Operations

Irish Railway Record Society

Operations

TIMETABLE

IÉ introduced a new timetable valid from 2 June 2002 to 3 June 2003 covering both mainline and Dublin suburban services. Changes to the existing timetable are minimal, although additional mainline and Dublin outer-suburban trains now operate. Alterations to the Dublin-Limerick service and additional services on the Galway and Westport route as described in JOURNAL 148 are now incorporated into the timetable.

The press release for the new timetable notes that ‘because of record demand, the vast majority of carriages are in use at all times to cater for customers on regular timetabled services. This will limit the scope for special trains for events during the period of this timetable’.

On Fridays and Saturdays, there are new non-stop 10.30 Dublin Heuston-Cork and 13.45 Cork-Dublin Heuston trains, arriving in Cork at 12.57 (13.00 on Friday) and in Dublin at 16.18. The 10.30 down is now the fastest train on the route. These trains replace the Fridays-Only 11.25 Dublin-Mallow and 14.10 Mallow-Dublin. The only other significant change to Dublin-Cork trains is the deferral of the 21.00 Heuston-Cork to 21.15 on Monday-Saturday and to 21.50 on Sunday.

On the Dublin Heuston-Limerick route, the 10.10 Dublin-Limerick runs Monday-Thursday and at 09.45 on Fridays and Saturdays. There is a new Sundays-Only 21.00 Dublin - Limerick. In July and August, a new Saturdays-Only 10.35 Dublin-Waterford was introduced in the four-hour gap between services. It served all stations from Athy to Waterford to arrive at 13.06 and returned empty from Waterford at 14.15. As in previous years, an 11.35 Dublin-Galway relief operated behind the regular 10.55 Dublin-Galway on Saturday Only in July and August. The up Saturday Only relief trains departed Galway at 11.40 and 17.20.

On the Sligo line, a second commuter train has been provided from Longford at 07.00 Monday-Friday, serving all stops to Pearse. The existing 06.15 Longford-Pearse is deferred to 06.23. In the return direction, the 18.50 Pearse-Mullingar is extended to Longford. There are also minor adjustments to mainline journey times, with 6 minutes taken off the 08.20 and 13.35 Dublin-Sligo. No less than 17 minutes is taken off the 17.05 Fridays-Only Dublin-Sligo and all down trains now take between 3 hours 2 minutes and 3 hours 09 minutes. The Mondays-Only 04.50 Sligo-Dublin is altered to 05.05 and runs non-stop from Maynooth to Connolly. The 18.10 Sligo-Dublin is advanced to depart at 17.55.

On the Westport and Ballina line, the Fridays-Only 15.55 Dublin-Ballina is speeded up by 38 minutes to arrive in Ballina at 19.38. It now crosses the 18.00 Westport-Dublin in Claremorris instead of Ballyhaunis.

On the Nenagh branch, there is now a permanent 12³/₄-mile long 25-mph speed restriction from Kilmastulla to Killonan Junction. The rest of the line has a maximum speed of 40-mph.

Revisions to the DART timetable include a new northbound departure at 12.35 from Bray. This breaks the 28-minute gap that existed during the busy lunchtime period on Monday-Friday, but the gap still remains on Saturdays. There are now only four periods during daytime when there are gaps of 20 minutes or greater in northbound DARTs from Bray on Monday-Friday and fifteen periods on Saturday. The largest Monday-Friday scheduled gap is now 27 minutes and on Saturdays is 28 minutes. Southbound DART services from Connolly show eleven periods with gaps of 20 minutes or longer on Monday-Friday and eight on Saturdays (down from eleven). The largest scheduled gaps are 28 minutes Monday-Friday and 31 minutes on Saturday.

