thewanderer

Waterford & Suir Valley Railway Sunday 27th October 2019 While on a visit to the Waterford area, I travelled on the Waterford and Suir Valley Railway at Kilmeadan. It's been nearly 5 1/2 years since my previous visit to the railway and since then the Waterford Greenway has been build beside the railway. I'm rather split on this greenway to be honest. On one hand it has certainly increased the passing traffic at Kilmeadan with walkers and cyclists stopping off for refreshments at the station cafe, but the greenway has destroyed the tranquil scenery of the railway from Kilmeadan in towards Waterford. Click https://bit.ly/2NR1YTx to view.

Evening folks, Photos so far from this week: Monday 11th November 2019: A postscript to Saturday's pictures. I called into Quakers Road while on the way back home. Earlier in the day 084 had visited the branch with the relay train and relayed the track near the level crossing with 2nd hand rail and sleepers. Tuesday 12th November 2019: Pictures from Thurles and Cork while heading to Cork on the 1400 Heuston - Cork service for the IRRS show in Cork later that night. Wednesday 13th November 2019: Pictures from a wet Cork on Wednesday morning as I head to Dublin on the 0925 service. Later in the day has two batches of pictures from Heuston, where in the space of a few hours the weather deteriorated significantly. Click https://bit.ly/33KYaJ7 to view all the images.

Great to see so much positivity in the parish about replacing life expired infrastructure

Saturday 9th November 2019: The Nenagh Branch is currently closed between Ballybrophy and Birdhill for relaying work to be carried out. The first section to be done is in the Ballybrophy - Roscrea section between the 4 1/2 MP to 5 1/4 MP around Quakers Road Level Crossing. I visited the area today to see the progress so far on the first day of the closure. Click https://bit.ly/32w0jHb to view.

I think you are. The 1305 Connolly - Sligo is 8 x 29000 on FO. I doubt this would carry as 4 x29000 past Mullingar as you suggest. It's 8 x29000 for a reason, i.e. its rather busy leaving Connolly. The 1505 Connolly - Sligo is increased from 4ICR to 7ICR on Friday's. On the Heuston side two extra 3ICR;s from the maintenance pool are pressed into traffic on Friday's to allow the FO 1615 Heuston - Waterford to operate and increase capacity on the 0735 Heuston - Westport, 1310 Westport - Heuston from 4ICR to 7ICR. 1815 Heuston - Westport from 5ICR to 7ICR and the 1710 Heuston - Athlone F.X. (Westport F.O.) from 4ICR to 5ICR. The fleet is intensively used, even more so on Friday's with little options for recovery if things go wrong due to the demand on capacity on this day.

I'll start off today's picture update with, sometimes things work out in your favour when you least expect it. With loco 225 allocated to the 0800 Heuston - Cork, it would mean I would pass it mid section Ballybrophy - Portlaoise on the 0740 Limerick - Heuston. For those not in the know, this locomotive only returned to traffic last month working freight services after being stored since September 2010 after suffering damage in a collision with a tractor at a user worked level crossing near Roscommon. However, luck was on my side. Due to adverse weather conditions the 0630 Limerick - Ballybrophy was 20 minutes late arriving into Ballybrophy and the connecting service wasn't held. Passengers would be carried to Dublin on the 0913 Portlaoise - Heuston, which started back from Ballybrophy. Thankfully the 0800 Heuston - Cork was also running 14 minutes late and the empty set to collect the passengers in Ballybrophy was behind the 0800 Heuston - Cork service, which meant I was able to photograph 225 passing Ballybrophy. Later in the day we saw 086 heading L.E. from Mallow to Portlaoise and 228 worked the 1100 Heuston - Cork. Finally later that evening while passing Birdhill I called into the station to see the 1905 Ballybrophy - Limerick which was the last passenger service between Ballybrophy - Birdhill for a number of weeks as the line is closed for track relaying. Click https://bit.ly/2K3hc5A to view.

Evening folks, A small update tonight to the November gallery with pictures from: - Portlaoise - Limerick Jct. where 086 was viewed on a Ballast HOBS train. - Limerick. Click https://bit.ly/2JZXSX4 to view.

The South Wexford Railway This gallery was originally published in April 2012 and has been expanded in November 2019 with the addition of 75 photos to the gallery. The gallery now covers the route from Waterford eastwards to Rosslare Strand with photos of the route since services were suspended in September 2010 including some of the rolling stock and PWD movements over the route. Click https://bit.ly/2NIMOOP to view.

