thewanderer

Evening folks, Been a quiet week on the picture front this week but I managed a handful of shots at Limerick, Ballybrophy and Portlaoise over the past. Highlight being 083 on the Sperry Train and Track Recording Car 700 at Limerick. Click the picture to view all the images.

Afternoon folks, Pictures from the tail end of this week feature: Friday 22nd February 2019: Today's pictures come from Portlaoise and Limerick Jct. with images of the Sperry Train on test and progress on the new Down Platform at Limerick Jct. Saturday 23rd February 2019: An early start this morning to travel to Dublin from Thurles for another Institution of Railway Operators tutorial at Connolly Station. Pictures come from Heuston, Connolly, Broombridge and Abbey Street. Click https://goo.gl/Awi8jm to view them all.

The latest photos from the start of this week have now been uploaded to the February gallery. Monday 18th February 2019: Just one image today from Limerick where TRV 700 was stabled after earlier working from Kildare via Athenry. Tuesday 19th February 2019: I was in Dublin this afternoon and as I was waiting around to attend the IRRS Library evening, I did some travelling around during the evening peak to observe operations. Photos come from: - Phoenix Park Tunnel (includes 234 on the IWT liner, Connolly - Heuston - Connolly ICR transfer and off peak Grand Canal Dock services). - Connolly. - Tara Street. - Pearse. - Grand Canal Dock. - Heuston. Click the image below to view all the pictures.

Evening folks, Pictures from today come from Killonan Jct. and locations on the Nenagh Branch between Lisnagry and Nenagh with a mini-chase of the 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy. Click https://goo.gl/vzU5iG to see all the images.

Morning folks, Some pictures from a trip to Athlone yesterday at Kildare, Portarlington and Athlone. Click https://goo.gl/vUT2mL to view all the images.

Saturday 9th February 2019: I ventured on a circular trip today from Nenagh to Galway, outward via Portarlington and returning via the Western Corridor to Limerick. Pictures come from: - Ballybrophy - Portlaoise - Portarlington. Includes Belmond liveried 216 passing on a Cork service. - Athlone where we passed retro Irish Rail liveried 073 on the North Wall bound IWT liner. - Galway - Athenry - Ennis - Limerick, including images of the disused Foynes / Cement Factory Siding. Click https://goo.gl/ecND4R to see all the images from today.

I had business in Dublin on Friday afternoon so once that was out of the way I went over to Pearse to see the recent developments there with the roof renewal. After sampling the 1641 GCD - Hazelhatch service between Pearse and Parkwest (most seats in the carriage I was in were occupied), I doubled back to Heuston on the 1625 Portlaoise - Heuston to catch the 1800 Heuston - Cork to Ballybrophy for the Nenagh branch connection. An interesting, if a little convoluted way of getting across the city. Click https://goo.gl/8y3PFc to view all the images.

Wednesday 6th February 2019: A varied selection of images today comes from - Rosskelton to see the 3+5ICR on the 1000 Heuston - Cork, - Portlaoise with 079 arriving from Carlow with an empty materials train - Limerick Jct. to see the latest progress on the new Down Platform there. Click https://goo.gl/rh7wTf or the image below to view them all.

Evening folks, We start off the February gallery with: Friday 1st February 2019: A few images from Limerick today as in was in the city for a few hours. Saturday 2nd February 2019: A couple of pictures from around the Killarney area. Click https://goo.gl/1Tqizg or the image below to view them all.

Since my last visits in April 2011 and June 2015 the Tralee and Blennerville railway continues to decay. Parts of the trackbed have disappeared under a forest of weeds and in some cases trees with parts of Ballyard Station in Tralee being the worst. Back in my 2015 visit I reported on the then newly formed Tralee & Dingle Railway Preservation Society attempts to reopen the railway. Sadly little if no progress has been made and their website hasn't been updated since 2015. It is unclear what future direction the railway will take. Click the image below to see all the pictures.

Evening folks, Pictures from the last week of January feature: Monday 28th January 2019: Today's pictures come from a sunny, but cold Portlaoise. Tuesday 29th January 2019: Two pictures from today at Portlaoise and Limerick. The 1400 Heuston - Cork service had the Irish President Michael D. Higgins onboard. Wednesday 31st January 2019: Pictures today come from Ballybrophy and Limerick Jct. Click https://goo.gl/WJUM9x to view.

Afternoon all, The latest images from January have been uploaded to the website featuring: Wednesday 23rd January 2019: After alighting from the Stena Europe, 22053 arrived at Rosslare Europort on the 1333 from Connolly. Saturday 26th January 2019: Over the weekend of the Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th January, all Maynooth and Sligo services were diverted to operate over the Midland Great Western line via Newcomen Jct. instead of the normal booked route via Drumcondra over the Great Southern and Western Line due to engineering works at Glasnevin Jct. Pictures are from various locations on the Midland line in Dublin. Click https://goo.gl/EFFozr to view them.

A short notice trip to South Wales cropped up in early January which saw me spending four days west of Cardiff for a family event this week. Unusually for me, I decided to bring the car across on the Stena Europe instead of travelling foot passenger or flying. This opportunity enabled me to do some lineside photography at various locations in the Cardiff area and towards Fishguard. Photos from the trip include: - Rosslare Europort. - Stena Europe. - Fishguard. - Whitland. - Pontyclun. - Llantrisant Level Crossing - Margam Yard. - Tondu. - Pontypridd. - Barry Island. - Ferryside. Highlights include steel freight trains from Margam, the Murco tanker train and the Network Rail New Measurement Train (HST). Click https://goo.gl/8Ug8nY to view all the images.

