Cranking up recorded memories in a first for any museum in Ireland

IT is not just locomotives that are dependent on cranks as part of their movement and motion. The Donegal Railway Heritage Centre has now found a new use for them, using people power to make audio memories of the County Donegal Railway accessible to visitors.

The centre is now home to two audio crank-up machines – the first in use in any type of museum in Ireland – on which visitors use arm power to crank up the machine to listen to eight recordings of local people who lived and worked on the County Donegal Railway.

One machine is positioned inside the centre and a second is outside beside recently-returned 2-6-4T No. 5 Drumboe, which is now stationed below its newly erected platform canopy.

Centre manager Niall McCaughan said: “We have really gone green with these people-power machines which really involve visitors, and don't add to our electricity bill.

“The quality of the recordings is excellent, and they fulfil our wish to bring the railway to life for visitors by them hearing the authentic voices of passengers and staff.

“One recording is by Billy Patterson, who grew up in the station house at Letterkenny, where his father was stationmaster, and he recalls the railcars coming to and from the busy station.

“Our thanks go to Mirador Media of Innishannon, County Cork, for manufacturing and installing these pioneering, green and highlyeffective museum information tools for us.” Find out more about the CDR's history at http:// donegalrailway.com

The outdoor crank machine will join Drumboe under the restored locomotive’s newly erected and still to be completed canopy. JIM MCBRIDE

Right: The machine installed inside, showing the crank and story selector. DONEGAL RAILWAY HERITAGE CENTRE

Above: Mook Vignes (left), of Mirador Media, and Niall McCaughan with the newly delivered crank audio machine, which will be installed outside the museum. DONEGAL RAILWAY HERITAGE CENTRE