Literally and figuratively.
Friday, it was officially announced that Ireland’s Electrical Supply Board (ESB) intends to close the Lough Ree and Shannonbridge power stations at the end of 2020.
This doesn’t bode well for the Bord na Mona narrow gauge systems that exist largely to supply these stations with fuel.
A couple of weeks ago on a visit to the Lanesborough system I made this sunset view of an empty train returning to the bog for reloading.
I’ve made dozens of trips over the years to photograph Bord na Mona’s narrow gauge railways. While in recent years, it’s been understood that these railways were on borrowed time, I still find sad that they will soon be without their primary traffic.
These are fascinating and wonderful railways with lots of charm and photographic potential.
In 2020, I hope to continue photographing the systems around Lanesborough and Shannonbridge, as well as some of the other Bord na Mona narrow gauge railways.
Tracking the Light Posts Daily.
Brian, thank you so much for reminding oldies like me, who are a bit out-of-the-loop, that some Irish narrow-gauge still operates. Surely these systems serving power-stations ONLY exist to supply them with turf. So no generating station, no need for a wee railway. Sad, but a fact of life, I guess. The future of large-scale turf-burning has to be in jeopardy, anyway, given recent pronouncements. – even in Ireland!! (But try stopping the turf-burners of the West of Ireland from harvesting their digging rights out on the bog……….. )