Irish Railway Rover Part 2 Irish Railway Rover Part 2 Michael McMahon
Michael presents ninety more pictures from his extensive personal archive of images taken in a twenty year period ending in 1995. The introduction of push-pull trains and railcars (as multiple unit sets are known in Ireland) led to the withdrawal of locomotive hauled trains, also the rationalisation of facilities associated with their everyday operations. The change to passenger train working came at the same time as a gradual withdrawal from freight services, which was mostly beyond the control of the railway companies. The result was a cull of locomotive classes and rolling stock, the images in this book represent the closing years of the traditional railway in Ireland. Michael was well placed to observe these changes, the rare privilege of all Ireland footplate passes led to an estimated 80,000 miles of footplate travel between 1982 and 1995 when he was able to closely observe railways at work in all parts of Ireland.
£17.50
Michael McMahon
Contents 1.
Accent on Signalling
2.
The Border Area 20
3.
Goods Trains 27
4.
Junctions 59
5.
Shunting 65
6.
Railtours 70
3
4
The driver of No. 058 with the 09.30 hrs from Limerick keeps a watching eye on me as he takes up the ETS in the hoop from the signalman at Dromkeen for the section to Limerick Junction on Saturday 9 May 1987. This was the last day of ETS working on the Killonan-Limerick Junction section as the electric track circuit block system was commissioned in the evening.
5
9
Viewed from the rear cab, the signalman at Killonan reaches out the ETS for the Birdhill section to the driver of No. 172 on Monday 24 June 1991 while working the 17.25 hrs empty shale train to Kilmastulla. The signalman’s yellow flag indicates that the Scart level crossing gate keeper had not acknowledged that a train was on the way and for the driver to closely observe signals.
15
Tipperary on a misty Saturday 4 November 1989 when No. 177 passes with the 11.30 hrs Limerick-Waterford liner. Around then there was a surge in railborne container traffic to Waterford, mostly for Bell Lines. The year 1989 also saw return of beet trains to Mallow rather than Thurles and the extra liner train from Limerick was a welcome addition for photographers.
37
The BLS special continued on the 27th with a tour to Larne Harbour, then via the emergency crossover at Bleach Green and on to Antrim and the former ‘Showground siding’. Progress to Bangor was tortuous via Adelaide yard, Balmoral sidings, Central Services Depot, another emergency crossover at Rockport, and then the siding to the yet to be constructed ’Railway Gallery’ at Cultra. This view shows the special at the end of that branch beside the recently installed turntable which had been moved from Athenry, Co. Galway. Keen-eyed observers will observe the buffer stop!
75
NIR Railbus No. 3 in the unlikely setting of Kingscourt, Co. Cavan on Saturday 28 July 1990 while working Southern Railtours’ (SR) ‘Cavan Coup’ tour. Cork-based Joe St Leger can be seen stepping on to the platform – no railtour was complete without him! The railbus started from Belfast at 08.05 hrs via Drogheda and Navan. The distance from Navan to Kingscourt was 19½ miles with 13 guard-operated level crossings. The journey time for this leg was 2 hours with ten minutes allowed at the terminus before retracing the route to Belfast with arrival at 17.59 hrs, just in time for the 18.00 hrs southbound ‘Enterprise’. The railtour booking form advised that there would be no dining car or toilet facilities but that a suitable ‘P’ stop could be made on request at a convenient hedge!
76
The Modern Railway Society of Ireland (MRSI) operated an extraordinarily successful ‘International Thumper’ railtour from Belfast to Cork, Cobh and Limerick, returning via the direct curve at Limerick Junction on Saturday 13 October 1990. Departure from Belfast Central was at 06.30 hrs with return at 22.15 hrs. Fuel was taken at Cork and the train examiners in the shed at Glanmire Road voiced concerns about some wheel profiles during a walk-around check. Our skilful negotiations were to assure that all was in order and besides, NIR needed the set back for the businessmen’s express trains from Bangor on Monday morning! The ‘Foynes Phoenix’ railtour was a joint tour between the MRSI & SR and has just arrived at its destination on Saturday 18 May 1991. The train was also a joint inter-railway company affair, using six NIR vehicles and seven from IR. The two sets were combined at Connolly. The outward route was via Athenry, Gort, Ennis and Limerick with return by way of Thurles and Connolly. I was instructed that tour participants were forbidden to leave the train at Foynes. Let us just say that I did try but nobody listened!
77
Irish Railway Rover Part 2 Irish Railway Rover Part 2 Michael McMahon
Michael presents ninety more pictures from his extensive personal archive of images taken in a twenty year period ending in 1995. The introduction of push-pull trains and railcars (as multiple unit sets are known in Ireland) led to the withdrawal of locomotive hauled trains, also the rationalisation of facilities associated with their everyday operations. The change to passenger train working came at the same time as a gradual withdrawal from freight services, which was mostly beyond the control of the railway companies. The result was a cull of locomotive classes and rolling stock, the images in this book represent the closing years of the traditional railway in Ireland. Michael was well placed to observe these changes, the rare privilege of all Ireland footplate passes led to an estimated 80,000 miles of footplate travel between 1982 and 1995 when he was able to closely observe railways at work in all parts of Ireland.
£17.50
Michael McMahon