Named Trains in Ireland

gobnaitolunacy

Following on the recent Railway Magazine articles on Titled Trains, just a few from this side of the water, were there any more?
Not counting 'one-offs', i.e. ITG/GSRPS/RPSI railtour titles that weren't reused.

Enterprise (GNRI/CIE)
Bundoran Express (GNRI)
Sea Breeze (RPSI?)
Portrush Flyer (RPSI?)
Radio Train (CIE)
Failte/Slainte/Deise/Seandun/Searseal (CIE)
American Mail (GS&WR)
Cu na Mara (CIE)
Wexford Opera Festival Express (think I've seen this with a headboard, exact wording I can't recall)
Mystery Train (CIE/GNRI/RPSI, did they run pre-CIE?)


I've seen a reference to a GSR 'English Mail' in an OS Nock book, but never saw it mentioned anywhere else.

Edit: Don't know if Sea Breeze/Portrush Flyer are preservation age names or if they existed pre-RPSI.

Losty Dublin

Don't forget the much loved Santa Special (RPSI) and the much respected Peace Train from the late 80's.

Judgement Day

And don't forget that name beloved by the IRRS "Tour by Special Train".

Eiretrains

Was there one called the North Atlantic Express or something on the NCC?
Don't know whether this one was official, but the BCDR had something called the Golfers Express or was that someone else I can't remember?:o

Judgement Day

And there was "The Holocaust Express" aka "The Train of Death" which the Dublin evening papers applied to the NET Ammonia train.

gobnaitolunacy

Eiretrains wrote: »

Was there one called the North Atlantic Express or something on the NCC?
Don't know whether this one was official, but the BCDR had something called the Golfers Express or was that someone else I can't remember?:o

Spot on for both, had forgotten those.

Losty Dublin

There was named Lough Derg specials on the GNRI as well, Gobnaith. They ran express from Dublin for the pilgrimages until the late 50's and were very well used, so they say. Closer to today, the old Harcourt Street line saw the original Sea Breeze links; summer specials that ran to bray and onwards up until the late 50's

Back in the day, the MGWR ran branded harvestman specials from the west to Dublin and onwards on the ferries for farm labourers to travel to the UK for harvesting work in the summer.

One other one that is little spoken about but arguably the most important for staff and workers was the weekly Pay Train

LivelineDipso

The Flying Skanger between Four Courts and The Square.

Losty Dublin

LivelineDipso wrote: »

The Flying Skanger between Four Courts and The Square.

And here I was thinking it was called the Daniel Day.....

Rocky Bay

I seem to recall the name "Radio Train" but can't remember its purpose?

Eiretrains

Someone might be able to correct me on these titles, not sure if they were official, but up to the end of the loose coupled goods there was one such train called the Up Rambler Goods serving all principal stations from either Cork or Limerick to Dublin.
There was also another on the Sligo line, The Shipper I think, which was a cattle train which ran from Sligo to Dublin until the early 1970s.

gobnaitolunacy

Rocky Bay wrote: »

I seem to recall the name "Radio Train" but can't remember its purpose?

In a nutshell, a tourist-oriented service with a studio coach, playing music and commentary about the locality it was passing thru. Went Dub-Galway and Dub-Killarney afaik. Active in the 50s/60s think it was gone by the 70's. Revived briefly in the 1990's(?). One of the few to actually carry a headboard which featured a distinctive 'lightning flash'.

Losty Dublin

Eiretrains wrote: »

Someone might be able to correct me on these titles, not sure if they were official, but up to the end of the loose coupled goods there was one such train called the Up Rambler Goods serving all principal stations from either Cork or Limerick to Dublin.
There was also another on the Sligo line, The Shipper I think, which was a cattle train which ran from Sligo to Dublin until the early 1970s.

The Rambler, now that's a memory. It was an unoffical name given by freight drivers (There were freight and passenger rosters at most depots back then) for loose coupled goods trains as vacuum braked trains took over entirely for the freight workings and loose were discontinued. If you are around on any of the Santas, let me know and I'll show you a very rare treat related to this that I have in the archive

Our man in Havana

"The undertaker" under its' various guises.

gobnaitolunacy

Our man in Havana wrote: »

"The undertaker" under its' various guises.

What's that? Sounds morbid!

gobnaitolunacy

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

What's that? Sounds morbid!

Probably referring to the IRRS specials which were usually the last passenger trains to traverse a line before it was closed.

I don't understand why these are bashed so much. I mean, it's not as if the IRRS encouraged the lines to be closed.

johnayo

There was the Condom Train into Connolly back in 1971.

gobnaitolunacy

Karsini wrote: »

Probably referring to the IRRS specials which were usually the last passenger trains to traverse a line before it was closed.

I don't understand why these are bashed so much. I mean, it's not as if the IRRS encouraged the lines to be closed.

Some may use it as a stick to beat the IRRS for not doing more to save lines, it's not the purpose of the IRRS to save anything, other than printed material for reference/study ...they are doing exactly what it says on the tin.

Judgement Day

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oqg3YWFA5nw