thewanderer

Evening folks, I've finally caught up with the last of the October gallery with the final update published today. Highlights include: - Photos from Brittas north of Thurles. - Belmond Grand Hibernian Trial over the Western Rail Corridor. With thanks to TTC0169 for these images. - Pictures from Cherryville Jct and Kildare. Includes Belmond liveried 216 on Cork passenger services and 082 on the DFDS liner from Waterford to Ballina. Click http://smu.gs/2z5BsN4 to view them all.

Morning folks, It's been a busy few weeks since the Munster Double railtour and I haven't really had a chance to update the website much. During the week I made a flying visit to the London area, managing to travel on one of the brand new Class 800 "IEP" from Paddington to Reading and back again. Other items of interest include: Wednesday - A trip on the new GWR Class 800 "IEP" trains from Paddington to Reading and back again. - London Underground photos from various stations. - Liverpool Street - Stratford on a Class 315. - Jubilee Line refurbished train. - Former International platform 20 at London Waterloo. Thursday - Staines and London Waterloo. - London Euston and Birmingham International. These photos can be viewed at http://smu.gs/2yaOrjs The main reason for the visit to London was to visit the Great Cockcrow miniature railway in Chertsey outside London for an event organised by the Institution of Railway Operators. Photos of this excellent railway which features a full signalling system can be viewed at http://smu.gs/2zL8CAM An Irish update of photos covering the last two weeks of October should be posted somestage this weekend.

Evening folks, Two updates have just been done to the website tonight. The first update is to the October Gallery and features: - Lunchtime at Clonkeen on Friday. - Friday evening at Nenagh. - Saturday morning at Stacumny Bridge. - Institution of Railway Operators "Railway Operations Management" 2017 course launch for IE and NIR staff at Connolly. - Sunday features photos from Pearse, Connolly and Thurles. Click http://smu.gs/2ynsmuR to view. The second update is pictures from the hugely successful Railway Preservation Society of Ireland "The Munster Double" railtour. This was the first ever railtour to feature a pair of 071 class locomotives operating in multiple! I was only able to join the tour in Mallow on the way back to Dublin due to a scheduling clash on the day, but before joining the tour I photographed it at Stacumny Bridge outside Dublin and I also arranged for family members to get some photos of the train arriving into Killarney. Click http://smu.gs/2xGYqrz to view.

Evening folks, The October gallery has been updated earlier today with: Saturday 7th October: Flying into Dublin from Frankfurt with views of the City and Bay. Sunday 8th October 2017: Images from around Dublin, plus Thurles including: * Abbey Street * Busaras * Connolly * Howth * Dun-Laoghaire * Pearse * Heuston Wednesday 11th October 2017: Just a single photograph from today with 22054 leaving Portlaoise for Heuston. Thursday 12th October 2017: A few from Ballybrophy, Portlaoise and Limerick today including the last Belmond Grand Hibernian of the season, 086 on a Portarlington to Limerick HOBS transfer and Limerick Station Cabin has been swept away. Click http://smu.gs/2xBnqk0 to view all the images.

The second part of my trip to Poznan, which turned into a bit of an adventure due to Storm Xavier hitting northern Germany and Poland has now been uploaded to the website. After being stranded overnight in Leipzig on the hotel train, we managed to book tickets to get a bus to Berlin early on the Friday morning. Once in Berlin it became clear that there was still no trains running and we would have to get another bus to Poznan to meet up with the rest of the group that had headed from Dublin to Poznan on the Friday morning. Therefore the latest update is more of a travelblog with pictures of buses and stationary trains in how to get from Leipzig to Poznan via Berlin when the rail network is out of action. To top it off I didn’t even get to see any Polish trains, let alone travel on any! You can click http://smu.gs/2kwTHaL to see the pictures from Friday, plus Saturday’s picture of heading back to Dublin via Frankfurt. Click http://smu.gs/2y3fhsh to see the gallery from the very start. Maybe the 2018 trip will be a bit closer to home?

A group of friends decide to go to Poznan for the weekend. Two of us decide to take the scenic route and get the train from London to Berlin (overnight) and then onto Poznan Friday morning, while the rest of them fly out on Friday from Dublin. What could possibly go wrong? It turns out we didn't bargain for a massive DB farce in the Berlin area due to OHLE down from bad weather and an ICE carriage is about to become our bed for the night in Leipzig station. Click http://smu.gs/2y3fhsh to view the adventure so far.....

