Sorry there, 459 was out all day on Saturday too with the 1049,1249,1449 Carricks etc
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Then, GM078, can you tell me what the Railway PRESERVATION society of Ireland actually preserve? Isn't preservation meant to be all kinds of rolling stock? Then again, you get steam cranks wrapped up in their own wee world and that blows everything else out. Whitehead is full of junk to be polite. All of that stuff at the larne end is just rotting and of no use to anyone, not even the homeless. with regards GMs, B142, i dont think will ever see the mainline again. an 80 class could easily see the mainline if preserved at whitehead as it would have already been gauged, passed etc.
It's a preservation society yes, a voluntary run preservation society, it's not as if it's a government run museum; it has no obligation/duty to preserve anything. All the volunteers could quit in the morning if they wanted to, what would you do then? No more loco hauled railtours in Ireland that's for sure. Some people seem to speak of the RPSI as if it was some vast state organisation with infinite resources, it's far from it. Maybe people just don't understand. Now, it might well be argued that the respective governments of Northern Ireland and Ireland should have done more in terms of developing/funding transport heritage, for it is sadly neglected compared to other areas of heritage... But just because the RPSI is one of the few Irish rail preservation groups doesn't automatically mean that it must preserve a particular item.
What have the RPSI preserved? Well, off the top of my head, and this is by no means exhaustive, an S class, two J15s, a WT, a Q, a K2, a SLNCR Tank, a Guinness 0-4-0ST, an Avonside Dock shunter, two (so far) 141s, with a 121 on the way, a Hunslet, a CSÉ Ruston, an Irish Shell Planet, a GNR(I) Diner, a UTA Diner, two CIÉ Diners, Park Royals, Laminates, various NCC carriages, a GNR(B) Brake 3rd, 10 Cravens, a Dutch Van, 2 BR Vans, 2 mkIIds, various NIR mkIIs, a Bredin coach, various GSWR coaches, a MGWR six wheeler, a GNR(I) Brakevan, various goods wagons...
Sadly, many types of Irish rolling stock did not survive, most of the CIÉ steam classes, the Mirelees shunters, many carriage types (like 1145 and 1146, to name but one unique type now gone forever), cement wagons, MPDs, etc, etc. The list goes on and on. But is it the fault of the RPSI, the ITG, DCDR,(or,going back further, Westrail and the GSRPS) etc that these are now vanished? Certainly not, I'm grateful for what
has been preserved.
Yes, there probably is a lot of stuff at Whitehead (though in fairness less so at Mullingar and Inchicore) that lies out of use, much of which was acquired in the early days of the RPSI, but obviously it takes a more cautious approach to acquisition these days, as do many such groups. Incidentally I recall a few years ago the issue of 80 class preservation was raised in the ITG newsletter, lack of storage space was cited as a reason against them acquiring one.
As for an 80 class on the mainline, well, would you really be able to fill several trips a year - NB: people chasing a run with camera doesn't count as support. I'd love to see a maroon and blue set running about the system, but one has to be realistic here.
You say about people setting up their own groups and getting one? Where do you think people would put it? Don't get smart. Your attitude basically shows that the RPSI don't care and neverhave nor will. They're just interested in their little steam engines and nothing else.
The RPSI need to sort themselves out with the way they run things with tickets and operational side of things let alone preserving an 80 class so best of not going there.
Rant over!
I'm not getting smart, I just don't understand why people
expect a voluntary organisation to preserve this, that and the other. They seem to have little concept of voluntary organisations. All groups start from little, the group would probably have to lease/buy a site, every preservation group in the world started from nothing, where there's a will and all that. My attitude is based on experience, I'm a realist first. Obviously I'm just speaking from the perspective of an individual volunteer, any views expressed are my own and not an official statement on the RPSI's behalf.
Just curious, but what is wrong with the ticketing, never heard a complaint about that particular aspect before...
I wonder do any of the British voluntary societies get such demands/lambastings...