thewanderer

Evening folks, A batch of 40+ photos have been uploaded from the past two days. Sunday 27th March 2016: 079 was stabled in Portarlington for the weekend with a Spoil Train. Monday 28th March 2016: I intended to pop over to the Stradbally Railway today but the big railway was far more interesting after I discovered (slightly too late in one case) that a full freight timetable was scheduled to operate. Photos on Monday come from: - Portarlington. - Killenard. - Monasterevin. - Cherryville. - The Curragh. Click http://smu.gs/1WT4ep7 to view.

If memory serves me correctly the Cravens carriage with the IR logos was 1524. It lasted into the mid 1990's as I remember seeing it in Killarney on several occasions. Never seemed to be allocated to Cork though. Always seemed to be a Dublin based carriage.

Evening folks, A few pictures from Friday and Saturday at: - Portlaoise - Mallow - Killarney. Highlight being (8)209 working the 1300 Heuston - Cork on Friday. Click http://smu.gs/1q8cffj to view.

Evening folks, Two updates tonight to the website. The first is to the March gallery and features: - Interesting day today with Tamper 743 operating Kildare to Mallow and heavily delayed West of Ireland freight services due to 088 having flat batteries at Ballina and 087 having to go and jump start it. Click http://smu.gs/1Rbn6iP to view. The second update is a contributed gallery from>>>> and features the event held at Stradbally on Sunday 20th March for a 1916 Centenary reenactment / pageant event acknowledging and highlighting the historical role of county Laois in the 1916 rising. Click http://smu.gs/1XIaYGc to view.

Evening folks, The latest batch of images have now been uploaded to the website and feature: - Portarlington. - Carn Bridge (highlight being (8)209 appearing on the 1700 Heuston - Cork. - Portlaoise. - Laois Depot - Thurles. - Limerick Jct. - Mallow - Cork. Click http://smu.gs/22wT1xX to view.

Afternoon all, Saturday produced some rare freight action with both Up & Down IWT Liners scheduled to operate. As an added bonus there was also a 1130 Portlaoise - North Wall PWD Materials Train which followed right behind the 0815 Ballina - North Wall IWT Liner. I popped over to Killenard to photograph the proceedings. Click http://smu.gs/1pAAJxT to view all the pictures from today.

The second and final batch of images from my mid week UK trip to Liverpool and Manchester area have now been uploaded to the website. To view Thursday's images clickhttp://smu.gs/1pzqZDT To view all the images from the start ciick http://smu.gs/1STTyax A selection of the gallery is highlighted below.

Evening all, Some images from last weekend in Killarney / Farranfore and the Dublin area. Click http://smu.gs/1QYxTwr to view. Also I'm spending a few days in the Manchester and Liverpool areas. The first batch of pictures have now been uploaded to http://smu.gs/1STTyax

A selection of pictures from the RPSI "The Shannon" and "The Boyle" Railtours on Sunday 13th March 2016. Click http://smu.gs/1SLDDu to view.

Evening folks, Thursday 10th March 2016: While on a visit to the IRRS at Heuston for the excellent lecture by Brian Solomon, I grabbed a photo of 071 stabled in the Guinness Yard with a Autoballaster rake. Click the image below to see full high rez version.

Evening all, Been a while since my last update for various reasons. The February gallery comes to a close with some pictures from Killarney and Killeen Cutting in the Killarney - Farranfore section, where recent engineering works have taken place to regrade the cutting. Click http://smu.gs/1p9391K to view. March kicks off with images from Roscrea and Ballybrophy showing the recent engineering works with the Relay Train and HOBS Train and a trip to Westport. Click http://smu.gs/1L9pczb to view.

Evening folks, I ventured over to Ballykillane between Portarlington and Portlaoise to see 088 working the Belview - Portlaoise "Steel Train", plus 224 on the 1200 Heuston - Cork and a couple of 22000 Class Units on the Portlaoise Commuter service. Click http://smu.gs/1ReuWGH to view

Èvening all, A dreary lunchtime around Portlaoise threw up Inspection Car 722 operating from Portlaoise to Limerick Jct. & (8)209 on the 1300 Heuston - Cork. Click http://smu.gs/1OkhigD to view.

