thewanderer

Pictures from the past week have now all been uploaded to the February gallery at http://smu.gs/2sxzVzK Locations featured include: - Nenagh - Ballybrophy - Thurles (testing of 219 and common user 231) - Charleville (testing of 22001 on the IEHS trials. - Limerick Jct. - Connolly - Drogheda - Pearse - Broombridge - Harcourt Street - damaged OCS and stranded trams.

Evening folks, The rest of the pictures from my weekend in Mayo and Sligo have been uploaded to https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2018-Photos/February-2018/i-vGdFZxv Highlights include 071 and 087 at Ballina on the IWT and Timber freight trains and the British Rail Southern Region 3CIG 1498 at the Quirky Glamping site in Enniscrone.

Evening folks, Latest update to the website has been uploaded featuring photos from: - Limerick - North of Athlone on the Westport line. - Claremorris (including the IWT Liner). - Ballina Branch. Click http://smu.gs/2Ei2anH to view.

Evening all, Pictures from the past few days have now been uploaded to the February gallery. Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th February 2018: Some pictures from around Killarney. Monday 5th February 2018: Just one from today of LUAS tram 3007 at The Point. Tuesday 6th February 2018: Pictures from Thurles, Portlaoise and Rosskelton. Highlights included 22001 moving from Connolly to Laois Depot on its own. All other previous transfers between Connolly - Laois Depot for this CAWS/ATP hybrid testbed set have been either as part of a trailing or middle set. Click http://smu.gs/2FTdE1t to view.

Evening folks, While passing near Killonan Jct. this afternoon I called in to see 22008 passing with the 1550 Limerick - Limerick Jct. Plus earlier in the day I stopped off at Nenagh Station to see 2814 + 2813 working the 0745 to Limerick. Click http://smu.gs/2nDB4QL

Evening all, A selection of images from the past week have now been uploaded to the website this evening. - Perway transfer from Limerick Wagon Works to Portlaoise. - Pictures from Thurles, Heuston, Connolly, Pearse and Killester. Click http://smu.gs/2rmNSQs to view.

After working the 0530 Galway - Heuston on Monday the 15th January, the hybrid 6ICR set 22002 (22001) was sent to Laois Traincare Depot on the as required 0905 empty path, for the set to be reformed to 3ICR sets in their original formations of 22301 + 22401 + 22201 and 22302 + 22402 + 22202. 22001 is required back in its original formation for testing of the CAWS/ATP hybrid signalling system between Limerick Jct. and Charleville in the coming weeks. Once the testing is complete the set will be once again reformed back to the hybrid 6 car 22002 (22001) set. Click http://smu.gs/2EL9jN7 to view a few pictures.

Evening all, The latest update to the January gallery features: Thursday 4th January 2018: A few images from around Ballybrophy. Thursday 11th January 2018: I dropped into Nenagh Station to see the morning departures to Ballybrophy and Limerick. Saturday 13th January 2018: I took a ramble today visiting Kilmastulla, Castleconnell on the Nenagh Branch, plus Cratloe, Clareabbey, Dromquin and Tubber on the Western Rail Corridor. Click http://smu.gs/2D7TQud to view them.

Evening folks, It seems I jinxed 216 last night after my spin to Cork behind it yesterday. It was hauled back from Cork to Inchicore this morning hauled by 219. I was lucky enough to catch it passing Clonkeen, Portlaoise just before 1300. Click http://smu.gs/2CBGy95 to view the pictures from the day.

Evening folks, We start off the 2018 round of photos with a visit to Cork, Cobh and Midleton. The main reason for my trip was to see the new station entrance at Cork. Unfortunately the weather wasn't that kind with Storm Eleanor rolling in across the country. Click http://smu.gs/2DUbLk3 to view.

Afternoon all, The 2017 Year in Review is now available to view at http://smu.gs/2q65ejW This gallery contains over 450 photos from the past 12 months from the railways of Ireland. I hope you enjoy the gallery and let's hope 2018 will be just as interesting. From a personal viewpoint the painting of 073 into its original Irish Rail "white stripe" livery was certainly the highlight of the year for me, joining sister locomotive 071 in its original CIE livery from 1976 which was repainted in 2016.

Evening folks, The final update for 2017 has just been uploaded to the website featuring images from the past few days. Locations include: - Limerick. - Portlaoise showing the failed 0700 Heuston - Cork on Friday. - Nenagh area. Click http://smu.gs/2ElLXOv to view. May I take this opportunity to wish you all a Happy New Year and a prosperous 2018. On Monday 1st January 2018, the 2017 Year in Review will be published on the website. The preview to this gallery is currently on my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com//thewandererphotos

Evening folks, Some pictures taken on either side of the Christmas shutdown have now been uploaded to the website. Featuring: - Ballybrophy on a cold and wet evening. - Farranfore to see 22027 arriving into the station. Click http://smu.gs/2E4oph5 to view.

With a few bits of Christmas shopping left to get, I decided to let the train to take the strain and popped into Limerick for a few hours. Of course, I grabbed a few photos along the way as well. Click http://smu.gs/2kGRSVu to view.

