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Let’s get ready to roll…..

I was thinking about something stronger

Overwhelmed at this time….can hardly make the stairs to Tara junction

Do not disturb today….

On behalf of the volunteers a big thank you to the lads at IRM and IWT for their generous donation, It will be great to get working on installing the standard gauge track in the near future

Class 31-31131 comes to the rescue of a failed HST set on Ashburton grove.

Superb work Scahalne

Friday night fun on Tara junction…. The CTC signalman was kept busy tonight on Tara junction with five trains in operation at the same time, 220 + 8 Mk3s pass through hauling the 17:30 Heuston-Cork 134+124 work a Platin cement to Cork goods bogie bulk cement train 6105+130 work the 16:00 Limerick-Heuston service 121+135 work the Shelton abbey-Marino point laden ammonia train 190+184 work the Fridays only 13:30 Tralee-Heuston 9 piece Cravens set. Meanwhile locomotive 087 has shunted the Mail and passenger set to the bay platform for loading of the mail-due to depart at 21:30 to Galway. — at Tara Junction Station

There is always room on Tara junction….watch this space….!!!

The Sperry train hauled by locomotive 072 passes through Tara junction with the RPSI van 3173 forming part of the consist, 127+132 are seen hauling the Mk3 train on a private charter to Killarney also passes through the station.

Perhaps a new model for IRM….

Congratulations gents and well deserved

Here you go Rob…. I was in Ballina freight yard to see the XPO liner arrive from Waterford and got took these photos before the rain started. It’s great to see another container freight flow alongside the existing IWT liner.

RH41s looking well on Tara junction.

A mid 1990s scene was recreated earlier when a joint IE/Dublin bus publicity shot with the slogan…We’re here to take you there….was staged at Tara Jctn Original livery 201 class locomotive 220 and an eight piece Mk3 set and Arrow liveried 2600 railcar 2601+2602 were lined up under the bridge on station road while above was RH41 sporting the all over ad for Irishrail. Well done yet again IRM for the superbly decorated buses.

And duly ordered…..!!!

The Sperry train is seen here ready to depart Lakeview freight yard behind locomotive 078,the RPSI steam heating van 3173 is on hire to IE and can be seen here behind 078. The real Sperry train in the third photo is seen approaching Ballina behind 086.

Well done yet again lads. A useful addition for Tara junction services.

Yes DC, Jim does have plans for books on other lines-e.g the south and south west and east and south east in due course-and yes all covering the same time period. if you like the 1970s to the early to mid 2000s then this one is I deal for you. And 97 more colour photos between the front and rear covers….!!!

Hi all, There is a new book on irish railways about to be published by my good friend Jim Edgar, It is the first in a series of books on Irish railways covering the period from the early 1970s to the mid 2000s, The cost is £11.50 with £4.00 P&P and can be purchased directly from his website at www.markle.co.uk, Also the RPSI have some for sale on their website, I would highly recommend the book as a valuable resource for modellers of that iconic period,with some rare photos of long gone locations,locomotives and traffic.

Thank you LC.....if you look closely you can see the passengers queuing in the aisles for the Cravens bar car 1508, its thirsty work on these football specials.......

Well spotted Rob

All Ireland final day 2021 produced extra activity at Tara junction with special trains from Mayo and one from Belfast , 124+134 work the 07:00 Westport-Dublin Connolly special consisting of 10 Mk2 a/b coaches. NIR 208 working 08:30 Belfast-Dublin Connolly 7 piece Mk2 set 132+152 working the 07:15 Ballina-Dublin Connolly 10 piece Mk2d set 190+184 working the 08:00 Westport-Dublin Connolly with 9 Cravens and 2 BR GSVs, 201 arrives at the platform with the regular 08:05 Dublin Heuston-Westport 8 Mk3 set, 6101+130 leads a push pull Mk3 set forming a Claremorris-Dublin Connolly special. 085 has charge of the 5 piece Mk3 Executive train which had the Mayo team on board. 127+133 were the standby locomotives and were ticking over on the turntable road.

From a good friend who worked on Mk3 coaches back in the day-and knew them inside and out… Re colour of bogie springs on MK 3 carriages. The springs on delivery on the first batch were failing in service, BREL admitted some were faulty but not all . The new batch were coloured yellow on carriages and blue on the heavier bogie on the generating Van's. So on carriages in service some were yellow and black.

It sure was….keep watching….specials galore will be uploaded later on…