Irish Railway Record Society

Operations

The annual timetable change took place on 12 December and the new timetable is valid until 10 December 2005 . The format of the Dublin suburban and InterCity public timetables is changed from previous years with the removal of colours indicating day of operation. On the InterCity timetable, separate pages are now used for intermediate stops eg Dublin-Cork pages no longer show all trains stopping at stations between Portlaoise and Dublin. On-board restaurant services are now only available Monday-Friday, with snacks at weekends.

In keeping with recent years, there are further improvements in train frequencies, although more radical change will depend on delivery of the CAF locomotive hauled coaches for Dublin-Cork services and the later delivery of new InterCity railcars. New trains are introduced on Killarney, Carlow and Galway services. Minor alterations and accelerations / decelerations are not noted below.

Dublin-Cork   There are no major changes to train frequency or journey times, although several trains no longer serve Kildare. In the up direction, the 07.10 Cork-Heuston is advanced to 07.00 to arrive in Heuston at 09.33. The 17.30 is slowed by six minutes to arrive at 20.12. The 19.30 runs non-stop from Ballybrophy and is accelerated by 8 minutes. Passengers for intermediate stations transfer across the footbridge at Ballybrophy to a new 21.20 Ballybrophy-Dublin stopping train. However, this 21.20 Ballybrophy departure appears only on the Limerick-Dublin page and does not appear on the Cork line page in the public timetable. Accordingly, a passenger travelling from Cork to Portlaoise has to know to look up Cork-Dublin and Limerick-Dublin pages.

In the down direction, the 13.20 Heuston-Cork is advanced to 13.00. The 15.20 Heuston-Cork is decelerated by 9 minutes. The 18.40 Heuston-Portlaoise is advanced to 18.35 and extended to Ballybrophy, but the extension is only shown in the Dublin-Limerick page of the public timetable. The speed limit through the curves at the Curragh has been raised from 70-mph to 85-mph and through Lisduff from 70-mph to 80-mph.

Charleville-Mallow-Cork-Cobh   Charleville-Cork trains are cut back to Mallow, except the 17.35 Cobh-Charleville and 19.20 return. Neither is shown in the public timetable.

Dublin-Limerick   The 14.00 Heuston-Limerick is advanced to 13.05 and is first stop Portlaoise. The Fridays-Only 12.30 Heuston-Limerick and 15.20 Limerick-Heuston are cancelled.

Limerick-Ennis and Ennis-Dublin   Ennis-Limerick journey times are reduced from 45-minutes to 40-minutes. This is in comparison with 42-minutes in the 1903 timetable and 36-minutes in the 1966 timetable.

Dublin/Cork-Tralee   For some time business leaders in Kerry have been campaigning for an earlier train arrival in Dublin . Many passengers from Killarney drive to Mallow to catch Cork-Dublin trains and to avail of more frequent return departures from Dublin . The new timetable addresses this issue and brings improved frequencies. From 28 March, a new 06.30 Killarney-Cork is provided, running non-stop to Mallow and connecting into the 07.00 Cork-Dublin, which arrives in Heuston at 09.33. In the evening, there is a new 18.45 Cork-Killarney, providing a connection from the 17.00 Heuston-Cork. This train runs non-stop from Mallow to Killarney, arrive 20.18.

From 28 March, a new 09.10 Cork-Killarney provides a connection out of the 07.10 Heuston-Cork and a new 11.15 Killarney-Cork provides a connection into the 14.25 Cork-Dublin and the Fridays-Only 13.45 Cork-Dublin. Both serve all stops Killarney-Mallow. From 12 December, there is also a new all-stops 16.00 Tralee-Cork, which connects into the 17.30 Cork-Dublin.

The new Killarney trains are scheduled to be formed by railcars. Killarney will have seven services a day. The 07.00 Tralee-Dublin is decelerated by 8 minutes to take four hours, the 15.05 Cork-Tralee is accelerated by 13 minutes and the 17.10 Cork-Tralee is accelerated by 24 minutes.

