Operations 153

Irish Railway Record Society

Operations

PASSENGER OPERATIONS

Sunday 14 September The All Ireland Senior Hurling Final in Croke Park , Dublin , featured Cork and Kilkenny. Return specials from Connolly started with the 17.35 to Cork , 216+6 Mk III push-pull (DT6103) and this departed when it was full at 17.29. The 17.55 to Kilkenny also filled up early and departed at 17.44. It was formed by a 6-car 2700-class railcar. The 18.00 Cork special was formed by 202 hauling 6 Mk III push-pull (DT6101). The 18.45 to Kilkenny, a 6-car 2700-class railcar, departed at 18.57. The 19.05 Cork special was 071+GSV+10 Cravens+GSV and departed at 19.10 and the 19.25 Waterford via Kilkenny special departed at 19.26. It was formed by NIR 8208+EGV+9 Mk IId.

Other trains from Connolly that evening included the 18.00 Enterprise , 217+7 De Dietrich (DT9004), which departed at 18.01 with passengers standing. The 18.15 Dundalk special was formed by an 8-car 2900-class railcar and departed at 18.15 with about 150 passengers. The 18.30 Enterprise was 207+8 De Dietrich (DT9003) and departed at 18.32 with about 400 passengers. The 18.20 Sligo was 084+EGV+7 Mk IId and departed on time with about 500 passengers. The 18.30 Pearse-Maynooth regular, a 6-car 2800-class, was preceded by a 4-car 2900-class Drumcondra-Maynooth relief that departed Connolly empty at 18.36. The former Gatwick set, Generator Van+6 Mk IIfs, departed empty to Belfast at 19.01 behind 075.

Sunday 28 September The 08.30 Sligo-Dublin Connolly was formed by NIR 112+8 Mk IId+EGV.

Sunday 12 October The 17.30 Sligo-Dublin was formed by 082+6 Mk IId+EGV and arrived at Mullingar on time at 19.25. There were in excess of 430 passengers on the train, with many standees. The train used one of the Dublin-Rosslare Mk IId sets, freed up by line closure south of Pearse, instead of the usual hauled six-piece Mk III push-pull. The latter has much greater seating, with 440 seats instead of about 350 on the Rosslare sets.

Friday 24 October The 19.00 Ballybrophy-Limerick was 177+GSV +1 Craven. Fifty-one passengers loaded into the single 64-seater carriage from the 17.30 Dublin-Tralee, 223+6 Mk III push-pull.

Sunday 26 October The 17.10 Pearse-Mullingar and 19.00 Mullingar-Connolly were formed by 4-car 2600-class railcar 2606/15/13/10. Up to then, this service was normally formed by 2800-class railcars.

Monday 15 December The first 06.45 Gorey-Dundalk was formed by 6-car railcar 2713/14/07/08/23/26.

Wednesday 24 December The 17.05 Waterford-Rosslare Europort was formed by 166+177+2 Cravens+GSV.

Saturday 20 December Midday services on the Ennis-Limerick line were formed by 2607/08, with the following passenger numbers: 50 on the 12.40 Limerick-Ennis, 58 on the 13.30 Ennis-Limerick, 36 on the 14.25 Limerick-Ennis, 18 on the 15.15 Ennis-Limerick and 72 on the 16.05 Limerick-Ennis. Each train also conveyed parcels.

Saturday 27 December The 10.30 Ennis-Limerick-Limerick Junction was 2607/08 and departed Ennis with about 50 passengers. The 09.35 Limerick-Limerick Junction was 134+3 Mk III push-pull (DT6102). This worked the 12.40 Limerick-Ennis with 37 passengers and the 13.30 Ennis-Limerick with 106 passengers. The 08.45 Ballybrophy-Limerick was 173+1 Craven+GSV, with 2751+53 spare in Limerick .

The 10.00 Dublin-Limerick was formed by 211+GSV+4 Cravens, with 120 passengers. The 15.00 Cork-Tralee was NIR 112+4 Cravens+GSV and the 17.47 Tralee-Cork was 167+5 Cravens+GSV.

Tuesday 30 December Railcar 2607/08 worked the 14.25 Limerick-Ennis, with 40 passengers, and the 15.15 Ennis-Limerick, with 30 passengers. The 16.05 Limerick-Ennis was worked by 134+3 Mk III push-pull (DT6102) and had over 80 passengers.

