Categories
Locations

Belfast Grand Central Station

I have previously reported on the plans to develop a new transport interchange in Belfast, to be called Belfast Grand Central Station.

I found a video on Youtube which explains what the whole plan is.

Categories
Events

Dundalk’s railway heritage

Dundalk Railway Heritage Society are holding the above titled talk on Saturday, January 21, in the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Old Gaol, Carrick Road at 3pm.

Categories
IH News 2023

Tullamore College restoring a BNM Wagonmaster locomotive

I don’t normally comment on trains on this site, however, there is always an exception to the rule.

Per the Offaly Express, a group of Transition Year students in Tullamore College are restoring a former Bord na Mona Wagonmaster locomotive and are seeking sponsorship for a number of items to enable them to do this, as follows:

To borrow a four-wheel trailer to move the bonnet and cab of the Wagonmaster in and out of our shed as we work on it.

A sponsorship or donation of 3M stripping discs so that we can remove the rust and old paint from our Wagonmaster.

A sponsorship or donation of red oxide metal primer. This will be used as a protective base layer to prevent the corrosion and rusting of our Wagonmaster as it is exposed to the elements.

Anyone in a position to assist should contact: wagonmaster@tullamorecollege.ie

Categories
Overseas

Design features of the Paris Metro

Anyone who has been to Paris is likely to have come across the Art Nouveau entrances to the Paris Metro.

The Smithsonian has an article about the designer of these, which also take a look at other work he carried out.

Categories
IH News 2022

Guinness Bridge, Strawberry Beds, Dublin

The Irish Independent reports that Fingal County Council are to undertake conservation works on the derelict Guinness bridge, which spans the Strawberry Beds in Dublin.

Unfortunately, these are just stabilisation works – the bridge will not be restored to permit passengers to access Farmleigh from south of the River Liffey.

Categories
Overseas

Niagra Falls power station

The decommissioned hydro electric power station on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls looks like the sort of place that would be interesting to visit in its own right.

The operators of the site have recently added a new attraction to the site – a walk through the former outflow tunnel culminating in a balcony below the Falls. CBC News have an article about it.

Categories
History

Northern Ireland’s Mines

The BBC have a video article about mines in Northern Ireland.

Categories
IH News 2022

We like cross border projects……

Or so you would think, given the enthusiasm for Thon Sheugh in the Irish Government.

However, there is another cross border project that is ready to go, except that, according to the Irish Independent, the Government of Ireland is having issues around planning permission (An Bord Pleanala level so not a Donegal County Council issue) and the granting of a foreshore licence in relation to the River Foyle.

Perhaps some of the enthusiasm for Thon Sheugh could be diverted to this project to get it across the line.

Categories
History

The Conflict on Irish Railways

RTE has an article entitled “Enemy lines: the conflict on Irish Railways 1922-23” on their site, looking at aspects of Ireland’s railways 100 years ago.

A worthwhile read, I did notice an error in photograph selection, with RTE publishing a stock photo from SSPL/Getty Images, which they claim is of a Great Southern & Western Railway locomotive at Inchicore Works in Dublin.

I will be the first to admit that I have little to no interest in trains (including locomotives) and I know nothing about what type of locomotive this is or anything about it.

However, I did note that the initials on the side of the locomotive are:

“G&SWR” and not “GS&WR”.

A small difference, but significant in ruling this out as an Irish locomotive and also determining that the photo is not Inchicore.

There was a British railway company – the Glasgow & South Western Railway – the initials of which were “G&SWR”.

Categories
IH News 2022

Ulster Canal – Irish Government asks NI to pay

In a rare outbreak of common sense, the Irish Government has asked the (suspended) NI Assembly to commit to Thon Sheugh and “restore” the Ulster Canal in Co. Armagh to aid the Peace Process ™.

Per the BBC, Government Minister Heather Humphries was quoted thus:

“This here is about bringing our communities together,”

“It’s showing the benefit of working together and it will make a difference here in Clones, of course that will also make a difference along the route where it travels through Northern Ireland and right into Castle Saunderson in County Cavan.”

The arguments against the “restoration” of the Ulster Canal as anything other than a greenway remain. That Humphries is asking others to commit to facilitate this fetish of the Irish Government is appalling – what next, ask NI to pay to drain the Shannon?