Time flies by when you’re the driver of a train, the Chigley version rather than the Half Man Half Biscuit version.
Because whatever else changes in the world kids (and big kids alike, like my father-in-law Casey Jones) always love pulling the levers or pushing the buttons.
In the booths and cabins of planes. (back in the day), trains and cruise ships.
Don’t let kids (or often big kids) at your car, particularly if it’s your classic Fiat Cinquecento on the French Riviera.
But we should always be encouraged into the driver’s seat as part of any excursion which has transport at its heart.
Behind the wheel
And thankfully my efforts at the wheel were just for fun.
On Princess Cruises in Dublin, or the highest train in Europe, the Jungfraujoch In Switzerland, or a steam engine in Barbados.
Or the flight stimulator in Turkish Airlines Headquarters in Istanbul where I crashed the plane into the Hudson while trying to land at JFK in New York.
Of course, we don’t have to go to foreign climes to enjoy being in the driver’s seat, it’s just that we deserve it.
Because we have those treats right at hand.
Model Malahide
While if you’re lucky enough to live in Dublin, are visiting, or have rellies living there.
Then you can get your ticket to ride the Casino Model Railway Museum this midterm.
And it and the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg have turned me into the kind of gricer old Casey Jones, my father-in-law would be proud.
You’ll drive a life-sized Iarnród Éireann train at the Casino Model Railway Museum in Malahide.
At its Children’s Interpretative Centre. Adult €7.50 Child €5.00 Family €22.00 (2+2) Student & Seniors €6.00.
It’s housed in the restored Casino ‘Cottage Orné’ in the heart of Malahide, north of the city.
DART hits the mark
The attraction maximises technology, with layered sights and sounds and digital screens.
On the windows of the carriage to help add to the experience.
These interactive elements deliver an educational experience filled with energy and momentum as the DART journey unfolds.
The DART you say, it’s the renowned Dublin Area Regional Transport train service we came to rely on in our 13 years in Ireland.
And there were plenty of times on my way home from Dublin to Greystones that I wished I’d been the driver of a train.