Thank you for making this film available -- plenty of fascination therein. Unlike yourself, it would seem: I feel that a pretty fair balance is struck, between airing of anti-, and pro-rail views. To be realistic -- much though it grieves the more sentimental, dare I say, among people like us: the way of things told of in this film, is how these matters have gone in nearly all "First World" countries; only it took place in Northern Ireland earlier than in most, and more sweepingly than in a good many. Like it or not -- to a large extent, in many situations and circumstances road motor transport is more convenient and user-friendly than the rail alternative.
Confession: the more frivolous side of me is inclined to wish that this offering contained less of "talking heads", and more sequences of rail action -- although, "as is", there is a fair plenty of the latter. The commentary tends not to identify the shown locations-with-action -- and that is totally fair enough: the film being aimed at acquainting with the situation, viewers who would be "normal people", very many of them outside of Ireland -- who would have no wish to be informed; and would indeed likely be confused and bewildered by such info; as to whether the sequence was at "Ballyflump, or Kinnypottle", or on the metals of what formerly independent company's system ! Part of the entertainment for me -- and reckonably for any enthusiast with a love of "Ireland way back when" -- was identifying as far as possible, the locales shown. An exception, is the film's section dealing with the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, then in its penultimate year of life -- in which it is emphasised that that line (identified as such) was still playing a valued role with its thriving cattle traffic: this a rather special case, with the route's having one end in the Republic and the other in N.I., playing a part here. Featured, is a quite mouth-watering sequence of one of this line's characteristic 0-6-4Ts working a cattle train. Overall, for any lover of the bygone Irish rail scene: a fascinating offering; and one with both delightful, and depressing, aspects.
