thewanderer

Wednesday 15th April 2020: Nenagh saw a train today for the first time in two weeks when 079 hauled a ballast train through the station while on a circular trip from Lisduff to drop ballast at the 2MP on the Nenagh Branch. The train returned to Lisduff via Limerick and Thurles. Click https://bit.ly/2K9DZw4 to view all the images.

Evening all, Friday 27th March 2020: Updates continue to be irregular due to the COVID19 pandemic. With travel restricted and working from home, the opportunity for wandering is few and far between. After finishing work today and being cooped up in the house for the week, I ventured out to photograph the 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy service at a couple of locations around Nenagh. Click https://bit.ly/3dxxjW9 to view all the images.

Evening folks, Friday 20th March 2020: As the COVID19 crises deepens, travel has been severely restricted of late, but I had to venture out to Kildare and Laois today and stopped off at the Curragh for 25 minute interlude which saw six trains passing in the space of that time. Social Distancing at its best! Click https://bit.ly/2J6fHmq to view all the images.

The March gallery has been updated today with: Tuesday 10th March 2020: A liner trial operated from Ballina to Waterford's Belview Port on Tuesday 10th March for XPO Logistics. XPO is a top ten global provider of transportation and logistics services. The trial only contained 3 x 40ft refrigerated reefers and the purpose of these was to see how well they kept the contents cooled on the journey from Ballina to Waterford. Click https://bit.ly/3cJu11P to view.

Afternoon all, Two updates to the website today. First up is the March gallery with a visit to Ballycar on the Limerick to Ennis railway. After a prolonged spell of heavy rain the, railway has been closed due to flooding at Ballycar Lough near Newmarket on Fergus. It is reported that the water levels are still rising and the railway is expected to remain closed for several weeks as the Lough fills up a lot quicker than it drains out. Pictures appeared on facebook earlier in the week and it didn't look too bad, a few days later and it's a lot worse. Click https://bit.ly/2Tz4noX to view the images. The second update is from a visit to Spain in the first week of March. The pictures in this gallery are a mixture of travel and transport featuring the local commuter network around Malaga and a day trip on Wednesday to Madrid using the high speed AVE service to explore the capital city on a whistlestop tour, which included visiting the Madrid railway museum. Click https://bit.ly/2TMd5z0 to view all the images. Both galleries can also be accessed from the home page at https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/

Evening folks, Round up of pictures from this week includes: Tuesday 25th February 2020:: Today's batch of images come from Ballybrophy, Thurles and Limerick and include seeing failed 22033 at Thurles in the middle of a snow storm. Thursday 27th February 2020: The Limerick based pilot locomotive, 085, rescued 22033 which had failed at Thurles on Tuesday and hauled the unit back to Laois Traincare Depot. Rescue by a locomotive was deemed the most viable option as the unit was placed at the Dublin end of Thurles loop which prevented easy rescue by another 5 car 22000 unit which would have blocked the down line at Thurles. Pictures from later in the day come from Portlaosie, Hazelhatch, Drumcondra, Coolmine, Connolly and Heuston. Click https://bit.ly/2T6tizR to view.

Afternoon all, The latest updates to the February gallery have been uploaded to the website. Tuesday 18th February 2020: Pictures today come from Portlaoise and Limerick. Thursday 20th February 2020: The stub of the former Coolnamona branch in Portlaoise is being extended for approx 1/4 mile to allow the installation of a test track for the PWD Yard. I visited the overbridge just over the former line to view the progress made so far. Plus I photographed the 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy outside Nenagh. Friday 21st February 2020: There was a splash of colour on an otherwise very dull day in Co. Tipperary when 073 hauled the Sperry Train from Limerick to Ballybrophy via Nenagh. On arrival at Ballybrophy the train went to Lisduff to run around before heading back to Portlaoise PWD to stable until Sunday. Click https://bit.ly/2SNBu84 to view all the images.

Evening folks. Irish updates have been thin on the ground lately with a trip to the UK at the start of the month and being kept busy outside railway circles for the rest of the month. Here is the the February gallery so far: Monday 10th February 2020: Pictures from Clongriffin (from the air) and Heuston Station. Monday 17th February 2020: Pictures today come from Nenagh of the 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy calling at the station. Click https://bit.ly/38E91qO to view.