Northern outer suburban services benefit from three additional trains on the Drogheda / Dundalk route. A new 06.43 Drogheda-Pearse, 09.55 Dundalk-Connolly and 13.27 Drogheda-Connolly now operate. The 09.55 is formed by splitting the 07.56 Pearse-Drogheda in Drogheda, with a two-car set going forward to Dundalk. In the northbound direction, the 10.15 Greystones-Drogheda replaces the 11.15 Pearse-Drogheda and, on Fridays-Only, the 21.12 Pearse-Drogheda is extended to Dundalk.

Freight

Tara Mines On 26 August, it was announced that the Navan mine would re-commence production in September following a rise in the price of zinc and the completion of a productivity enhancement programme. In the current year, the mine will produce 60,000 tonnes of zinc in concentrate, increasing to 200,000 tonnes in 2003. The life of the mine is quoted as being until 2014 following the acqui-sition of a neighbouring ore body. During the closure period, IÉ periodically ran light engines from Drogheda to allow drivers retain route knowledge. On 10 September, a 141-class locomotive hauled 18 empty bogies from Dublin to Drogheda in preparation for resumption of traffic. Laden trains resumed on 23 September.

Cement On 17 June, the 07.30 North Wall-Cork bulk cement consisted of 127+128 + 11 bogie wagons. On 20 June, a 13.00 Limerick-Thurles bagged cement train consisted of 187 + 15 4-wheel wagons. During the summer, bagged cement continued to operate to Cork, Mallow, Waterford, Thurles and Tralee from Limerick cement factory, with very occasional trains observed operating from Drogheda cement factory. There has been no reported bagged cement train into Wexford since 29 April as IÉ continue the policy of withdrawing from this type of freight (See JOURNAL 148).

On 1 July, the 14.05 Tullamore-North Wall empty bulk cement train was unloaded early and was observed passing Heuston at 14.30 with 133+135 + 17 four-wheel wagons.

On Friday 12 July, 177 hauled 15 empty 4-wheel bulk-cement wagons + 12 empty 4-wheel bagged-cement wagons from Cork. It passed Mallow northbound at 16.40 and was stabled in Limerick Junction for crew purposes.

During the summer, there were regularly two daily bulk cement trains from Limerick to Waterford. On Saturday 20 July, the first train, which consisted of 165 + 16 empty 4-wheel bulk cement wagons, crossed the 09.35 Summer-Only Limerick-Waterford passenger, 166 + GSV + 2 Cravens, at Carrick-on-Suir at noon. The second train was composed of 189 + 16 4-wheel bulk cement wagons and passed Carrick- on-Suir at 15.10 heading for Waterford.

On Friday 2 August, the 14.05 Tullamore-North Wall empty bulk cement was formed by 129+146 + 23 4-wheel wagons and was looped in Kildare for the 11.15 Cork-Dublin Fridays-Only passenger train. During late August and early September, the cement train was replaced by road haulage. Speculation suggested that this was related to a shortage of drivers.

On 15 August, 129 was paired with 177 and they worked a 06.40 North Wall-Cork bulk cement train of 19 4-wheel wagons, passing Lucan South at 08.55. They were followed at 09.30 by 188 hauling the cable plough train to Kilkenny for turning on the triangle at Lavistown.

Limerick to Waterford Cement Train, headed by locomotive No. 186, at Emly Road Bridge, Tipperary - 27th May 2002 (Photo; Paul Quinlan)

Athy to Limerick Cement Train, headed by locomotive No. 144, on the Barrow bridge at Athy - 3rd May 2002 (Photo; Brian Solomon)

Shale Kilmastulla (Birdhill)-Castlemungret (Limerick) shale trains continue to operate with either a single 141-class or 181-class locomotive. On 9 July, 176 + 8 empty bogie wagons passed Lisnagry level crossing at 12.00 heading for Kilmastulla. The return laden train passed Birdhill at 13.04. On 6 August, 155 + 8 laden wagons passed Lisnagry at 17.06 heading for Limerick, while the next day 159 + 8 laden wagons passed at 12.41.

