Lmst

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 steam loco No. 171 Slieve Gullion gently steams into #Maynooth along the banks of the #RoyalCanal with an #RPSI Santa Special on a particularly dull December afternoon.

A landscape view looking down the paved towpath of rural canal with a blue steam train approaching along the far bank. The path, canal, railway, and a pair of bare hedge lines framing both ends of the scene run perfectly parallel from the right foreground towards a vanishing point in the left background. There is a small cloud of clean white steam from the steam locomotive which is pilling a burgundy brake van and a rake of cream and blue vintage carriages. The sky above is overcast and greyb

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 steam loco No. 171 Slieve Gullion coasting towards #Maynooth station along the banks of the #RoyalCanal with an RPSI Santa Special.

A telephoto front and side view of a blue steam locomotive with a black front and red running boards pulling a Burgundy brake van and a rake of cream and blue vintage carriages. There is no steam coming from the chimney, but there is a hint of a heat haze as the engine coats. A red name board on the front of the locomotive reads “Santa Special”. The line is on the far bank of a canal which is visible in the foreground. There is a line of bare trees behind.

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion appears around the last corner as it approaches #Maynooth with an #RPSI Santa Special along the banks of the #RoyalCanal.

A telephoto view of the front of a steam locomotive appearing from behind a line of bare trees as it rounds a distant bend. The foreground shows a strip of water, and the sky is overcast and grey.

An #IrishRail Commuter service from Dublin approaching #Maynooth along the #RoyalCanal on an overcast December day.

A landscape shot of a dark green railcar-type train with white doors and a yellow front approaching from left to right along the far bank of a choppy canal with a dull grey sky overhead and a line of bare trees behind.

Having run around its train in Maynooth, former #GNRi 4-4-0 steam loco No. 171 Slieve Gullion steams around the sharp bend in the line and the #RoyalCanal at Intel in #Leixlip as it pulls an #RPSI Santa Special back to Dublin.

A landscape view of a blue steam locomotive running ‘backwards’ with it’s tender leading and smoke stack behind pulling a rake of vintage cream and blue carriages around a turn in the railway line and the canal running right next to it between the camera and the rails. The right of the frame is dominated by the paved towpath following the near-bank of the canal. A dull grey sky hangs overhead with a cloud of clean white steam from the chimney contrasting nicely against it. Both edges are framed by bare trees.

A closer look at former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion as it steams past Intel in #Leixlip with an #RPSI Santa Special.

A telephoto view of a blue steam loco with tender pulling a burgundy brake van and a rake of blue and cream vintage coaches, only the first half of the first of which is visible. There is a clean white cloud of steam streaming back from the front of the loco. The edge of a field with round hay bales is visible in the foreground, and a line of big bare trees dominates the background.

@tchaten oh no, I’m very familiar with Thomas, but to me he was not a cartoon but a live action model narrated by Ringo Star!

The blue is very evocative of Thomas, but the engine could not be more different — a prestige express engine not a little tank engine. The equivalent character would be the pompous Gordon 🙂

It turns out just one of the twelve 2025 #RPSI Santa Specials would be blessed with some winter sun, but former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion sure looked great rounding the corner at Intel in #Leixlip yesterday morning!

A landscape shot looking out across a field with round hay bales with a bright blue steam loco pulling a burgundy brake van and a rake of cream and blue vintage coaches behind the bales in front of a line of large bare trees under a blue sky. The loco is trailing a cloud of clean white steam over the carriages.

A helpful Bluesky user solved the mystery — the beam is the light shining up the spire on O’Connell Street in the city center as part of the Dublin Winter Lights (The Pleiades, Perseus, and the beam rising up from the spire in as part of the 2025 Dublin Winter Lights (https://dublinwinterlights.ie/)

Yesterday morning was blustery but beautiful, and the commuters slowing down for #Leixlip Louisa Bridge stations could enjoy lovely views of the #RoyalCanal as they made their way towards Dublin. #IrishRail #train

A wide-screen landscape shot looking down a gravel trail along the left bank of a canal with a railway line on the right bank and a long green railcar-type train with a distinctly square shape and a yellow front. The sky above is a hazy blue, and the water is looking a little choppy.

