New Railway Series TG4 Sunday 9th Jan. (20.15)

Judgement Day · 05-01-2011 11:33PM #1

Na Bóithre Iarainn - TG4 - 20.15

Starts January 9th

New Series: Series chronicling the history of Ireland’s railways and featuring some incredible stories of some of our most iconic ‘ghost railways’. From the first railway which opened in Dublin in 1834 to the bizarre monorail train in Listowel, the series looks at how the life of the railways was inextricably linked with the social and political life of the country.

For the benefit of Cookie Monster, DW Commuter, Steam Engine, Lord Lucan, corktina etc.etc.

Bring on the railway heritage forum.

hotmail.com · 05-01-2011 11:35PM

Looks interesting. The size of the railway network in Ireland in the 1800s is unbelievable.

flyingsnail · 06-01-2011 12:22AM

cheers for that, I had totally forgotten it was going to be on.

tallaghtfornia · 06-01-2011 12:32AM

looking forward to that now thanks!!!!

DWCommuter · 06-01-2011 01:24AM

Ive already seen it!;)

A railway heritage forum is perhaps more needed than a basic enthusiasts forum.

No further comment.:D

Cookie_Monster · 06-01-2011 08:37AM

I may be enthusiastic about railways, but not about Irish...:D

Check out BBC2 at the moment, has Great British Railway Journeys, interesting program, more about what around the destinations than the railways themselves though. Was on in the morning but think its on at around 18.00 this week.

strassenwo!f · 06-01-2011 09:44AM

At first sight I thought this was about

something new in Irish railways in 2015.

We should be so lucky.

Typewriter · 06-01-2011 02:27PM

I hope it's not in Japanese.

steamengine · 06-01-2011 03:35PM

Gonna have to order in a keg of draught ginger beer for this one - watch it in style !!!

:D:D

Judgement Day · 06-01-2011 03:48PM

steamengine wrote: »

Gonna have to order in a keg of draught ginger beer for this one - watch it in style !!! :D:D

Order in a chicken dinner while you're at it.

steamengine · 06-01-2011 04:20PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

Order in a chicken dinner while you're at it.

Will indeed - thanks for the reminder - now where did I leave my grease top ???

:D:D

steamengine · 06-01-2011 04:32PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I may be enthusiastic about railways, but not about Irish...:D

Check out BBC2 at the moment, has Great British Railway Journeys, interesting program, more about what around the destinations than the railways themselves though. Was on in the morning but think its on at around 18.00 this week.

A great series ok - here's one of the last series, showing a steamer on the Ribbledale viaduct - 5 mins in approx.
Sky info : BBC2 tomorrow - Fri 7/1 18.30 Michael P. drives a heritage diesel loco.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AJhDk0tRGc

parsi · 06-01-2011 07:58PM

Will it be as gaeilge ? If it is Tarquin will have difficulties...

corktina · 06-01-2011 08:16PM

so will i!!!

Run_to_da_hills · 06-01-2011 10:52PM

I hope they give a mention to the "As Gaeilge" that dissapearing off the platform edges at Dunlaoghaire. :pac:

Foxhole Norman · 21-01-2011 12:17AM

anyone know the name of the song in the intro ?

AlekSmart · 21-01-2011 06:46AM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

I may be enthusiastic about railways, but not about Irish...:D

Check out BBC2 at the moment, has Great British Railway Journeys, interesting program, more about what around the destinations than the railways themselves though. Was on in the morning but think its on at around 18.00 this week.

