Harry Potter Express Irish Style ... 100 year old Steam Train Location Times

leinsterman

I mentioned this before but just in case anyone is interested there is a steam train excursion along the Dublin - Rosslare line this Sunday...

If you are interested in coming along let me know ... MikeyA and myself are going ... tickets should be available on the day ... the trip along the coast and through the Avoca valley to Wexford is one of the more spectacular ones ...

If you want to catch the train passing (rather than going on it) then PM me your email and I'll send you a detail table of locations / time ... one interesting location might be Avondale ... which can be combined with a visit to this lovely place ...

It departs Connolly at 10:45, through Dun L 11:05, through Greystones 11:35, Water stop at Rathdrum 12:12, Water Stop at Gorey 13:00, Stop Wexford 14:11, Rosslare harbour (where it is turned on one of the few remainaing truntables in operation) 14:40ish ....

Returns from Wexford 17:09, Greystones 19:56, Dun L 20:27, Connolly 20:48 ...

I have more detail if anyone needs it ...

Rojo

If it's blue I've been on it! It's pretty cool.

sineadw

I'm off on me holliers. Have fun though!

Oriel

Add it to the photo calendar...

440Hz

I didnt think I would be around for this but looks like I might. Ill send ya a PM about the timetable

leinsterman

Oriel wrote:

Add it to the photo calendar...

... did this a few weeks back ... unless you are referring to the detail timetable ... in which case the answer is no, I prefer to email it ...

bovril

on holidays too, would have loved to have gone.

mikeanywhere

leinsterman wrote:

MikeyA and myself are going ...

Thats me in case anyone wandered

Si - its just me going by the way

elven

Ooh, tempted, tempted... how much is it though? The Jacobite was fairly pricey

City-Exile

Everything is expensive to the Scots!

I can't make it on Sunday, as I've promised to take some people to Croke Park for the Hurling.
Wonder could I get down to Connolly first and take a few snaps?

440Hz

mikeanywhere wrote:

Thats me in case anyone wandered

Si - its just me going by the way

Quiet you and get map learning

Road Trip!!

daedalus2097

I'll probably turn up at Greystones or somewhere along there, depending on our wonderful weather of course!

thebaz

i'll probably try and catch it at dun laoghaire at 11 , thanks for the heads up simon .

Would you need a tripod ? if theres many people watching it might be a bit awkward around the dun laoghaire dart viewing areas , to plop a tripod down!!

Fionn

wouldn't mind being at one of the water stops - would make some great photo ops
although i may be photographing motorcycle racing

decisions decisions!!!

leinsterman

Still checking ticket availability ... in the interim here is the full time table (W is water stop) -

leinsterman

and here is the puff puff that'll be pulling the train -

http://www.rpsi-online.org/locomotives/loco4.htm

red_bairn

In work all day. Nuts! Perhaps I'll run out and get a quick snap of ye auld train before it departs.

440Hz

Choo-choo!!!! ohhhh all excited

helios

What's the story with this, then? Are you handing out tickets or do we just show up?

440Hz

Site says its all sold out, so we are just waiting to hear more from the "main man"

leinsterman

Ok ... I'm still checking ticket availability for this ... note that it is sold out as 440Hz points out but some tickets (I'm not sure how many) have been put aside for me thanks to my dad who is involved in the RPSI ... so anyone coming along needs to be sure at this stage. I can't get through to the person holding tickets via phone so I'll have to get back to you on this ...

Definites are -

Me (well obviously)
mikeyanywhere
440Hz

Possibles include -
Elven
mmmmat
Helios

Is that it ?

Note if we come up short on tickets the order above is the one I'll use based on who contacted me first (ie first come first served) ... I hope this is OK ?


