Tractionman

Translink Twitter notified 'due to train fault' the 7.21 ex Portadown would be 'formed of 6 coaches', 2 x 3-car CAFs?

On services using Grand Central, here's some news: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgjdrw7zp3o

here it is :

if it is, from Monday next week, it'll make things a bit easier for me with the bike!

The inf on use of railcars is still not updated for (from Aug 26) the 2-hourly timetable, eg there is a 10.30am departure from Portadown, not 11.06, so perhaps service this will be an ICR: Cross-Border Train Alterations - Passenger Information Priority: normal Message last updated at 11:51 on 07/07/24: From the 3rd July onwards the following cross-border trains services will be operated by non-Enterprise trains and will be operated by Irish Rail InterCity Railcar (ICR). Full catering services will be available, with limited capacity in 1st Class and restricted space for bicycles (2 spaces instead of the usual 4). Monday - Saturday 07:35 Dublin - Portadown 11:06 Portadown - Dublin 13:20 Dublin - Portadown 16:39 Portadown - Dublin 19:00 Dublin - Portadown 20:48 Portadown - Dublin

Cheers @IrishTrainScenesI'm keeping a close eye on their website and social media, I'd pretty much given up hoping it'd be open by then.

Looking at the TT from Aug 26, from Portadown the Enterprise departures are indeed every two hours, at 08.30, 10.30, 12.30 etc. I'll probably end up driving to Portadown and leaving the car at the P&R while I am in Dublin, for a few days, as I'll have my bike with me, to take on the train, and bikes are not permitted on the bus replacements...

just checked again for my trip on Aug 26 from Bangor to Dublin, and Translink inf is now updated to say Enterprise Line Closure between Belfast Lanyon Place and Newry Priority: normal From Monday 26 August Enterprise will operate a new 2 hourly service Bus Substitution services will continue to operate between: • Belfast Lanyon Place to Newry • Return trains from Dublin will connect with bus substitution services at Newry for Belfast Lanyon Place • Enterprise Rail services will operate between Portadown and Dublin Connolly

There's more now listed folks including narrow gauge, see https://clarkrailworks.com/collections/new-arrivals Eg https://clarkrailworks.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/kit-built-21mm-1-88

meanwhile the Hornby 4/6 wheelers can be picked up for peanuts... https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/c/1786/Coaches eg https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/70011/R40132A-WSL-Hornby-SR-6-Wheel-3rd-Class-Coach-number-1909 https://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/70026/R40077-WSL-Hornby-BR-6-Wheel-1st-Class-Coach-number-E41373 and some appropriate paint and transfers would be a good alternative?

Looking yesterday at the Translink web-site there is a blank for Enterprise times after Aug 25, which is just a couple of weeks away!

Interesting stuff ^^^ With the planned new lines, there's an opportunity surely to see entirely new alignments, rather than having to stick to the older/original ones, partly because of the barriers caused by post-closure development as @Darrmanpoints out, but also because the settlement/population/economic geography of Ireland has changed since those 19th cent lines were built, so new areas of demand/need, centres of population/industry etc, are surely what the new lines should link up? Plus the engineering requirements/differences between constructing a steam-hauled passenger railway in the 1850s compared to an electric(?)/ emu-based line in the 2050s, surely means we will have different route grades/alignments--look at how the TGV in France just ploughs across the landscape rather than following the old sinuous lines of the 19th cent! A third point is the old lines here were closed long long ago (many in the early 1950s) and since then have been sold off piecemeal, lost to agriculture etc, so effectively are gone--not like the situation in GB with many Beeching closed routes still reasonably visible and largely intact, especially where protected by being repurposed as trails for walking and cycling, like the old Midland route through Monsal Dale. So here there is no real practical or cost advantage trying to recreate the older/former routes/alignments, and as with new road developments (look at how quickly the new motorway network was created in the south here in the 2000s) the cost is probably going to be less taking a new route across the landscape rather than trying to negotiate the complex landownership/developed routes of the past, that ship has sailed (to mix metaphors!)... cheers, Keith

the doc can be accessed here https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/cc8fc-all-island-strategic-rail-review/ 'salient' points will probably differ between us all, but I find the duplication of the Belfast-Newry route odd, unless it is part of a new 'high speed' alignment for Belfast-Dublin? (edit: ok I see it is about increasing N-S capacity) more capacity for rail freight would be good to see, and better rail-ferry links at ports.

There's still some HSTs up for sale, https://www.romicgroup.com/Rolling-Stock/Locomotives-Multiple-Units/InterCity-High-Speed-Diesel-Locomotives-For-Sale/ I wouldn't mind seeing them regauged and on the Enterprise service one day!

Are we getting HSTs!?

How about a Shark? https://tonystrainsofrugby.com/collections/carriages-wagons/products/hornby-r60078-zua-shark-ballast-plough-db993826

I'm watching progress and updates pretty closely as I have 3 trips to Dublin from Belfast to make that week, and would rather not have to drive to Portadown each time and take the Enterprise from there--but will do in preference to taking the bus substitution!

these look great, I nearly managed to get some the other day but by the time I was putting in the address details on the order page the last 2 packs disappeared! oh well, there'll be another run... won't there?

it's interesting to see what parts of this lot gets sold more quickly, some items disappeared very quickly, esp the coaching stock and steam locos, but the diesel units and locos are sitting including the 141/181s...

a whole collection including some hard to find stuff listed: https://clarkrailworks.com/collections/new-arrivals including https://clarkrailworks.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/silver-fox-oo-nir-hunslet-dl-maroon-103 https://clarkrailworks.com/collections/new-arrivals/products/accurascale-irish-railway-models-cie-irish-rail-ballast-plough-van-set-b

could be handy https://news.bachmann.co.uk/2024/03/bachmann-reveal-oo-scale-palvans-at-the-palace/

This just popped up on my email so I thought it might be of interest, various pre-owned MM stock at Rails of Sheffield: https://railsofsheffield.com/collections/pre-owned?tags_brand_td93xydblb7cxukrqni65zsz=Murphy-Models

I have rejoined ITG, I had planned to go to the January gala but not yet booked--so sad to see so much devastation

I bought a copy too, the book's a delight, great photography and informative captions, all beautifully produced by the folks at Colourpoint, definitely recommended!

Broken wheel versions for me too please and €18 would get me buying at least a couple