thewanderer

Thanks. That Panel Train won't depart until next week somestage. Only one route it will take and that's via Connolly. Why go via Waterford when A: far more resource intensive to operate over the mothballed South Wexford. B: Two run arounds required at Rosslare Strand / or Europort and Kildare compared to a straight run up the DSE, around North Dublin and then down the GSR to Portlaoise. The Wanderer.

A day of mixed fortunes in the Sunny South East. After travelling to Wexford in the morning to photograph the Panel Train from Wexford to Portlaoise, it turned out it was cancelled due to no driver being available. Several cars were reported to have done U Turns on the N11 Dublin - Wexford Road after the news broke. As I knew the 1130 Waterford - Westport Ety. Timber was operating and the original plan to get it near Waterford now impossible due to lack of time, plan B was put into action. Up to Enniscorthy, perfectly timing it to photograph the 0940 Connolly - Rosslare Europort passenger and then cross country via the R702 and L3001 roads to Muine Bheag and I arrived at Fenniscourt with only minutes to spare for the nice surprise of 209 on the timber. A good end to the day. http://smu.gs/10FBEgb Enjoy! The Wanderer.

Ah but not at 60mph down the Kerry Line!

After the 4 car trial with 22045 on Wednesday 3rd July, vehicle 22445 was re-inserted into the set to trial a 5 car formation. The set operated a trial to Ballybrophy and the return working is pictured at Clonkeen Bridge. Also Loco 072 operated Portlaoise - Portarlington Light Engine to bring a panel train to Wexford for Engineering Works at Wexford Yard. http://smu.gs/12JnSpl The Wanderer.

No, this enables a better match of capacity to demand. Several services, such as the 1310 Westport - Heuston are very busy as a 3 car but too much as a 6 car.

As part of a trial to test four car 22000 set operation. 6 car unit 22045 has been temporarily reduced to a 4 car set. It operated a trial from Laois Traincare to Thurles today and the return working was pictured at Clonkeen Bridge. http://smu.gs/12GmJyI The Wanderer.

A trip to Carn on the way home to see the 1700 Heuston - Cork (218 + 4005) & 1705 Heuston - Tralee (22037). http://smu.gs/12ChjEO The Wanderer.

The train involved in the accident, 22063 had to be hauled dead back to Laois Traincare Depot this afternoon by 22001. http://smu.gs/12zYGBw Thoughts to the driver concerned and the deceased girl's family. The Wanderer.

Evening folks, Just a couple of pictures from around Portarlington & Monastervin on Sunday afternoon. Includes a picture of 22063 being hauled dead back to Laois Traincare Depot by 22001 after it struck and killed a women at Adamstown in the early hours of Sunday morning. http://smu.gs/14GMJNz The Wanderer.

Good evening, On Friday 28th June Hansfield Station opened for business after standing idle for three years due to the lack of an access road to the station. The Station is served by 24 trains towards Clonsilla / City Centre and 21 trains from City Centre / Clonsilla Monday to Friday. On Saturday's the service is a shuttle all day to/from Clonsilla with 16 services to Clonsilla and 17 services from Clonsilla. A similar pattern exists on Sunday with 13 services to Clonsilla and 12 services from Clonsilla. The station was officially opened by Leo Varadkar T.D. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is a local T.D. in the area. Pictures of the opening are now online at http://smu.gs/10rn7EO Enjoy, The Wanderer.