Saturday 19th January 2019: Today had been long marked in for a ramble around the south and west part of the IE network, but I found myself having to make changes as a short notice trip to South Wales cropped up for the next few days. So instead of the planned circular trip from Limerick to Waterford - Kildare - Athenry - Ennis and Limerick I found myself heading from Nenagh at 0740 to Ballybrophy, Portlaoise, Portarlington, Clara, back to Portarlington before heading south to Portlaoise, Limerick Jct. , Limerick and Ennis, before retracing my steps to Thurles to be collected for a road trip to Rosslare (getting there by train or bus from Munster is a PITA these days). Despite some miserable weather in the Midlands which wasn't great for photos it was good to venture to parts of the network I haven't been to for a while. Highlights include seeing both up and down IWT liners and a 6pce 2800 on the Limerick Jct. shuttle in connection with a Rugby match at Limerick. Click the image below to see the full collection.

Evening folks, Photos from the first part of this week consist of: Monday 14th January 2019: While waiting for my train, I noticed that platform end fencing has appeared at Portlaoise, even the disused bay platform was treated. Tuesday 15th January 2019: Pictures from Portlaoise and near Thurles today, highlight being Belmond Grand Hibernian 216 working a Cork passenger diagram. Wednesday 16th January 2019: While having to make a quick sortie to the Dublin Docklands on Wednesday evening, I managed to get some photos from The Point, Spencer Dock, Mayor Square and some evening time photos at Heuston Station prior to catching my train home. Click https://goo.gl/qy33wA to view the pictures.

Latest update to the January gallery featuring: Thursday 10th January 2019: An unusual visitor to Laois Traincare Depot in the form of track recording car 700. Saturday 12th January 2019: 18 photos from a trip from Portlaoise to Dublin with images from Heuston, Connolly and the Docklands of Dublin. Click https://goo.gl/A8dPgz to view all the images.

Evening folks, Tuesday 8th January 2019: Pictures from Portlaoise as the sun was setting on 22050 as it arrived into the station, with an additional picture from Limerick after I alighted from the 1530 service from Heuston. Click https://goo.gl/QsFtaK or the picture below to view all the images.

A small update to the January gallery today with photos from Limerick and Ballybrophy. Click https://goo.gl/dV8TEX to view.

Evening folks, We kick off the 2019 season with photos from Portlaoise, Limerick Jct., Limerick and Nenagh. The North Tipperary Rail Community had their annual outing from Nenagh Station today to Limerick for Limerick-on-Ice with about 90 people travelling on the 1655 from Limerick to Ballybrophy. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2019-Photos/January-2019 to view.

The final images from 2018 have now been uploaded to the December gallery featuring images from Nenagh Station this morning showing a healthy load joining the late-morning train into Limerick. Click https://goo.gl/bTMc17 to view. Also the 2018 Year in Review has been published featuring over 300 images from the Irish Railway Scene over 2018. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Very Happy New Year. Click https://goo.gl/Fm6LDK to view.

The latest update to the December gallery has been published with: Friday 28th December 2018: A day trip from Thurles to Belfast to see a family member currently in hospital, features images from Thurles, Heuston, Connolly, Dundalk, Portadown, Belfast Lanyon Place and City Hospital. This was my first visit to Belfast since NI Railways renamed Central Station to Lanyon Place. It doesn't really roll off the tongue that well compared to Central and doesn't really give the occasional railway user any indication that this is the main railway station in Belfast, regardless of peoples views of it being central or not. Click https://goo.gl/7QUDB3 to view.

The latest update to the December gallery has been published with: Tuesday 18th December 2018: A few photos from Heuston and Busaras while up in Dublin for the day. Sunday 23rd Decemebr 2018: With a busy work schedule and lots of dreary weather, the opportunity for photographs in the lead up to Christmas has been limited. But I managed a detour to Kilkeen Level Crossing outside Killarney on Sunday afternoon while travelling along the N22 road to photo 22023 passing on the 1510 Tralee - Mallow. Click https://goo.gl/vuQbLT to view.

Evening all, The latest update to the December gallery has just been published. Featuring: Saturday 15th December 2018: A day spent on the Maynooth Line photographing the RPSI Santa Specials and travelling on the 3rd trip of the day, which due to the problems No. 4 had on the 2nd trip was worked by Belmond Grand Hibernian liveried 216. On a side note the 30 minute interval service on the Maynooth line is very welcome for hopping between stations. Sunday 16th December 2018: On Sunday morning I travelled up from Greystones to Dublin before catching some Green Line LUAS photos in between the Christmas Shopping. Click https://goo.gl/2cN3rt to view all the images.

Evening all, The latest update to the December gallery has just been published. Featuring: Saturday 15th December 2018: A day spent on the Maynooth Line photographing the RPSI Santa Specials and travelling on the 3rd trip of the day, which due to the problems No. 4 had on the 2nd trip was worked by Belmond Grand Hibernian liveried 216. On a side note the 30 minute interval service on the Maynooth line is very welcome for hopping between stations. Sunday 16th December 2018: On Sunday morning I travelled up from Greystones to Dublin before catching some Green Line LUAS photos in between the Christmas Shopping. Click https://goo.gl/2cN3rt to view all the images.

Evening all, Yesterday I found myself on another day trip to Dublin for a Institution of Railway Operators tutorial with pictures from: - Kildare. - Connolly. - Maynooth. Includes pictures of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Santa Train Specials between Connolly and Maynooth with the RPSI's No. 4 and IE 071 Class 082. Click https://goo.gl/PNdKFZ to view all the images from a rather excellent day.