226 Abhann na Suire

Hi all, I know that OO Works have a model of a J15 out but am not quite sure if they are doing a re-run in the coming months and have seen Hornby LNER J15s (which I know to be a good model) for a pretty cheap price around the Internet so I’m wondering what kind of conversion would be needed to turn an LNER J15 into a GSWR one… or with a couple of transfers and potentially a different tender, would I get away with it… Happy new year to everyone! Oisín

Very much not ‘Back in the Day’ so to speak (unless the mid 2010s count..) but just maybe on a bit of a hopeful note that the good auld days aren’t truly gone: My brother and I were and still very very much are huge railway enthusiasts (although ‘train nerd’ is the term I’m more commonly - yet affectionately - christened with!) and in 2014, were lucky enough to get to go on the Toy Show and such followed some amazing railway experiences! We were very very kindly invited by Iarnród Éireann to visit Inchicore and got to a tour of the works - I recall being intrigued at the wheel lathe and giant crane - the and even have a go at the DART simulator (I also remember hitting a horse I think somewhere between Sandymount and Dun Laoighre…) and it truly was an amazing experience and to this day I am extremely grateful to the kind people at Irish Rail that organised it. The best part of this story however, is in 2015. Our dad knew the District Area Manager at Waterford, a Mr Emmett Cotter who, maybe after the previously mentioned events, and also out of sheer kindness arranged for my brother and I to get a tour of the elevated signal cabin in Waterford before it was officially signed off to CTC (I’m very proud to say that 9 year old me set the route for a morning arrival from Dublin) and astonishingly, he also arranged for us to cab the 7:20 Waterford to Limerick Jnct!! Well at the age of 9 this absolutely blew my little mind! We were on the footplate the whole way and were even sent back through the train to check tickets and count passenger numbers! The driver and guard, whose names shamefully slip my mind, were unbelievably good and kind to us and let us operate the doors at the stations and even beep the horn! It was a fantastic trip and day out and I will forever remember and appreciate the kindness and hospitality of everyone at Irish Rail who made it all happen! So maybe not quite as good as the good auld days mentioned in this thread so far (which sound amazing, and had I a time machine I would go back in a heartbeat!) but a somewhat hopeful note at Christmas that those times still aren’t truly gone and an Irish wink and a nod (kind of) can still get you into the cab of a train!! Merry Christmas or holidays or whatever you celebrate to everyone and enjoy the break :)) Oisín

@DoctorPan I never looked at it from that angle before at all somehow, I actually never thought about that. Having read that, I went to look at the route map and website of Metrolink and I don’t know how I completely didn’t realise that as you say, serving the airport is only a bonus side effect, and it actually provides hugely populated areas of North Dublin with otherwise limited transport connections, with a frequent and integrative service to the city centre. I apologise about going on the tirade, and thank you for pointing that out!! I do still think that Dublin Airport could benefit from a heavy rail link and there are certain aspects of Metrolink’s route that could be slightly altered to improve connectivity. Specifically the O’Connell Street stop which is currently located linking with the Luas Green Line’s O’Connell Upper stop (thus connecting with only one direction of only one Luas line…). This could be moved slightly southwards to around the intersection of Abbey and O’Connell Street, thus connecting with Red Line and both directions of the Green Line by way of having numerous exits from the underground station. DART Underground (or DART + Tunnel as the big wigs are calling it) can also only be seen as complimenting Metrolink with a potential connection at O’Connell Street being amazing but the planned Stephen’s Green or Tara links also being very viable. I also couldn’t agree more about taking services away from Connolly, it is very congested and aside from the Northern Line, has little scope for track capacity enhancements and not much space for additional platforms either. I think the Strategic Rail Review’s idea of the Maynooth-Lucan rail link would be fantastic if implemented as it will allow Sligo (and potential future Monaghan and Cavan services from Mullingar which are also recommended in the review) to terminate at Heuston, where there is loads of space for capacity enhancement and extra platforms (unlike poor Connolly) and which will be reached by full quad-track thanks to DART + SW (also unlike poor Connolly). They also recommended Rosslare line services terminate at Bray, with passengers wanting to journey on to Dublin making a very easy cross-platform interchange for an increased-frequency DART service to Dublin. While this may seem bad, it allows for more frequent services from Rosslare and Wexford to Bray and there would be no actual increase in journey time at all by having to change train, as Rosslare trains are stuck behind DARTs all the way from Bray and so take the same time as them to reach Connolly anyway. This would allow Connolly to be a completely commuter/DART only station (aside from the Enterprise), with 5 platforms (3 through and 2 bays) for DARTs to serve Maynooth, Drogheda, Hazelhatch/Kildare, Bray and maybe the airport being very sufficient and 2 platforms for the hourly Enterprise. I apologise to everyone for that Shpeel, I’m not great at getting my point across quickly at all, so sorry about that and thanks again @DoctorPan for opening my eyes to being pro-Metrolink again! Now, back to the Foynes line!!… I could be missing something, but a solution potentially…?