Evening folks, The weather was pretty dire over the weekend so not much chance for photography. So this weekend has a small update with some images from Limerick Jct, Killarney, Rathmore and Mallow to add to the first batch of photos from last Friday. Click https://bit.ly/2NbrMtj to view.

We kick off the month of November with images from Thurles, Portlaoise and Killarney today. Click https://bit.ly/2NtmacK to view.

Evening folks, It's been a busy week so only a handful of images so far. Monday 21st October 2019: A selection of images from Inchicore. Friday 25th October 2019: Two pictures from Portlaoise featuring 078 hauling failed 229 from Cork to Inchicore and 22046 + 22056 arriving at Portlaoise to form the 1525 Portlaoise - Heuston. Click https://bit.ly/34d3CEz to view.

The latest batch of pictures from this week have now been uploaded to https://bit.ly/33CcD9C Featuring: - Heuston. - Portarlington. - Thurles. - Limerick Jct. - Limerick - Sixmilebridge. - Plus for the Belmond Grand Hibernian trial to Sligo photos from Lough Owel and Hill of Down of the Sligo to North Wall working.

Evening folks, Two updates to the website tonight with updates to the October gallery and the Bord na Mona gallery. October gallery: I had to go to Galway today, so I decided to drive to Athlone and let the train take the strain for the rest of the way. Pictures come from Athlone and Galway and also shows the track layout changes which are happening in the yard. While on the way back to Athlone I copped 073 at Ballinasloe on a HOBS train so decided to head home via the scenic route to get a picture of it. Click https://bit.ly/318xC2i to view. While on the way home from Ballinasloe to Nenagh, a friend and a Bord na Mona expert rang me by chance for a quick chat. I mentioned that I would be passing Shannonbridge shortly. He informed me that it was a good time to be passing as the evening shift would start at 1700 and would see several trains heading out to the bogs on either side of the Power Station. So it would have been rude not to stop. After staking out the underbridge on the R357 road for 15 minutes the action begin with two trains heading out to the bogs. I decided to relocate to Blackwater Works a few miles away and caught up with the first two trains passing me once again. But that wasn't the end of it, a total of four trains were following the first pair in close succession. A great 40 minutes of railfreight action in the heart of Ireland. Click https://bit.ly/329C8Pt to view all the images.

Evening folks,. A varied selection of images from today including: - 2611 + 2612 making an rare appearance at Laois Traincare Depot on a driver training special. - Common user liveried 233 on the 1225 Cork - Heuston. - 3ICR 22007 has been fitted with a ZF transmission as a trial and made its first run today from Laois Depot to Mallow under test. Click https://bit.ly/35nvF5f to view them.

Evening folks, Saturday 5th October 2019: After spending three weeks in the USA and Canada its back to Ireland. Here we see 4003 arriving into Heuston with the deferred 1145 from Cork. Thursday 9th October 2019: 225 + 078 worked a trial in multiple from Inchicore to Mallow, following on from the trial last week as 225 edges closer to a return to service after 9 years out of service. Later in the afternoon Track Recording Car 700 passed Portlaoise with a 1115 Limerick - Kildare recording run. Click https://bit.ly/2AVgguX to view. If you wish to view the USA images, a mixture of railway and travel photography click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2019-International-Trips for the individual galleries.

Evening folks, A small update this evening featuring the start of our trip to head out west. The first part of the trip being heading from Nenagh to Heuston on the evening Branch train. Click https://bit.ly/2kjNrE3 to view.

Evening folks, Two updates to the website this evening. The first update features the RPSI / Steam Dreams "Emerald Isle Explorer" special passing the Commons Bridge in Portarlington. Click https://bit.ly/2mbGFRh to view. The 2nd updates is to the September gallery featuring images from Dublin City Centre of the CrossCity LUAS line, Heuston and Thurles stations. Click https://bit.ly/2mcNwde to view. Both galleries can also be accessed from the main page at http://www.thewandererphotos.com

Evening folks, The September gallery has been updated with photos from the past several days. Wednesday 4th September 2019: A couple of images from Portlaoise while catching the 1530 Heuston - Limerick. Thursday 5th September 2019: Pictures today come around Heuston Station. Friday 6th - Sunday 8th September 2019: General images from Limerick Jct., Cork and Kerry while out and about photographing the RPSI / Steam Dreams Spl. Monday 9th September 2019: A day trip to Dublin today, highlights being the IWT liner hauled by 232 and 216 shunting the Belmond set through the wash at Heuston and its transfer to Inchicore. Click https://bit.ly/2kAxJnW to view.