What strikes me about this particular piece of easy watching TV is the increasing certainty I have that we have no Political figure capable of doing an Irish version (Garret being a bit old for platform hopping now)

I saw Boris Johnson doing a similar programme recently and was mightily impressed,then I sat down to watch Brian Cowen on the RTE News last evening and felt quite queasy as a result......."Brian Cowen brings us on the Bog Railways of His Constituency" perhaps...black and white with no sound preferably.....:(

corktina · 21-01-2011 07:18AM

this programme really is awful tripe....last week was supposed to be about the Waterford Lismore Railway but almost all the footage was of the (current) West Clare Railway and about 25 % of the programme was about the Waterford Tramore which in every way was entirely unconnected with the Lismore line.

munchkin_utd · 21-01-2011 09:23AM

heres the programmes to watch online
(also works abroad BTW)

http://beo.tg4.ie/main.aspx?cmd=search&search=B%C3%B3ithre%20Iarainn

Judgement Day · 21-01-2011 10:09AM

Despite being the one to draw attention to the this programme I have only managed to watch a snippet of it so far - part of the episode on the Dublin & Kingstown. Watching the lady talking about the railway with with a view of the hideously despoiled Cloncurry Towers at Maretimo in the background says all you need to about the State's lip service to looking after our heritage.

DWCommuter · 21-01-2011 11:52AM

corktina wrote: »

this programme really is awful tripe....last week was supposed to be about the Waterford Lismore Railway but almost all the footage was of the (current) West Clare Railway and about 25 % of the programme was about the Waterford Tramore which in every way was entirely unconnected with the Lismore line.

The West Clare was merely used for re-enactments of historical events. In fairness most people wouldn't notice.

Judgement Day · 21-01-2011 12:44PM

Do you think that we can expect any extracts from this to be used in the later episodes? Still haven't managed to pick up one for my video nasty collection - any ideas where I can pick up one?

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

corktina · 21-01-2011 12:50PM

DWCommuter wrote: »

The West Clare was merely used for re-enactments of historical events. In fairness most people wouldn't notice.

In fairness, there was precious little about the Waterford Lismore line at all on the programme. Compare it to the Michael portillo series on BBC2 at the monet if you want to see a well researched and intersting general appeal programme on railways!

topnotch · 21-01-2011 01:19PM

Remember this classic.:pac:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqJIM8obkic

Judgement Day · 21-01-2011 01:52PM

I had forgotten the TV series but the book was dreadful - a close second to Fergus Mulligan's "One hundred and fifty years of Irish Railways" as one of the worst books ever written about Irish railways.

DWCommuter · 21-01-2011 01:54PM

corktina wrote: »

In fairness, there was precious little about the Waterford Lismore line at all on the programme. Compare it to the Michael portillo series on BBC2 at the monet if you want to see a well researched and intersting general appeal programme on railways!

I agree that it was very disjointed and didn't deliver a concise history of the line that would have general appeal. Far too much focus on the Duke and the Civil War and very poor use of the footage featuring its final days in operation. I was just trying to give you some "creative" perspective on the use of the West Clare railway.;)

DWCommuter · 21-01-2011 01:57PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

I had forgotten the TV series but the book was dreadful - a close second to Fergus Mulligan's "One hundred and fifty years of Irish Railways" as one of the worst books ever written about Irish railways.

A great book! Fergus is a legend! I have an autographed copy!!!!:D

DWCommuter · 21-01-2011 02:26PM

Judgement Day wrote: »

Do you think that we can expect any extracts from this to be used in the later episodes? Still haven't managed to pick up one for my video nasty collection - any ideas where I can pick up one?

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

If you want it that bad JD its on in Sligo at a festival. Scroll down for date and time.:D

http://sligoevents.ie/2011/01/15/made-in-sligo-film-festival-new-dates-friday-28th-sunday-30th-january/

Cookie_Monster · 21-01-2011 05:04PM

Watched one and a half of them so far.

Huge feeling of a massive amount of footage chopped down and squeezed into 25mins, easily could have made it and hour long episode.

The Dublin-Kingstown one had some interesting snippet but nothing was really covered in detail

steamengine · 21-01-2011 09:17PM

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

Watched one and a half of them so far.

Huge feeling of a massive amount of footage chopped down and squeezed into 25mins, easily could have made it and hour long episode.