Evening folks, Four updates to the website this evening featuring: * October 2017 updated with images from Baltimore and Ballydehob showing old railway infrastructure. * Visit to the West Cork Model Railway Village. * Railtours Ireland "Emerald Isle Express" updated with photos of 073 at Woodfarm between Limerick Jct. and Limerick. * September 2017 updated with photos from Mallow and Skibbereen. All the above galleries can be accessed from

Hi John, Yes it is planned to do so. Timings are 10.45 KILLARNEY/TRALEE 15.25 TRALEE/KILLARNEY

Evening folks, Today I followed the Emerald Isle Explorer from Mallow to Cobh and then to Killarney. The highlight being later on in Killarney when the Belmond Grand Hibernian also arrived into the station. The two privately owned trains passed to operated on IE metals in the same location at the same time. Click http://smu.gs/2xGZIGt to view all these. The second update is some images from Limerick Jct. this evening featuring 082 stabled on PWD duties and a rare case of 2612 + 2611 covering for a shortage of 2800 Class sets on the Limerick Jct. Shuttle. Click http://smu.gs/2xGdmcY to view.

Evening folks, Just two photos from earlier today, the hightlight being 218 replacing 216 on this weeks Belmond Grand Hibernian. Click http://smu.gs/2yrPkzS to view.

Afternoon all, There are two updates to the website today featuring: - The September gallery has been updated with images from Nenagh, Galway and Oranmore over the weekend. Click http://smu.gs/2wRD5Ly to view. - It's been over three years since I last visited the narrow gauge railway at Stradbally and in that time some major changes have taken place, with the building of a new two road maintenance shed and improvements to the platform at Stradbally with the addition of various items of traditional platform furniture. I visited the railway for their September running day on Sunday 24th September. Due to a minor issue with their ex Bord na Mona steam locomotive No. 2, this was stopped during the day for maintenance attention to take place, with the last hour of service being provided by diesel locomotive "Rusty". Click http://smu.gs/2wRK07S to view.

Thursday 21st September 2017: Images from around Portlaoise featuring: - 201 & MKIV sets on Cork services. - Empty 3ICR off a irish Distillers Private Charter from Heuston to Cork. - Tullamore - Cork National Ploughing Championship Spl. Click http://smu.gs/2wKm7ia

Evening all, The final batch of images from my weekend in London have now been uploaded to the website. Featuring: - Croydon Tramlink photos from East Croydon, Phipps Bridge, Morden Road and Wimbledon. - Class 455's & Class 700's at Wimbledon. Two generations of EMU's. - X26 across South London to Hatton Cross. - Hatton Cross and Heathrow T1,2,3. Click http://smu.gs/2xn8qJE to view. To see all the photos from the weekend you can click http://smu.gs/2x5mhEs to view these. These feature: Thursday's images feature the trip from Dublin to Gatwick and Gatwick Station itself. Friday's photos feature: - Carshalton Beeches. - Epsom Downs - Tattenham Corner. - Purley. Joining two Class 455's together and 66076 on a freight in the yard. - East Croydon. - Oxted. - Eridge. - Uckfield. - Edenbridge Town. - Edenbridge. - Redhill - Gatwick. 59204 passing through on a freight. Saturday's photos feature: - A trip on the new Mail Rail exhibition at the Postal Museum in Mount Pleasant. - Docklands Light Railway trips. - Greenwich Foot Tunnel. - Emirates Air Line (cable car). - Class 455's at Victoria and Carshalton Beeches.

Morning folks, Pictures from a jaunt around London on Saturday have now been uploaded to http://smu.gs/2xedGOl Featuring: - A trip on the new Mail Rail exhibition at the Postal Museum in Mount Pleasant. - Docklands Light Railway trips. - Greenwich Foot Tunnel. - Emirates Air Line (cable car). - Class 455's at Victoria and Carshalton Beeches.

Morning all, Friday's pictures from London have now been uploaded to http://www.smu.gs/2xa2AuY Featuring: - Carshalton Beeches. - Epsom Downs - Tattenham Corner. - Purley. Joining two Class 455's together and 66076 on a freight in the yard. - East Croydon. - Oxted. - Eridge. - Uckfield. - Edenbridge Town. - Edenbridge. - Redhill - Gatwick. 59204 passing through on a freight.

Evening folks, Two updates to the website this evening. The first update, to the September Gallery covers images from during the week and today at Nenagh, Portlaoise and Dublin City. Click http://smu.gs/2wt3Q8X to view. The second update are the first images from a long weekend trip to London. Click http://smu.gs/2x5mhEs to view.