Wednesday 31 December The 12.40 Limerick-Ennis and 13.30 return were worked by 134+3 Mk III push-pull (DT6102) and had 58 and 76 passengers respectively.

Saturday 3 January Railcar 2607/08 worked the 12.40 Limerick-Ennis, with 45 passengers, most of whom transferred from the 10.00 Dublin-Limerick, 201+GSV+4 Cravens. The 13.30 Ennis-Limerick had 74 passengers and nearly all transferred to the 14.20 Limerick-Dublin. The 14.35 Limerick-Limerick Junction departed a few minutes late after locomotive 134 was replaced by 124.

FREIGHT

Beet The beet season started on Saturday 4 October with a laden train from Wellingtonbridge to Waterford . It departed Waterford for Mallow on Monday 6 October. The season had hardly begun when the collapse of part of Cahir viaduct on Tuesday 7 October threw it into chaos. Beet trains were immediately diverted via Lavistown Junction and Kildare, as were Limerick-Waterford cement trains. That evening 175+144+25 laden beet wagons passed Portlaoise at 22.05.

The extra journey time via Kildare and the closure of the Cherryville-Waterford line for part of the night resulted in difficulties getting the wagons back to Wellingtonbridge within twenty-four hours. As a result, only three trains ran per day instead of the normal four to five .

After things settled down, a revised timetable was issued. Laden beet trains departed Waterford at 07.45, 11.15 and 15.45. Empties departed Mallow at 00.20, 07.40 and 09.50. The 00.20 empty train was held in Limerick Junction until 06.30 from where it was driven by a Waterford driver who was ferried by taxi from Waterford to Limerick Junction before driving the train to Waterford via Kildare. The 07.45 laden consisted of wagons loaded the previous evening in Wellington Bridge and crossed the 06.30 empty from Limerick Junction in Athy. The 07.45 laden and 07.40 empty exchanged drivers in Monasterevan or Portarlington.

With the diversion of bulk cement trains via Kildare and Lavistown, the Cherryville Junction-Waterford line became saturated during the day. Many trains were held for long times awaiting paths and Lavistown loop was well used. For example, the 07.40 empty was scheduled to cross trains in Athy, Carlow, Muine Bheag and Thomastown. The 06.30 empty was scheduled to sit in Kildare from 08.20 until 09.15, waiting for the 07.20 Waterford-Dublin to clear the Athy-Cherryville section. Kildare was also a busy place, with the 06.00 Waterford-Westport/Ballina empty timber running round before the arrival of the 06.30 empty.

Laden trains were 25 four-wheel wagons, with empties normally 36 wagons. In the early part of the season, the third empty train (09.50 from Mallow) often conveyed just 3 empty wagons as occurred when it ran via Cahir. To avoid congesting the Cork-Dublin line, it began to run as a light engine at 75mph, instead of an empty train at 40mph, with wagons being held and assembled into 12-15 wagon rakes before running as an empty train.

On Saturday 11 October before a regular pattern emerged, there were two empty and two laden trains. The first empty train, 072+36 wagons, was held at Cherryville Junction until the diverted Waterford-Limerick empty cement, 172+16 wagons cleared the Athy-Cherryville section. It departed for Waterford at 09.45 and crossed the first laden beet (07.45 Waterford-Mallow) at Athy. The laden beet was formed by NIR 8113+25 wagons. In turn, it changed crews with the second empty beet train, 077+36 wagons, at Portarlington and was looped at Ballybrophy for the 15.20 Heuston-Cork. While changing crews at Portarlington the empty and laden beet trains were joined by an empty timber train, 073+12 bogie wagons, en route to Mayo. Locomotive 8113 returned to NIR the following week. The 11.15 Waterford-Mallow laden beet was 072+25 wagons and crossed the 07.40 Mallow-Waterford in Muine Bheag.

On Friday 17 October, 163+147+36 empty wagons passed Athy at 09.50, crossed the first laden train in Muine Bheag at 10.30 and the 10.45 Waterford-Dublin in Thomastown. The second laden train, 086+25 wagons, crossed the next empty at Muine Bheag, 085+33 wagons. The third laden train, 085+25 wagons, crossed light engine 072 at Thomastown at 15.55 and was held in Carlow to cross the 16.30 Fridays-Only to Waterford. The latter was a 4-car 2700-class railcar with many standees.

