Irish Railway Record Society

TRACK  

Dublin Connolly-Rosslare Strand    Track re-laying using CWR (Continuous Welded Rail) on concrete sleepers took place on weekdays between MP61¹/₈-63 in the Gorey-Enniscorthy section in May and June. Over the June public Holiday weekend, 152+186 and a train of concrete sleepers were stabled in Gorey. Re-laying with CWR on concrete sleepers on the ‘Wexford South Branch’ between MP2¹/₈-3¹/₈ Wexford-Rosslare Strand took place from Monday 26 July to Friday 30 July. For both sets of re-laying, the 07.10 Maynooth-Rosslare Europort and 13.25 Rosslare Europort-Maynooth were substituted by bus between Enniscorthy and Rosslare. The main and loop tracks in Enniscorthy were also excavated and re-laid in July and August. Trains ran normally during this work, as one track was kept open.

The facing turnout at the Rathdrum end of Wicklow station was renewed on Sunday 18 July. The crossover at the Dublin end has also been renewed.

There is now CWR continuously from Dublin Pearse to Enniscorthy, with the exception of the platform tracks at Dún Laoghaire and Dalkey and the down main at Wicklow. South of Enniscorthy there are only a few remaining stretches of jointed track, the longest of which is 2³/₈ miles. In total, there is less than 5¹/₂ miles of jointed track remaining and this includes the 5-mph track along Wexford Quay.

Dublin-Waterford   The Minister for Transport has approved a 1,120-metres diversion of the Dublin-Kilkenny line between Lavistown Junction and Kilkenny and the construction of a new overbridge as part of a €31m single-carriageway 4.2km road bypass scheme (See JOURNAL 154).

Mallow-Tralee   In advance of installation Mini-CTC between Banteer and Tralee , the up siding at Millstreet and the down siding at Rathmore were taken out of use from 28 June.

Dublin-Dundalk-Border   Two separate sets of weekday possessions to tamp the track between Drogheda and Dundalk caused considerable delays to trains in March and July. Single line working resulted in delays to Enterprise services from which they were unable to recover. For example, on Tuesday 6 July the 10.30 Belfast-Dublin departed Drogheda at 12.46, at which stage it should have been in Dublin . The same train working the return 13.20 Dublin-Belfast was observed blocked at Mosney at 14.04 by the 13.17 Pearse-Drogheda stopping service, which was at Laytown. The loop at Mosney was not used.

Enterprise services continued to be delayed by temporary speed restrictions, with six on the down line and five on the up line between Connolly and Drogheda at the end of July.

Limerick-Rosslare Europort   The down line between Limerick Station and Check cabins was excavated and re-laid with CWR on concrete sleepers during August. Panel re-laying with second hand panels took place between Waterford and Belview Port during the summer.

In May, weekday possessions to tamp and ‘stress’ CWR between Dromkeen and Limerick Junction saw mid-morning trains substituted by bus. When work was completed, a long-standing 3-mile temporary speed restriction was lifted. Similar possessions took place in July to renew crossing timbers in Dromkeen and in August for tamping and bridge works.

Ballybrophy-Killonan Junction   Panel re-laying using second-hand jointed track panels took place in June. During re-laying, the 09.45 Ballybrophy-Limerick and the 15.00 Limerick-Ballybrophy were substituted by bus.

Dublin-Sligo   By the end of July, work had been substantially completed on the recon-struction of the former Cavan Bay platform at Mullingar. It is located on the goods yard side of the up Sligo platform and is 184m long. No track will be available for use until Mini-CTC is commissioned in 2005. The adjacent up Sligo platform and the new bay platform have been surfaced in tar macadam. Construction was preceded by the lifting of track in the goods yard and the removal of redundant Molasses wagons that were in store. Concurrently, work was undertaken to widen UB 58 (49 miles 1,620 yards) at the Dublin end of the goods yard to facilitate laying of a new approach track to the platform. The up and down Sligo platforms were also extended at the Dublin end to 184 meters.

Both Longford platforms have also been extended to accommodate 8-car railcars. The down loop at Dromod was excavated and re-laid with CWR on concrete sleepers in August.

The yard at Sligo was rationalised on Sunday 8 August in preparation for the installation of Mini-CTC. Crossover No. 16 from the up line to the former locomotive shed, turntable and sidings was disconnected and all track subsequently lifted. Turnout and traps No. 13, connecting the up departure road with the two platform storage sidings and crossover No. 14 connecting the down arrival road with the up departure road were also disconnected, as were associated signals. One remaining crossover, No. 19, remains between the down arrival road and the up departure road, as well as the crossover No. 17 to Sligo Quay.

Dublin-Cork   Re-railing, welding, tamping and regulating ballast between Mallow and Rathpeacon resulted in single line working on weekdays at the end of June, in early July and mid-August, with delays to morning Dublin-Cork and Cork-Tralee trains and substitution of Cork-Mallow/Charleville trains by bus.