Dublin-Waterford   The 19.45 Heuston-Kildare is extended to Carlow (arr.20.55) giving a new late service to this growing commuter town. It returns at 21.17, arrive Heuston 22.20. Other trains are accelerated following completion of re-laying and installation of Mini-CTC. The fastest services are the 07.30 Waterford-Heuston and 18.25 Heuston-Waterford at 2 hours 25 minutes. The previous fastest journeys were 2 hours 15 minutes in 1988/89 and the promised journey time in the Government’s Operational Programme for Transport 1994-99 was 1 hour 50 minutes.

Dublin-Galway   From 10 January, there is a new Monday-Saturday train at 07.05 from Athlone to Galway (arr. 08.20) for commuters. This train then forms a new 09.35 Galway-Dublin. In the return direction, the 17.55 Dublin-Athlone is extended to Galway on Monday-Fridays (arr. 20.35). This returns to Athlone at 21.10. The last evening departure from Dublin is deferred from 18.35 to 19.05 and in the up direction the 18.05 is deferred to 18.35.

Dublin-Westport/Ballina   The 12.55 Dublin-Westport is advanced to 12.40. Other changes are minor.

Dublin-Sligo   No major changes are made.

Dublin-Rosslare Europort   There are alterations to timings following completion of track re-laying on the line and to allow the 2700-class railcars more time in Drogheda Depot for maintenance. The 18.15 Rosslare Europort-Dublin Connolly is deferred to 18.55 to make a connection with ferries from Wales . It arrives in Connolly at 22.04 and forms a 22.05 to Drogheda . The former 07.10 Maynooth-Rosslare Europort now starts from Drogheda at 06.40, departs Connolly at 07.29 and arrives in Rosslare at 10.31. Journey times between Connolly and Rosslare are between 2 hours 52 minutes and 3 hours 12 minutes. Before the track was re-laid, the fastest journey time was 2 hours 50 minutes in 1988/89 and the promised journey time in the Government’s Operational Programme for Transport 1994-99 was 2 hours 35 minutes.

Dublin-Belfast   No changes.

Dublin-Drogheda-Dundalk   The heavily loaded 17.13 Pearse-Dundalk is now relieved by a new 17.10 Connolly-Balbriggan, serving Skerries only. The train then runs empty to Mosney loop. A new late evening departure is provided from Connolly to Drogheda at 23.20 Monday-Saturday.

Limerick Junction - Waterford - Rosslare   Alterations focus on providing connections to and from Dublin trains at Limerick Junction. A new train is provided at 06.00 from Waterford to arrive in Limerick Junction at 07.44. This new train provides a connection into the 07.00 Cork-Dublin. This provides a 2 hour 45 minutes Clonmel-Dublin journey time. Passengers for Limerick have to wait at Limerick Junction for 71 minutes, arriving in Limerick at 09.25. To provide a train set for the new service, the 20.00 Rosslare-Limerick now departs at 20.30 and runs to Waterford only (arr. 21.47). The 07.05 Rosslare Europort-Limerick Junction is retimed to 07.00 and terminates in Waterford . A new 10.00 Waterford-Limerick Junction connects with the 11.00 Cork-Dublin but leaves a wait of 55 minutes for Limerick passengers. The 14.30 Waterford-Limerick Junction connects with the 14.00 Tralee-Dublin and leaves a 51-minute wait for Limerick passengers (FX). This is the last train from Waterford and connections to Cork and Limerick from the sailings at Rosslare cease.

The 09.00 Limerick Junction-Waterford takes a connection out of the 07.10 Dublin-Cork but misses the 10.45 Waterford-Heuston by 7 minutes. The 12.45 Limerick Junction-Waterford takes a connection out of the 10.55 Dublin-Cork. The 15.20 Heuston-Cork connects into the 17.15 Limerick Junction-Rosslare Europort and is the last train from Dublin for stations on the line. Previously, the 18.25 Dublin-Waterford provided a later service. The 17.05 Waterford-Rosslare Europort is deferred to 17.25 and departs just before the arrival of the 15.05 Dublin-Waterford at 17.27. Limerick-Waterford passengers have waits of 15, 12 and 25 minutes at Limerick Junction.

