Off The Beaten Track - Scarva to Banbridge & Newcastle

[@BelfastMurf]

Great video with some wonderful characters. I was lucky enough to spot Ballyronan station when I was diverted going from Rathfriland to Banbridge when the road was closed for repairs. It has a timeless, other-worldly feel to it. Very well preserved.

[@wendybreckon2369]

A wonderful nostalgic trip for me. I was born in Banbridge in 1952 & lived in Scarva until l was eight. As a child,... my family were frequent users of the Scarva line. My grandparents arrived on the platform to start their new life in N.Ireland; my mum & dad a year later in 1949! My Aunt lives in a house close by & my cousin is King Billy in the Sham fight.Thank you for reminding me how much l loved the old steam trains & for posting a great video...💚

[@SurvivingTheApocalypse]

Probably the only video footage of Leitrim station that exists. Absolute disgrace that they allowed it to be demolished.

[@TomMcClean]

Wonderful historical footage and James Galway there too. Excellent. Best wishes.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Glad you enjoyed it Tom.

[@jamieharte693]

I live 12 miles away from Newcastle, so much rail history in Co. Down

[@TheIrishMainline]

There sure is, it's great you have the Downpatrick railway keeping it's spirit alive.

[@jimcrawford5039]

I remember going to Newcastle on the train with the GNR about 1955 and also with the BCDR, which closed in 1950. Australia.

[@jeromemccormick833]

This well produced documentary encapsulated a lot about Ireland ,the people, and the magnificent scenery.The end of an era just could'nt go on without modernisation of the very well built facilities and infrastructure.It's al about getting from A to B without having to also go through extra bother and discomfort. The begining of the closing down process probably started years before. Late trains,cold stations and trains.However the railway staff were at all times really wonderfull.This can really be seen in this nostalgic video.The former railway employees in this video are still showing their personality.The humour was/is great and it created a fine atmosphere, but the important everyday job of running a railway always had total priority.Would James do a similar video about old rail stations and tracks which can be found all around Kerry, Clare ,Cork, Waterford, Wexford,and Wicklow.?

[@garyd862]

The sight of the beautiful blue 201 hauling a rake of blue carriages ... Sorely missed

[@robmiller2811]

Fantastic video, thanks for uploading. Shame that the Irish Railways were so decimated, it would have been great to travel on some of these lines in their heyday.

[@TheIrishMainline]

You're welcome Robert, it is indeed a shame, all we're left with is pictures & memories sadly :(

[@irishrailtrains]

Jesus its amazing the way things have changed over the years. I do fell sorry for the people on those abandoned lines because they will never get any train service again. I can only imagine what it was like to see the last train knowing something like that will never happen again. Im very lucky to be near two lines and watching this it makes me appreciate the lines that we have and how lucky we are to have trains. Its just sad the way all of those lines were closed and this programme and the other one really touched me in a way.

[@TheIrishMainline]

I felt the same watching them. Love the amount of involvement the locals got in the series, they all had their own story to tell. The railway was everything to a lot of these people. When that went a large part of their lives went with it :(

[@martinwalsh3228]

@@TheIrishMainline The reopening of the Railway line would cut down on Traffic Jams, Road Deaths, Pollution & Car Accidents.

[@joshuaW5621]

Fortunately there’s plans to bring the railway back to Banbridge, but who knows when they’ll get around to it.

[@jamieharte693]

Excellent! Must say James is an excellent musician also and had no idea he was a Train fan

[@TheIrishMainline]

One of the world's greatest flautists no doubt, wasn't aware of his love for the railways either.

[@interestedErvini]

6:10 the brand new at the time class 201. Interesting to see one very fresh.

[@joshuaW5621]

Fortunately the All-Island Strategic Rail Review is proposing rebuilding the line from Lisburn to Banbdridge, but it suggests taking a new route down to Newry, which appears to create a loop line.

[@silvenamcdermott5042]

Barney Morgan is my great grandad

[@MarkRobertCuthbert]

To build the Scarva to Banbridge line they destroyed an Ancient Cairn. One of the biggest in Ireland. They took the stones for the railway line.

[@TheIrishMainline]

+sainglain Never knew that, thanks for sharing.

[@jeromemccormick833]

Probably not a wise thing to do. Unfortunatly it shows a certain devil may care attitude.Preserve but modernise, or demolish and close.

[@SirMrShanks]

So you know what the cairn was called?

[@TheDaf95xf]

So sad it was all pulled up just like in the U.K. 😩

[@eettwward]

I cannt see where the mill siding is today on the maps

[@SurvivingTheApocalypse]

Its under a housing estate now. Fergusons Mill was demolished in the late 90’s/early 2000’s. You can still see where the line from Lisburn passes under the road beside Banbridge Academy school and then travels down to the river where there used to be a bridge that leads into the site of the station.

[@IrishModelRail]

Excellent doc again, what other routes do you have?

[@TheIrishMainline]

There's 3 more: Bagenalstown to New Ross Cork To Blarney Stranolar to Glenties (Donegal) Will have the next one up tomorrow :)

[@IrishModelRail]

I can't wait!:)

[@TheIrishMainline]

Niall Tóibín does the Cork one, could listen to him all day :D

[@IrishModelRail]

Who does the others?

[@TheIrishMainline]

Olivia O'Leary does the Bagenalstown one and Oz Clarke the Donegal episode.

[@davidlally592]

Mm remember that the old Stormont govt and the old Ulster Transport Authority were anti rail. How things, due to our need to get our carbon output down, have changed. We all await the report of the all Ireland rail review asked for by both Dublin and Belfast. Issues which will be looked at, will include : some non stop services eg for the Enterprise (Dublin to/from Belfast), main line electrification, reopening some commuter stations in big cities (eg Cork, Limerick and Derry) to help get people out of their cars, looking at extending the line to Armagh from Portadown etc etc. Sadly, the economics is mainly against reopening some now abandoned branch lines. But using the existing T-NIR and IE network to its maximum with, like in the Netherlands, a connecting bus to other places, is worth a look at. The future of rail transport, with advanced tech, is looking good.

[@christrotter7644]

Does anyone know where I could an acquire a more detailed route map of this line? I'd be interested in mapping this on Google Maps.

[@TheIrishMainline]

I scanned this 1920 map from a magazine some time back might be of some help to you. www.flickr.com/photos/85227404@N00/21609857766/in/photolist-yVAaQA

[@christrotter7644]

Thank you! That's really useful, along with the map displayed inside the video at 4:15. What's really interesting is that the scars of the former railways can still be seen on satellite images. I followed the scar on Google Maps from Banbridge to Lisburn, and it's still very visible.

[@TheIrishMainline]

You're welcome! Yeah the formation is still intact for the most part on Google maps. Someone who could help you with better maps would be the Downpatrick Railway @ www.downrail.org/.

[@robertoquadranti5663]

Musica

[@jazzhands7771]

The 13th of July??? Nope. Llf

[@jeromemccormick833]

Why not?