Failing that ... I can suggest the following trackside shooting locations -

Avondale (the bridge that crosses over the nature walk)
Greystones Beach
The cliff walk between Bray and Greystones (get there early to scout a location and bring a long lens)
Rathdrum Station (water stop)
The seafront at the North Pier in Dun L
Conolly station (buy a Dart ticket to get onto the platform)
Wexford sea front (where the train goes along the docks)

helios

Count me in... Is it possible to get me + 1?

leinsterman

Forgot to add ... Price per ticket will be €35

EDIT - Plus and extra €8 for the Rosslare extension but I think it is probably better to get off at Wexford and catch the train as it goes along the water front and then head off for some grub.

Elven is not going to make it so now the order of merit is -

me
Mikeyanywhere
440Hz
mmmat
Helios + 1

helios

Ok so it's Me minus 1. Is that MMMMatt from Flickr?

440Hz

chooooooo

thebaz

Katie -- could you not sharpen that up , looks a bit blurry to me

On a more serious note , i've never really shot trains before, apart from one that got slated here , what shutter speeds should i use , i'll be on my own (with son) at dun laoghaire somewhere !

440Hz

thebaz wrote:

Katie -- could you not sharpen that up , looks a bit blurry to me
!

pish! Last time I hand paint a poster for you in under 5 minutes, including drying and scanning!

leinsterman

thebaz wrote:

Katie -- could you not sharpen that up , looks a bit blurry to me

On a more serious note , i've never really shot trains before, apart from one that got slated here , what shutter speeds should i use , i'll be on my own (with son) at dun laoghaire somewhere !

This all depends on what you want to achieve and the conditions of the day
... if you are trying to freeze the action then you need to go for a very fast shutter speed (say 1000+) and a low F stop to create some background bokeh (but this will be stationary blur) ... remember the train will be moving too so you won't get away with anything less than 250 using a stationary camera ... use AF servo with continuous shooting, get a lock well before the firing point and keep it locked until you squeeze the shutter release .... shoot as many shots as the buffer will take ...

alternatively you could try panning with the train to produce background motion blur ... in this case you can go to 60-100 ... but be careful to turn from the hips ... pan smoothly with the motion of a point on the train as your guide or you will get camera shake ... use ISO to give the required shutter speed for a given F stop. At a guess I'd say F4 for a 100mm lens at 50m ... but do try some test shots with different F settings using passing cars or Darts ... a pan shot will give a better sense of motion and will be less static if you get it right ... PM paddy@cirl for advice on this technique ... he is a master at it ...

Metering is an issue also ... the engine is black and shiny ... a horrible combination ... so I'd shoot RAW and use spot metering with aperture bracketing mode on your 400D ... maybe fire off a test shot at a few Dart's beforehand... and check the histograms ... take a few meter readings from dark items in view of the likely shot zone

... or you can try a sports technique of setting manual AF and pre focussing on a defined trigger point ... meter ahead of time and use Manual mode or TV to ensure a good shutter speed ... you can also bracket for safety if your dept of field is big enough ... use a tripod and a cable release for extra stability ... the image should be pin sharp but may lack a sense of dynamism.... and you only get a few shots ...

leinsterman

helios wrote:

Ok so it's Me minus 1. Is that MMMMatt from Flickr?

my bad ... mixing up my forums ... but aren't you MMMMatt in flickr?

thebaz

thanks simon , i was hoping you'd say no need for a tripod , if i have my young fellow with me, i'll have to rely on my not stable hands !

leinsterman

As it approaches Dun Laoghaire the train will be slowing down a bit so you can probably estimate a speed of 60-80KMH ... this is around 20 Meters per second ... so looking at how this relates to shutter speed -

in 1/60s the train moves 33cm so it will be blurred
in 1/250s the train moves 8cm less blur
in 1/1000s the train moves 2cm virtually no blur

Alternatively if you pan (remembering to turn off IS or at least switch to mode 2 .. if you have it) ... then you need to be pivoting at the same relative speed as the train to prevent subject blur and create background motion blur (as opposed to static or camera shake blur) ... this is a compromise between what you can safely hand hold and the motion of the subject ... you only want to be moving the camera with the train not vertically as this creates a different kind of blur ... it is important to follow through with the motion even after taking the shot ... this will give you greater stability ...

nilhg

leinsterman wrote:

..... it is important to follow through with the motion even after taking the shot ... this will give you greater stability ...

