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The sun is shining, a vintage airplane flies overhead, a hundred swans don’t look up from
Oh, and the canteen suddenly has burgers on the return trip. Which makes us think there must have found some roadkill on the front of the
It’s a return trip that would no doubt grab a lot more Greystonians if it was on
The Merlin was built in Manchester, back in 1932, by Beyer Peacock & Co, and then withdrawn by CIE 31 years later. Currently residing at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum
Newcastle flyover…
kay, we’re guessing it can’t be this magical every single time ye olde steam train chugs out of Greystones, right…?
kay, we’re guessing it can’t be this magical every single time ye olde steam train chugs out of Greystones, right…?The sun is shining, a vintage airplane flies overhead, a hundred swans don’t look up from 
their afternoon nap, happy kids reckon they’re Hogwart’s bound, and you win big on the in-train raffle.
their afternoon nap, happy kids reckon they’re Hogwart’s bound, and you win big on the in-train raffle.Oh, and the canteen suddenly has burgers on the return trip. Which makes us think there must have found some roadkill on the front of the 
train when we hit Wicklow.
train when we hit Wicklow.All told, this was a pretty much perfect way to spend a Bank Holiday Monday.
The No.85 Merlin was actually doing two trips today, both from Wicklow to Greystones and back, so we had to do a little haggling to be able to jump on that first return journey to Wicklow, and then head home again on the second outing, jumping ship back in Greystones.
It’s a return trip that would no doubt grab a lot more Greystonians if it was on 
offer, but, either way, this was a cracker of a day out.
offer, but, either way, this was a cracker of a day out.The Merlin was built in Manchester, back in 1932, by Beyer Peacock & Co, and then withdrawn by CIE 31 years later. Currently residing at the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum 
in Cultra, County Down – having undergone extensive renovation at Harland & Wolff between 1977 and 1982 – 
Merlin is currently on long term loan to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.
in Cultra, County Down – having undergone extensive renovation at Harland & Wolff between 1977 and 1982 – 
Merlin is currently on long term loan to the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.The carriages are a little younger, hailing from the 1960s, but the atmosphere today was timeless. And priceless. Those in the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland are a friendly, proud and merrily eclectic bunch, all plainly happy to have a plethora of fresh faces on board yet again. It was like having an army of Willy Wonkas at your service. With the odd Oompa Loompa thrown in for good measure.
And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the scenery, of course, the beautiful blue Irish Sea to the east, and to the west, bird sanctuaries, airfields, marshlands, mountains and half-baked homes straight out of Deliverance – where the feck did they get that ambulance? – making sure you were never, ever bored.
And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the scenery, of course, the beautiful blue Irish Sea to the east, and to the west, bird sanctuaries, airfields, marshlands, mountains and half-baked homes straight out of Deliverance – where the feck did they get that ambulance? – making sure you were never, ever bored.
We’ll be keeping an eye out for the Preservation party people’s next visit to Greystones, and maybe even convince them to make us their return destination. Given that Greystones is the Greatest Frickin’ Town On The Planet.
In the meantime, you can follow their steam-driven shenanigans right about here.