On Saturday 18 October, 085 worked the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford empties, crossing with the 07.45 laden, 072+25, at Athy. It then crossed the 09.50 empties, 086+36, at Portarlington. On arrival in Waterford , 085 transferred to the 11.15 Waterford-Mallow, passing Lisduff 16.00.

NIR locomotive 112 was observed again on beet trains on Saturday 25 October, when it worked the 07.40 Waterford-Mallow. It passed Lisduff at 12.55 with 25 laden wagons. The 11.15 Waterford-Mallow was 078+25 wagons.

On Saturday 1 November, the 07.40 Mallow-Waterford, NIR 112+36 empty wagons, crossed the 11.15 Waterford-Mallow laden, 074+25 wagons, in Carlow at 13.30. The laden then crossed the 09.50 Mallow-Waterford, 141+181+21 empty wagons, in Monasterevan at 15.10. The 12.50 Waterford-Drogheda empty cement was 151+17 four-wheel wagons.

On Saturday 8 November, the first laden train, 07.45 Waterford-Mallow, NIR 112+25 wagons passed Athy at 10.20 where it crossed the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford, 141+189+36 empty wagons. It had been preceded by an empty timber train bound for Westport , 080+12 bogies, which was overtaken by the 07.20 Waterford-Dublin in Athy. The 07.40 Mallow-Waterford, 074+35 empties passed Portlaoise at 11.25 and exchanged drivers with the 07.45 laden in Portarlington. The second laden train, 11.15 Waterford-Mallow, was 073+25 wagons, and departed Thomastown at 12.00 and Carlow at 13.33. It was followed by the 12.50 empty cement from Waterford , 186+1 empty oil+15 four-wheel empty cement wagons, which passed Thomastown at 13.17. The third empty at 09.50 Mallow-Waterford was a light engine, 085, and departed Kildare at 14.05.

On Monday 10 November, the 07.40 Mallow-Waterford, NIR 112+36 empty wagons, crossed the 11.15 Waterford-Mallow laden, 074+25 wagons, in Athy. The 07.45 Waterford-Mallow laden was cancelled and the 09.50 Mallow-Waterford was 085+12 wagons.

On Wednesday 12 November, the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford was 214+36 empty wagons and it crossed the 07.45 Waterford-Mallow, 211+25 laden wagons in Athy. In turn, the 07.45 laden crossed 074+36 empty wagons on the 07.40 Mallow-Waterford in Kildare at 11.30.

On Saturday 15 November, NIR Enterprise locomotive 8208 worked the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford with 36 empty wagons, crossing the first and second laden trains in Athy and Thomastown respectively, before returning with 25 laden wagons on the third laden train from Waterford . On 18 November, 205 +25 laden wagons departed Muine Bheag at 13.05.

On Monday 24 November, NIR Enterprise locomotive 209+25 laden wagons passed Thomastown at 12.50 while working the 11.15 Waterford-Mallow and was followed at 13.27 by 074+12 empty bogie timber wagons. The 15.45 Waterford-Mallow was 189+141+25 wagons and passed Thomastown at 16.30.

On Saturday 29 November, the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford, NIR 112+36 empty wagons, departed Kildare at 09.18 and later passed Ballycullane with 25 laden wagons at 14.55.

On Saturday 13 December, the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Waterford, NIR 112+36 empty wagons, crossed the 07.45 Waterford-Mallow, 080+25 laden wagons, in Athy and crossed the 11.15 Waterford-Mallow, 189+172+25 laden wagons, in Thomastown. The latter crossed the 07.40 Mallow-Waterford, 146+142+36 empty wagons, in Carlow at 13.20 and the 09.50 Mallow-Waterford, 077+14 wagons, in Kildare at 14.45.

On Tuesday 16 December, the 06.30 Limerick Junction-Mallow, 081+36 empty wagons, crossed the 07.45 Waterford-Mallow, 080+25 laden wagons, in Athy at 10.02. Later, 081 passed Ballyhale at 12.45 with 12 empty bogie timber wagons.

A highlight of the season was the variety of motive power used. All NIR mainline locomotives except 111 featured. Wellingtonbridge-Waterford trains were often hauled by 201-class, sometimes in Enterprise livery. With only two working 121-class, they were noticeable by their absence, but 134 featured at the start of the season when it worked in multiple with a variety of 141-class.

The season finished on 18 December when 079+25 wagons departed Waterford with the 15.45 to Mallow.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal Number 153, published February 2004.