Ballybrophy-Limerick   There are no changes.

Dublin-Kildare   Several trains now terminate at and start from Newbridge rather than Kildare. The 13.40 Heuston-Kildare is advanced to 13.10. The 20.45 Kildare-Heuston is cancelled but there is a new 21.20 from Ballybrophy. The 21.45 Heuston-Kildare and 22.50 Kildare-Heuston no longer serve Cherry Orchard and Clondalkin.

Dublin-Maynooth   Minor alterations only.

DART   DART timetables of recent years have been noted for the large gaps between trains in comparison to when the service was introduced twenty-years ago. There were scheduled gaps of 30-minutes in weekday and 35-minutes in Sunday services. Steps have now been taken to reduce these gaps in the off-peak periods and to return to the original 15-minute interval service during daytime, but they still remain after teatime and on Sundays. For example, Bray-Dublin now has regular interval 15-minute departures from 10.30 until 12.15 and from 12.45 until 14.45. In the evening large gaps still apply, such as between 20.35 and 21.05 even though the evening Rosslare Europort- Dublin train is moved to depart Bray at 21.30 instead of 20.55. The 30 and 36-minute gaps in Sunday services noted in JOURNAL 153 remain.

SUBURBAN GROWTH

Dublin    The effect of good rail services has shown up again in a recent survey in the Dublin area. Average second-hand house prices increased by about 8% in the year up to September, but price increases in towns along the northern suburban line such as Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk have been about double that figure. Estate agents attribute that to good rail connections to Dublin .

The population of the Balbriggan area of north Dublin was about 139,000 in 2002. Over the next 12 years, this is expected to increase by 80,000. The population in areas such as Skerries and Lusk, which is currently 70,134, is expected to increase by about 17,000 over the same period.

Cork    Over two million passengers will pass through Kent Station in Cork in 2004. Overall revenue on the Cork-Charleville route is up 31% in a year, while passenger numbers are up 26%. Over half a million passengers will travel on the route in 2004. Mallow-Cork-Cobh is up 37% on revenue and 38% on passenger numbers. Cork-Cobh is up 48% in revenue and 42% on passenger numbers. IÉ has extended the car park at Kent Station by 250 spaces, bringing the total number of spaces to 490.

PASSENGER OPERATIONS

The last scheduled locomotive hauled service between Rosslare and Limerick Junction was the 07.05 Rosslare Europort-Limerick Junction on Friday 24 September. It was formed by 159+147 + GSV + 2 Cravens as far as Waterford , where 2707/08 took over. There was disruption to services later in the afternoon when a broken rail was discovered near Bansha after the passage of a ballast train, 151 + plough van + 14 wagons + plough van. Trains were substituted by bus between Clonmel and Tipperary .

The first special train on the re-opened line was an 08.10 Killarney-Waterford Executive special on Saturday 25 September. It was formed by 075 + EGV + 6 Mk III and passed Carrick-on-Suir at 11.10. It returned to Killarney at 15.15.

As part of the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the arrival of railways in Waterford , the Waterford 150 Committee organised a special train from Waterford to Rosslare Europort and return on Saturday 25 September. The special carried a headboard ‘Waterford 1854 to 2004’ and was organised to mark the last scheduled occasion of Cravens carriages on the line, which occurred the previous day, and the anticipated last occasion that a 121-class locomotive would be turned on the Rosslare turntable. The special was formed by 124 + GSV + 4 Cravens + GSV and departed Waterford at 13.00. The Waterford based set of GSV + 2 Cravens was strengthened by the addition of the spare Limerick set of GSV + 2 Cravens, which was transferred early in the morning before the tour. The Limerick set was returned to Limerick after the tour, passing Fiddown at 17.38 behind locomotive 171.

