Operations 151

Irish Railway Record Society

Operations

PASSENGER OPERATIONS

The Ireland-France Rugby Union game at Lansdowne Road, Dublin, on 9 March brought large numbers travelling on mainline and local trains. The Northern suburban line, normally busy on a Saturday with shoppers heading for Dublin, becomes even busier when there is a Rugby match. The match kicked off at 14.00, but many passengers travelled early. The 09.42 Drogheda-Pearse was formed by 2808/07/10/09. It arrived in Connolly 2-minutes late at 10.33 with about 230 passengers. The 10.15 Balbriggan-Pearse was a 6-piece push-pull (DT6103) pushed by 223 and was relatively light loaded with less than 200 passengers. It arrived in Connolly 4-minutes late at 10.58.

The 09.55 Dundalk-Connolly arrived into platform 1 on time at 11.05. It was formed by 2701/02/22/19/20 and had about 350 passengers. The 10.34 Dundalk-Pearse is always overloaded on such match days and this day was no exception. It was formed by 081 + 4 Cravens + GSV and arrived in Connolly 4-minutes late at 11.54. It had an estimated 450 to 480 passengers in a 256-seat train. The 11.30 Drogheda-Pearse, 2812/11/20/19, arrived in Connolly at 12.26 with about 250 passengers. The 12.32 Drogheda-Connolly, 2802/01/04/03 was also full and arrived 2-minutes late at 13.24.

DART services were augmented by specials to Lansdowne Road. Southbound departures from Connolly in the run up to the match at 14.00 were at 12.09, 12.15, 12.20, 12.44, 12.56, 13.02, 13.05, 13.10, 13.21, (13.28 to Rosslare), 13.31 and 13.36. All were 6-car except the 13.05 departure, which was formed by 4-car 8614/13. The 12.44 departure was especially full after a 24-minute gap.

Cork-Tralee services attract a variety of motive power. On Monday 24 March, the 17.10 Cork-Tralee was formed by 152 + 4 Cravens + GSV. It terminated in Mallow due to track re-laying through the main road in Rathmore. Locomotives 146+152 worked the 12.45 Cork-Tralee for three consecutive days in March.

On Saturday 29 March, 155+150 worked the 07.45 Limerick-Dublin, due to the failure of 083.

ESB work in the Greystones area resulted in reduced electric power supply to the overhead line between Greystones and Bray from Tuesday 22 April until Thursday 24 April. All Greystones DART services involved a transfer from one DART to another at Bray. The full timetable operated, except the 07.14 Greystones-Howth, which was replaced by a bus between Greystones and Bray. Rosslare and Arklow services were not affected.

The Knock Pilgrimage season commenced with the Waterford & Lismore Diocesan special on Sunday 4 May. It departed Waterford at 06.30 and served all stations to Limerick Junction, before running to Portarlington and Claremorris. It was formed by 088 + 8 Mk III + EGV and passed Portlaoise on time at 09.10. Other specials ran for the GAA National League Final at Croke Park, Dublin. These included an 8-car 2700-class from Portlaoise at 11.15, a 6-piece push-pull from Limerick at 08.30 and 077 + 7 Cravens + GSV from Mullingar at 11.00. The previous day, the 14.00 Dublin-Limerick and 17.35 return were worked by an 8-car 2700-class railcar instead of the usual Mk II locomotive set.

On Sunday 18 May, Ennis-Cork and Templemore-Cork GAA specials operated. Locomotives 134+163 worked the return special of 7 Mk IId + EGV from Limerick to Ennis. The Templemore-Cork special was formed by an 8-car 2700-class.

FREIGHT

Liners With the handing over of the southern part of the Midland and Holyhead yards to the Spencer Dock Development Company on 13 January, loading and unloading of containers was restricted to an area of the Midland Yard north of Sheriff Street Bridge and using reach-stackers rather than gantries. This resulted in the cancellation of one of two Dundalk-Belfast liners. The Sligo and Waterford liners now largely carry only ale traffic for Guinness and are very small.

