Outing to the Re-Opened Midleton Branch Saturday 26th September 2009

A one day outing has been arranged to visit the re-opened branch from Glounthaune to Midletonby Special Train from Cork on Saturday the 26th September 2009 . We will depart from Dublin (Heuston) on the 09.00 service train to Cork , and will return to Dublin at 20.20.

For more informatin see http://www.irrs.ie/

“Sea Breeze” Steam Train Dublin – Wexford – Rosslare Strand 21 June 2009 and 5 July 2009

The Railway Preservation Society of Irealns has arranged a number of rail tours this year.

Steam trains will run from Dublin Connolly to Wexford and from Wexford to Rosslare on Sundays 21 June 2009 and 5 July 2009.

More information is available here:

http://www.steamtrainsireland.com/events/

No.4, prepared and ready to depart. Dublin Connolly on Saturday 30th January. Photo: Ed Fahey

Railtour to Limerick (via Nenagh Branch and Tipperary) in Mark III Set 27 June 2009

The Irish Railway Record Society has arranged a railtour on Saturday 27 June 2007, departing from Dublin Connolly Station at 10.00 and returning at 19.42.

“A one day tour has been arranged using Mark III equipment as these carriages approach the end of their working life with Iarnód Éireann. A Special Train will depart from Connolly Station and travel to Ballybrophy. It will then travel down the Nenagh Branch stopping at all Stations to Limerick. The return train will travel to Limerick Junction via Tipperary and back to Connolly Station.”

More details are available on the Irish Railway Record Society site and on this page.

The fare is €55 and if you are not a member of the society there is a temporary fee of €2.

Bridgetown by rail

Went down to Bridgetown by train.

The staff in Heuston never heard of Bridgetown, but I convinced the clerk that there was a train to Bridgetown.

As I have an anual commuter ticket to Hazelhatch, by tick from Heuston to Bridgetown cost a reasonable €34.80.

The ticket machine in Heuston swallowedmy ticket – unable to comprehend a ticket from Hazelhatch.

The ticket checker on the Cork train was also bemused… because of the timetable I had to go to Limerick Junction to get my connection to Bridgetown… I could have saved an hour by connecting in Waterford.. if there was a connection … but there is no connection…

Train staff not sure about return journey to Dublin on Monday…

Got to Bridgetown – taxi driver told me that I was the first passenger that he ever had getting off the train…

Hired a boat in Kilmore Quary

GNR Bus

GNR Bus

 This Great Northern Railways bus had the unique distinction of being the only international double decker bus when it ran between Dundalk and Newry in the 1950s.

The bus was on display at Dundalk railway station for the steam excursions from Belfast and Dublin, and is maintained by hte Transport Museum in Howth, Dublin.

No. 186 moves to Dublin

done

Locomotive No. 186 was transferred from Belfast to Dublin on 28 September 2008, while No. 4 went from Dublin to Belfast.

No. 186 was built in 1879 by Sharp, Stewart & Co., Atlas Works, Manchester for the Great Southern and Western Railway. She was withdrawn in 1964.

Locomotive No. 186 in Dundalk

 

Locomotive No. 186 in Dundalk

Dry Bag

Sealine Dry Bags

I bought a See Bag 10 (dry bag) from Viking Marine, Dún Laoghaire for €22.00.

Its capacity 10l and it weight is 280g. I hope that it will keep my stuff dry!

The address on the package is Middleton, County Cork, Ireland. By the way, the railway from Glounthaune to Midleton will be restored soon.

The oldest hotel and the oldest public house in Ireland

In responce to a query:

The oldest pub in Dublin, and probably the oldest in Ireland, is reputed to be The Brazen Head, which opened in 1198 AD.

Séan’s Bar in Athlone also claims the title, dating from 900 AD.

The oldest hotel in Ireland seems to be the Woodenbridge Hotel in Woodenbridge, an alpine retreat in County Wicklow, opened in 1608. The Dublin – Rosslare train passes by, but does not stop.

Derailment at Portarlington

Landslide on the railway at Portarlington

On Saturday 16 August 2008, the 11.00 Dublin -Cork express on Ireland’s Premier Line was derailed following a landslide just south of Portarlington, the junction for the West, and not Monasterevin as reported on RTÉ on Saturday, and repeated on Sunday.

Derailed train at Portarlington

Reports were that nobody was injured, and free tea and coffee was supplied to all passengers.

Buses were supplied to bring passengers to their destinations in Cork and Kerry.

Here are some photographs taken by a friend who was passing the scene.

After the landslide on the railway at Portarlington

Derailed train at Portarlington

Derailed train at Portarlington

Road access to the derailed train at Portarlington

Cork – Dublin train passing the derailed train at Portarlington

Cork – Dublin train approaches the derailed train

Derailed train at Portarlington, while a bus waits on the road bridge

This mpg video clip,  was copied into Movie Maker, rotated 90, saved as wmv and uploaded, but the ratio was not preserved when played using the Flash player, although was OK when played on a PC using Media Player. I corrected the ratio by manually setting the height and width (w=275 h=300). It shows the Cork – Dublin train passing the derailed train, viewed from the Cork direction. done

This video clip, an mpg file imported into Windows Movie Maker and rotated 90, It shows the Cork – Dublin train passing the derailed train, viewed from the Dublin direction. The file uploaded is again wmv. The ratio dis not appear to be correct so I made manual adjustments (w=275 h=300). done

Visit to the Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Saturday 9 August 2008 – visit to the Waterford and Suir Valley Railway.

Caught the 09.30 to Waterford ex Heuston. Locomotive failure – a new locomotive arrived from Inchicore Works.

Bus from Waterford station to Kilmeadan.

The old Kilmeadon station is the base for this narrow gauge railway, which they hope to extend to the old Waterford South in future. While the National Roads Authority has taken possession of part of the old railway in order to construct the Waterford bypass, they have agreed to construct a tunnel so that the railway my be restored in future, and run into Waterford.

“The track runs mostly along the picturesque banks of the River Suir offering views of the world famous Mount Congreve Gardens and the recently discovered site of a Viking settlement at Woodstown. “

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway – cafe

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

Waterford and Suir Valley Railway

The Suir

HW & Co = Harland & Wolfe

Railway along the Suir