thewanderer

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.

A very overdue website update has finally occurred today with pictures from the past month. - September 2025 gallery has images from Portlaoise, Cork, Limerick, Heuston, Rathmore, Killarney, Mallow, Cobh, Midleton, Galway, Portarlington. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/September-2025/i-455C4KH to view all the images. - October 2025 gallery only has two images from Heuston and Thurles to start the week off. But I managed to capture the hybrid set 22051 at Heuston. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/October-2025 to view. - UK Trip between 29th September and 4th October with visits to London, Nottingham, Derby, Rugby, Birmingham, Sheffield, Colchester, Woking, Thames Valley Branches, Exeter, Westbury, Salisbury & Southampton. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2025-International-Trips/UK-Trip-29th-September-4th-October-2025 to view the galleries for each day. - And for something a bit different. The Lily of Killarney Boat tour. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/FeaturedGallery/Lily-of-Killarney-boat-tour

Last Saturday the Irish Railway Records Society organizsed a day trip to the Waterford and Suir Valley Railway. The charter the railway ran for us covered the full length of their railway to the Bilberry halt on the outskirts of Waterford City, close to the site of the long closed Waterford South Station (closed 1906). Pictures from the day, including travelling to and from Waterford by Irish Rail service trains out via Kilkenny and returning via Limerick Jct. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/RailtoursPreservedRailways/2025/IRRS-outing-to-WSV-Railway-Saturday-13th-September-2025 to view all the images.

The September gallery gets off the ground with: Thursday 4th September 2025: A ramble around the heartlands of Ireland by local link bus and rail. Wednesday 10th September 2025: Pictures from Cork Station. Friday 12th September 2025: Pictures from Killarney and Rathmore Station, the new footbridge at Rathmore is now open. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/September-2025 to view.

The August gallery has been updated with images from: * Bray * Borris featuring the disused viaduct on the Bagnalstown to Palace East railway which closed in 1963. * Thurles * Inchicore One of the highlights of the month so far was the transfer of the last remaining 2700 Class vehicle from Cork to Inchicore on Thursday 21st August 2025 departing Cork at 1240. After a stop at Mallow to examine 2751 to ensure all was in order it ran non-stop to Inchicore. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/August-2025 to view.

Woodbrook Station opens on 10th August 2025. Woodbrook Station, which is located between Bray and Shankill, will serve the existing and new communities of Woodbrook and Shanganagh. It is the 147th Station on the Iarnrod Eireann network. The station was officially opened last Sunday morning by the Minister for Transport Darragh O'Brien. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/Officialevents/2025/Woodbrook-Station-opens-Sunday-10th-August-2025 to view all the images from the opening ceremony.

The next July update comes with the rest of the pictures for the month in the Irish gallery with images from Thurles, Heuston, Tara Street, Connolly, Drumcondra and the Dublin LUAS tram system. Also featured is the new modification to the 29000 Class fit with a bike space area. 5 seats have been removed in the MT type car (293xx) and replaced by 7 tip up seats and bike spaces. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/July-2025/i-8d7RHrt to view.

Between the 12th -15th July I was in London and Birmingham for a few days city break but still managed to fit in several transport related topics including: * The Rail 200 Inspiration train at London Euston. * The 1938 Tube Stock Tour on the Piccadilly Line. * Hidden London tour of the disused Aldwych Branch platforms at Holborn Underground Station. Pictures can be viewed in the daily galleries at https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/International/2025-International-Trips/UK-Trip-12th-to-15th-July-2025

The July gallery has been updated with a few images from earlier tonight. The 1925 Cork - Heuston service was cancelled on Wednesday evening after the set failed pre departure. Recovery was arranged for Friday with 076 working the train back to Dublin. Unfortunately this also ran into trouble at Mallow and was terminated there for further assistance which came in the form of 220 from Cork. The train departed Mallow at 2105 approx and closely followed the 2025 Cork - Heuston and was photographed passing Thurles Beet Factory Sidings. Click https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2025-Photos/July-2025/i-RJ3qHNv for all the images including the 2025 Cork - Heuston passing a few minutes in advance of the empty movement.