The October issue of the Society’s Journal is as usual accompanied by the annual subscription notice.  We trust that members will once again be encouraged to renew their membership by the interesting mix of content in the current Journal .

The June issue of the Journal focussed on the many closures that took place 50 years ago in 1959, as the narrow gauge era approached its end.  The current issue by contrast looks forward, with major features on the reconstruction and reopening of the Midleton line, and another professional contribution from IÉ engineers, this time on the 22000 fleet.

The historic railway is recalled by John O’Meara, in respect of a happily non-fatal accident at Church Road Junction, Tim Moriarty has a look at early efforts to promote light railways, while Richard Maund provides a definitive survey of railcar stopping places on Irish railways – a feature now also extinct for nearly 50 years.

Our News feature continues to record recent developments and changes on the Irish railway scene and there is again a separate section dealing with Accident Investigations.  The collapse of the Malahide Viaduct is covered by a brief special feature, and the LUAS accident in O’Connell St features as “Late News”, having occurred outside the customary period of news coverage.

Volume

For those who bind their Journals, the present issue represents completion of the current volume.  A new volume will commence with the February 2010 issue.

Programme of Events

We are pleased to be able to provide a substantially complete Dublin programme for the entire 2009-10 winter season, as well as similar details for Cork and London.  Full details also appear on the Society’s website.

Dublin Meetings - New Starting Time

Please note that Dublin meetings will continue to start at 19:45 on an experimental basis up to Christmas 2009.  The success or otherwise of this change will then be reviewed and maintained or reversed depending on member reaction. 

Outings and travel

Our Summer season, now at an end, offered no fewer than three outings, all of which were well supported.  It is not at all easy to develop an attractive outings programme in this day and age, a problem which is not unfamiliar to other similar Societies, and thanks are due to those members who organised these events.

An outing is also planned to the Ennis – Athenry section when this reopens.  Details will be advised by website and such other media as are viable if this event requires to be notified before the February 2010 Journal.

Historical material for possible publication in Journal

With the previous issue of “Society Matters”, we asked members to advise whether they would be interested in subscribing to a supplementary publication, in Journal format, directed entirely to historical material from the backlog of such material currently to hand.

We are grateful to the 35 members who expressed interest in this possibility, but the level of interest expressed is far below anything that would be even marginally financially viable.  In the circumstances, there is no point in working up any kind of formal proposal and we will have to set aside any further exploration of this matter.

As previously indicated, we will in due course communicate fully with all authors who have submitted historical material, following completion of the inventory of all such material currently to hand.

Reflections on Anglesey and at Willesden Junction

A recent journey by sea and rail to London was an interesting experience for the visitor from Ireland.  The first train used out of Holyhead, on a line controlled by upper-quadrant signals and traditional cabins, to pick up a through service to London at Bangor, was on a train heading for Birmingham International but making request stops at the local stations across Anglesey – a feature of railway operation defunct in Ireland.  We stopped at four of the five, including Bodorgan with its low platforms.  From Bangor, the Super Voyager whirled up to Euston in just 3h 20m!  But the overall time from Dublin to London is little quicker than 50 years ago, or indeed 100 years ago, because the time gained by racing along at 100 mph+ is frittered away by the ludicrous “check-in” requirements, the absence of direct ship to rail transfer, except for the Stena Line HSS, now reduced to one trip per day with poor rail connections, checked baggage, and all the other impediments inherent to modern travel.

However, depending on where you are going, the zoned fare system available by “Sail + Rail” has great advantages once you hit Britain, and in the present case allowed travel across London via the Watford line and old North London to Richmond.  Which is where serendipity intervened, as the only surviving “Western” (1000 series) diesel hydraulic locomotive passed to operate on National Rail came through the High Level platforms.  During the week commencing 29^th September, the Old Oak Common-based “Western Governor” 1054 (which is apparently really 1013!) was in use for driver training between Richmond and Stratford for drivers to develop route knowledge for a major upgrading project scheduled to begin shortly.

So while Ireland represents an exotic railway experience for our many British members, so too can Britain provide the same to travellers from the Emerald Isle, in this case, the present scribe, who last had experience of these remarkable locomotives some 45 years ago and had not seen one in motion since that time.

Society Officers

Members are again advised that Honorary Officers are as follows:

Eugene Field continues as Company Secretary.

MICHAEL J. WALSH,

For Journal Editorial and Production Team