A very tranquil night on the #RoyalCanal at #Maynooth harbour looking across at the #IrishRail station.

A night shot of a very modern mostly glass building with walls that fan out from the base to a rounded roof to give the impression of a piece of a wedge of a circle reflected in perfectly still inky black water with two swans looking towards the camera

I stopped to snap this shot of a starry sky purely because of the stars, and what ever that beam pointing right at the Seven Sisters is, I couldn’t see it with my eyes. Based on my read of the map it’s coming from Dublin Airport. Anyone have any idea what it might be? #astrophotography

A wide view of a starry sky over a rural scene with puddles of water reflecting the band of light pollution at the horizon. A beam of light points up from the horizon into a cluster of stars.

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion in #Maynooth having disconnected from an #RPSI Santa Special to run around it for the return leg while Santa entertains the kids on the platform.

A diagonal side view from a high point of view of a powder blue steam locomotive with red running boards, two small leading wheels, two big driving wheels and a tender well filled with coal.

Bart Busschots boosted:

MacVoices #25311: 2025 MacVoices Holiday Gift Guide #6 (2) w/ @bbusschots Kirschen Seah, @TheMikeBurke

https://macvoices.com/macvoices-25311-2025-macvoices-holiday-gift-guide-6-2/

Bart Busschots, Kirschen Seah, Mike Burke, and Chuck Joiner.

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion steaming through the Irish December rain approaching #Maynooth with an RPSI Santa Special along the banks of the #RoyalCanal

A landscape view of a blue steam train with a big head of clean white steam pulling a burgundy brake van and a rake of blue and cream vintage carriages along the far bank of a rural canal. A few bare trees with plenty of ivy on their trunks separate the railway and the canal. Both are gently curving into view from left to right. The sky overhead is a dull grey and there are rain drops visible on the water.

Bart Busschots boosted:

The holidays only really start when I break out my Santa t-shirt and venture onto camera for a change 🙂

Thanks for keeping the tradition going @chuckjoiner, and it was fun to finally ‘meet’ Kirschen and to get introduced to @TheMikeBurke
https://mastodon.cloud/@chuckjoiner/115697260460945935

Former #GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion approaching #Maynooth with an #RPSI Santa Special as the Irish December rain buckets down!

A portrait-oriented telephoto front-on view of a steam train with a big head of steam and a red name board framed between bare trees covered in green ivy leaves with a sliver of water in the foreground speckled with big raindrops. The line runs straight at the camera and then turns right in front of the train.

A pair of #IrishRail InterCity #trains on their way between Dublin and Sligo meet along the banks of the #RoyalCanal just east of #Maynooth

A landscape view looking up a gravel towpath in the near bank of a rural canal with a pair of railcar-type trains meeting on the far bank. The trains are both silver and dark green in colour. The scene is lined by bare trees and the sky overhead is overcast.

Former GNRi 4-4-0 #steamLoco No. 171 Slieve Gullion at full steam as it accelerates out of #Maynooth along the banks of the #RoyalCanal tender-first on the return leg of an #RPSI Santa Special.

A wide landscape view of a blue steam engine running ‘backwards’ pulling a rake of cream and blue vintage carriages along the far bank of a rural canal. The big cloud of steam is clean and white and blends into a monotone grey sky above. There is a gravel path on the near-bank of the canal, and the path, canal, and railway all curve to the left as they vanish into the distance. Bare trees line the canal and the path.

This particularly jolly looking Santa with his extra fancy waist coat was perched on the counter of the new coffee van bringing a little much needed winter warmth to walker, joggers, and cyclists on the Royal Canal at Maynooth harbour.

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