Afternoon folks, I spent five days in the UK last week on an All Line Ticket travelling around from as far south as Gatwick to as far north as Montrose (south of Aberdeen). I had planned to sample the Caledonian Sleeper train on the Sunday night but Storm Ciara and Network Rail put paid to those plans and I had to find alternative accommodation at short notice. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2020 to view each gallery for each day.

Evening folks, The final batch of pictures to the January gallery have just been uploaded featuring: Thursday 23rd January 2020: Just two from today at Ballybrophy of the 0800 Heuston - Cork passing and later in the day at Portlaoise. Monday 27th January 2020: A small update from Monday with pictures from Portlaoise of the 1425 Cork Heuston passing through. Tuesday 28th January 2020: A day trip from Limerick to Heuston today but little opportunity to take photos. Pictures come from Limerick, Limerick Jct. and Heuston. Thursday 30th January 2020: Pictures today come from Portlaoise and Limerick Jct. Friday 31st January 2020: A few errands to carry out this morning which required the use of the train from Nenagh to Limerick and then up to Portlaoise. Click https://bit.ly/2UdAHOP to view.

Evening folks, The January gallery has been updated with: Wednesday 22nd January 2020: A busy day on the railways of Ireland today, after spending the night in Cork after attending an IRRS meeting on Tuesday night, I headed to Dublin for some work meetings. Once that was done it was time to head home via Limerick. Pictures from the day come from: * Cork * Mallow * Heuston * Connolly * Busaras * Limerick Jct. * Limerick Click https://bit.ly/2TPQG5d to view them all.

Friday 17th January 2020: A pretty quiet Friday got interesting when a correspondent from Cork informed me that the 1425 Cork - Heuston set had failed at Cork. With sets being stepped up to cover the 1425 and 1525 Cork - Heuston, locomotive 220 was placed on the Heuston end of the MKIV Set 4003 and hauled the set to Heuston with passengers onboard working the 1625 Cork - Heuston. This is the first time that a MKIV service had operated throughout from Cork to Heuston in hauled mode, however back in November 2006, 228 rescued 4005 and 219 at Limerick Jct. after the latter locomotive failed. Click https://bit.ly/30wmUUx to view all the images from Cork and Thurles, plus a shot of 076 at Portlaoise Yard.

Evening folks, Latest updates to the January gallery feature: Tuesday 14th January 2020: Portlaoise PWD yard produced some interesting scenes on a bitterly cold afternoon with 082 shunting in the yard, 076 on the CWR train and the spoil bodies being removed on the flat wagons. Wednesday 15th January 2020: Today's roundup comes from Ballybrophy and Limerick. Click https://bit.ly/2Rlol3Z to view them.

While on a Sunday afternoon drive with the folks around Co. Tipperary and Co. Limerick, with no particular destination in mind we eventually ended up at Monard and Dromkeen to view the recent upgrade to the level crossings at both these locations. Plus a visit to nearby Kishyqirk to photo the 1620 Limerick - Heuston passing. Click https://bit.ly/30fanVi to view all the images.

Evening folks, Following on from the West of Ireland jaunt last weekend the latest picture update contains: Sunday 5th January 2020: On Sunday morning I took a ramble around the disused Tobercurry Station on the Western Rail Corridor. Tuesday 7th January 2020: Just a single image from Limerick today after I alighted from a train ex Limerick Jct. Wednesday 8th January 2020: Today's batch of images come from Heuston at the start of the evening peak period and Ballybrophy while changing trains. Click https://bit.ly/2QB9nYu to view.

A varied selection of images from today as I embarked on a road trip to the West of Ireland. There is a railway line at my destination but it hasn't seen a train since 1976, one day we hope that trains may return between Claremorris and Sligo. The images start off with the Nenagh Rail Partnership group travelling into Limerick on the strengthened 1005 Ballybrophy - Limerick with 22046, then I headed to outside Athlone to photo the 1125 Heuston - Galway. Heading north again I stopped at Knockcroghery and Roscommonto photo the afternoon passenger trains crossing before heading cross country to the Sligo line to photo the 1300 Connolly - Sligo and 1500 Sligo - Connolly at two locations between Carrick-on-Shannon and Boyle. Finally I made an unplanned trip across to Ballina to photo the heavily delayed IWT liner which arrived at 1940, just over three hours late. Click https://bit.ly/2ZWyLuP to view.

