The scenery became wilder along the R250 road towards Fintown. The remains of the County Donegal Joint Railway (CDJR) branch (CP 15 Dec 1947) from Stranorlar to Glenties were seen in the valley on our left after we were joined by the R252 from Ballybofey/Stranorlar. In Apr 1910 the line had three passenger services SuX each way, taking 70-90 minutes to do the 24½-mile branch. The group was in good time for the 11.00 departure from Fintown, the first of the day and had no difficulty finding the railway. There was more difficulty finding some staff (!); the 3ft gauge 4-wheeled loco, attached to one end of the 1940 vintage ex-CDJR railcar, was thrumming away in the shed but nobody was in sight. It was a beautifully warm and sunny day (yes, this really was NW Ireland!) and a reasonable complement of 'normal' passengers appeared. The crew took the loco and railcar out of the shed (ECS - no BLS members even), brought it to the platform and set off for the other end of the line alongside Lough Finn in outstanding scenery - about 2¼ miles to the 'Head of the Lough'. We were, unusually, allowed to alight for photos and negotiated a closer approach to the buffers. The line ends just before a crossing with the R250. Apparently, there are no significant obstacles to extending 8½ miles further to Glenties (other than money and possibly the farmers who move stock across its course). The railway is in much better shape than we had expected from earlier reports and it seems likely it will run in 2017. Note for those who only do 'Baker' lines: it is indeed on p78 (14th Edition)! Left: The driving position and controls - showing the 1940s cutting edge technology. [Glen Wells 9 Aug 2016]

Returning to the station, the 'normals' decanted before the train continued on rare track beyond the fence marking the end of Fintown Railway property right up to the buffers this east end. The station house, once the local doctor's surgery, is unoccupied with the windows boarded up but the railway hopes to buy it eventually and make it their headquarters. Then it was a 'shed branch special', into that building and almost touching the roller shutter door at the far end then back to the platform.

Now behind schedule (it had been hoped to do the shed before the 11.00 departure), it was decided to abandon visiting the Owencarrow viaduct (BLN 1261.1377) and have a leisurely drive to Raphoe and lunch. A brief stop was made near the R252 junction to photograph the 4-wheel Belgium tramway trailer from Charleroi, now residing in a private garden,[left: Glen Wells] before heading to Ballybofey and Stranorlar (the CDJR HQ). Having no idea where the railway had been, nothing that looked like a former station was seen but looking at maps after it appears to have been immediately after the river bridge which separates the two towns.

At Oakfield Park (Difflin Lake Railway) your representatives set off behind 0-4-0 DH loco No2 'The Earl of Oakfield', riding the normal full outer 4½ km circuit of 15" gauge track in the usual clockwise direction. Negotiations with the crew then took place regarding unusual track, as the organiser had not heard on this matter from the manager. The crew set off to inspect the sections requested. The intermediate loop line west of Trout Lake was unavailable due to overhanging vegetation and one pair of points on one triangle was immovable. However, a special circuit of the small eastern loop was kindly made, covering the rare connection between Wrights Hill North to South Jns and then Long Run North to East Jns, the first passengers (we were told) to achieve this and naturally from the BLS. The staff here very kindly pushed loco No1 'The Duchess of Difflin', an 0-4-2 tank, out of the shed as a group photo centrepiece (below).

With plenty of time in hand, it was off to Coleraine, where one participant went to his hotel and the other five made a return journey on the six mile Portrush branch. Two more were dropped off at their hotel on the outskirts of Portrush; the remaining four drove to Belfast for their flights home. Three stayed another day to do the Giant's Causeway Railway. Again, there had been suggestions about its survival due to deteriorating track. Admittedly, the points seemed rough and were taken very gingerly but apart from that, the line is in quite good condition. It was re-laid with former main line track, so is far more robust than required for a narrow gauge railway. A great trip that just missed two curves at Difflin but they would probably have required advance engineering work to be done.

Thanks to Geoff Blyth for all the arrangements (including the nice weather) that worked well, and to two previous groups of members who had visited and 'trained' the very friendly staff at Fintown in what to do!