thewanderer

The April gallery has a small update with: Monday 13th April 2026: Enterprise liveried 207 is pictured well off the beaten track at Thurles heading from Dublin to Cork. Wednesday 15th April 2026: 22009 is captured at Portlaoise after arriving from Heuston. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/April-2026/i-XhcShpJ to view.

The April gallery starts off with images from the Rathmore area, Thurles, RPSI owned diesel locomotives at Inchicore. During a Sunday drive to a place called Shannonbridge in the Irish Midlands, I came across a bench that would be very familiar to fans of the BR sectorisation era, especially if it was painted red! Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/April-2026 to view.

Towards the end of March, I spent a couple of days in the UK. images come from: Birmingham, Derby, Nottingham, Leicester, London, Grantham, Leeds, Harrogate, York, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Preston. Traction highlights include : Class 91, 93's & Class 230, 230001 on the Greenford Branch. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2026/UK-Trip-Wednesday-25th-to-Saturday-28th-March-2026 to view.

The March gallery gets a quick update with some images from Thurles, Tara Street and Connolly. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/March-2026/i-HgTn9hx to view.

The March gallery is updated with: Monday 16th March 2026: Evening time at Thurles with the 1925 Cork - Heuston calling at the station. Tuesday 17th March 2026: St. Patrick's Day sees pictures from Limerick jct. and also Ballinroad Level Crossing on the former Mallow to Waterford Railway Line. The Crossing Keepers Cottage has been converted into a cafe on the popular Waterford Greenway near Dungarvan. Wednesday 18th March 2026: LUAS & Bus images from Heuston Station and Parkgate Street. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/March-2026/i-8XFTSq6 to view.

As of Wednesday night there are only 14 tickets left for sale on the tram tour. Tickets available to purchase at https://irrs.ie/events/outing-the-best-of-both-worlds-luas-tram-tour/

The website has been updated with new images from: Wednesday 4th March 2026: Pictures from Dublin Connolly, Drogheda and Heuston LUAS Stop. The Drogheda images show the new OHLE installed at the station for fast charging the BEMU fleet. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/March-2026/i-xHfnrkH Castlerea Railway Museum. A vast collection of rail memorabilia celebrating the history of railway in Ireland. The museum holds the largest private collection of rail memorabilia in Ireland, and work to preserve and promote the importance of this history. The highlight has to be locomotive A55 as the centerpiece of the museum and the adjoining pub and restaurant! Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/RailtoursHeritageRailways/2026/Castlerea-Railway-Museum

Ticket sales have reached the 60% mark as of 1700 this evening. If you're planning on joining us, don't delay and book soon to avoid disappointment.

The first RPSI railtour of 2026 saw them operate a day trip from Dublin Connolly to Thurles and Limerick on Saturday 28th February 2026. The train was hauled by No. 171 from Dublin Connolly to Thurles, and then on to Limerick by 071 Class diesel locomotive No. 088. Overall a very enjoyable day with some fantastic running from loco 171. There was last minute issues with the allocated 071 Class loco when it was discovered that the Limerick based loco would not start on Saturday morning. Quick thinking by the depot supervisor saw him borrow an PWD allocated locomotive from Portlaoise with a Limerick Driver dispatched poste-haste to Portlaoise on the 0855 Limerick - Heuston to collect it and bring it to Thurles. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/RailtoursHeritageRailways/2026/RPSI-An-Sáirséal/i-5Xj3dk7 to view all the images.

With thanks to Transdev Ireland, operators of LUAS, a tram tour has been arranged to transverse the Red Line on Sunday 10th May 2026, covering a variety of non-passenger sections of track & non preferred platforms. The requested itinerary is: Red Cow Depot – Red Cow – Smithfield Crossover (reverse) – Heuston Middle Platform (reverse) – Connolly (reverse) – The Point (reverse) Use of centre platform requested – Belgard – Saggart – Saggart Reversing Siding (reverse) – Belgard (reverse) – Tallaght – Tallaght Reversing Siding (reverse) – Belgard (route through middle platform requested) – Red Cow Depot. Tour Highlights Depart and Arrive from Red Cow LUAS Depot. Smithfield Emergency Crossover. Heuston Middle Platform. Connolly to George’s Dock direct using the 3rd non-passenger side of the delta junction at Connolly/Busaras. Use of the non-passenger turnback siding at Saggart and Tallaght. Middle Platform at Belgard on the Tallaght to Red Cow leg of the tram tour. Photo stops have been requested at the following locations Heuston Middle Platform Connolly The Point – time will be allowed in schedule for a toilet break. Saggart Reversing Siding Tallaght Reversing Siding Tour patrons are to meet at Red Cow Depot at 10.00 hrs for a 10.30 start time. A safety briefing will be conducted at the start of the tour. Any late comers will not be allowed to join the tour. Fares Member Non-Member Adult €20.00 €25.00 Children (under 16) – €10.00 Bookings for this outing open on Friday 6th March 2026 at 09.00 and can be made directly at https://irrs.ie/events/outing-the-best-of-both-worlds-luas-tram-tour/ All enquiries should be directed to the IRRS Programme Officer at programme@irrs.ie

A number of images from Valentines weekend from a trip from Killarney to Dublin Heuston and back again. A highlight was seeing the Retro-Arrow set 26001 allocated to work the 1450 Cork - Tralee on Sunday. Pictures can be found at: https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/February-2026/i-7MrzCm2

The February gallery has been updated with pictures from a ramble around the LUAS Red Line between Heuston and Saggart last Saturday. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/February-2026/i-Gd2mhGc to view the new images starting at Heuston.