The Dublin-Kingstown one had some interesting snippet but nothing was really covered in detail

Some priceless pieces of archive footage in the second part, nevertheless ! - started to feel a bit queezy when the 'Andrews' name was mentioned - 1500 miles of rail lines chopped - had to reach for the 'liver salts'. :mad:

DWCommuter · 22-01-2011 01:32AM

steamengine wrote: »

Some priceless pieces of archive footage in the second part, nevertheless ! - started to feel a bit queezy when the 'Andrews' name was mentioned - 1500 miles of rail lines chopped - had to reach for the 'liver salts'. :mad:

Andrews has turned over so many times in his grave, he must be plowing underground at this stage.:D He must be a TBM by now.

Losty Dublin · 22-01-2011 01:58AM

Judgement Day wrote: »

I had forgotten the TV series but the book was dreadful - a close second to Fergus Mulligan's "One hundred and fifty years of Irish Railways" as one of the worst books ever written about Irish railways.

That's the Evening Herald of Railway books.

DWCommuter · 22-01-2011 02:20AM

Losty Dublin wrote: »

That's the Evening Herald of Railway books.

Poor Fergus!:D

Losty Dublin · 22-01-2011 02:49AM

DWCommuter wrote: »

Poor Fergus!:D

All it was short of was a photo of Boyzone on a train and Thomas the Tank Engine on the day mail to Cork

Judgement Day · 22-01-2011 11:22AM

Losty Dublin wrote: »

All it was short of was a photo of Boyzone on a train and Thomas the Tank Engine on the day mail to Cork

And printed back to front.

Losty Dublin · 22-01-2011 11:44AM

Judgement Day wrote: »

And printed back to front.

Or a cut out poster of whoever's winning the Premiership:D

What the heck were we talking about? TV shows.... Oh yeah, do you remember a series in the late 1970's per chance? I have vague childhood memories of same and would like to put a name to it.

steamengine · 30-01-2011 07:44PM

'Are you right there Michael, are you right ?
Fourth in the series is on tonight !!!'
8:15 TG4

corktina · 30-01-2011 07:45PM

not bothering to watch after a poor first two episodes...

steamengine · 30-01-2011 07:56PM

corktina wrote: »

not bothering to watch after a poor first two episodes...

Well at least Michael P. with his Bradshaw guide continues Monday at 18.30 on BBC2, although it finishes up this week.

DWCommuter · 30-01-2011 10:37PM

With the greatest respect to Irish enthusiasts (whom I will always believe to not fully understand the real world of commercialism in terms of railway product) no TV show about railways will ever make you completely happy. Both Ironing the land and this latest TG4 effort are simply aimed at a general audience. I too found them lacking in areas that I wanted covered. However if a TV show was to be produced on a scale that would lead to salivating Irish enthusiasts, it would not be watchable for the target audience.

The UK has a much bigger railway enthusiast population that allows the BBC to get away with Portillio's post politician **** fest and even Michael Palins well documented love affair with all things railway. In fact many British people consider this to be part of their history as inventors of the "railway". In Ireland it was a quasi Irish/English import that bypassed our poverty stricken population unless they were working on the building of a line for buttons and a feed of nettle soup. People like Dargan while "Irish" were so far removed from the majority of Irish society as to make it irrelevant to our acceptance and appreciation of what was actually happening.

I believe that Irish enthusiasts and indeed their UK counterparts can only be appeased by the DVD market where it is possible to be detailed on the basis of buy it if you really want it.

Judgement Day · 31-01-2011 12:20AM

Caught most of tonight's episode and thought it was dire. It looked like a TV version of Fergus Mulligan's book. Low, low budget stuff, but I suppose that's what happens when you try and make a TV programme about a railway that disappeared before movie cameras were common place. I have never seen any footage of the Clifden line but I find it difficult to believe that somebody like Camwell wasn't there. I haven't been down Clifden way since 1992 but I suspect the whole place has been blighted by one-off housing and I certainly would rather not see the monstrosity that Clifden station has become. Hard to believe that in 1992 the station was almost untouched since the 1930s. Despite never running a train to Clifden, CIE ended up inheriting the station site and on the occasion of my visit there was a Bus Eireann sign on the loco shed and an IE one on the perimeter fence round the station.

corktina · 31-01-2011 07:34AM

DWCommuter wrote: »

With the greatest respect to Irish enthusiasts (whom I will always believe to not fully understand the real world of commercialism in terms of railway product) no TV show about railways will ever make you completely happy. Both Ironing the land and this latest TG4 effort are simply aimed at a general audience. I too found them lacking in areas that I wanted covered. However if a TV show was to be produced on a scale that would lead to salivating Irish enthusiasts, it would not be watchable for the target audience.