Something I want to know, and it is a slight side note from the above, but why can’t they throw in a few stations along the Foynes route, Foynes itself, maybe Askeaton, but most especially, and at the very least Adare?? It’s no mystery to this government how much of a congested, busy and growing town Adare is and even with the Ryder Cup coming in 2027 as well, surely it makes tones of sense to slap down a Craughwell/Ardrahan/Sixmilebridge job of a single concrete platform with a few lamps and shelters?? What on Earth is stopping them, the big palaver of relaying and reinstalling the line is the biggest job and that’s being done anyway so there is quite literally nothing to lose by running a 2800 down to Adare twice in the morning and evening peak…? I also think Metrolink as It’s being proposed, is a load of absolute bull**** and this country is better off without it in its current state. Only linking up with the National Network at Drumcondra and Tara Street??? Seriously??? So anybody coming into the country wanting to go anywhere but Dublin (an awful lot of people by the way) has to change trains 2/3 times at least?? DART Underground between Heuston and the Docklands (with an underground station at Connolly too - a direct Heuston to Connolly link is a must in any DART Underground/Metro plan I think) before joining a quad-tracked Northern line to Clongriffin and then going underground to reach the airport and possibly Swords, seems like a much more attractive and, honestly easier project with far more long term benefits for the network - direct trains from anywhere to the airport being possibly with maximum a single cross platform change required. The lack of joined up thinking in this country of ours, as much as I love it, is astonishing sometimes…

I was looking at this the other day actually, in terms of the All Island Rail Review, and the plans there for a Maynooth to Lucan Rail link seem like a very viable option for bringing certain Sligo express and other trains off of what will become a very congested route with DART+ West. Heuston Station is the best option for routing extra traffic, I don’t see much sense in rerouting all ex-MGWR services to Connolly, especially with the fact that the Maynooth line can only become more congested and beyond Liffey Junction, the viaducted line leaves no scope at all for capacity upgrades. Between Parkwest and Heuston however, there is definitely space for quad-tracking, even trebling at the very least, and with all of the car park space and old goods sidings out the side of Heuston, the potential to stick a few extra platforms on the side of the station to cope for extra traffic is very much there. Allowing Sligo line services to come off the Maynooth line and into Heuston would not only be a capacity no brainier - there being (hopefully in the future) 4 tracks all the way between Hazelhatch (maybe eventually Kildare) and Heuston - but would also help to further centralise our rail network. I’ve also had a look on maps and it seems there is space for quad-tracking of the northern line out of Connolly, can someone clarify this..? No one has mentioned it so far, but I feel someone has to… DART Underground (or DART+ Tunnel as the Review calls it…) would also potentially help capacity as the tunnels I believe are planned to dive, right where the quadruple track ends, after Parkwest, with the two inner slow lines being diverted underground. This would mean that all commuter services would be diverted to a new Underground station at Heuston with the potential to carry on through to another new Underground station at Connolly. Surely this would be helpful for eating capacity here and potentially remove the need for 4 tracking the rest of the way to Heuston… This could also mean that the potential Ballyfermot/Kylemore station could be an underground one, not causing any interference with mainline services. I’d love to dig deeper (pun very much intended) into the topic of DART Underground and the potential of Underground railways in Dublin and the rest of the country, but this post is long enough as it is so I’ll hold off for the moment… Of course realistically, this is all veeery hypothetical but I do really hope that the government bite the bullet and listen to the Rail Review’s recommendations, they really do just make a lot of sense