Sounds like you could have been coaching Harrington

leinsterman

nilhg wrote:

Sounds like you could have been coaching Harrington

Works on the same principle to be fair ... you get smoother motion if you play through the shot ... but in this case there are no big prizes for getting it right


Ok ... I have commited us to taking four tickets -

Me
MikeyA
440Hz
Helios (or is it Mmmmmatt ?;))

mikeanywhere

Thanks for organising Si, see ya Sunday!!

440Hz

woochoo-chooooooo

Cheers Simon! Get ready for guitar chat!

nilhg

leinsterman wrote:

Works on the same principle to be fair ... you get smoother motion if you play through the shot ... but in this case there are no big prizes for getting it right

Ah don't mind me, I'm bored and p***ed off (have a look at my flickr to see why). Thank god for the internet and wireless LAN.

elven

Easier when they aren't moving, though...

440Hz

elven wrote:

The Lancashire Fusilier! Nice shot Julie

City-Exile

Why go portrait, Elven?
You're missing the nose.
The steam just blends in with the clouds anyway.

elven

440Hz wrote:

The Lancashire Fusilier! Nice shot Julie

Uh oh, geek alert!

That's the Jacobite (only going from the name plate on the front!), is the Lancashire Fusilier the name of the type of engine? It's all complete greek to me...

440Hz

elven wrote:

Uh oh, geek alert!

That's the Jacobite (only going from the name plate on the front!), is the Lancashire Fusilier the name of the type of engine? It's all complete greek to me...

Its the name of the Engine!

hehe Not a geek, just its a famous engine. One of 5 "Black Engines", you can google the rest hehe but there is the info -

http://www.steamtraingalleries.co.uk/pic_east_lancashire_039.html
http://home.btconnect.com/ian.riley/id1.html

ps: I just googled the engine number, hadnt a clue otherwise! Before I get a trainspotting stereotype

Paulw

So much easier when it's stopped or even slowly moving.

440Hz

Actually... Im sure the Flickr heads here will have come across Joe Cashin who has a lovely shot http://www.flickr.com/photos/joecashin/65954495/ narrow gauge! hehe

daedalus2097

elven wrote:

Uh oh, geek alert!

That's the Jacobite (only going from the name plate on the front!), is the Lancashire Fusilier the name of the type of engine? It's all complete greek to me...

Hehe, another geek here *holds hand up*

It seems to be the Lancashire Fusilier alright. If the nameplate was actually on the front of the loco it was probably the name for the train, or some special service or something like that... Loco name plates are usually on the sides of the boiler or smoke box.

Where's a nerdy smiley when you need one, eh?

sineadw

ahem...

leinsterman

sineadw wrote:

ahem...

Yes Sinead ... is there something you would like to add ?

Guys ... I think it is more appropraite to say "Hands up who is not a geek here ?" .... at least we can take comfort in the fact we are not dorks!!

Baz ... here is an example of a motion blur train shot taking with good follow through in a panning motion from the hips -

Paulw

Excellent photo !!! I love the colours and the blur.

helios

Some highlights...

thebaz

No. 2 is a strange looking train
You probably whizzed past me under booterstown bridge, it actually travelled quite fast , and with all the security barriers it was hard to shoot anything decent , this was as good as i could get as a trainspotter !

http://www.flickr.com/photos/thebaz/944231866/

Oriel

Roffles at number 3.

440Hz

Bloody hell that was fast work!!! Nice shots! Pity about those two idiots wrecking the third one. Who were they? I would have had "words" with them. Trailer Park style

What a smutty day! hehe

My eyes are sore! Sleep. Update tomorrow. When I get the smut outta my eyes/hair/everywhere
Great day all, cheers, really really enjoyed myself. CHOOOOO