B is dead in the water, it's irrelevant what the station there looks like.
All it was intended to be was a train ride, nothing more.

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 02:58PM

NiallBoo wrote: »

What do you mean? Why did you post the same photo twice?!

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 02:59PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

Can I move the discussion north a bit to the West Clare? With my enthusiast hat on, would not reinstating the whole triangle provide a unique site, if it was possible, I can't see why not, notwithstanding two more level crossings.

Unique yes, but to what purpose as has been pointed out by others the general public wouldn't get it.

NiallBoo · 07-10-2016 03:01PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

Just a joke.

Obviously authenticity wasn't the goal there, but in plenty of cases it won't be so clear cut. So what is "authentic"? As it was the day it opened? When it closed? When it looked best?

whisky_galore · 07-10-2016 03:05PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

Can I move the discussion north a bit to the West Clare? With my enthusiast hat on, would not reinstating the whole triangle provide a unique site, if it was possible, I can't see why not, notwithstanding two more level crossings.

Window dressing for the enthusiast.

I doubt they would come in their droves just for this, esp since the site is unattended and closed up most of the time.

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 03:19PM

NiallBoo wrote: »

Just a joke.

Obviously authenticity wasn't the goal there, but in plenty of cases it won't be so clear cut. So what is "authentic"? As it was the day it opened? When it closed? When it looked best?

As people remember it? I don't know, but most of the British preserved railways hit the spot in this regard. Certainly things like Blennerville would not fit bill - no more than the scrapyard at Dromod today resembles the 1950s Irish Narrow Gauge scene that was originally recreated on the site.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyNJlUo2GAQ

topnotch · 07-10-2016 03:30PM

railer201 wrote: »

The most self-contained preservation railway on the island as a whole has to be the D&CDR. It ticks all the boxes of what a preserved railway should - steam and vintage diesel, broad gauge, museum, station building, signal box etc., running to a busy timetable, uniformed and friendly staff. Very impressive set up and I can't imagine the sheer volume of hands-on work that went into making it the successful operation that it clearly is.

Self contained is right, the locos can't get out of notch 1 before turning round.

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 03:54PM

whisky_galore wrote: »

Missing the point.
Now that the T&B is dead in the water, it's irrelevant what the station there looks like.
All it was intended to be was a train ride, nothing more.

it isn't quite dead in the water. KCC intend to throw another million of our money at it if they can get Govt to cough up. (as opposed to the Society proposal of about a third of that)

I doubt Del would agree with you that that was the original intention.

topnotch · 07-10-2016 04:31PM

Sadly the RPSI are the only ones left capable of preserving something capable of running on the main line. The British Traction Group (ITG) did a royal job of pissing off Irish Rail over the years.

It will be interesting to see how many fork out €75 for the upcoming jaunt over the WRC. They might be able to iron a few tablecloths for that price.

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 05:04PM

topnotch wrote: »

Sadly the RPSI are the only ones left capable of preserving something capable of running on the main line. The British Traction Group (ITG) did a royal job of pissing off Irish Rail over the years.

It will be interesting to see how many fork out €75 for the upcoming jaunt over the WRC. They might be able to iron a few tablecloths for that price.

If it had not been for the efforts of the Irish Traction Group http://www.irishtractiongroup.com down the years there would have been precious little preserved on the diesel front. The fact that they are British based speaks volumes about the 'majority' of Irish enthusiast's apathy towards preservation. If they pissed of Irish Rail...:rolleyes:

topnotch · 07-10-2016 05:27PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

If it had not been for the efforts of the Irish Traction Group http://www.irishtractiongroup.com down the years there would have been precious little preserved on the diesel front. The fact that they are British based speaks volumes about the 'majority' of Irish enthusiast's apathy towards preservation. If they pissed of Irish Rail...:rolleyes:

Remind me again of what they preserved that will be running on the main line anytime soon. Seeing locos running at 5mph on downpatricks bone shaker track is a sad end for any loco or stock.

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 05:32PM

topnotch wrote: »

Remind me again of what they preserved that will be running on the main line anytime soon. Seeing locos running at 5mph on downpatricks bone shaker track is a sad end for any loco or stock.