Evening all, Photos from a weekend in Dublin have just been uploaded to the December gallery at www.smu.gs/2kEF8i3 Locations visited include: - Heuston - Connolly - Maynooth - Pearse - Leixlip Confey - LUAS Red and Green lines.

Evening folks, A round up of images from this week so far: Monday 11th November 2017: Pictures from a snow covered Portlaoise as dusk approached on the Monday evening. Tuesday 12th December 2017: The snow was still there on the Tuesday morning and I managed to get some photos from Ballybrophy and Portlaoise. Wednesday 13th December 2017: Some images of the new LUAS Green Line extension in Dublin City plus photos from Connolly and Heuston. Click http://smu.gs/2ACUVcg to view.

The LUAS Cross City extension of the Green Line opens on Saturday 9th December after being offically opened by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD, Transport Minister Shane Ross TD and Minister for Finance & Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe TD at a opening ceremony outside the GPO in Dublin. The new tramline is a 5.6 km extension of the existing Green Line from Stephen's Green to Broombridge in North West Dublin via Dawson Street, College Green, O'Connell Street / Marlborough Street, Parnell Street, Broadstone, Phibsborough and Cabra serving a total of 13 new tram stops. Pictures from the opening day have now been uploaded to http://smu.gs/2jiM1Jp

Photos from this week so far come from: - Thurles - Ballybrophy - Quakers Road LC - Heuston - Connolly Click http://smu.gs/2zVEbbD to view.

Afternoon folks, The December gallery has been updated with images from: - Nenagh - Thurles - Heuston - Broombridge (RPSI Santa Specials). - Drumcondra (IWT Liner). Click http://smu.gs/2khQkot to view. The second update to the website features the LUAS Cross City Extension. With just a week to go before opening of the LUAS Cross City Extension, I headed to Dublin to get some photos before it opened. Also thanks to the generosity of Transdev management I was able to take a trip on the new extension from St. Stephens Green to Broombridge on Saturday afternoon during a timetable test. I had planned to travel on the IRRS trip two weeks previously but a family issue scuppered that plan two days before it. This will be the final update to the LUAS Cross City Gallery. This gallery stretches back to January 2013 when I walked the City Centre route prior to construction beginning. Nearly 600 photos later the extension opens at 1400 hours on Saturday 9th December 2017. Click http://smu.gs/2AGUflm to view the update from Saturday and if you wish the view the gallery from the start click http://smu.gs/2zIwDJc

Morning folks, Two updates to the website today. The first update is to the November Gallery and the main highlight of this is a trip to Limerick on Monday evening to see the recently completed rebuilding of Platforms 1 and 2 at the Station. Click http://smu.gs/2k9Y6AJ to view. On Wednesday 29th November, I was part of a small group visit to the main Iarnrod Eireann Civil Engineering base at Portlaoise located just off the Dublin - Cork railway line at the 52 MP. The site in Portlaoise is the main production hub for all of IE's track requirements throughout the network and includes a sleeper manufacturing plant and a rail welding facility. Click http://smu.gs/2zzcsxh to see images of this very interesting and rarely seen element of the rail network.

Evening folks, Other commitments have kept me away from the camera the past week or so, but I managed to get some pictures yesterday and today from Nenagh, Portlaoise and Killarney. Highlights include 216 back on Dublin - Cork MKIV duties and 080 hauling a PWD relay train from Cork to Portlaoise. Click http://smu.gs/2n4byaj to view.

Afternoon folks, The November gallery has been updated with some images from Heuston and interior pictures of recent labelling changes to the 22000 Class fleet. Click http://smu.gs/2mARbRV to view.

Evening all, A few updates to the website covering the past week: November Gallery: Wednesday 8th November 2017: Images from Portlaoise and of LUAS trams in Dublin near Heuston Station. Thursday 9th November 2017: Grabbed a few images around Heuston Station while passing through to catch a bus. Tuesday 14th November 2017: The Sperry Train passed Portlaoise just after midday heading from Heuston to Mallow. Click http://smu.gs/2jrSnpy to view. For the weekend I was in the UK visiting Manchester and York. - UK Trip featuring Manchester Metrolink, Piccadilly and York: http://smu.gs/2ifH9kB - Visit to the National Railway Museum: http://smu.gs/2ifmgpy

Evening all, The November gallery starts off with photos from: - Clonkeen outside Portlaoise. - Hill of Down on the Sligo line to see the extremely rare appearance of a 5ICR set working on Sligo route. This was following the failure of the booked 4ICR set. - Pictures from Lavistown and Commons in Co. Kilkenny on Sunday afternoon. Click http://smu.gs/2hHRRjx to view.

Some recent photos of the Bord na Mona railway at Derrinlough Briquette Factory in Co. Offaly. From 2018 this will be the last plant to produce peat briquettes when the Littleton factory in Co. Tipperary is closed. This closure is due to falling demand for the product in the face of milder winters, higher taxes, falling oil prices and growing awareness of the environmental damage that burning peat causes. Click http://smu.gs/2z9aIeY to view.