The UK has a much bigger railway enthusiast population that allows the BBC to get away with Portillio's post politician **** fest and even Michael Palins well documented love affair with all things railway. In fact many British people consider this to be part of their history as inventors of the "railway". In Ireland it was a quasi Irish/English import that bypassed our poverty stricken population unless they were working on the building of a line for buttons and a feed of nettle soup. People like Dargan while "Irish" were so far removed from the majority of Irish society as to make it irrelevant to our acceptance and appreciation of what was actually happening.

I believe that Irish enthusiasts and indeed their UK counterparts can only be appeased by the DVD market where it is possible to be detailed on the basis of buy it if you really want it.

i dont agree, I usually lap up every railway programme that appears on the telly..... theres a few good ones on the satelitte that run ad nauseum but still are worth watching a second or third time! (Mark Willaims or Fred Dibnah spring to mind plus the Swiss railway Journey ones and that bloke in Aus....

DWCommuter · 31-01-2011 10:53AM

corktina wrote: »

i dont agree, I usually lap up every railway programme that appears on the telly..... theres a few good ones on the satelitte that run ad nauseum but still are worth watching a second or third time! (Mark Willaims or Fred Dibnah spring to mind plus the Swiss railway Journey ones and that bloke in Aus....

You misunderstood me. I should have been clearer.

Irish made railway programmes are poor in the eyes of enthusiasts because we don't have much of an enthusiast culture compared to the UK. You'd be surprised how many enthusiasts work in the UK TV industry.

steamengine · 31-01-2011 09:37PM

The Galway-Clifden line seems to have been an infrastructural waste as it lasted only forty years. Clearly it was a stunningly scenic line, and the episode emphasised its tourist potential, along with its other commercial usage. Could it have continued as a tourist enterprise ??? One interviewee did express the sentiment that it could have, but also stated that the wrecking train went about its business as soon as the line closed, cementing the finality.

Why couldn't these alignments be mothballed for a period of 50 years or so, to be absolutely sure they would not be needed sometime in the future and the initial infrastuctural work, with its high capital cost, not wasted.

Eiretrains · 31-01-2011 11:15PM

I suspect that even if the Clifden line would have survived a few more years it would have been closed along with its counterpart to Achill in 1937.
Reading the book on the latter line, the track and infrastructure on these lines in the 1930s were atrocious and needed to be replaced entirely, some I think hadn't been properly maintained since the opening in the 1890s.
The cash strapped Great Southern were desperate to save what ever money it could and couldn't afford upgrade these lines unlike others which still offered reasonable competition to the roads. If it lasted into the 1940s there would no doubt that services would be cut back because of coal shortages, and with the poorest of these lines to fall victim of such problems, some never reopened or were reduced to one cattle special a year until complete closure in the 1950s.

I'm surprised no mention was made of the one time impressive Corrib Viaduct in Galway City, or the tunnel, something to add a few more facts to a little written and photographed line.

Edit: I might as well make a small poke at Portilo's series also(!), I recently watched the episode were he went to Shrewsberry, and whilst it's not primarily a railway enthusiast orientated program as most know, but was worth mentioning one of Europe's (or the even the world's?) largest mechanical signal boxes at Shrewsberry station? it even featured in a few clips........right done now.

topnotch · 31-01-2011 11:32PM

Foxhole Norman wrote: »

anyone know the name of the song in the intro ?

MIA-Paper Planes
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__HQGvSqZ5I

corktina · 01-02-2011 07:02AM

eiretrians is right. This line was built at Governments behest with government money but with no provision made for its long term up keep. it was pretty much knackered by the time it was closed.

New Railway Series TG4 Sunday 9th Jan. (20.15)

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