There was an exception to this during the third week of January and again in April when the Manulla Junction-Ballina branch was closed for re-laying work and freight traffic was transferred to Sligo. However, carriage of 45’ containers was by road, as the Dublin-Sligo line was never officially cleared for 47’ 6” bogie wagons, despite 42’ 6” and 60’ bogie wagons being used on the route over many years.

Two sets of Talgo container-pocket-wagons are in use. Initially, one set of 10 to 12 wagons worked an 11.50 Dublin North Wall-Mallow and 23.50 return every second day. On alternate days the, 11.50 ran as a Dublin-Cork liner with conventional wagons. In January and February, the container-pocket-wagons operated to a different pattern on the Mallow service. They departed North Wall for Mallow at 11.50 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, returning as the 11.50 Mallow-North Wall on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Later, the Mallow train became a daily operation, departing North Wall at 12.05 and returning at 22.45, largely carrying 9’ 6“ high Coastal containers. The second set of 10 to 12 wagons operates the 21.30 Dublin-Limerick, returning the next night. A sample of their operation is noted below.

On 1 February, 228 + 12 wagons passed Portarlington at 14.55 on the 11.50 North Wall-Mallow. On 3 February, 214 + 12 wagons passed Cabra at 13.20 on the same train. On 11 February, 212 + 12 wagons passed Drumcondra at 15.00 with the 11.35 Mallow-North Wall. On 12 February, 232 + 12 wagons were on 11.50 North Wall-Mallow. On 13 February, 201 + 12 wagons passed Hazelhatch at 14.20 with the 11.50 North Wall-Mallow.

On 19 February, the 11.50 North Wall-Mallow, 211 + 12 laden container-pocket-wagons crossed 222 + 9 empty bogie bulk-cement wagons in Thurles at 16.20.

Containers continue to be rail-hauled from Limerick to Cork. On Thursday 6 March 155 worked an 05.00 Limerick - Cork North Esk liner. On Thursday 20 March, a 12.00 Limerick-Limerick Junction liner operated to connect into the 12.05 North Wall-North Esk. The 12.00 liner consisted of 165 + 10 bogies, each with a Yang-Ming 40’ container. On Thursday 17 April, 162 + 11 laden bogies of containers passed Pallas Green at 17.30 heading towards Limerick Junction. On Friday 2 May, 11 bogies of containers were worked from Limerick to Limerick Junction for later transfer to Cork.

Double headed freight trains can still often be seen. On 8 March, 163+169 worked a 12.00 Heuston-Cork Guinness special, 152+159 worked a 10.00 Cork-North Wall empty bulk-cement, while 192+124 worked a Cork-Dublin empty Guinness train. However, 192+124 were replaced by 175 at Limerick Junction.

On Monday 24 March, an 09.45 North Esk-North Wall ran. It consisted of 216 + 15 bogie container wagons + 3 bogie Guinness wagons. Due to crewing arrangements, it was still in Mallow at 20.00 that evening. On Saturday 26 April, an 08.40 North Esk-North Wall liner, consisting of 085 + 15 bogies + 2 four-wheel Guinness wagons + 2 empty four-wheel oil wagons, arrived in North Wall at 16.00.

Guinness transfers between Heuston and North Wall can be variable in size. On Friday 9 May, 170 arrived in North Wall at 11.00 with 5 bogie Guinness + 8 4-wheel Guinness + 1 fuel oil wagon and departed a half-hour later with 3 bogie + 18 four-wheel Guinness wagons. The 19.50 Dublin-Ballina liner the same evening was formed by 082 + 18 laden bogies.

On Monday 12 May, 147 + 5 bogie container wagons + 4 bagged-cement wagons passed Killonan at 09.25 on a Limerick Junction-Limerick liner. The 21.30 North Wall-Limerick liner on Wednesday 14 May was formed by NIR 112 + 4 bogie container wagons + 9 four-wheel wagons of beer kegs.

