Having been in Northern Ireland last week enjoying the delights of Thumpers on the Larne line, I was alarmed to think that it's almost inevitable that these trains will slip into history in a couple of years time.
This is a tragedy waiting to happen. Big problem seems to me that there aren't many enthusiasts in Ireland. Those that do exist are as enthusiastic as any you'd get over here, but Ireland has the sort of mainstream culture where being a railway enthusiast is seen as only about one up from being a sex offender (as opposed to at least two up over here....).
The consequence of generations of this kind of thinking is almost no scene. The RPSI is a fantastic institution, but there is no proper preserved line anywhere in Ireland. At least nothing the like of the ELR or NYMR or even K&WVR.
The 80 class DEMU was for 30 years the archetypal train in Northern Ireland. Failure to save such a thing would be a disgrace and an embarrassment. There seems a big focus on locomotives in Irish preservation, such that 2 of the 3 NIR Hunslet Bo-Bos and all three of the 1 Class 0-6-0 shunters have been preserved, but none of the many varied and interesting multiple units that have existed in Northern Ireland down the years. In short a very unrepresentative sample saved for preservation in a place where all services except the Dublin line have been MU operated since 1970.
Does anyone know if any steps are being taken to secure a 3-car 80 class for preservation? NIR are thoughtfully refurbishing 6 power cars and 6 driving trailers, so it should be possible to get something in decent nick in a couple of years. The race will be on to save one of the intermediate cars before they're all scrapped tho.
If no plans exist, how does one go about getting something started? I love these trains as they're a big part of my childhood, but never mind that, they are just GREAT TRAINS, an example of which needs to be saved.
This is a tragedy waiting to happen. Big problem seems to me that there aren't many enthusiasts in Ireland. Those that do exist are as enthusiastic as any you'd get over here, but Ireland has the sort of mainstream culture where being a railway enthusiast is seen as only about one up from being a sex offender (as opposed to at least two up over here....).
The consequence of generations of this kind of thinking is almost no scene. The RPSI is a fantastic institution, but there is no proper preserved line anywhere in Ireland. At least nothing the like of the ELR or NYMR or even K&WVR.
The 80 class DEMU was for 30 years the archetypal train in Northern Ireland. Failure to save such a thing would be a disgrace and an embarrassment. There seems a big focus on locomotives in Irish preservation, such that 2 of the 3 NIR Hunslet Bo-Bos and all three of the 1 Class 0-6-0 shunters have been preserved, but none of the many varied and interesting multiple units that have existed in Northern Ireland down the years. In short a very unrepresentative sample saved for preservation in a place where all services except the Dublin line have been MU operated since 1970.
Does anyone know if any steps are being taken to secure a 3-car 80 class for preservation? NIR are thoughtfully refurbishing 6 power cars and 6 driving trailers, so it should be possible to get something in decent nick in a couple of years. The race will be on to save one of the intermediate cars before they're all scrapped tho.
If no plans exist, how does one go about getting something started? I love these trains as they're a big part of my childhood, but never mind that, they are just GREAT TRAINS, an example of which needs to be saved.
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