Plough train

I remember the plough train on Limerick to Waterford a good few years ago during the installation of broadband. It was formed from an old well wagon with various machines and fitted and a couple of other vehicles like vans.

Was it chopped?
Does it lurk in Portlaoise PW depot?

tabbey

Fratello wrote: »

I remember the plough train on Limerick to Waterford a good few years ago during the installation of broadband. It was formed from an old well wagon with various machines and fitted and a couple of other vehicles like vans.

Was it chopped?
Does it lurk in Portlaoise PW depot?

Sorry I haven't any knowledge of the wagon.

The actual project was of political historic importance.

Originally intended to lay cable for mini CTC, it was also used to lay cable for Esat digiphone, the second provider of mobile phone service in Ireland.
The two should have been laid together, but Irish Rail didn't get its act together in time, (they were under contract to proceed immediately with the mobile phone lines). When they eventually started the signalling cables, they were unable to use the plough as it would damage the phone cable. Consequently the CTC cable had to be laid manually.
The scandal led to the CTC project being investigated by a parliamentary committee, whose process was televised.

interlocked

https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/storage/news-articles/71954873_666106127244763_4173858452432486400_o.jpg

https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/storage/news-articles/720x435/img_1600.JPG



Is this your well wagon?, it was moved from Portlaoise to Whitehead about five years ago, not that ancient either, early 60's.

Dtp1979

interlocked wrote: »

https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/storage/news-articles/71954873_666106127244763_4173858452432486400_o.jpg

https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/storage/news-articles/720x435/img_1600.JPG



Is this your well wagon?, it was moved from Portlaoise to Whitehead about five years ago, not that ancient either, early 60's.

That’s Thomas The Tank Engine

GM228

Few are aware there were two separate plough trains.

The first more well known one consisted of the 60' 1924 built plough, a BR van and various 20' wagons, was stored in Nenagh until around 2006/2007, then moved to Limerick Junction and broken up.

The second lesser known train was the much shorter one with a 62' air braked plough (with through vacuum pipes) and a few vacuum braked 20' wagons (with through air pipes). The 62' was reclaimed back into the regular fleet whilst the 20's were stored in Tullamore until the early 2010s, then moved to Portlaoise and broken up.

91wx763

GM228 wrote: »

Few are aware there were two separate plough trains.

The first more well known one consisted of the 60' 1924 built plough, a BR van and various 20' wagons, was stored in Roscrea until around 2006/2007, then moved to Limerick Junction and broken up.

The second lesser known train was the much shorter one with a 62' air braked plough (with through vacuum pipes) and a few vacuum braked 20' wagons (with through air pipes). The 62' was reclaimed back into the regular fleet whilst the 20's were stored in Tullamore until the early 2010s, then moved to Portlaoise and broken up.

What was the cable train at Tipperary for years then GM228 ?

GM228

GM228 wrote: »

Few are aware there were two separate plough trains.

The first more well known one consisted of the 60' 1924 built plough, a BR van and various 20' wagons, was stored in Roscrea until around 2006/2007, then moved to Limerick Junction and broken up.

The second lesser known train was the much shorter one with a 62' air braked plough (with through vacuum pipes) and a few vacuum braked 20' wagons (with through air pipes). The 62' was reclaimed back into the regular fleet whilst the 20's were stored in Tullamore until the early 2010s, then moved to Portlaoise and broken up.

Thanks.

The one I saw was this
https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/2780-the-cable-train/

It seemed like a useful device that was more interesting than a 22000 railcar. Which of the two you have described above is the one in the linked photo?

GM228

Fratello wrote: »

Thanks.

The one I saw was this
https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/2780-the-cable-train/

It seemed like a useful device that was more interesting than a 22000 railcar. Which of the two you have described above is the one in the linked photo?

That's the first one with the 1924 built wagon.

GM228

91wx763 wrote: »

What was the cable train at Tipperary for years then GM228 ?

Probably the first one, it finished it's last job on the Mullingar-Athlone line and the Sligo line in the early 00s and then saw storage in Enfield before various locations between Ballybrophy-Limerick and Waterford-Limerick Junction, the set at Tullamore didn't move around like the main set.

metrovick001

Cable train at Limerick Jcn on 16-April-05 by Metro Vick, on Flickr

Lewis_Benson

GM228 wrote: »

Probably the first one, it finished it's last job on the Mullingar-Athlone line and the Sligo line in the early 00s and then saw storage in Enfield before various locations between Ballybrophy-Limerick and Waterford-Limerick Junction, the set at Tullamore didn't move around like the main set.

What was the job on Athlone - Mullingar?

Seanmk1

Use of the cable plough was discontinued after the one of the safety audits in the late 90s/early 00s flagged it as a risk to destabilising cuttings and embankments.


Some nice pictures here: https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/1074-cable-train-esat-cable-train/