The All Ireland Senior Football Final was held in Croke Park , Dublin , on Sunday 26 September, with Kerry playing Mayo. Nine specials ran to Heuston Station, as Connolly was closed due to DART upgrade work. The 07.30 Galway special was formed by 203 + 8 Mk IId + EGV and arrived in Heuston at 09.37 with 350 passengers. The 07.45 Limerick special was formed by 076 + GSV + 6 Cravens and arrived in Heuston at 09.37 with 330/350 passengers. The 06.55 Westport special was 201 + 7 Mk IId + EGV and passed Kildare at 09.39 with 330/350 passengers. The 06.50 Killarney special was 6-piece Mk III push-pull (DT6104) pushed by 231, which passed Kildare at 09.50 with 400/450 passengers. The 07.35 Castlebar special was 8208 towing 5-piece Mk III push-pull (DT6105). The 07.10 Killarney special was formed by 6-piece Mk III push-pull (DT6102) pushed by 217 and passed Kildare at 10.18 with 350/370 passengers.

The 08.20 Cork-Heuston regular was formed by 221 + 8 Mk III  + EGV and passed Kildare at 10.37. It was followed 7 minutes later by the 07.30 Tralee special, 225 + 7 Mk III + EGV, which had 480/500 passengers. The 08.40 Galway-Heuston regular called at Kildare from 10.56 to 10.58 and was formed by 202 + 6 Mk III + EGV and had 450/460 passengers. The 09.15 Limerick-Heuston regular called at Kildare from 11.14 to 11.19 and was formed by 212 + 7 Mk III + EGV. It had approximately 600 passengers. The 08.05 Westport-Heuston regular passed Kildare at 11.24 and was formed by 205 + 8 Mk III + EGV and had 350/400 passengers. The 09.20 Waterford-Heuston regular was formed by 071 + 7 Mk III + EGV and called at Kildare from 11.31 to 11.37. It had 460/480 passengers. While stopped in Kildare, it was overtaken by the 08.30 Ballina special, 218 towing 6-piece Mk III push-pull (DT6103), which passed at 11.35 with 400/450 passengers. The final train, the 08.30 Tralee-Heuston Executive special 075 + 6 Mk III + EGV, arrived in Heuston at 12.19.

On Wednesday 13 October, the 12.30 Cork-Charleville was formed by 084 + 4 Cravens + GSV instead of the usual 2600-class railcar. It passed Ballyhea at 13.10, followed ten minutes later by the 11.50 Cork-Limerick cement, 124+167 + 9 bogie wagons.

Reliability of 2700-class railcars on the Dublin-Rosslare line was poor in mid-December. On Sunday 12 December, 4-car 2921-24 worked the 13.25 Connolly-Rosslare Europort to the crossing point of the 14.30 Rosslare Europort-Connolly and then worked the 18.30 Connolly-Rosslare to the crossing point of the 18.20 Rosslare-Connolly. The previous day, a 2800-class substituted on similar services. The 2700-class set returned to the service next morning.

Despite ageing Mk IId rolling stock and high mileage 071-class locomotives, punctuality on the Dublin-Sligo line continues to be excellent, with 97% of trains arriving within 15 minutes of schedule compared with a target of 90%. The line is scheduled to go over to railcar operation in 2005 and the number of through trains to be increased from three to five.

FREIGHT

Future of Rail Freight   In the absence of incentives, IÉ continues to withdraw from unprofitable rail freight. The container gantries in Sligo and Longford have now been closed. The decline in railfreight is such that IÉ now carries only 75 containers a day, which represents 10% of rail freight revenue. IÉ had freight revenue of €49m in 2003 compared with passenger revenue of €142m. Freight operations had a deficit of €9m in 2004, which is down from €15m in 2002 and €14m in 2003. IÉ say they plan to break-even in 2006 by concentrating on profitable business, continuing to rationalise depots and by concentrating on full trainload traffic.

IÉs proposal to increase the price it charges for carrying containers by 25% was criticised by the Irish Exporters Association (IEA). In response, IÉ deferred the price increase from November to January to allow the IEA lobby the Government for tax breaks and incentives for rail freight. IÉ said that they were the only railway in the EU without such incentives and that railfreight was not able to compete with the very competitive road haulage industry without them. According to the IEA, the road freight market is expected to increase by 140% by 2013 compared with the predicted EU average of 60% and the roads will not be able to cope with the growth unless there is further massive investment by the government. The IEA said that ‘rail offers a balanced solution to the rapid growth’ and IÉ needed to continue to provide a service for the container market if Irish exporters were to remain competitive.

