Broadstone Station Dublin to Close (1937)

Yesterday I came across this notice on the wall of the Irish Railway Record Societylibrary in Heuston Station.

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 Great Southern Railways

On and from Monday 18 January 1937 Broadstone Station will be closed

and trains hitherto dealth with at Broadstone will run instead  from and to Westand Row.

Horse box and livestock will be loaded and unloaded at Liffey Junction…

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I recently visited Broadstone, and took these photographs.

Site of former Foster Aqueduct at Broadstone Station, Dublin

Broadstone was not only a major rail terminus in Dublin, but also had its own harbour, and branch of the Royal Canal via the Foster Aqueduct.

View of Broadstone Station, Dublin

Unfortunately, the splendour of Broadstone isn’t visible from Phibsborough Road. Could these buildings be removed?

Broadstone Station was opened in 1847 by the Midland Great Western Railway. Built in a neo Egyption style, to rival the other termini Heuston (Kingsbridge), Connolly (Amiens Street), Pearse Station (Westland Row), and Harcourt Street.

Broadstone Station, Dublin

Broadstone Station, Dublin

After the closure for passengers in 1937, Broadstone remained in use for access to the steam locomotive shed, and closed completely on 8 April 1961. The track was lifted in March 1977.

Map of Broadstone (Ordnance Survey Map 1958)

Broadstone is currently used as the headquarters of Bus Éireann. An office block in the middle of a car park. So what is to become of Broadstone?

• There were suggestions that the old station could be used as a transport museum, as it would be easy to reinstate the railway connection, and perhaps some of the remaining steam locomotive and original diesel locomotives and rolling stock could be stabled there.
• Irish Rail said that they intended to reopen the station for the restored service to Navan. It could also be used for services on the Sligo line, and if the Mullingar – Athlone line was reopened, services from Westport/Ballina and Galway could also use the station, easing the pressure on Heuston.
• The RPA(Railway Procurement Agency) said that they plan to run a tram service using the old trackbed between Broadstone and Liffey Junction.
• There seems to be no plans to use the old canal branch and another dismantled railway line which could provide an alternative route from Broadstone to Liffey Junction.
• Given the development of the Dublin Institute of Technology campus planned for nearby Grangegorman, will Broadstone have a role to play?

Sailing Confusion in Spanish

The FurledSails Web site has lots of interesting podcasts about sailing.

One podcast Spanish and French contained an interview with Kathy Parsons who lives on a boat on the east coast of the United States.

She wrote books Spanish for Cruisers and French for Cruisers.

Some people think that Spanish is easy, but unfortunately, they use words incorrectly.

One funny incident that she relates, is of an American sailor who shouted to a Cuban customs official:

“Excusado! Darme su ropa!”.

She thought it meant:

“Excuse me! Throw me your rope!

Actually it means:

“Hey toilet! Give me your clothes!”

You have to be careful with Spanish!

Dún Laoghaire Marina

Dun Laoghaire Marina

I managed to get a berth in the main marina in Dún Laoghaire Marina, previously the boat was located on the West Bight  (which is not connected to Ireland!).

The cost is €455 per meter.

For example, a the annual charge for a 22 foot boat (6.7m) is 7.7m * €455 = €3,048.50 (annual charge). They do take credit cards.

Lockers are 50c per use.

Water and power are supplied, and there are showers and laundry facilities nearby, and a vending machine for chocolate, water etc. There is a small café next door in the ferry terminal. They bake their own cakes on the premises.

Electric power costs €3.50 for 10kw.

There is also a DART railway station across the road, with a new entrance and escalator / lift built for ferry terminal passengers. The make smoothies in the station. There is a new entrance, the old station is now a restaurant.

 Actually that line is the oldest suburban railway in the world, opened in 1834. Unfortunately, the railway reduced the size of the harbour.

I have heard of people living on their yachts, unable to afford a house in Dublin. Or perhaps they are just waiting, or they just prefer to live on boats?

There are 800 boats there, and the company want to add another 1,900 berths.

Old Life Jacket

I have an old automatic life jacket -  a Helly Hansen 33809 inflatable life jacket, marked checked in April 2003, purchased from the Great Outdoors off Grafton Street. The text printed on the inflatable part recommends that it be checked every two years. I inflated it manually, and it stayed inflated overnight. The gas cylinder seems OK.

I wonder if I should get it serviced?

I also purchase a new automatic life jacket with a similar design, from Viking Marine in Dún Laoghaire – a Marinepool Inshore EN 396-150N.

Remote Control

The remote control that came with the boat failed, so I had arranged for a new side control to be installed. Got the engine serviced too. This cost a few hundred euro, but worth it for peace of mind.

Technology that came with the boat

Here is some of the technology that was on my boat when I purchased it.

• NASA Marine Ltd. Sting Ray Dual Alarm Echo Sounder
• Euromarine Digital Speed and Distance Log 
• Raymarine ST100 Plus Tiller Pilot
• Garmin GPS 12 GPS
• Cobra Marine MR F75 EU VHF Radio
• Yamaha F8C four stroke engine

Nasa Sting Ray Echo Sounder and Euromarine Digital peed and Distance Log

Fueling for the first time

New boat

I recently bought (or more correctly I purchased a 25% share in) a Hurley 22, a 22 foot bilge keeler.

The boat is about 40 years old, and is in need of some restoration work, which has already started.

The previous owner was an engineer.

Here are some photographs.

Lift for inspection by surveyor at the National Yacht Club

After the the deal was done, some happy boat people! Yours truly second from the left.

A bottle of champagne to launch a the boat.

Appeal for funds to save steam trains in Ireland

Carriages in Whitehead

The Railway Preservation Society of Irelandin Whitehead, have issued an appeal for £50,000 to upgrade their trains to use central locking, now requried on all trains operating in Northern Ireland.

Steam Engine in Whitehead

Guinness engine on pilot duties

Hazelhatch Station

Stopped off in Hazelhatch and Celbridge station today. The upgrading of the premier line from two track to four track is coming on well. Hazelhatch will be a much bigger station soon. The new carpark opened this week.

Learning Spanish

I was talking to somebody in Training about learning Spanish, but I do not have much time, I said.

Try Michel Thomas she said, as she gave me a box of eight CDs: no books, no writing. You have three months!

I will let you know how I get on. Hasta mañana!