Belmond...Ireland

Recently announced Belmond are setting up an Irish Royal Scotsman equivalent and have bought 10 Mk3 coaches from IE to do this. Start date 2016.

 

All we need now is that lovely big 4-6-0 sat in Cultra to haul it.

 

If only! Sadly think her route availability would be very limited.
Hope this move by Belmond does not adversely affect the RPSI...

 

It's a different market than the RPSI tours. It probably will affect the similar operation, the Emerald Isle Express, that started this autumn and due again in 2016 though. operated in conjuction eith IE and RPSI

 

Wasn't she limited to Dublin - Cork?

 

Yes for practical purposes and never realised her (their) potential as WW2 (the Emergency) followed their introduction (and thus limited coal supplies) and dieselisation came about from 1955 on. Having said that RPSI will have 3 4-4-0s in service next year and I think that's no co-incidence.

 

Would Maeve still be restricted to the Dublin/ Cork mainline or has other track now been suitably upgraded to let her go elsewhere? Would Belfast to Dublin be OK for example?

 

Non starter to anywhere but Cork and a non-starter I just realised for this train as the Mk3s are air brake/aircon only (although I suppose a conversion would be possible.

 

Is that down to it's height/ width or it's weight (or both)?

 

Weight is the main problem.

 

The other problem, of course, is money!
Irish steam just doesn't have the same level of private donation funding as in Great Britain.
The current situation is much better than for a while, with shortly 3 GNR 4-4-0s in service plus the DSER mogul, and the NCC jeep to follow.
But both J15s are out with little prospect of a return as the modern railway makes their use difficult due to low top speeds. Meanwhile the SLNCR languishes with no obvious future.
None of this is a criticism of the a RPSI, of which I am a proud member.
Likewise the DCDR has only one operational steam loco. On the narrow gauge there are two operational on the whole island, the other candidates either in stalled restoration or just withdrawn with no funding/plan for overhaul.

 

Preservation in Ireland is very fragile i agree. RPSI , the D&CDR and the ITG are the only real contenders for standard (Irish) gauge operations and the last two effectively operate from the same site. They are of course all UK based operations, Preservation in the Republic is pretty poor .

 

The RPSI is an all Ireland society. Valuable restoration work has been done in Mullingar and Dublin, mainly of carriages. The problem in the south has always been lack of suitable engineering base. This has resulted in 'less exciting' work in the Republic, which probably makes volunteer recruitment more difficult.
Meanwhile at Stradbally there is working NG steam, as there is at West Clare.
More disappointing is that the Tralee and Dromod (Cavan and Leitrim) seem to have gone very quiet. Also the arrival of steam at Fintown seems in doubt. And there is no broad gauge heritage railway, mainly for lack of viable site (given the population bias towards Dublin).
But in NI there have also been setbacks at Foyle Valley, and at Bushmills (no longer working steam).
Also worth factoring in is that in NI the RPSI has attracted significant grant funding, which hasn't been the case in the Republic. Their economic crisis has not helped.

 

it's UK based though.

 

I was editing my post while you responded!

 

Tralee and Dingle: The disturbing news I heard, which may not be true, is that there is or was a plan to fit a caterpilar engine to T&D 2-6-2t No 5
Carrick on Suir : technically that may be the ITG base but far and away more happens at Downpatrick than happens at Carrick