The IEA said its ‘principal object is to get the state to invest in railfreight. It should be done on capital grants and tax incentives for the user to switch to rail. However, if there is difficulty in persuading IÉ to continue with its railfreight operation, the government should go down the privatisation route, or at the very least implement the open access directives for railfreight which are due to come into effect in 2007 and allow other operators to enter the market’.

Norfolk Lines   Ballina-Waterford and Waterford-Ballina Norfolk trains did not run after 7 August due to insufficient business to run complete trainloads.

Beet   The annual ‘beet campaign’ commenced on Tuesday 28 September, with trains resuming their normal route from Wellingtonbridge to Mallow via Clonmel following the re-opening of Cahir viaduct. The normal programme was five laden trains per day Monday-Saturday. These departed from Wellingtonbridge at 10.10, 11.40, 13.15, 15.35 and 18.45. However, due to the enhanced passenger service between Limerick Junction and Waterford , the pattern of laden trains was altered. Departures from Waterford were scheduled for 12.30, 15.20, 19.35, 21.55 (21.45 on Saturday) and 00.35 (23.00 on Saturday). Laden trains consisted of 25 four-wheel wagons throughout from Wellingtonbridge to Mallow, with empty trains being up to 36 wagons long. Empty trains were scheduled to depart Mallow Beet Factory Siding at 23.19, 01.20 (00.55 on Saturday), 04.30 (02.40 on Sunday), 07.45, with a light engine departing Mallow at 10.20.

The lack of crossing loops on the line and, in particular at Cahir, caused long delays. The 07.45 Mallow-Waterford was scheduled to sit in Limerick Junction from 09.01 to 09.43 before crossing the 07.05 Rosslare-Limerick Junction at Tipperary from 09.51 to 09.57. The 12.30 Waterford-Mallow was scheduled to sit in Clonmel from 13.37 to 14.25 to cross the 12.40 Limerick-Waterford and the 15.20 Waterford-Mallow was scheduled to sit in Clonmel from 16.26 to 17.15 to cross the 16.20 Limerick Junction-Rosslare Europort. The 00.35 Waterford-Mallow was scheduled to sit in Clonmel from 01.41 to 02.03 to cross the 23.19 Mallow-Waterford empty.

Motive power was a mixture of 071s and pairs of 141/181s, the latter in prominence towards the end of the season. On Friday 8 October, 124 +167 + 25 laden wagons passed Tipperary at 15.25. On Friday 15 October, 078 + 25 laden wagons passed Ballycullane at 11.40, 159+173  + 31 empty wagons passed Dunbrody at 13.00 and NIR 112 + 25 laden wagons passed Campile at 13.39. Next day, 112 + 25 laden wagons worked the 12.30 Waterford-Mallow.

On the morning of Saturday 20 November the following movements were observed at Wellingtonbridge. Just before 10.00, 141+173 + 36 empty wagons arrived and 086 + 25 laden wagons then departed. At noon , 124+177 + 36 empty wagons arrived from Waterford and 141+173 departed with 25 laden wagons. Before 13.30, 152+149 arrived with only 2 empty wagons and 124+177 + 25 laden wagons departed for Waterford .

On Monday 22 November, NIR 112 + 36 empty wagons crossed 124+177 + 25 laden wagons at 13.25 in Carrick-on-Suir. On Saturday 27 November, 081 + 25 laden wagons on the 12.30 Waterford-Mallow crossed the 12.40 Limerick-Waterford, 2751+2753, at Carrick on Suir.

The season was particularly successful with rail operations performing very well and good weather favouring harvesting. The number of laden trains per day was normally five, but on occasion six ran. From the last week in November, the number of laden trains was reduced to four at the request of the sugar factory and the season finished very early on Monday 13 December.