Fertiliser Portlaoise is one of the few locations still receiving dedicated fertiliser trains. On 15 August, the 09.20 North Wall-Portlaoise was formed by 077 + 12 bogie wagons and passed Lucan South at 10.25. Fertiliser continues to be conveyed to Tralee, generally on the 12.05 North Wall-Cork as far as Mallow and then onwards to Tralee on the following morning’s 06.20 Mallow-Tralee liner. On 12 September, the 12.05 was formed by 220 + 7 bogie fertiliser + 4 bogie ale + 7 bogie container wagons and departed Limerick Junction at 16.33.

Ammonia The 10.02 Shelton Abbey (Arklow) - Marino Point (Cork) discharged ammonia train was formed by 153+149 + barrier + 7 bogie tanks + barrier on 5 July. They were replaced by 162+159 at Connolly.

Liners The Norfolk liner continues to operate once weekly ex-Dublin at 11.55 from North Wall on a Friday. On 10 May, it was formed by 085 + 18 bogies, with 081 on 24 May, 129+124 on 31 May, 127+156 on 7 June and 216 on 28 June.

On Thursday 27 June, some of the evening departures of liners from Dublin were observed from the new Platform 10 at Heuston. The first liner was the 19.50 North Wall-Ballina and was 071 + 18 bogies, of which 14 were full. It was blocked by the 14.57 Marino Point - Shelton Abbey ammonia train from 20.10 to 20.13. Shortly afterwards the 20.10 North Wall-Waterford liner, 088 + 1 bogie + 7 4-wheel ale wagons stopped from 20.19 to 20.25. The 20.40 North Wall-Cork North Esk liner passed at 20.39 and was composed of 232 + 1 bogie + 5 4-wheel oil wagons + 1 4-wheel ale wagon. In previous years, this train regularly was the equivalent of 36 4-wheel wagons. The 20.45 North Wall-Ballina liner was 228 + 3 bogie + 18 4-wheel ale wagons and passed at 21.23. The last liner observed that evening was the 21.30 North Wall-Limerick and this consisted of 215 + 3 bogie ale wagons + 11 bogie container wagons + 1 4-wheel bagged cement wagon + 1 4-wheel oil wagon + 2 4-wheel ale wagons and it passed at 21.39.

On 1 July, a Cork-Dublin liner consisting of 128+127 + 5 bogie wagons + 15 4-wheel bulk cement wagons + 11 4-wheel ale wagons got into difficulties and was left in Lisduff. Locomotive 156 was sent to replace 128 and the liner continued to Dublin in the mid-morning. Locomotive 128 was left in Lisduff.

On Friday 5 July, the 20.00 North Wall-Sligo departed early and was observed passing Drumcondra at 18.56. It consisted of 081 + 12 bogie wagons + 3 4-wheel wagons.

On Wednesday 10 July, the 21.10 Limerick-Dublin liner was formed by 224 + 12 bogie wagons + 3 4-wheel wagons and passed Killonan Junction early at 20.44. Shortly afterwards, the 19.05 Ballybrophy-Limerick passenger train, 167 + 2 Cravens + GSV, passed at 20.51.

Wagons Trials of the Talgo pocket container wagons took place during the summer, with several trips from Inchicore to Portlaoise. The first working south of Portlaoise was to Limerick Junction on 30 July and consisted of 166 + 2 pocket-wagons. Later trips took in North Wall, Cork and Limerick.

Four 42’ 9” vacuum-braked bogie wagons (30108-11) have been equipped with through air-brake piping to allow them operate with 62’ 9” bogie air-braked wagons. They are permitted to operate on permanent way trains only, with the air-braked wagons in the rear.

Other On Friday 12 July, a special of 32 empty sugar-beet wagons ran from Mallow to Limerick, for inspection and repair at the wagon works before the commencement of the sugar beet season. It was hauled by 150 and departed Mallow at 15.40. In August and September, beet wagons were regularly attached to Waterford-Limerick cement trains en route to and from the wagon works.

On 11 August, a redundant gantry crane at North Esk Yard, Cork, was dismantled and removed. One gantry still remains.