irishrailways

Could it be an MGWR train?

www.westmeathcoco.ie/en/ourservices/planning/conservation...

Oretani Wildlife (Mike Grimes) Certainly could. We're in Westmeath. And is that MGW on the sides of the nearest car?

The world has always been a very dangerous place, although teeming with UNRECOGNIZED UNACKNOWLEDGED beauty. B/o the hominids. Will this ever change before it's too late?

Athlone-Mullingar-Dublin was double track at this time.

Athlone-Clara-Tullamore was not MGW.

Mullingar-Longford was double track.

It could be the Clara branch from Streamstown junction, or the Cavan branch North of Inny Junction.

The vulnerability of the local railways was demonstrated in the early hours of 9 November 1922, when anti-Treaty IRA units burned down the signal cabins at Streamstown, Castletown Geoghegan, and Horseleap on the main line of the Midland Great Western Railway. On the same night, the anti-Treaty IRA used explosives to destroy rail lines at a place called Ballinabarna Bridge between Moate and Streamstown, before commandeering a train. They set the train moving towards Athlone before jumping from the engine. Fortunately, it did not meet any other traffic on the line and came to a stop about two kilometres from Athlone.

A more serious incident followed on Sunday 14 January 1923 when an anti-Treaty IRA unit removed a long section of the railway track on the Streamstown-to-Moate line, at a point in which the line ran over a high embankment and across a bridge. Afterwards, the armed men went to Streamstown station where they boarded a goods train, towing 25 waggons and a second engine from Mullingar to Athlone. At gunpoint, they forced the driver and crew to disembark and then sent the train towards Moate. When it reached the bridge, the point at which the tracks had been removed, the engine crashed into the embankment and most of the carriages were derailed.

Despite the damage, railway workers repaired the line within a day although the Westmeath Examiner reported that the repair crews were ‘approached by unknown persons’, presumably members of the anti-Treaty IRA, who warned them that their efforts were futile. Such threats were, seemingly, common at that time and newspapers reported that multiple drivers and firemen working for the Midland Great Western Railway had received notices warning them not to convey National Army troops. Threats turned to actions on Tuesday 16 January when armed men ripped up another section of the track before hijacking a train travelling between Clara and Mullingar, They subsequently derailed that train by running it over the section of damaged track.

BCI 239 ? (I can't find my glasses!) 28 October 1968 was a Monday ... 28 October 1967 was a Saturday ...

The internet is sometimes AMAZING!
"beetle.ie - Ireland’s first ever census on classic Irish aircooled VWs" - beetle.ie/vehicle/bci-239/

beachcomber australia Incredible! The O'Dea shot is listed as Athy in the catalogue, that Beetle page says: It was parked at the side of a garage in Monastervin, County Kildare. in the mid 80s, 20 years later, just 20km up the road.

The Streetview shows that the layout at Athy is very simple now, just twin tracks straight through, but on the 25" it was more complex, with Cattle pens West of the line and track to the Goods shed at left/East. There was a section with buffers behind the surviving water tank. I think that is where the Bowater carriage was pictured, given the points in the foreground.

beachcomber australia Niall McAuley Incredible is right!!

Belfast Telegraph - Tuesday 27 January 1959:

Eire to offer holiday camp coaches The Eire Transport Board, C.I.E., is to provide holiday camping coaches next summer at Killarney, Dungarvan and Carrick-on-Shannon. Announcing this last night, Dr. C. S. Andrews, chairman of the Board, said the coaches would be let at a very reasonable cost to families and parties travelling by C.I.E. train services. If the idea caught on, the scheme would be extended. Dr. Andrews said the cost of hotel accommodation for large families often prevented them from having holidays in districts they would like to visit. In each of the camping coaches, which would be located at or near station premises, there would be sleeping accommodation for eight persons, a living room and a fully equipped kitchen, and all crockery. cutlery, cooking utensils, towels and bed linen would be supplied.

15 February 1968 was a Thursday ...

A "lifting gang" would be the lads pulling up the tracks after a line is closed, but according to eiretrains; Passenger services on the Mallow to Waterford line ceased in 1967, but the section just west of Dungarvan town (Ballinacourty) to Waterford remained in regular use until 1982 serving the magnesite plant there. The tracks were eventually taken up in the late 1990s.

SPOTTED ! At 0.25 in this 1966 film - youtu.be/rIO9F94Vz5U

I think Ballynacourty is actually East of Dungarvan, so these lads were probably lifting from Dungarvan to Mallow.