Two prototype demountable beet containers have been constructed in Inchicore. They are 20’ long and fit on standard container mounting spigots on wagons. They have a low-level door in the centre on each side for discharging the beet. Two can be carried on standard bogie wagons and one on four-wheel container flat wagons, both of which have lower platform heights than the existing beet wagons.

One was tested on four-wheel wagon No. 27054 towards the end of the season. The use of a four-wheel wagon for the trial as opposed to a bogie wagon avoided the need to shunt the wagon to the front of the train when the locomotive ran round in Limerick Junction.

On Friday 3 December it was transferred from Inchicore Works to North Wall and was worked to Waterford on Saturday 4 December on a 13.00 North Wall-Kilkenny-Waterford special of keg beer. On Tuesday 7 December, it was loaded and attached to the 10.10 Wellingtonbridge-Mallow laden beet. It was detached at Limerick Junction and was taken to the Limerick cement factory at Castlemungret next day for weighing. It is understood that the fully laden container held about 18 tonnes of beet. It was later attached to the 23.40 Limerick Junction-Mallow laden beet. It returned empty to Wellingtonbridge on Thursday 9 December and was loaded again on Saturday 11 December and attached to the 10.10 departure, 079 + No. 27054 + 24 laden beet. At Waterford , 079 was replaced by 151+148, which had just arrived light from Mallow. The train crossed NIR 112 light engine in Carrick on Suir at 13.25 and the 12.40 Limerick-Waterford in Clonmel.

The prototype container design is still under evaluation and no firm decisions have been made regarding construction of more of them. The future of the existing volume of sugar production in Ireland is under threat from changes in EC support for growing beet and newspapers report that one of the two remaining sugar factories may close. It is anticipated that if further containers are constructed they will be transported on bogie wagons rather than four-wheelers.

Timber   Since the current contract with Coillte commenced, IÉ has typically operated three trains every two weeks from Westport and Sligo , with two trains per week from Ballina.

Coillte said that ‘communication and cooperation between both parties is excellent and both companies are satisfied with the progress to date. The project has worked well and it has reduced considerably the pressure for road haulage to Waterford in the West and North West ’.

A third set of 60’ air-braked timber wagons re-entered service in October. The set was of 10 bogie-wagons and was initially used to provide a second weekly train from Sligo to Waterford . On Saturday 16 October, 152 + 10 empty bogie-wagons arrived in North Wall at 08.00 from Limerick wagon works with the third set. This third set allowed train frequency to increase to two per week from each of Sligo , Ballina and Westport .

On Friday 15 October, 083 + 10 empty bogie-wagons passed Heuston at 10.15 en route to North Wall. It was worked forward from North Wall to Sligo by 071. On Sunday 17 October, 152 +177 + 10 laden bogies departed Heuston Goods at 13.30 for Waterford . On Sunday 24 October, 149 +173 + 10 bogies passed Straffan at 14.40 en route to Waterford from Sligo .

Liners   On Monday 6 September, the 12.00 North Wall-Cork, 083 + 12 laden Container Pocket Wagons (CPWs), passed Hazelhatch at 13.15. At Sallins, 223 replaced 083 and the train departed at 14.30. The next day, the 12.00 liner was 230 + 12 laden CPWs, passing Straffan at 12.55. It was looped in Portlaoise for the 13.20 Dublin Heuston-Cork, 202 + EGV + 7 Mk III. The 12.40 Athy-Limerick empty cement, 160+172 + 20 four-wheel wagons, passed Portlaoise at 15.00. On Wednesday 8 September, 144+175 + 14 cement laden wagons passed Balbriggan at 14.15, the 13.20 Navan-Alexandra Road laden Tara, NIR 112 + 12 bogie wagons passed at 14.55 and the 14.00 Dundalk-North Wall liner, 071 + 10 four-wheel keg beer wagons, passed at 15.15.

On Tuesday 21 September, the 02.00 Sligo-North Wall liner was 088 + 10 four-wheel keg beer and 10 four-wheel ESSO oil wagons and passed Broombridge at 10.00. On Monday 4 October, NIR Enterprise locomotive 8208 + 12 CPWs departed North Wall at 12.30 with the 12.00 North Wall-Cork North Esk.

