Irish Railway Record Society
TRACK
Mallow-Tralee
The remaining plain track section between
Killarney and Farranfore has now been re-laid with continuously
welded rail on concrete sleepers (CWR), completing
installation of CWR on plain track sections of the Mallow-Tralee line. Track
re-laid was from MP393/4-403/4. Work
took place in January after the Christmas break and train operations were
similar to those described in JOURNAL 150.
The
track through Millstreet platform and the main and loop tracks in Rathmore have
been re-laid with CWR. This leaves the stations at Banteer, Killarney,
Farranfore, and Tralee as the only jointed track on the Mallow-Tralee line.
Portarlington-Galway
The tracks through plat-forms 1 and 3 in Athlone
have been re-laid with CWR on concrete sleepers, as have the main and loop
tracks through the former MWGR station west of the Shannon. The latter also
features some steel sleepers. Other gaps in CWR between the two stations have
also been closed, although the through road, platform No. 2, in Athlone
(Southern) station remains good quality jointed track on timber sleepers. All
the re-laying was carried out using Atlas road-rail excavators and road-rail
dumper trucks for ballast, as opposed to using the re-laying and ballast trains.
In May, work started on re-laying the loop at Clonnydonnin with CWR on concrete
sleepers using the same method.
Main
and loop tracks through Ballinasloe and Athenry stations have been re-laid with
CWR on concrete sleepers in conjunction with work on the Mini-CTC project. This
work also included installing crossovers and points for the new track layout,
but not the point blades. These are only installed just prior to commissioning
of new signalling.
Athlone-Westport/Ballina
Re-laying between Manulla Junction and Ballina re-commenced on 6 January
after the Christmas break and continued throughout the winter and spring. There
were complete closures for short periods, with passenger trains substituted by
bus and freight trains diverted to Sligo. At other times, the 11.30 Manulla
Junction-Ballina and 13.05 Ballina-Manulla Junction were substituted by bus
between Claremorris and Ballina, with all other trains operating. The entire
line has now been re-laid with CWR on concrete sleepers, including stations at
Manulla Junction (main and branch platforms), Foxford and the arrival platform
at Ballina. In May, work continued on laying, tamping and regulating ballast on
the new track and ‘stressing’ the long welded rail, with trains substituted
by bus as above.
The
remaining jointed track between Manulla Junction and Westport had also been
re-laid with CWR by the end of April. Generally, the 08.05 Dublin-Westport and
13.15 Westport-Dublin were substituted by bus between Claremorris and Westport
for the work.
Re-laying
between Manulla (MP1453/4) and MP1447/8
in the Claremorris section commenced on 1 May. As is now the practice with
re-laying, cuttings are opened up and embankments widened and strengthened and
to take the heavier CWR, as well as to improve views at level crossings. The
07.00 Westport-Dublin and 18.00 Dublin-Westport operated during the work period,
with all other passenger trains substituted by bus west of Claremorris.
Remaining
gaps on the Athlone-Westport line are MP1073/4-1097/8,
MP139-1403/4, MP1447/8-1453/4,
platform tracks at Claremorris and the loop tracks at Castlerea, Ballyhaunis and
Westport (part). Preparation work on embankments and cuttings for re-laying
MP1073/4-1097/8 was well in hand in
April.
In
February, rationalisation work took place in Claremorris. The double track
junction at the south end, a common characteristic of former MGWR stations, was
removed along with several crossovers in the middle of the station. The signal
cabin diagram is shown on page 407 of JOURNAL 150. Crossovers 21 and 56 were
converted into turnouts by removing the loop end points. Turnout 23 was
converted into a set of traps. Additionally, crossovers 26, 27, 29, 54, 55 and
traps 57 were removed along with associated signals. This has had the effect of
leaving the Athenry line accessible only via the back of the island platform,
number 3, and the Dublin-Westport route with effectively a main and loop track
through the station. The removed track at the Dublin end was replaced with plain
flat-bottomed rail on concrete sleepers, as a prelude to installing CWR.
Dublin
Heuston-Cork There
was single line working between Charleville and Limerick Junction on Sundays 9
and 23 March due to ballast cleaning. There were some delays to morning trains,
but these were advertised in advance on IÉ’s website.