VIDEO: A rare 9ICR passenger working to Cork this evening with 22055 + 22051 + 22054 working the 2100 Heuston - Cork service. This is normally formed by a 3ICR + 4ICR formation. In Cork the sets will be split with 2X3ICR forming the 0550 Cork - Heuston & 3ICR forming the 0615 Cork - Heuston "Express". Thurs 18.02.16 Click the image below to view.

Evening all, After yesterday's fun and games (plus the bonus of sunshine!) it was back to the more mundane stuff today (with lots of heavy rain) with a visit to Portarlington station to see the recently completed track alterations to the yard on the Down side. The existing down siding was slewed closer to the station and extended. A new siding and locomotive release road was also created. This will allow PWD train locos to run around without going to the Down Main and Down Loop and blocking the mainline. To see the alterations click http://smu.gs/20BYLn0

Evening folks, The main event today was a 1296 tonnes trial train from Heuston to Sallins and back again, utilising 16 Autoballaster Wagons + a dead 201 Class on the rear. The test is part of a study into increasing the maximum length and weight of freight trains from 18 bogies (36 TEU's) to 27 bogies (54 TEU's). Due to very late running of the trial (2 hours late) I only managed to photograph the outward working as I had other commitments for the afternoon. Other bits and bobs from this morning include: - 078 running L.E. from Heuston to Portarlington. - Tamper 744 1050 Kildare - Wexford. - Usual diet of 22000's and 201 + MKIV sets. Click http://smu.gs/1VhkpM3 to view all the images from the day.

Evening all, Last weekend I was in London and the pictures from that trip are now uploaded to http://smu.gs/20uficD Also a few pictures from M3 Parkway last night and Cherryville Jct this morning showing the first 7ICR service from Waterford. Click http://smu.gs/1O81fCq to view

Evening all, Yesterday I was in Westport for the 150th anniversary of the Station. Photos from the event are at http://smu.gs/1QQW803 Also the general photos from the trip to/from Mayo are at http://smu.gs/1m7hbP3 - Includes 071 at Claremorris with the Sperry Train and 079 stabled at Westport.

Evening all, Yesterday I was in Westport for the 150th anniversary of the Station. Photos from the event are at http://smu.gs/1QQW803 Also the general photos from the trip to/from Mayo are at http://smu.gs/1m7hbP3 - Includes 071 at Claremorris with the Sperry Train and 079 stabled at Westport.

Evening all, As alluded to in yesterday's update, the second part of the pictures are now online and feature the latest progress of the LUAS Cross City construction from Broombridge to St. Stephen's Green. Great progress has been made in the City Centre over the last few months with track laying now underway in most areas. The work in O'Connell Street won't commence until later in the year after the 1916 Easter Rising commemorations have taken place. Click http://smu.gs/1S8VQDb to view.

Evening all, The first of a two part update tonight from Dublin and Portarlington. Pictures from: - Portarlington (IWT Liner in the evening) - Heuston - Cabra (IWT Liner) - Broombridge. - LUAS Green Line - Dun Laoghaire. - Greystones (078 and HOBS train) - Blackrock (078 and HOBS train) Click http://smu.gs/1NwgUvg to view. The update later in the week will feature part 2 which is an extensive update to the LUAS Cross City Gallery.

Evening folks, Pictures from this weekend have now just been uploaded to the January gallery. Highlights include: - A trip to Galway. - Flooding on the Limerick to Ennis railway at Ballycar and Mooghaun. It will be at least another 10 to 12 weeks before trains run along here again. The line has flooded several times over the last 20 years in 1995, 2008, 2009 and 2014. Click http://smu.gs/1nhCSNb to view all the images.

Evening all, Photos from Thursday and Friday have now been uploaded. Thursday 21st January 2016: - A few lunchtime rambles around Portlaoise. - Bonus photo of 078 passing Greystones on a Autoballaster train to Wexford. Friday 22nd January 2016: - Perway wagons at Portlaoise. - 20 minutes at Monasterevin in the evening with some videos taken. Click http://smu.gs/23k6iuW or the image below to view.

Evening all, Just one from today with 22025 + 22026 passing Portarlington. Click http://smu.gs/1nn9G87 or the image for full size picture.

Evening all, Two updates this evening: - The first update is to the January Gallery with photos from Heuston and Portarlington. The Portarlington photos show the track alterations underway to install two new sidings on the down side. Also includes 074 on the 1526 Waterford - Ballina Timber. Click http://smu.gs/1QjpvaS to view. The second update is of a training exercise at Islandbridge. Click http://smu.gs/20aig7O