On Friday 15 October, the 12.00 North Wall-Cork liner was 225 + 12 CPWs transporting 8 Coastal and 4 Hapag-Lloyd containers. It passed Heuston at 13.05. On Wednesday 20 October, 233 + 12 full CPWs  (5 Coastal, 4 Hapag-Lloyd and 3 MGS) departed North Wall at 12.30.

On Thursday 4 November, somewhat unusually a pair of locomotives was used on the 12.00 North Wall-Cork, when 147+185 + 12 laden CPWs departed North Wall at 12.35. The same locomotives departed Waterford at 11.15 on the following Saturday with 36 empty beet wagons for Wellingtonbridge.

On Saturday 13 November, the 04.10 Claremorris-North Wall liner, 177 + 215 (towed) + 12 four-wheel keg beer wagons crossed the 12.55 Heuston-Westport in Geashill.

The 12.00 North Wall-Cork liner on Monday 6 December was 230 + 12 laden CPWs and departed North Wall at 12.50.

Cement   During the closure of the Cherryville-Waterford line for commissioning of Mini-CTC in April, Drogheda-Dublin North Wall-Waterford cement trains were diverted via Newcomen Junction, Connolly, Wexford and Rosslare Strand. This arrangement worked very well and was chosen again for the closure to renew the deck of Thomastown viaduct in September. Laden trains were scheduled to depart North Wall at 09.20 and arrive in Waterford at 14.21. Empty trains were scheduled to depart Waterford at 15.20, cross the 13.40 Connolly-Rosslare Europort in Rosslare Strand, cross the 17.25 Connolly-Gorey in Rathdrum, cross the 17.55 Maynooth-Rosslare Europort in Wicklow and arrive in North Wall at 20.40.

The first diverted cement, 088 + 20 wagons, ran on Tuesday 14 September. It was late departing North Wall and crossed the 13.25 Rosslare Europort-Maynooth in Enniscorthy. No empty train ran, but both trains ran next day.

On Friday 17 September, the 09.20 North Wall-Waterford formed by 147+159 + 22 wagons. It was departed Dublin late and passed Rathdrum at 13.00. It crossed the empty train, 227 + 20 wagons, in Wellingtonbridge. No. 227 had brought a timber train into Waterford on Monday 13, but was stranded because the Limerick Junction and Kilkenny lines were closed for bridge works and the 201-class is not cleared for normal operation between Wellingtonbridge and Arklow. Special permission was granted for it to operate to Dublin .

On Monday 20 September, the 09.20 North Wall-Waterford was 144+175 + 11 wagons and passed Arklow at 11.40. The 15.20 Waterford-North Wall was 163+166 + 22 wagons. On Tuesday 21 September, 088 + 19 wagons departed North Wall at 14.00 for Waterford . The locomotive had arrived with the Sligo liner earlier that morning.

On Wednesday 22 September, 087 + 22 laden wagons stalled on Newcomen bank at 10.15. With assistance, it got going again at 11.25. On Thursday 144+175 + 21 laden wagons passed Dún Laoghaire at 10.15.

The final cement train via Wexford ran on Friday 24 September. It was formed by 124+185 + 24 wagons and passed Newcastle at 11.05. There was no corresponding Waterford-Dublin train as the line via Carlow re-opened that afternoon following completion of work on Thomastown viaduct. Both locomotives returned with the 14.05 Waterford-North Wall empty via Carlow the following Monday, arriving at 18.00.

Wagons   Modifications are being carried out to some 42’ 6” bogie wagons to enable them to carry pallets of keg beer (Guinness and other). They are being fitted with removable spigots and holding trays for five pallets. The wagons concerned are Nos. 30001 to 30035 and 30101 to 30135. This traffic is also carried in 47’ 6” bogie wagons and on four-wheel wagons.

 The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal Number 156, published February 2005.

Copyright © 2005 by Irish Railway Record Society Limited
Revised: June 14, 2005 .