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum. The Folk Museum endeavors to illustrate the way of life and traditions of the people in Northern Ireland, past and present, while the Transport Museum explores and exhibits methods of transport by land, sea and air, past and present on the island of Ireland. During my visit to Belfast I managed to pay a visit to the museum. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/RailtoursHeritageRailways/2026/Ulster-Folk-and-Transport-Museum-Cultra-Co-Down to view.

The website has been updated with the final images from January and the first of the February gallery images. Pictures come from: * Thurles * Dublin Heuston * Dublin Connolly * Drogheda * Newry * Belfast Grand Central * Belfast Lanyon Place * Ballymoney * Derry * Cultra For the latest January pictures click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/Janaury-2026/i-ggdfHCj For the start of the February pictures click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/February-2026

Towards the end of January I spent a few days in London with family. Still managed to tick off a few bus and rail trips during the visit. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2026/UK-Trip-Wednesday-21st-to-Saturday-24th-January-2026 to view all the images.

The January gallery has been updated with images from the past week: Saturday 17th January 2026: With a free day, I decided to take a ramble around the network with a trip from Thurles to Limerick Jct., Limerick, Athenry, Athlone, Manulla Jct, Westport, Portarlington and Portlaoise. I had planned to also visit Galway but due to line closure after an incident on Saturday morning bus transfers were in force up to mid afternoon. Wednesday 21st January 2026: The 1225 Cork - Heuston arriving at Templmore with MK4 set 4004 and Loco 221. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/Janaury-2026/i-zRD7qBM to view.

Evening folks, A handful of images have been uploaded to the January gallery with images at Inchicore and Templemore. Click hhttps://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/Janaury-2026/i-bMxKVKJ to view.

The January 2026 gallery kicks off with: A Saturday evening wander from Thurles to Limerick and Ballybrophy. Just before Christmas, 3ICR 22063 re-entered passenger service after a long period of being out of service for conversion to a hybrid train with battery packs. In the latter part of 2025, the train successfully undertook trials from Laois Traincare Depot to Ballybrophy and Thurles/Limerick Jct. The batteries have been removed for its passenger reintroduction and will be refitted at a later stage in the project. 22063 is confined to the Limerick area for the time being and the set tonight was being used on the Nenagh Branch for the annual Limerick-on-Ice rail trip by the North Tipperary Rail Partnership to Limerick. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2026-Photos/Janaury-2026 to see images from: * Thurles * Limerick Jct. * Limerick * Castleconnell * Nenagh * Ballybrophy

2025: A year in Review A Year in Review Gallery containing over 350 photos from the past 12 months on the railways of Ireland. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/FeaturedGallery/2025-A-year-in-Review

Pictures from my recent trip to London for the Class 455 farewell tour by the Branch Line Society and South Western Railway. All the photos (from Friday 19th to Monday 22nd December) can be viewed at: https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2025-International-Trips/UK-Trip-19th-to-22nd-December-2025 To just view the Class 455 farewell tour this can be viewed directly at: https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2025-International-Trips/UK-Trip-19th-to-22nd-December-2025/UK-Trip-Class-455-farewell-tour. Photos from the galleries come from: Luton DART Luton Airport Parkway St. Pancras International London Waterloo Woking White City Holborn Piccadilly Circus Richmond Hammersmith Barons Court Hyde Park Corner South Kensington Notting Hill Gate Bank Liverpool Street Stansted Airport Plus the locations visited on the Class 455 farewell tour at: Kingston Epsom Dorking Effingham Jct. Guildford Haslemere Twickenham

The December gallery has been updated with: Pictures from a day trip to Dublin to travel on the RPSI Santa Train to Maynooth. Plus later in the day a trip out to Howth Jct. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/December-2025/i-Kmxz98F to view all the images.

There hasn't many updates lately due to other commitments but I've been managing to snap the odd photo here and there. The November and December galleries have been updated with images from Portlaoise Dublin Heuston Tara Street Dublin Pearse LUAS in Dublin City Centre including images of the new bridge in the IFSC. November gallery latest images - https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/November-2025/i-wDd27tS December gallery latest images - https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/December-2025

The November gallery is updated with images from around the Dublin DART area on Wednesday night and Portlaoise on Friday day. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/November-2025/i-C9m65Pd to view.

Hi all, The October and November galleries have been updated: October: October was a quiet month for photography due to other life pressures but the gallery rounds out with some images from the Westport route and at Dublin Heuston. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/October-2025/i-nf9JZT9 November: The November gallery starts with a weekend trip to Belfast and some DART trains in the Dublin area. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/November-2025

While out for a Sunday drive I finally visited the long closed railway station at Fermoy in Co. Cork. While the station building is intact, most of the railway alignment through the town is now roads. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/October-2025/i-V6Mp6XJ to view.