Operations

Irish Railway Record Society

Operations

PASSENGER OPERATIONS

On Wednesday 9 January, the 07.50 Mallow-Cork Mk III set was hauled by 147+163. The locos later worked the 12.45 Cork-Tralee and 17.47 Tralee-Cork (GSV + 4 Cravens). The 15.25 Limerick-Rosslare Europort on Thursday 10 January consisted of 157+128 + 2 Cravens + GSV. On 8 March, the Fridays Only 11.15 Cork-Dublin was formed by 074 + 4 Cravens + GSV. This set was later used to form the 15.55 Fridays Only Dublin-Ballina behind loco 087.

The 14.45 Waterford-Dublin Heuston was formed by 144 + 7 Mk III + EGV on Friday 18 January. It followed the failure of loco 203 while working the 11.30 Dublin-Waterford. Loco 144 had earlier worked the 07.05 Rosslare Europort-Waterford and would normally stable in Waterford before working the 17.05 return. The latter was worked by 123+129 + 2 Cravens + GSV after the locos returned from Wexford with an empty bagged cement train.

Locomotive No. 209 passing Balbriggan Viaduct, Summer 1997.( Photo: Les Cullen)

Mk III push-pull control cars (driving trailers) have been used in a regular pattern for a number of years. Control Cars 6101, 6102 and 6103 are normally used to form the two Dublin outer-suburban 6-piece sets, 6104 is normally used on the Limerick-Limerick Junction shuttle and 6105 is normally used on the Dublin-Waterford service.

In early February, the Limerick-Limerick Junction set was observed in Inchicore Works. Limerick-Limerick Junction services were all loco-hauled during this period. Two sets of GSV + 1 Craven were in use, one for Limerick-Ballybrophy and the other for Limerick-Limerick Junction services. Two sets of GSV + 2 Cravens alternatively worked the other Limerick-Limerick Junction services and Rosslare Europort-Limerick services. This arrangement only lasted for some midweek days until the regular push-pull set returned. On 4 April, the control car in use on the Limerick-Limerick Junction shuttle was 6101, with 124 as the loco. Loco 124 was later observed parked in Heuston sidings in mid-April and the train reverted again to a loco-hauled Cravens set.

It is now quite common to see the locomotive off Friday’s 20.45 Dublin-Ballina liner used to operate Ballina branch trains on the Saturday and Sunday. Loco 083 was observed fulfilling this role on 9/10 February. The 15.55 Dublin-Ballina was formed by 072 + GSV + 3 Cravens on Friday 8 February.

The 07.23 Dundalk-Bray is amongst the heaviest loading morning suburban trains with between 1,000 and 1,200 passengers and is always formed by an 8-car 2700-class railcar. On Thursday 14 February, only a six-car railcar set was available and a relief of 6 Cravens + GSV ran from Dundalk to Pearse in front of it.

On Tuesday 26 February the 07.40 relief from Drogheda to Pearse was 6 Cravens + GSV, while on Monday 4 March it was formed by 088 + 6 Mk IIab + EGV. The relief ran non-stop from Skerries to Connolly. Both the 07.23 and 07.40 loaded very heavily with about 600 passengers each. The set used was off the previous evenings 18.45 Connolly-Dundalk, which returned empty to Drogheda on arrival. As a consequence, the set off the 08.28 Dublin Connolly-Sligo was pressed into service to work the 06.56 Drogheda-Pearse, normally worked by the Cravens set, before going to Sligo.

The evening relief was a 17.16 Connolly-Drogheda running ahead of the 17.13 Pearse-Dundalk. This was formed by a mixture of rolling stock, but was usually a four-car 2600-class railcar. This arrangement lasted until mid-March when 8-car railcars were restored to the 07.23 and 17.13.

On Sunday 3 March, the 10.00 Dublin Connolly-Belfast Central required a relief. It consisted of 6-piece push-pull 6102 behind loco 220 and ran ahead of the 10.00. A relief also operated at 14.15 in advance of the 14.30 and 15.00 Dublin-Belfast. It consisted of 8091 + four + 8099.

The Knock pilgrimage season started on Sunday 5 May with the Waterford and Lismore Diocesan special from Waterford to Clare-morris. It ran via Limerick Junction and Portarl-ington. The train was formed by 088 + EGV + 8 Mk III and on the return leg departed Portarling-ton on time at 19.50 after the loco ran-round.

Empty ESSO Oil train climbing up from Sligo Quay to Sligo Station headed by locomotive 082, 6th April 2002. (Photo: Brian Solomon)