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Photo Thread.
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Photos from the recent Mid Hants Diesel Gala in July have just been uploaded to the website.
Over 160 pictures from the Friday and Saturday can be found at https://bit.ly/3BD7m63
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The London and South East gallery has been completed from my recent UK trip to visit the Mid Hants railway.
Pictures in this gallery include:
* Sleeper train at Paddington.
* Selhurst Depot from the air.
* South Western Mainline services.
* Final day of Class 317's out of Liverpool Street.
All the pictures can be viewed at:
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The August collection begins with the return of trains to the Nenagh Branch, which reopened on Thursday following a 12 week closure for track relaying.
Click https://bit.ly/3P15KpU to view.
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For the final part of the UK trip, I spent two days in Liverpool to travel and photograph the Class 507 & 508 EMU's operated by Merseyrail. These are shortly to be replaced by new Class 777's built by Stadler.
While the main day to explore was to be Monday, it also turned out to be the hottest day of the year with temps in Liverpool topping 35+ degrees. The Wirral's West Kirby branch got suspended due to a points failure at Bidston East Jct. and I had to avail of the 407 bus back to Liverpool. Due to the heat and delays to the service I called it a day early.
The following day, was also very hot and Merseyrail operated a curtailed and amended service, which meant the last part of the network I needed to explore, Ellesmere Port will have to wait for another day. On Tuesday, I decided not to take any chances and heading to Manchester mid-morning for my flight back to Dublin at 1610.
Click https://bit.ly/3AcBl3I to view the 150+ images from the trip.
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Last Saturday I paid a visit to the Connemara Railway at Maam Cross which is aiming to reopen a section of the former Clifden to Galway railway which closed in 1935. Since my last visit in November 2021, progress has been made on laying 5ft 3in gauge track alongside the temporary 3ft gauge track and a replica of the signal cabin is nearing completion.
Also during this week the railway received its first standard gauge rolling stock with the delivery of 3 ballast wagons and a plough van which will greatly assist future developments at the railway. More rolling stock is due to be delivered in the coming days.
Click https://bit.ly/3AgWQ3c to view all the images from the visit.
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The August gallery continues with pictures from:
Wednesday 10th August 2022:
Pictures from Ballybrophy and Portlaoise.
Sunday 14th August 2022:
Pictures from between Roscommon and Athlone on Sunday evening of Westport services.
Wednesday 17th August 2022:
Pictures from Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Limerick Jct, and Limerick.
Friday 19th August 2022:
Pictures from Nenagh, Limerick, Limerick Jct., Mallow and Killarney.
Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2022-Photos/August-2022/i-96ZhHDd to view.
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Branch Line Society: Emerald Isle Explorer
After a two year break thanks to Covid enforced travel restrictions the Branch Line Society returns to Ireland for one of their tours covering unusual routes in Ireland.
The tour started at 0730 from Connolly and over the course of the day would visit Dundalk, Dromod, Grand Canal Dock, Adamstown, Heuston and returning to Connolly at 1737.
Highlights of the trip included:
- Connolly Wash Road
- Skerries Loop and the Bi-directional working between Skerries and Balbriggan.
- Dromod Siding.
- Killucan Loop
- Maynooth Siding.
- Newcomen Jct. to Connolly.
- Operates in the down direction over the up line between Connolly and Grand Canal Dock.
- Heuston Platform 10
- Adamstown Bay Platform
- Heuston Wash Road.
- Heuston Carriage Siding 2
Click https://bit.ly/3PGminq to view all the images from the day.
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On Saturday 20th August, a new railtour organisation operated their first railtour in Ireland, Tailte Tours is a new, voluntary led fundraising initiative. Their aim is to assist Ireland's voluntary run heritage railways and museums raise extra funds to further their projects.
Their first tour, named the Premier Rose operated from Dublin Connolly to Tralee using an IE MKIV set and 201 class locomotive. This tour claimed a number of firsts, with the first passenger operation between Connolly and Islandbridge Jct. and between Killarney and Tralee.
Pictures of the Premier Rose Railtour at various locations in and around Killarney can be viewed at https://bit.ly/3pC2O8N
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Evening folks,
Two updates to the website tonight.
The first is the latest update from the Connemara Railway which is aiming to restore a section of the Galway to Clifden Railway which closed in 1935. During the latest work party day, sections of the "pop up" 3ft Narrow Gauge railway were removed to allow future laying of 5ft 3in gauge track. Construction of the replica signal cabin is also nearing completion, with internal fitting out yet to be done.
Click https://bit.ly/3E34yjR to view.
The 2nd update is photos of loco 223 on a driver training run from Cork to Laois Depot today and later in the day a stop at Borris in Ossory to see one of the last remaining sections of jointed track on the Nenagh branch before it is relaid soon.
