131 Steams again ...over 50 years later

Just out of interest how advanced is the rest of 131 ? or was the steam test an unofficial one, ie, boiler ticket not ticking
its good to think that there is still mainline steam in ireland, and with engines such as 131 coming back into service may it continue,
another strange thing is this, seing that at the time when railways first came to ireland, i am assuming the whole island was under british rule, why didnt the builders use standard gauge? instead of going for 5ft 3" it would have made sence when obtaining stock from the uk builders

 

Love it. "I know chaps, let's recommend a gauge that nobody is using."

 

Well at least there could be no accusations of unfair bias towards one or other of the companies!

Tom

 

Not one of the finest decisions, as wasn't the 3' narrow gauge, where it wasn't specified that the coupling heights should be standardised.

I think we should have an NP tour of Northern Ireland taking in the D&CDR, Cultra Museum and the operations of the RPSI....you'd love it (and to quote someone) there's more!

 

Cultra is a nice museum and I've done a couple of RPSI trips. Their hospitality is legendary.

 

Do D&CDR next....I was well impressed...everything there has been created bar the trackbed (and even some of that has been built on virgin territory)

 

Well, if starting from scratch, 5'3" or even 5'6" is a better gauge than "standard". At that early stage, people didn't know how prolific the Stephenson gauge would become.
It was never a problem, at it is standard for Ireland (the island) and, being as island, no prospect of any change of gauge issues.

 

Wasn't a tunnel mentioned not long ago though? Anyway, we all know the best gauge really, that one that went from Paddington to Bristol...

 

Reminds me of the NCB Barnsley Area, which was formed from the some of the earlier Yorkshire Divisions (I think it was 5 & 6 but not sure; before my time). One had an underground standard gauge of 2'-0" and the other of 2'-6". The new Area couldn't decide which was best so they opted for a new standard gauge of 2'-3" for all new construction! They were a bit daft in Barnsley, though.

 

Ye gods you two, does it matter? mainland, island, call it what the hell you want. There are more important things in the world.

 

would you be happy then to let someone say that your area is an adjunct to Lancashire?

 

Would anybody be happy to say that they live in an adjunct to Lancashire?

 

Does anyone really care?

 

yes

 

Take a look at this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Isles_naming_dispute

Absurd, but there we are.

 

The amount of hot air generated in this thread should keep 131 in steam for a few miles.

 

told you people care (and I agree it's absurd)

 

but how much difference would it have made if the railways of Ireland were laid to standard gauge? what could have ended up over there?