They run exactly the same number of diesel locos on IE that RPSI do

GM228 · 07-10-2016 05:42PM

topnotch wrote: »

Remind me again of what they preserved that will be running on the main line anytime soon. Seeing locos running at 5mph on downpatricks bone shaker track is a sad end for any loco or stock.

They may not be running on the mainlline but at least they were saved from the scrap man. Would the 101, 201s, As etc be still with us had there been no ITG, who knows?

I wouldn't call running on Downpatrick a sad end, I would however consider meeting a cutters torch to be a sad end.

railer201 · 07-10-2016 05:42PM

Seeing locos running at 5mph on downpatricks bone shaker track is a sad end for any loco or stock.

At least D&CDR's main line out to Inch Abbey is their own.

topnotch · 07-10-2016 05:48PM

railer201 wrote: »

At least D&CDR's main line out to Inch Abbey is their own.

It won't be long now till you have to leave the EU to go up to that kip.:D

topnotch · 07-10-2016 05:52PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

They run exactly the same number of diesel locos on IE that RPSI do

The last railtour they ran was a 141 fair well back in 2010 which ran with an 071.
The RPSI have run a dozen or so trips behind 071's since then.

railer201 · 07-10-2016 06:22PM

It won't be long now till you have to leave the EU to go up to that kip.

Why ? is there a superior self-contained standard gauge preservation set up down here that we don't know of ?

topnotch · 07-10-2016 06:31PM

railer201 wrote: »

Why ? is there a superior self-contained standard gauge preservation set up down here that we don't know of ?

Yes it's called Inchicore works. Plenty of preserved locos and rolling stock on site.

railer201 · 07-10-2016 06:37PM

Yes it's called Inchicore works. Plenty of preserved locos and rolling stock on site.

That's very interesting indeed !

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 06:44PM

topnotch wrote: »

The last railtour they ran was a 141 fair well back in 2010 which ran with an 071.
The RPSI have run a dozen or so trips behind 071's since then.

You may not have noticed, 071s are part of CIE's fleet and anybody can hire one to haul a special - even the IRRS manage it.

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 06:52PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

You may not have noticed, 071s are part of CIE's fleet and anybody can hire one to haul a special - even the IRRS manage it.

even the ITG have too I think

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 06:53PM

topnotch wrote: »

Yes it's called Inchicore works. Plenty of preserved locos and rolling stock on site.

I think most of them (if not all) moved to Connolly a few months ago

topnotch · 07-10-2016 06:59PM

Del.Monte wrote: »

You may not have noticed, 071s are part of CIE's fleet and anybody can hire one to haul a special - even the IRRS manage it.

It's loco hauled traction on the main line and that's what counts, albeit overpriced. It's likely that the 071's are going to outlast the 201's at this rate so I'm glad they're still part of the fleet. The Downpatrick with their whopping 2.5 miles of bone shaker track are going nowhere fast, literally.

topnotch · 07-10-2016 07:03PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

even the ITG have too I think

Ya they ask for salt and get pepper.

Del.Monte · 07-10-2016 07:03PM

topnotch wrote: »

It's loco hauled traction on the main line and that's what counts, albeit overpriced. It's likely that the 071's are going to outlast the 201's at this rate so I'm glad they're still part of the fleet. The Downpatrick with their whopping 2.5 miles of bone shaker track are going nowhere fast, literally.

The only reason that we won't see preserved diesel tours on the mainline in the near future is high insurance costs and bums on seats. Could be got around of course with a bit of thinking outside the box, but there's no will in CIE to do that.

savagethegoat · 07-10-2016 07:06PM

topnotch wrote: »

It's loco hauled traction on the main line and that's what counts, albeit overpriced. It's likely that the 071's are going to outlast the 201's at this rate so I'm glad they're still part of the fleet. The Downpatrick with their whopping 2.5 miles of bone shaker track are going nowhere fast, literally.

yes Downpatrick could use a little tamping but they'll get there and they have the other branch and loop line too so all good . Inch Abbey is a great destination too.

I don't see the point in knocking them for their success, there's plenty of failures to dis!

whisky_galore · 07-10-2016 07:06PM

savagethegoat wrote: »

it isn't quite dead in the water. KCC intend to throw another million of our money at it if they can get Govt to cough up.

That'll be the day...

RAILWAY PRESERVATION

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