Excavating and renewing the formation on the up line through Thurles saw the 21.00 Dublin-Cork replaced by bus south of Portlaoise on Saturdays in July and August. Ballast Cleaning between Newbridge and Kildare resulted in the 21.45 and 22.45 Dublin Heuston-Kildare and 22.50 Kildare-Dublin Heuston operated to and from Newbridge during weeknights from mid-July into August.

The speed limit from MP1³/₄-1¹/₄ in both directions was reduced from 60-mph to 40-mph in July. All crossovers in this area have been renewed in recent years and the line through this area had a maximum speed of 70-mph in the early 1970’s. Non-stop mainline journey times from Heuston to Hazelhatch are now scheduled to take 13 minutes compared with 11 minutes ten years ago.

Athlone-Westport/Ballina   Both platforms in Claremorris are now fully laid with CWR on concrete sleepers.

Weedspray   The weedspray train covered the IÉ system in April, May and June. It sprayed the Athenry-Ennis section on Wednesday 12 May, hauled by locomotive 160. Unusually, the train, hauled by locomotive 156, sprayed the Tara Mines sidings when it did the Drogheda-Navan line on 9 June. The train did not spray out-of-use lines: Limerick-Foynes, Mullingar-Athlone, Navan-Kingscourt, Glounthaune-Youghal, Waterford-New Ross, Silvermines Branch and Collooney-Claremorris-Athenry, as well as Limerick Junction-Cahir.

CAHIR VIADUCT

The IÉ report on the collapse of the bridge at Cahir concluded that the derailment of a freight train on 7 October 2003 was due to a combination of specific factors (See JOURNAL 153). The variable stiffness of the beams on the bridge combined with the rigidity of the four-wheel cement wagons caused one wagon to jump the tracks. IÉ determined that such an incident could not have happened to a passenger train. All bridges of this construction have since been examined and a 30-mph speed limit applies to trains with similar wagons travelling on such bridges.

Reconstruction work continued during spring and summer months. By May, new steel floor girders, which are supported from the top of the strengthened original girders, had been erected on the small span nearest Cahir station and on the main span. The span nearest Tipperary had still to have its original cross members removed. The floor girders were welded into threes and then lifted from ground level. This welding was originally done near the bridge site, but later moved to a covered facility in Mitchelstown. The last girders were lifted in on Saturday 10 July. Pouring of the concrete deck was done in two pours, the second on Monday 19 July.

BRIDGES AND TUNNELS

 A new overbridge is under construction at Kneads Bridge 43 miles 1,200 yards between Killucan and Mullingar in conjunction with a new dual carriageway for the N4 Dublin-Sligo road. A new underbridge is under construction adjacent to the Dublin-Belfast line at MP56³/₄-57 for a new section of M1 motorway bypassing Dundalk .

The programme of replacing accommodation crossings with bridges continues. On Wednesday 5 and Thursday 6 May, a new underbridge UB131A was installed at 57 miles 40 yards in the Farranfore-Tralee section to facilitate closure of adjacent level crossing XT154. All trains from the 08.30 Dublin-Tralee on the Wednesday until the 17.47 Tralee-Cork on the Thursday were substituted by bus between Tralee and Killarney.

A new overbridge OB17A is under construction at 10 miles 745 yards between Killonan Junction and Dromkeen to replace Woodfarm level crossing XL32. The existing level crossing has been temporarily re-located to allow building work proceed. The user operated crossing had been the scene of several incidents in recent years and the gates were regularly being left open by road users.

The footbridge at Carrick-on-Suir was raised by approximately 12” on Thursday 29 July by pouring a concrete apron and sitting it on it.

Saturday 26 June was the occasion of President Bush’s visit to Dromoland Castle , located between Limerick and Ennis. The main Limerick-Ennis-Galway road was closed for security reasons and all road traffic was diverted on to secondary routes. That afternoon, a lorry struck and badly damaged the arch and shifted the parapets of underbridge UB41, a stone arch bridge with a clear height for road traffic of 11’ 6”.

The bridge is located near MP12¹/₄ on the Limerick side of Sixmilebridge. The railway was closed until Wednesday 30 June, when it was re-opened with a 5-mph speed restriction. Locomotives were also banned and the 17.10 Dublin Heuston-Ennis terminated in Limerick , with Ennis passengers transferring to a railcar.

One consequence of the ban on locomotives was that a permanent way train en route from Portlaoise to Crusheen, between Ennis and Athenry, on Monday 19 July to collect good condition second-hand track panels had to be routed via Athenry. The train consisted of 146+148 + 8 bogie wagons and it stabled overnight in Ennis, before returning to Portlaoise via Athenry. The panels had been deposited along the line some years ago with a view to replacing existing poor condition track, but were not used after the line was taken out of use. The panels were taken to the Waterford-Belview Port section, where they were laid.