News on the new Woodbrook Station between Shankill and Bray, the first sod has been dug! Now we just have to wait for some sort of unexpected archaeological discovery, a giant rise in the cost of the project thanks to inflation, and a massive general delay and hopefully we’ll see the station open before the turn of the century…

Yes ok I see, thanks for clearing that all up JB, just a shame that the offering of preserved broad gauge steam locos that could operate such railways is so small but we’ll get there eventually. I know that the RPSI have plans to scratch build an NCC Mogul with the spare boiler they have for No. 4 and even the Maam Cross project list building a brand new steam loco as one of their long term goals! An MGWR E Class/J26 would be so gorgeous for Maam Cross and surely would be very adorable to run (as well as being my favourite tank engine possibly ever) and would also be prototypical, having i think occasionally reached the far extremities of the Midland Great Western out to Connemara! Just a shame none of them (and the Tramore Railway on which they latterly ran…) were saved

And is there any And is there any scope for a cheaper wood or oil burning option, or is the costing still much the same? Dare we even hark back to the days of the post-war turf-burning initiative… the speed restriction that resulted in near 12 hour journeys between Dublin and Cork would be perfectly suitable for a heritage line… I’m a bit of a hopeless romantic when it comes to Ireland’s railways, preserved or otherwise (I think it’s impossible not to be…!) and I just think it’d be such a shame for 186 to never steam again.

Have just been pondering lately about the fate, if any, of the ex-GSWR and RPSI J15s, I believe they are on store currently and that 186 still has its boiler cert if that’s correct…? While very unprototypical, would Maam Cross or Downpatrick be a potentially suitable home for either of them?? Maam Cross, with its proposed 11 miles of rail would be a great place for 186 to stretch its… legs…? And would surely make for a magnificent site. Seems an awful waste to see two perfectly good (or at least one definitely) steam locos gathering dust in Cultra or Whitehead…

Was on the train into Dublin the other day and was pleasantly surprised to pass Kishogue all covered in temporary fencing on the platforms with lots of the weeds and vegetation that had grown, seemingly removed. I’ve seen as well that the new route map signs on the platforms of the Kildare suburban route stations feature Kishogue on them. Similarly, Woodbrook is advertised on the respective route maps in all the DART stations. Just thought it might be nice to have an thread for updates on both of these projects and any new ones, like the new/reopened stations proposed for the Cork area like Blarney, Blackpool, Tivolli, etc. Does anyone have any info on any of these at all?

Looking fantastic ttc!! It really is some job you’re all doing up there and I wish I could take part in some way but sadly the Leaving Cert doesn’t leave a lot of time for it! I have to ask if you hand a timeframe for the laying of the standard-gauge track? How much narrow gauge track do ye have laid in full so far and how much do you plan on laying in the future? Thanks and well well done to you all, you really are all doing god’s work!!

That’s amazing!! I’d heard of a Set being on loan to IÉ to tide over the period before the new DART stock was in service but never knew they got down as far as Thomastown, let alone Cork! Fascinating stuff!! As much as I love our rail network today, I do often wish I was alive for those halcyon days between the 60s and 80s…

That’s another one I’d love to do actually, very close to home and another very interesting Station layout! Scratch-building the elevated signal box would be an intriguing project to take on as well!

JB, surely you’re talking about Armagh and not Thomastown..???

Armagh would be a fabulous one actually Patrick… you’d have to win the lotto and by an entire warehouse to do it justice I think! My dream Layout (Irish based anyway) would probably be a fictional tailchaser with the classic freight yards, main station and branch line, viaduct etc etc, but I’ve always wanted to model Thomastown in the 80s or 90s, there was a great range of rolling stock that went through, 071s, 201s, 121s, 141s, with a range of coaching stock, I believe that Ferts and Magnesite or Gypsum stuff went through too, along with the obvious Liners and Timber and I think even the ‘Arrow’ 2700s got as far as Thomastown too so there’s nice scope for interesting rolling stock while being a simple enough layout - the viaduct would look spectacular if I could pull it off in model form too!

