Irish Railway Record Society

TRACK

Dublin-Dundalk-Border   Plasser & Theurer ballast cleaner No. 780 has largely been used on the Dublin-Cork line in recent years and was usually based in Portarlington when not in use. However in January, it was used during weeknight possessions in the Mosney area.

Limerick-Rosslare Europort   The Limerick Junction-Waterford line was closed for six weeks commencing on Monday 18 April to allow re-laying of six miles with second-hand materials. All passenger trains were cancelled and substituted by bus, although the line re-opened for a Waterford-Claremorris Knock special, 072 + EGV + 8 Mk III, on Sunday 1 May and the RPSI steam tour on 15 May. There are no scheduled freight trains on the line outside the beet season. The cancellations also included the 17:15 Limerick Junction-Rosslare Europort and 20:30 Rosslare Europort-Waterford, but not the 07:00 Rosslare Europort-Waterford and the 17:25 return. By early May, 1²/₃ miles between Cahir and Nicholastown level crossing MP38¹/₂-43¹/₄ had been re-laid. There had previously been a line closure between 08:00 on Wednesday 2 to 17:00 on Monday 7 February.

There were mid-morning closures on Tuesday-Thursday between Limerick-Limerick Junction during late April and early May for tamping and loading rails.

Ballybrophy-Killonan Junction   The line was closed completely on several occasions during the winter and spring to allow approximately two miles of re-laying with second-hand jointed track and other work take place, particularly between Birdhill and Killonan Junction. Work between 08:30 on Friday 28 and 16:00 on Monday 31 January included tamping and levelling track at Lisnagry level crossing, which is on the main N7 Dublin-Limerick road. All trains were cancelled, including the Kilmastulla-Limerick cement factory shale trains.

To allow re-laying with second-hand materials between Nenagh and Silvermines Junction the 09:45 Ballybrophy-Limerick and 15:00 Limerick-Ballybrophy were substituted by bus from Tuesday 15 until Thursday 17 February and from Tuesday 1 until Thursday 3 March. There was a complete line closure from 08:30 Tuesday 8 until 17:00 Thursday 10 March. Re-laying with second-hand materials has taken place between MP31¹/₂-32¹/₂.

The track through Cloughjordan (MP20) has been re-laid with second hand jointed flat-bottomed rail on timber sleepers.

Dublin-Sligo Track work continues in advance of the commissioning of Mini-CTC, including installation of a new crossing loop to the north of the existing platform at Carrick-on-Shannon.

Cork-Cobh   The line was closed completely between Glounthaune (Cobh Junction) and Cobh from Thursday 21 April until 16:00 Tuesday 26 April for yard rationalisation and to renew No. 19 crossover in Cobh . The connection to the goods store siding (No. 16) and associated disc signals were removed.

Dublin-Galway   In Athlone, the turnout to the Moate line was renewed in an overnight possession on Thursday 10/Friday 11 March.

Drogheda (Platin)-Navan   Approximately two miles of track has been re-laid with second-hand materials between MP8³/₄-12.

Cork-Midleton   Some vegetation clearing has taken place. It started at Midleton and was working towards Glounthaune.

Weedspray   The annual weedspray season started on Thursday 14 April when locomotive No. 172 hauled the spray train from its base in Portlaoise to Cobh . Athenry-Ennis was sprayed on 26 April and Drogheda-Navan on 10 May.

BRIDGES AND TUNNELS

Following major repairs as noted in JOURNAL 156, further strengthening work on Slatty viaduct (UB421 at 172 miles 316 yards) between Glounthaune (Cobh Junction) and Cobh took place at night commencing 31 January. Initially the last two trains in either direction were substituted by bus between Glounthaune and Cobh , but from 21 February the 20:00 Cork-Cobh and 20:30 Cobh-Cork were also substituted by bus. The major repair work was completed on the 11 April. The bridge now has a concrete deck with the rails embedded in rubber.

UB37 on the Portarlington-Athlone line over the Grand Canal at Tullamore received major upgrading including a new deck during a line closure from 08:00 on Tuesday 15 to 03:00 on Friday 18 February. The new deck includes a concrete floor similar to that installed in the rebuilt Cahir bridge. The line closure was during a quiet period for mainline passenger traffic, with passenger trains substituted by bus between Portarlington and Athlone. Freight trains were cancelled completely. The rock cutting on the Portarlington side of Tullamore was also excavated during the line closure.

UB41 at 25 miles 888 yards on the Nenagh branch was renewed on the 19 April with pre-cast concrete units.

Major repairs are being carried out to span No. 12 of the Barrow Bridge (UB140 Waterford-Rosslare). This work is due for completion in early June when the span will then be painted.

A new 79-metre long four-span underbridge for the M1 motorway was installed at Ballynahatten (MP56³/₄-57) on the Wellington Bank north of Dundalk during a full line closure over Easter Weekend. The line was closed from 22:15 on Holy Thursday 24 March until 05:00 on Tuesday 28 March. Construction of the concrete structure for the new bridge began in November 2004 adjacent to the line. Following the closure, the first task was the removal of the existing Harp Lager / Dundalk Town Council water main embedded in the embankment. This was replaced by a new main.

Then track and ballast were removed along with a 100-metre section of the embankment totalling approximately 20,000m³. The 7,500-tonne concrete structure was then slid 44-metres into place at a speed of 6 metres per hour. The bridge had been built on a guide raft, which provided directional support and anchorage from which hydraulic jacks could pull the bridge into place. During the slide a mixer injected a bentonite mix (inclusive of micro balls and additive) between the bottom of the bridge and the guide raft. This construction method, known as the 'Autoripage' slide technique was chosen to minimise disruption to rail traffic. The four spans are 17-metres, 23-metres, 23-metres and 16-metres long.

When the bridge was pulled into place concrete grout was then pumped or poured between the inclined walls of the bridge and the slope. Grouting of the base slab then took place followed by placing of precast transition slab units. The embankment, ballast and rails were subsequently replaced and the line re-opened with a 25-mph speed restriction.

Two permanent way trains were at the site on Easter Sunday 27 March in conjunction with re-instatement of the line. Locomotives Nos. 124+162 were on one track, while 185 was on the other. This was the first appearance of a 121-class north of Dundalk for some time.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 157, published June 2005.

Copyright © 2005 by Irish Railway Record Society Ltd.
Revised: August 23, 2005 .