Friday 3rd January 2020: The Nenagh branch service is 3ICR worked today and tomorrow to cater for passenger demand travelling to/from Limerick for the Limerick on Ice trips organised by the local community rail partnership. Today, approx 106 passengers travelled on the 1005 Ballybrophy - Limerick and 103 passengers returned on the 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy. Other images from the day come from Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Limerick Jct. and Limerick. Click https://bit.ly/35rCvG0 to view.

Evening folks, We start off the 2020 collection of photos a bit earlier than planned when I came across a bridge strike at Portlaoise on Thursday afternoon. The Mountrath Road in Portlaoise was the scene of a bridge strike at UBC146 on Thursday afternoon when a HGV carrying a 45ft Eucon container failed to pass under the bridge which has clearance of 4.30 metres. Rail services were suspended for 45 minutes while Iarnrod Eireann engineers inspected the bridge for any damage. The 1125 Cork - Heuston and 1325 Portlaoise - Heuston were both heavily delayed with the 1300 Heuston - Cork, 1225 Cork - Heuston and 1425 Portlaoise - Heuston suffering minor delays. Click https://bit.ly/2QDKYAh to view the images and a video of the recovery operation to remove the wedged truck from underneath the bridge.

2019: A Year in Review Gallery. This gallery contains over 360 photos from the past 12 months from the railways of Ireland. Enjoy the gallery and let's hope 2020 and beyond will be just as interesting as we enter a new decade. Happy New Year and thank you for viewing The Wanderer's Photos. Click https://bit.ly/2F8j8a3 to view.

Tuesday 31st December 2019: To bring the curtain down on 2019, I stopped off at Trumera to photo 4005 and 226 on the 1225 Cork - Heuston. Click the image below to view the final batch of pictures from 2019!

Monday 30th December 2019: This week sees the North Tipperary Rail Partnership take its annual trip to Limerick on Ice. On Monday 30th, Cloughjordan was were the bulk of the passengers joined the train. Due to the expected heavy loadings Iarnrod Eireann arranged for the 3ICR set normally employed on the Limerick - Limerick Jct. route to work the 0630 & 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy, 1005 & 1905 Ballybrophy - Limerick services inplace of the usual 2 car 2800 Class. Click https://bit.ly/36c6H9d to view all the images.

Friday 27th December 2019: The post Christmas shuntdown startup offered little problems. One issue that did occur was 22036 failing prior to departure of the 0705 Tralee - Heuston due to a minor technical fault with 22025 being stepped up from the 0905 Tralee - Mallow to work the service to Dublin. This offered the rare sight of a 5ICR set working the Mallow - Tralee shuttles after 22036 was repaired in time for the 0905 departure. Click the image below to view all the pictures.

Evening folks, The pre Christmas update to the December gallery is now complete with: Monday 23rd December 2019: Translink Metrobus 798, a 2003 Scania L94UB Wright Solar has recently turned up in Portlaoise, possibly on schoolwork. Tuesday 24th December 2019: While driving home for Christmas, I stopped off for pictures at Barnagh on the former North Kerry Line and at Farranfore on the South Kerry Line for the 1520 Mallow - Tralee. May I take this opportunity to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas. Click https://bit.ly/2QlvGjs to view all the pictures.

Evening folks, Back to Dublin today so the pictures come from Heuston, Busaras, Abbey and Dawson during my travels. Click shorturl.at/mvwHN to view.

Afternoon folks, The latest batch of photos from the past week feature: aturday 7th December 2019: Today we visited Tralee and saw 2601 + 2602 stabled while later in the evening saw 22026 at Maddam's Hill outside Killarney. Wednesday 11th December 2019: 083 pictured passing Clonkeen with the 1000 Mallow - Portlaoise Relay Train. Friday 13th December 2019: Pictures from Portlaoise and Heuston. Saturday 14th December 2019: The day was spent on the Maynooth Line photographing the RPSI Santa Specials and the Commuter traffic on the line. Click https://bit.ly/2S0Ku9A to view them all.