[Heritage] New 'preserved' railway in Co. Mayo

Judgement Day

Came across this interesting narrow gauge development on IRN and Facebook today - only for diehard dribblers I think.

http://www.heritageatenniscoe.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mayo-North-Heritage-Centre/178243338892930

Cookie_Monster

The Bog Train

In 2008 we added the biggest attraction yet for Heritage Day, an old Bord Na Mona locomotive, fondly known as “the bog train”.

Bord Na Mona was the company that cut and processed turf from the bogs outside Crossmolina which was burnt in the electricity generating plant. The turf cutting has now stopped and the company has left the area. The train was used to pull flat wagons across the bogs with equipment. Our club has restored the engine and laid railway tracks along the edge of the wood from the Enniscoe entrance to the top of the field. We have also built seats on the flat wagons and this year had it running all day, five minutes each way!

We hope to extend the track in the years to come and to be able to do a complete circuit of the estate.


sounds fantastic :rolleyes:

Judgement Day

Not far away, adjacent to Ballymote station on the Dublin/Sligo line is this gem: http://www.miniaturerailwayworld.co.uk/Ballymote.html



Bring on the Railway Heritage Forum.

DWCommuter

If I was suicidal, this thread would push me over the edge. Not because its boring, but because it highlights the overwhelming sadness that is railway preservation in Ireland.

Every last railway enthusiast that promotes or wants preservation, is either a meglomaniac, disgruntled or happy to lash down a bit of track in a field and proclaim it a tourist attraction.

There is no hope and my initial investigations and soundings about something worthwhile have left me pondering about going into a McDonalds and shooting everyone in it just to make a point.:rolleyes:

Seriously though, what is it with rail enthusiasts in Ireland and why are some of them so far up their own holes that it makes it impossible to unite and work towards a common preservation goal? (Serious Question)

Cookie_Monster

DWCommuter wrote: »

Seriously though, what is it with rail enthusiasts in Ireland and why are some of them so far up their own holes that it makes it impossible to unite and work towards a common preservation goal? (Serious Question)

cos everyone wants slightly different things, or likes / dislikes different things, for example:

I have no interest at all in steam
love diesel
think narrow gauge are not real railways
prefer the Hunslets in intercity blue with yellow panel and not maroon.

try and find someone else on this forum (never mind the real world) with the same views for all and soon you'll run into trouble. (especially for point 4:D)
Then in the real world add in money, location, free time, skill sets, facilities, CIE's influence and horrific reputation with the general public (trains = slow/bad/expensive/unreliable) and you start to see the problem.

Then again there is very little interest in preserving anything in Ireland apart from Celtic bits and bobs. No interest from the state (or CIE) in preserving it's own transport history and little interest in the general public apart from bringing the kiddies on the odd steam engine ride to Dun Laoghaire and back.

flyingsnail

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

cos everyone wants slightly different things, or likes / dislikes different things, for example:

I have no interest at all in steam

love steam

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

love diesel

I like diesel but prefer steam

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

think narrow gauge are not real railways

so true

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

prefer the Hunslets in intercity blue with yellow panel and not maroon.

maroon isn't bad but I like them in blue.

J Cheever Loophole

I have nothing to add to this thread. However...

DWCommuter wrote: »

• If I was suicidal, this thread would push me over the edge. and
• There is no hope and my initial investigations and soundings about something worthwhile have left me pondering about going into a McDonalds and shooting everyone in it just to make a point.:rolleyes:

....are two great lines (forgive the pun). I may borrow these for other forums if that's alright!

Stonewolf

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

think narrow gauge are not real railways

There is this mystical place you may have heard of called Donegal

lord lucan

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I have no interest at all in steam
love diesel
think narrow gauge are not real railways
prefer the Hunslets in intercity blue with yellow panel and not maroon.

3 out of 4 ain't bad. Like steam myself. If you get a chance,head to Kilcoole and watch 461 and a rake of cravens charge down the DSER. ****Swoon****

Never had any interest in Narrow Gauge myself,always regarded them as mickey mouse railways.:D

Hunslets in Blue were far more pleasing on the eye than the maroon.:)

corktina

this is a minature or pleasure railway, not a heritage line, Possibly uses ex BnaM equipment but thats its only saving grace. Its more akin to the fairground.

Losty Dublin

lord lucan wrote: »

3 out of 4 ain't bad. Like steam myself. If you get a chance,head to Kilcoole and watch 461 and a rake of cravens charge down the DSER. ****Swoon****

You'll be waiting a long time; she isn't due to return to traffic until December at the earliest.

lord lucan

Losty Dublin wrote: »

You'll be waiting a long time; she isn't due to return to traffic until December at the earliest.

Roll on Sea Breeze 2012.:)

Niles

corktina wrote: »

this is a minature or pleasure railway, not a heritage line, Possibly uses ex BnaM equipment but thats its only saving grace. Its more akin to the fairground.

Yeah, I wouldn't really classify either of these as examples of the Irish preservation scene as such. Not that there's anything wrong with them in their own right.

Nothing against narrow gauge either, the likes of WCR, C&L, Fintown, etc, would fall into the "preserved" category in my opinion. Indeed, the first preserved railway in the world, the Welsh Talylln, was narrow gauge. Though I'll admit my main interest is in 5'3'' gauge preservation.