{"id":8547,"date":"2014-10-11T02:30:28","date_gmt":"2014-10-11T06:30:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=8547"},"modified":"2014-10-12T06:17:14","modified_gmt":"2014-10-12T10:17:14","slug":"further-adventures-with-irish-narrow-gauge","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/further-adventures-with-irish-narrow-gauge\/","title":{"rendered":"Further Adventures with Irish Narrow Gauge."},"content":{"rendered":"

Bord na Mona, September 2014.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Bord<\/a>
Bord na Mona loads near Blackwater, September 2014. Canon EOS 7D with 40mm pancake lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ve received great interest in my various previous posts on Ireland\u2019s Bord na Mona narrow gauge turf railways. [See:\u00a0Irish Narrow Gauge: Bord na Mona Approaching Sunset<\/a>,\u00a0Bord na Mona, Lanesborough, August 10, 2013<\/a>,\u00a0Irish Bog Railways\u2014Part 4, August, 2013<\/a>.]<\/p>\n

In summary: After a decade of my relative neglect, in the last two years I\u2019ve made a dozen or so excursions to explore and photograph Ireland\u2019s Bord na Mona railways.<\/p>\n

These consists of several rather extensive three-foot gauge networks largely focused on the delivery of milled peat to electrical generating stations in Ireland\u2019s midlands counties.<\/p>\n

The largest and busiest network is that focused on the Shannonbridge power plant along the River Shannon. Although this network demands the most amount of turf and in theory runs the most number of trains, it is one the more difficult systems to photograph.<\/p>\n

This is partly a function of the bogs served by the railway, which are largely inaccessible by road. Also, some of the trains cross the Shannon by a bridge, and there is no comparable road bridge, so it makes following these trains very difficult.<\/p>\n

However, I\u2019ve found that using good maps and remaining patient pays off. On this September afternoon about a month ago, Denis McCabe, Colm O\u2019Callaghan and I visited several locations on the Shannonbridge system.<\/p>\n

Based on previous experiences, we aimed for known good locations. While we only found a few trains moving, the photography was successful. This\u00a0a sampling of my recent results.<\/p>\n

\"Hunslet<\/a>
Hunslet builders plate on a old Bord na Mona locomotive. Lumix LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bord<\/a>
Bord na Mona locomotives at Shannonbridge. Lumix LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"panel<\/a>
panel track trucks. Lumix LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bord<\/a>
Bord na Mona empties approach a grade crossing near the Blackwater depot. Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Bord<\/a>
Bord na Mona loads catch the evening sun near Blackwater, September 2014. Canon EOS 7D with 100mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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