Evening folks, The Emerald Isle Explorer railtour by the RPSI / Steam Dreams is currently touring Ireland using the RPSI's Cravens set and their locos No. 85 and No. 4. This photographic gallery concentrates on the first part of the tour covering the tour from Limerick Jct. on the Friday, the day trip to Cork on Saturday and from Killarney to Millstreet on the Sunday. Click https://bit.ly/2lFl1Vc to view all the images from the weekend.

Evening folks, The Emerald Isle Explorer railtour by the RPSI / Steam Dreams is currently touring Ireland using the RPSI's Cravens set and their locos No. 85 and No. 4. This photographic gallery concentrates on the first part of the tour covering the tour from Limerick Jct. on the Friday, the day trip to Cork on Saturday and from Killarney to Millstreet on the Sunday. Click https://bit.ly/2lFl1Vc to view all the images from the weekend.

Evening folks, We kick off the September gallery with: Sunday 1st September 2019: A mini chase on the Nenagh Branch with photos of the 1720 Limerick - Ballybrophy at various locations between Birdhill and Nenagh. Monday 2nd September 2019: Today's photos from Clonkeen outside Portlaoise of the 1225 Cork - Heuston MKIV service and refreshed 5ICR 22039 working the 1330 Heuston - Tralee Kerry GAA Private Charter which conveyed the team home to Kerry after the draw against Dublin in the All Ireland Football final on Sunday. Click https://bit.ly/2jTi1nC to view.

Evening folks, Photos from the past week come from: Portlaoise, Ballybrophy, Thurles, Heuston, Clontarf Road, Raheny and Sutton. Click https://bit.ly/2NFKeuN to view.

Afternoon folks, The latest batch of pictures from this weekend have now been uploaded to the August gallery which features one of the biggest changes to the operation of Limerick Jct. since 1967 and probably since the opening of the station in 1848, the new Down Platform at the station opened to traffic on Sunday 25th August 2019. Saturday 24th August 2019: Today I was out between Templemore and Thurles to photograph the Belmond Grand Hibernian heading to Cork. Sunday 25th August 2019: Arguably the biggest change to Limerick Jct. since the 1967 alterations which allowed trains from Dublin direct access to platform 1, plus the direct curve to Limerick City occurred today with the opening of the new Platform 4 on the Down Line. The opening of this platform for Cork and Tralee bound trains allows a faster approach to the station instead of negotiating crossovers ranging from 15mph to 40mph to access the Up Platform as before. A minor timetable change was introduced from today to take into account the opening of the new platform with trains operating up to 3 minutes faster south of Limerick Jct. than before. A future timetable should allow Up and Down trains to call at Limerick Jct. at the same time. All Down Road services to Cork and Tralee will serve the new platform every day EXCEPT the following weekday services which will continue to serve Platform 1 (Up Platform) 07.00 Heuston - Cork, 21.00 Heuston - Cork. Additionally and in a welcome move the 1500 Heuston - Cork (weekdays) will now call at Limerick Jct. with a connection to Limerick available. This plugs a 90 minute gap in the schedule from Dublin to Limerick. Other photos from today come from Grange Level Crossing on the Thurles side of Limerick Jct. Click https://bit.ly/31Z5vDB to view all the images from the weekend.

Evening folks, Updates to the gallery have been few and far between lately but the latest batch of images have just been uploaded to the August gallery. Featuring Tuesday 13th August 2019: Other life events have recently dragged me away from the railways and photography, but here is one from today at Ballybrophy of the 1625 Heuston - Limerick arriving into the station. Monday 19th August 2019: Photos today come from Portlaoise and Limerick. Tuesday 20th August 2019: A nice surprise this morning was catching 073 shunting the relay train at the perway yard in Portlaoise. Also Badger 231 was out on Cork services being photographed at Portlaoise on the 1425 Cork - Heuston service. Wednesday 21st August 2019 A flying visit to the Cabra area of Dublin today. Images come from Heuston, Phibsborough, Cabra and Ballybrophy. Thursday 22nd August 2019: The highlight from today was 2803 + 2804 in ex works condition heading from Inchicore to Limerick after a visit to the works in Inchicore. Click https://bit.ly/2Hkscdu to view all the images.

Evening folks, I spent the past couple of days in the London and South East area. All the images and a blog style commentary have now been uploaded to https://bit.ly/302ewLF Featuring images from around London, Swindon, Didcot Parkway, Oxford, Reading, Guildford and Birmingham International.