Bord na Mona's unnoticed system

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AndrewGVT
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Bord na Mona's unnoticed system

Post by AndrewGVT » Thu Aug 01, 2013 2:59 pm

Hi all,

Am I just looking in the wrong place or is Bord na Mona's massive 3' gauge industrial network almost unmentioned on the internet and in books?
My family on my mothers side all came from Ireland and so most years we would travel over to Ireland and stay with my grandma near Ballinasloe in galway.
The first time I remember seeing the railway was when me and my mum walked down the road to a 3' gauge railway crossing on a line which I was sure must have been abandoned because the track look almost totally impassable. However after waiting for a wile a train appeared in the distance and rumbled past. It was a hunslet wagonmaster pulling around 16 large aluminium peat wagons.
Since then I have been over many times with dad and the car so have been able to get a better picture of the system around Shannonbridge power station, but even that was only one to the power station and briquettes factory's served by the railway network.
It has always surprised me that so few people seem to take an interest in what is probably the largest industrial railway networks in Europe particularly as it is only a short distance from the UK. It may have something to do with the lack of steam locos (there only ever being 3 on the network) but still it seems odd that every one I have asked about the railway say the have only ever heard about it briefly or have not heard about it at all.
I would love to have a go at modeling some of the rolling stock but I'm having trouble finding plans on the internet or in books. I did find this: http://www.irsociety.co.uk/Archives/22/Wagonmaster.htm which give plans for the Wagonmaster but thats it.
There are some websites such as http://www.heartland.ie/equipment but if anyone could find anything else that would be very helpful.

I made a video of one holiday to Ireland along time ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neig1KEAHRU
Here are a few pics I got on my last holiday

Image

Image

Image

Thanks
Andrew
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hussra
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Post by hussra » Thu Aug 01, 2013 4:01 pm

Aye, it's an amazing system which deserves to be better known. Have you got "Locomotives & Railcars of Bord na Mona" (by Stephen Johnson, Midland Publishing, 1996, ISBN 1-85780-045-1)? Great big listings of locos and railcars, though no drawings.

And there was a video as well (also by Stephen Johnson), "The Peat Railways of Ireland", Irish Railways volume 6 published again by Midland Publishing / Online Video in 1996.

Ah, a bit of quick googling has turned up this page - again from Stephen Johnson: http://website.lineone.net/~sjohnson40/BnMVehicles.html Worth getting in touch with him? Address on this page: http://website.lineone.net/~sjohnson40/
Richard Huss
in sunny Solihull

MDLR

Post by MDLR » Thu Aug 01, 2013 7:55 pm

Like the third picture...........................

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Post by planty » Thu Aug 01, 2013 9:25 pm

you can just imagine that track being all laid, someone looking back at that third picture view, shrugging and saying "it'll do"
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Post by listerboy » Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:38 am

I liked the 2nd pic!

Big Al

Post by Big Al » Fri Aug 02, 2013 12:09 pm

I like the second pic. with the converted tractor and the last pic. with track laid out like my line.

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Post by AndrewGVT » Sat Aug 03, 2013 1:55 pm

Hi all,
hussra:86474 wrote: Have you got "Locomotives & Railcars of Bord na Mona" (by Stephen Johnson, Midland Publishing, 1996, ISBN 1-85780-045-1)? Great big listings of locos and railcars, though no drawings.

And there was a video as well (also by Stephen Johnson), "The Peat Railways of Ireland", Irish Railways volume 6 published again by Midland Publishing / Online Video in 1996.

Ah, a bit of quick googling has turned up this page - again from Stephen Johnson: http://website.lineone.net/~sjohnson40/BnMVehicles.html Worth getting in touch with him? Address on this page: http://website.lineone.net/~sjohnson40/
I don't have the book but I have just finished watching The Peat Railways of Ireland DVD as it arrived today after being ordered of Amazon :).
I will also try to email Stephen Johnson but the email is not working :(

Thanks
Andrew
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Post by hussra » Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:24 pm

Hope you enjoy the DVD. Bummer about the email not working - not sure what else to suggest - try asking on http://irishrailwaymodeller.com ?
Richard Huss
in sunny Solihull

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Post by GTB » Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:37 am

AndrewGVT:86517 wrote: I don't have the book
I will also try to email Stephen Johnson but the email is not working :(
There is a used copy of the Stephen Johnson book listed on ABE Books that turned up in a search. A lot cheaper than the silly prices being asked in Amazon for the same book.

http://www.abebooks.com

Regards,
Graeme

railwaygardener

Post by railwaygardener » Sun Aug 04, 2013 11:08 pm

We (Southport MRS) paid brief visits to the system in 2009 and again in 2013. The staff were very friendly and remarkably laid-back regarding a group of foreigners descending on them unannounced.

Some photos are here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railwaygar ... 081389886/

and here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/railwaygar ... 935063868/


Derek Pratt

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