That’s a very good point irishrailways but I suppose if Stadler ‘Flirt’ family units are being proposed for the service, a great thing about a lot of that family of stock, specifically the Bi-Modes operating for Greater Anglia in the UK is the central power unit which is separate from the rest of the train which would remove the vibrations too. My personal biggest fear is in fact the takeover of ‘ironing board’ seats, even the mock-up and artist impressions of the new DART stock shows something that looks similar to those awful seats and I think to refurnish the Enterprise with new seats that would be such a far cry from the luxury - even standard class - of the current DeDietrich stock would be almost a crime! The new DARTs are just about getting away with it but even now that that’s operating longer-distance journeys now, the lack of comfortable seating would be a sharp downturn for IÉ’s supposed customer satisfaction goals. A complete side note but I also personally think it wouldn’t hurt to put one small toilet per 5-car DART unit given that they’ll be operating some journeys that are well over 2 hours and are trying to replace stock that already has toilets? I presume there is a very good answer to this that someone will inform me of, but the thought had just crossed my mind. Thanks all

Here’s some shots I got of 074 marshalling the train at Connolly and running around the Cravens set and then the railtour with 131 at the helm seen steaming through Killiney only minutes before it’s failure so I’m told…

Yeah hahaha it was quite the eventful day I suppose… managed to see it come through Killiney still in steam but not looking the healthiest so I thought some bad news was on the way…

Thanks a million, that’s a great help. Is 131 not starting the journey in Connolly? Hopefully we get smooth sailing this year unlike the last few runs that steam engines have had over the Wexford line!

Hi all, Was thinking of popping out to see No. 131 on the RPSI’s ‘Sea Breeze’ railtour from Dublin Connolly to Enniscorthy on Sunday August 20th and I’m just wondering if anyone might have any info on the movements surrounding the railtour, about carriage transfers, loco transfers or anything. Any info would be appreciated. Regards, Oisín

Spotted it this morning in Waterford Sallypark Yard behind an 071 and with a 40ft Liner Flat either side. Not sure if this was general testing or related to the new second track they’re laying through Ferrybank (on the Rosslare side of the current station) for the new station

I think Galway/Athenry to Tuam/Claremorris/Westport has great potential opportunity as a railway, maybe not as good as other projects in the country which should get priority, like some of the capacity improvements mentioned already, but I personally think the reopening of the line further from Claremorris to Collooney and Sligo is just nonsense. The trackbed is much too overgrown and even completely built upon by towns in many areas and the work required to bring it back into use would wayyyyy outweigh the benefits it would have when in use. Yes railways are the way forward, but there’s no point in trying to bring a small number of passengers from a very rural line back to rail when they have a perfect good road already. The amount of people using the line would, I imagine, be very low. While I appreciate the amazing work that West on Track are doing for this part of our country, I think that some of their plans can be a bit more idealistic and nostalgic than realistic. Doubling of Galway to Athenry and reopening of Athenry to Claremorris would in my opinion be the ideal and most profitable projects. Phase 4 of the WRC (Claremorris to Colooney) should definitely be kept from the greenwaying plague but I just think that at the moment, the market is not there, and money (a rather sparse commodity in this government) could be better used elsewhere.

The third track and platform at Clonfriffin seems a very underused asset to me, it would be an ideal place to board passengers on a DART while an Enterprise passed it out. Clontarf Road would certainly make an easy passing loop fix too, what with the stabling sidings that already join back up with the main line beside the platform, not to mention them being pre-electrified, but it may be too close to Connolly to make this viable. Raheny would be an ideal second location for one too, although that might be a lot harder to achieve.

Hahaha indeed, that’s my plan exactly!

Happy New Year to all! Much to be looked forward to then by the looks of it! Work for the new year looking very good soo far! It’s an amazing and extremely admirable project and while I would love to volunteer and help out, living in the opposite corner of the country and still being in secondary level education means I wouldn’t likely be much help, but keep up the outstanding work to all involved!