Click https://bit.ly/3fodRk6 to view.
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The October gallery starts off with a day trip from Thurles to Dublin with pictures from Thurles, Heuston, Dublin City and Portarlington. Due to engineering works the return trip to Thurles was a bus transfer as far as Portarlington for a train forward.
Click https://bit.ly/3SF6xPO to view all the picts.
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The October gallery has been updated with pictures today from Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Limerick Jct. Mallow, Rathmore and Killarney.
Click https://bit.ly/3T5hsSu to view.
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The November gallery has been updated with a few pictures from near Lisduff in Co. Laois of the 1425 Cork - Heuston and 1500 Heuston - Cork passing. The purpose of the trip today was to view the new quiet coach branding on the MKIV Standard End carriages which is being launched on Monday 7th November 2022.
Click https://bit.ly/3zNoFjd to view.
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Tuesday 8th November 2022:
Cork Drivers Depot arranged another one of their unusual routes training trips on Tuesday 8th November for two trainee drivers. A 0945 Cork - Laois Depot operated via Limerick Jct. Pocket Loop, Thurles Loop and Down Platform, Ballybrophy Loop and Portlaoise Station Loop to reverse before visiting Laois Traincare Depot. 226 was provided for todays trip and pictures of it are at Laois Depot and Clonkeen.
Click https://bit.ly/3fPsL3q to view.
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Sunday 14th November 2022:
While in Co. Kilkenny on Sunday I called into Thomastown Station for a look around, later in the day I stopped off at Dromkeen just as darkness fell to see the 1645 Limerick - Limerick Jct. & 1647 Limerick Jct. - Limerick crossing.
Click https://bit.ly/3hIWoUH to view all the images.
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The latest update to the November galley at https://bit.ly/3guFlFu features:
Tuesday 15th November 2022:
Photos from around the Ballybrophy and Portlaoise areas.
Wednesday 16th November 2022:
Pictures from this day mainly come from a trip out along the LUAS Green Line to Cherrywood and Brides Glen to see recent developments along the route.
Thursday 17th November 2022:
A visit to Heuston and Inchicore.
Friday 18th September 2022:
The Sperry Train visited the Nenagh Branch travelling from Limerick to Portlaoise via Nenagh.
Monday 21st November 2022:
The Nenagh Branch reopened today following further track upgrading.
Tuesday 22nd November 2022:
Just a single photo from Portlaoise on this day.
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Foynes Line Reconstruction
Work is due to commence on reconstruction of the Limerick to Foynes for freight traffic in the coming weeks. In advance of phase one of the project, vegetation clearance is already underway and it appears that the route has been fully cleared. The last train operated over the route in 2001 and the line has gradually fallen into disrepair over the last 21 years. The current phase of work that is about to begin and the subsequent phases will facilitate rail freight services, but will not preclude the possibility of passenger services being reintroduced on this line in the future, but this would require further infrastructure upgrades and funding. The Ryder Cup Golf tournament is to be held at Adare, which the railway passes through in 2027 and it is mooted that a passenger service will be reinstated for this between Adare and nearby Limerick City.
I undertook a photographic survey of the route on Sunday 27th November from Limerick City to Foynes. With the route being upgraded to modern standards no doubt many of the features of the route at stations and level crossings will vanish over the next three years.
Click https://bit.ly/3UhlSGj to view all the images.
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The December gallery kicks off today with a ramble around the Limerick area with photos from:
Limerick Jct.
Dromkeen.
Oola.
Limerick Station.
Cratloe.
Click https://bit.ly/3XV79nC to view all the images.
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Evening folks,
The December gallery has been updated with images from:
Ballybrophy,
Portlaoise,
Limerick Jct.
Limerick,
Nenagh,
Heuston,
The Point
Pearse,
Mallow,
Rathmore,
Click https://bit.ly/3uLSwFx to view all the images.
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Afternoon all,
I've just published my 2022 year in review. Life returned to normal in 2022 with the lifting of COVID19 restrictions which meant the welcome return of railtours and more extensive travel around Ireland and the UK.
The highlights from the year in review contain:
* Tom Ryan retires.
* Continued investment in the Nenagh Branch which resulted in a 15 minute journey time improvement in December 2022.
* A selection of images from the outstanding Inchicore 175 Open Day event in May 2022.
* IE Infrastructure Manager Showcase event at Portlaoise PW Depot.
* Towards the end of 2022 clearance work for the Foynes Line reconstruction was completed.
* RPSI East West and Shades of Grey Railtours
* Branch Line Society railtour.
* Visits to Waterford and Suir Valley and Cavan & Leitrim Railway.
Click https://bit.ly/3GuKpE4 to view over 300 images.
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