Cement The Drogheda-Tullamore bulk-cement operates from Monday to Friday and occasionally on Saturday. On Saturday 8 February, the 14.05 empty Tullamore-Drogheda was 188+135 + 10 four-wheel wagons. It was followed towards Dublin by the 11.35 Mallow-North Wall liner, consisting of 218 + 12 container-pocket-wagons.

On 11 February, 172+146 + 10 laden bogie-bulk-cement wagons arrived in North Wall at 15.20, en route from Drogheda to Cork. On Saturday 22 February, the same pair of locomotives passed Portmarnock at 13.50 with 10 laden bogie-bulk wagons en route from Drogheda to Cork.

On Tuesday 25 March, Enterprise liveried locomotive 209 operated on an empty Cork-North Wall bulk-cement train with 9 bogie-wagons. It departed Limerick Junction at 14.55. On Saturday 5 April, laden bulk-cement trains passed Rush at 13.20 and 13.40. They were 087 + 18 four-wheel wagons and 075 + 10 bogie wagons. On Tuesday 15 April, 162 + 14 wagons worked an 11.35 Thurles-Limerick empty bagged-cement train.

The 11.34 Waterford-Limerick empty bulk-cement train on Saturday 26 April had one of the two remaining 121-class locomotives. The train consisted of 163+134 + 8 four-wheel wagons. On the same day, 146+152 + 15 four-wheel wagons worked an 11.50 Cork-Dublin empty bulk-cement train.

Two bulk-cement trains operate most days from Drogheda to Cork. On Friday 2 May, 219 + 9 empty bogie bulk-cement wagons were looped in Thurles from 14.45 until 15.20 while returning to Drogheda. Later the same day, 145+167 + 15 empty bulk-cement wagons + 11 empty bagged-cement wagons arrived in Limerick Junction at 20.00 from Cork. The bagged-cement wagons were dropped off, to be later worked to Limerick, while the rest of the train continued to Dublin for Drogheda cement factory after the passage of the 19.15 Cork-Dublin. Also the same day, 157 + 21 four-wheel wagons working the 12.40 Athy-Limerick empty bulk-cement was looped in Thurles at 15.35 to be overtaken by the 14.00 Dublin-Limerick.

On Saturday 10 May, there were two Limerick-Waterford bulk-cement trains. The first one returning empty as the 11.34 Waterford-Limerick, 163+134 + 20 four-wheel wagons, crossed the second, the 10.50 Limerick-Waterford laden, 150 + 3 bogie container wagons + 14 four-wheel bulk-cement wagons at Tipperary at 13.00.

Oil The ESSO liner continues to run from Dublin North Wall to Sligo. On Friday 4 April, it departed North Wall at 20.05 with 172+151 + barrier + 19 four-wheel wagons. The next day, they returned empty at 12.00 from Sligo, passing Leixlip Louisa Bridge at 15.45. On Thursday 1 May, the 20.00 North Wall-Sligo departure was 151+156 + barrier + 19 wagons with the train arriving back empty in North Wall next day at 22.45.

Wagons Redundant Anhydrous Ammonia wagons have now been moved to Cork yard for storage pending a decision on their fate. On Tuesday 4 February, 188+145 + 12 Ammonia wagons + two barrier wagons departed Shelton Abbey, Arklow, at 11.55 for Cork. On Thursday 6 February, 135+165 + 11 Ammonia wagons + two barrier wagons departed Shelton Abbey at 12.55. They passed Heuston at 14.55 and arrived in Cork at 19.27. On arrival, the wagons where stabled at the rear of Cork yard nearest to the quay.

Redundant bogie fertiliser wagons are stored in various locations around the country such as Portlaoise, Waterford and Rathpeacon. On Thursday 13 March, 218 + 3 empty bogie container wagons + 7 bogie fertiliser wagons ran in the path of the 12.05 Dublin-Cork liner.