Evening all, The rest of the images from Saturday and a few from today have now been uploaded to the September gallery. Saturday 9th September 2017: Some photos of service trains at Connolly and on the Sligo line taken during the RPSI / MRSI "East Coaster" railtour (see post from Sunday for the railtour pictures). Monday 11th September 2017: A nice capture today for a Monday lunchtime was photographing 073 passing Rosskelton on a HOBS train to Lisduff. Later in the day has a few images from Portlaoise and Limerick. Click smu.gs/2wkRDU4 to view. Also when passing Broombridge on the RPSI / MRSI Railtour to Sligo I managed to get some photos of stabled trams at the new LUAS Depot. Click smu.gs/2wlb7HZ to view these.

Evening folks, Yesterday I travelled on the RPSI / MRSI "East Coaster" railtour from Connolly to Sligo using the Whitehead based MK2 set. The use of the MK2 set gave the rare opportunity to sample these carriages beyond Dublin. Haulage for the entire day used NIR's 112. This loco's claim to fame was it spent several years in the mid 2000's on loan to IE. Click http://smu.gs/2wTbflm to view.

Evening folks, A round of images on the Nenagh Branch and Limerick Station from the latter half of the week. Click https://smu.gs/2wP0jpc to view.

Evening all, Images from the weekend have just been uploaded to the website. Saturday 2nd September 2017: I stayed in Adare overnight to visit a friend so on the Saturday morning I popped up to the disused station to snap some photographs. These can be seen in the Foynes Branch Gallery at http://smu.gs/2eVLsQs Sunday 4th September 2017: A visit to Farranfore Station to see the 1340 Tralee - Heuston (22039) & 1210 Cork - Tralee (22018) crossing at the station. Monday 4th September 2017: A couple of photos from Portlaoise Station which was still busy from the Electric Picnic Concert at nearby Stradbally. Click http://smu.gs/2x51XEi to view these in the September gallery.

Images from the first day of September come from: - Nenagh - Ballybrophy - Portlaoise (Electric Picnic crowds) - Mallow - Limerick Jct. - Limerick Click smu.gs/2xDk4hC to view.

Evening folks, A few images from the past couple of days. Wednesday 30th August 2017: A few images while on the way home from work of the 1700 Heuston - Cork, 1705 Heuston - Tralee and 1655 Limerick - Ballybrophy. Thursday 31st August 2017: A new memorial plaque to commemorate the 150th anniversary of death of William Dargan has been unveiled at Portlaoise Station. He was a native of Laois having grown up on a farm near Killeshin. Dargan built Ireland’s first railway, the Dublin/Kingstown line which opened in 1834. Click http://smu.gs/2gsUF65 to view.

Good evening all, As most of now know, retro liveried 073 worked the 071 class rostered legs of the Belmond Grand Hibernian on Saturday and Sunday between Islandbridge and Connolly on Saturday and then the following day from Connolly to Waterford and Muine Bheag. Pictures of this, plus some other odds and sods can be viewed at http://smu.gs/2vBm1ZL

Good evening folks, Several pictures from the last two days have now been uploaded to August gallery featuring: - Irish Rail retro livery 073 on the 0815 Ballina - North Wall IWT liner at Portarlington. - ICR & MKIV passenger services passing Portarlington Station. - The 1245 Limerick - Limerick Jct. service was extended to Heuston and formed of 2800 class vehicles 2815 + 2816. This was due to an earlier MKIV failure at Heuston and the 1220 Cork - Heuston being 4ICR as a result. The service was reported full at Mallow. - Thursday's Belmond Grand Hibernian working from Charleville to Galway via Portarlington passing Clonard south of Portlaoise. - A rather crisp Dublin Coach Neopian Double Decker has turned up at Corcoran's Garage in Portlaoise after suffering from an engine fire. Click http://smu.gs/2wJWuC4 to view. Also on Monday 15th August, I visited Ardnacrusha hydroelectric power station in Co. Clare. This was served by a short branch off the Limerick - Athenry line from Longpavement on the outskirts of Limerick City and only finally closed in 1980. Click http://smu.gs/2xw8YdC to view.

It's out! 073 has finally been released back to traffic after its bodywork overhaul and repaint into original Irish Rail livery dating from 1987 to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the company. It worked today's 1510 North Wall - Ballina IWT liner and it is pictured passing Monasterevin. Click http://smu.gs/2vbIGfU to view all the images or click the image below to bring you to the August gallery.