Given the extent of the damage to the bridge, it was decided to replace it rather than repair it and a new bridge was ordered. It was installed over the weekend of 28/29 August and all trains were cancelled on the Saturday and until 17.45 on the Sunday. The R462 Sixmilebridge to Cratloe road remained closed throughout.

OB96 at 6 miles 750 yards Dublin-Rosslare ( Peoples Park Bridge ), which was a steel girder and Hobson floor plate bridge, was renewed with pre-cast concrete beams over 3 weekends in June. The work was completed on 27 June. Strengthening work on UB186 at MP39¹/₄ Dublin-Rosslare is expected to be completed by the end of November.

The cast iron jack-arch beams on OB387 at 50 miles 836 yards Dublin-Sligo at Mullingar station were renewed on 27 June. Major repairs were carried out on UB120 at 91 miles 1,320 yards Dublin-Galway in August. The stones on this masonry arch culvert were starting to drop.

Preparatory work on Thomastown Viaduct (UB87 39 miles 810 yards Dublin-Waterford) is continuing in preparation for the installation of a new deck, which will be done during a ten-day line closure. OB32 at 16 miles 473 yards Midleton-Youghal was renewed on 24 August. This was one of the few remaining cast iron jack-arch bridges.

SIGNALLING

Centralised Traffic Control (CTC)   Auto routing is now available on the Mainline CTC system. This follows an upgrade in the computer system in the CTC building in Connolly station. Auto routing works by having the journey details of trains pre-programmed into the computer, which then issues commands to the local interlocking to set the route and clear signals in advance of the train’s approach. Auto routing has been used on the Dublin Suburban CTC system for twenty years.

Mini-CTC Project Work continues on installation of cable ducts, cables, signal bases, signals, radio masts and location cases on the Mallow-Tralee line. Clearances were made in Rathmore and Killarney for construction of new points and crossovers. The ballast bed for the extension of the track of the bay platform in Killarney was completed by mid-August.

Signal bases and cables are also in evidence at most stations on the Sligo line. Work has taken place installing a second fibre optic cable, working from the Sligo end. It had reached Dromod by July.

Westport Line   Approval has been given to install Mini-CTC on the Knockcroghery-Westport line to follow on from Sligo line Mini-CTC. It is envisaged that the line will be upgraded by 2007 and the line will be controlled from CTC in Connolly station. As part of the upgrade, level crossings in station areas will be upgraded to 4-barrier CCTV monitored crossings interlocked with station signals. Separate approval has also been given to replace semaphore signals at level crossings outside station areas with colour light signals.

Navan-Drogheda (Platin)   On Sunday 20 June, operation of the Drogheda (Platin)-Navan section was converted from Electric Train Staff (ETS) operation to single line track circuit block working using an Axle-Counter. New colour light signals were erected in Navan. They were a fixed-at-caution yellow down distant NNDD and a two aspect yellow-red down outer home signal NN102 and, in the up direction, new up advance red-green starter NN101. Both stop signals are 212-metres from Factory ‘A’ type level crossing, but are not interlocked with the crossing. Signals at Platin were already colour light, controlled from Drogheda .

Renewals   With the line closed due to the collapse of Cahir viaduct, opportunity was taken to refurbish Clonmel signalbox and interlocking frame.

LEVEL CROSSINGS

Signals   On Sunday 4 July, new colour light distant and stop signals were brought into use at four level crossings in the Thomastown-Waterford section, which were formerly protected by Braking Point Marker Boards and colour light distant signals (See JOURNAL 154). The crossings were Rossinan (XW169 at 53 miles 1012 yards), Ballygeoghan (Kilmacow) No.1 and No.2 (XW175 at 54 miles 858 yards and XW176 at 54 miles 990 yards) and Milltown (XW181 at 55 miles 1144 yards). Three new sets of signals, which include a mixture of two and three aspects, protect the four crossings. Stop signals are located between 200 metres and 700 metres from the gates. Distant signals are located 1,489 metres and 1,971 metres from the stop signals.

Renewal   Excavation and renewal of the road surface through Lisnagry level crossing, which carries the N7 Dublin-Limerick road over the Ballybrophy-Killonan Junction line near Castleconnell, resulted the closure of the line for a complete week at the end of July. All Nenagh branch passenger trains and Kilmastulla-Limerick cement works shale trains were cancelled. A temporary road was laid to allow road traffic around the worksite.

Wexford Quay   A new temporary level crossing has been brought into use at 5 miles 1443 yards (Wexford South) and is open daily from 08.30 until 18.30. The crossing provides vehicle access to the new car park on the Quay. Manually operated barriers are locked in the lowered position for the passage of trains.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 155, published October 2004.

Copyright © 2005 by Irish Railway Record Society Ltd.
Revised: January 11, 2005 .