The
trailing crossover at the north end of Portlaoise has been renewed. The new
trailing crossover intended for the former IFI fertiliser factory sidings at
Marino Point on the Cobh line was re-located to the north end of Lisduff on 14
January and is awaiting installation.
Cork-Cobh
Further re-laying with CWR has taken place on the Cork-Cobh line,
during which the line was either closed completely (11 -28 April) or during the
off-peak period. The up line at Tivoli, Glounthaune (Cobh Junction), Fota, the
down line at Carrigaloe and both platform and run-round tracks at Cobh were
excavated prior to re-laying. The last small section of jointed track, the up
line at Myrtlehill MP166-1661/8, was excavated and re-laid
on Sunday 11 May. The large bridges at Belvelly and on the causeway at Fota are
jointed bullhead track on timber beams and Cobh station remained jointed track.
The crossovers at North Esk and Glounthaune have not been renewed. Other than
these, the line is now completely re-laid with CWR on concrete.
Dublin
Connolly-Rosslare Strand DART
services between Greystones and Dún Laoghaire were cancelled until noon on
several Sundays during the spring. This was to allow various engineering works
take place, including repairs to the slab track between Dún Laoghaire
and Sandycove.
Rosslare trains
Rockslide
detector fences have been fitted to the cutting at Whiterock, east of Killiney.
They consist of steel posts embedded into the ground that carry heavy steel
ropes and wire mesh.
The
remaining gap in CWR between Rathdrum and Arklow (MP481/2-49)
has now been filled. CWR is in place between the top of Rathdrum bank (MP353/4),
through Rathdrum and Arklow stations to MP53.
Both
the main and loop tracks in Gorey have been re-laid with CWR on concrete
sleepers. CWR is also in place from Gorey to MP601/8.
Re-laying in the Gorey-Enniscorthy section re-commenced in May. Generally, the
07.20 Maynooth-Rosslare Europort and 14.45 Rosslare Europort-Connolly were
substituted by bus south of Gorey.
Limerick-Ennis
Re-laying with CWR continues on the
Limerick-Ennis line. The line was closed completely from February into May.
Other work included replacement of the Canal Bridge and structural work on the
Shannon rail bridge. Further track relaying work is planned for shorter periods
for up to October 2003.
Howth-Howth
Junction
Both tracks of the Howth-Howth Junction branch were largely jointed track
with flat-bottomed rail. Work commenced on renewing this track with CWR on
concrete sleepers in February. This work took place at night and at weekends,
with DART services suspended completely for these periods and a limited
substitute bus service in operation. Weekend closures took place on 15/16
February, 22/23 February and 1/2 March. Services were suspended on the branch
after 21.00 on weekday nights between these weekend closures. Some DART trains
ran to Malahide whilst others turned back from Howth Junction. On February 12,
167 towing 134 + 3 bogie wagons of concrete sleepers arrived in North Wall from
Portlaoise at 13.00 with new sleepers for the Howth branch.
Permanent
way trains now regularly feature 071-class locomotives hauling them and many
were in use during Howth branch re-laying. On Saturday 22 February, 079 was on
ballast train duties, with 081 on a spoil train. Locomotive 086 was on a ballast
train on the Howth branch during a full line closure on Saturday 26 April.
The
first phase left the up line completely re-laid from the crossovers at Howth to
the facing crossover at Howth Junction. The second phase saw the down line
re-laid between the same points. It commenced with a combination of weekend and
weeknight closures on 31 March until 27 April. DART services operated to a
similar pattern to the earlier closures.
Mullingar-Athlone
The Divisional Engineer, Athlone, has signed out of use the line between
Mullingar and Athlone, but will ‘permit Engineers trains from time to time to
travel on the line’.
Weedspray
The weedspray programme started earlier this year on Wednesday 16 April
when the train sprayed the line from Portlaoise to Cork. As last year,
locomotive 175 hauled the train. However, problems with on-board spray pumps
resulted in the train returning from Cork to Portlaoise for repairs next day.
The programme re-started on Thursday 1 May, when the line from Portlaoise to
Cork was re-sprayed. The Ballybrophy branch was sprayed on 8 May,
Limerick-Waterford on 12 May and Waterford-Rosslare on 13 May. The
Drogheda-Navan line was sprayed on 16 May, but not the Kingscourt or Tara Mines
lines. The Mullingar-Athlone section was sprayed on 23 May.