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CDRRL Latest news - May 08 |
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May 2008 Model Railway Exhibition at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre Model Railway Exhibition at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre and the adjacent St John Bosco Centre on Sat 24th, Sun 25th and Mon 26th May 2008. Open 11am to 5pm each day Planned exhibits include two layouts recently featured in the Railway Modeller and will provide |
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April 2007 Rail and Tourist Trail Event To celebrate the work on the restoration of Drumboe, one of the famous steam locomotives, and its centenary this year, there will be a special event in Donegal Town at Donegal Railway Heritage Centre, Donegal Town. We have setup a completely new web site click here. |
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November 06 Level of Activity Much has taken place since we last sent out a report and because of the delay in getting out the latest issue of the “Phoenix”, it is even more important to keep you updated on the latest happenings. Sad News We have some sad news since the last Phœnix, namely the death of one of our directors, Councillor Peter Kennedy, just before our June 2005 AGM, at which one minute’s silence was held for him. Peter had in the previous couple of months persuaded Balcas Timber to provide us with cut and treated sleepers to complete our 7¼ gauge railway project and had for years been a great supporter of the CDRRL aims. Peter will be much missed, certainly not least by us since he had been working for the community as an influential Donegal County Councillor for many years. Board Changes There have also been retirements from the Board including elder statesman, raconteur and historian Arthur Thompson, and our hard-working minutes taker and volunteer helper Frank Murphy, whose daughter also helped us by undertaking an interview in Irish on TV about the aims of CDRRL. Strategy & Objectives We have decided to devote some more energy to the original Barnesmore Gap proposal – there being no doubt that if it can be achieved, the scenic location is a winner. A study over the last year by several of us has shown no real and insoluble showstopping reason for the apparent total abandonment of the original proposal and its disappearance rather than amendment. The trackbed has therefore been resurveyed and two meetings held with Biddy’s, the famous pub half way up the Gap, who might be a very suitable terminus facility on a win-win basis. We also discovered that there is continuing sentimental and indeed business appeal of the proposed restoration of a 3-foot gauge tourist train in Barnesmore Gap. Interreg & Drumboe Although work on Trailer 5 began later than anticipated, it is now proceeding apace and the roof has been removed, wood and covering ordered, and the areas where extra side runners are needed have been exposed. An original pair of doors has been supplied as a pattern for remaking and fitting with a proper closing and locking mechanism. The roof covering consists of narrower than normal t&g sections so they can be curved to fit the curved shape and these have had to be made specially. 3-Foot Gauge Work Two sections of 3-foot gauge track have been laid over the last few months. As we reported in November, member Bill Thrush kindly sponsored some extra track for us. Three years ago our friends at the West Clare Railway provided us with some sleeper off-cuts which we made into the “stockade” base for the garden railway here. At that time they said they would help us with any track needs and, true to their words, they provided us last summer with a 45-foot and a 40-foot length of track made especially for us to 3-foot gauge from ex-Íarnród Éireann parts. ROLLING STOCK Ruston loco Our “main” Ruston came to us two years ago after storage at the Cavan & Leitrim. This does not have the usual Gardner engine but has at some time been re-engined with a Lister, which is air cooled so we have not had problems with having to drain the cooling system for storage etc. The Ruston is ready to go to the RPSI at Whitehead for servicing to get it to run “on the button” and for what we hope is a fairly minor gearbox repair. In addition, and very importantly for us in passenger service in future, the RPSI will be asked to fit a braking system that will fit the health and safety requirements for its use for hauling passenger trains. All this work will be grant aided to 75% under the Interreg grant we have won. Ex Bord na Mona Rustons After a long period of negotiation with Bord no Mona at the isolated Belacorick operation which was due to close we managed to obtain three complete 4-cyl Ruston locos and one almost complete for spares. All engines are now in store temporarily at Donegal Town under tarpaulin. But they cannot stay this way now that Bus Éireann want some of their space back. Luckily we have been able to broker an arrangement with local member Mervyn Johnston who is restoring the crossing cottage at Mullanbuoys on the Killybegs branch. Mervyn is willing to store at least two of the locos and a couple of our wagon bodies which will relieve the current pressure on storage space as well as giving him immediate access to a Ruston. We also hope to help Mervyn lay some track as he has a considerable length of old trackbed on his property. We then hope to repair the third as a stand by and the fourth, already in pieces will be a source of parts, both for us and for our fellow enthusiasts in Donegal running Gardner engined vehicles, such as at Fintown. Wickham Trolley Our Wickham Trolley has had a new chassis made by the RPSI under our Interreg Grant and a search is being made for a suitable engine. This trolley has the potential to become our first, lightest and probably most convenient motive power for any new rail operation we can manage to get going. However, in order to meet spend targets, the Wickham work was shelved for a few months in order to do some of the more costly work on Drumboe which fitted the requirements of the European grant budget strategy. Trailer 5 Like Drumboe, Trailer 5 has also been moved to the RPSI at Whitehead using Patsy Meehan’s recovery lorry. Trailer 5 has already had road wheels fitted making manoeuvring much easier – a necessity since it was damaged several years ago via careless moving on site in Donegal Town. A new roof is now being fitted to replace the original leaking one, and the roof bracing is being made to fit properly. The metal cladding on the sides of the trailer was really not well done in a previous attempt at restoration some years ago and will be replaced competently by the RPSI experts. Other Items A lot of effort has gone into the collection and renovation of a number of items of rolling stock. coach 28, grey vans 30 & 31, red van 12, coach 58 and railcar trailer 15 have all had attention in one way or another. The details of the tremendous work being carried out will be outlined in the next issue of “The Phoenix”. |
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