Good evening, On Friday 28th June Hansfield Station opened for business after standing idle for three years due to the lack of an access road to the station. The Station is served by 24 trains towards Clonsilla / City Centre and 21 trains from City Centre / Clonsilla Monday to Friday. On Saturday's the service is a shuttle all day to/from Clonsilla with 16 services to Clonsilla and 17 services from Clonsilla. A similar pattern exists on Sunday with 13 services to Clonsilla and 12 services from Clonsilla. The station was officially opened by Leo Varadkar T.D. Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport who is a local T.D. in the area. Pictures of the opening are now online at http://smu.gs/10rn7EO Pictures from the rest of Friday are at http://smu.gs/10rnYoX and include: - LUAS Red Line services being delayed at Benburb Street due to the emergency services attending an incident. - LUAS Trams in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in Dublin's Docklands. - Docklands Station which is served in Peak Hours only to/from M3 Parkway. - M3 Parkway. - Connolly. - Skerries to see the afternoon Tara Mines trains (071 & 086), plus the 1235 Enterprise from Belfast, local Commuter services and empty ICR's from Drogheda Depot. - 8100 Class EMU's at Tara Street. - Heuston Station. Enjoy, The Wanderer.

Evening folks, Just a couple of photos of the Supersize Moon earlier in the week, plus 22048 & 22029 at Killenard on Portlaoise Commuter services on Tuesday evening. http://smu.gs/10nVlJq The Wanderer.

Evening all, Round up of photos from the last few days: Wednesday 19th June 2013: An evening walk in Derryounce Bog. The BnM railway which runs through the bog could do with a visit of the Weedspray train! Thursday 20th June 2013: 22055 at Portarlington and 3026 crossing Sean Heuston Bridge. Saturday 22nd June 2013: Several photos of the 1130 Waterford - Westport Ety. Timber train at Cherryville Jct., Kildare and Clara. All photos now online at http://smu.gs/12hY0jY Enjoy, The Wanderer.

Looks perfectly normal to me Memories I could almost smell the interior of a small GM while watching that, whilst grabbing onto my chair to stop being thrown off.

Evening folks, A ramble around Bord na Mona railways last Saturday at Edenderry / Croghan and Cushina. http://smu.gs/ZYyXGj The Wanderer.

It should be safe enough at 0635 in the morning! I have been down there several times throughout the years and never had any problems from the "locals". Then again you don't set up camp right outside their front door either. What incident happened? The Wanderer.

Evening all, After being dropped from its traditional slot at the start of the Weedspray Program, the mothballed South Wexford railway finally saw the train operate over the branch on Friday 14th June. It operated from Portlaoise to Waterford on Thursday afternoon to position itself for the run on the next day, thus giving the unusual sight of the Weedspray train operating in the Down Direction on the South Wexford Line. Scheduled to depart Waterford on the Friday morning at 0700, which necessitated a 0420 alarm clock call, the train crossed the Barrow Bridge at 0755 and proceeded to Rosslare Strand arriving there at 0940. 071 ran around its train at Rosslare Europort and then operated to Rosslare Strand where it waited for the 0940 Connolly - Rosslare Europort service to arrive. On board the 0940 from Connolly was the new Iarnrod Eireann CEO Mr. David Franks who travelled in the cab of the locomotive to view the disused line for himself. The line was also sprayed in both directions. Pictures begin with the positioning move on Thursday afternoon and some early morning photos in Waterford. Pictures of the Weedspray are from Barrow Bridge, Wellington Bridge, Bridgetown, Rosslare Strand and Rosslare Europort. http://smu.gs/120LqFA Enjoy, The Wanderer.

Good evening folks, The latest pictures are from Tuesday and Thursday. Featuring: Tuesday: Pictures of the William Dargan Bridge and Titanic Quarter Station in Belfast. Thursday: An afternoon visit to Straboe, Co. Laois to photograph ex works 071 bringing the Weedspray train from Portlaoise to Waterford. Pictures now online at http://smu.gs/ZMDmfn The main reason for the visit to Belfast on Tuesday was to visit the Titanic Belfast exhibition in Queens Island and the Game of Thrones Exhibition which is touring five cities worldwide. Game of Thrones: http://smu.gs/ZMAuiB Titanic Belfast:http://smu.gs/176tXVB Enjoy! The Wanderer.

It's hard to keep a secret in the railway

Evening all, I couldn't make Kilkenny today for the RPSI Steam but here is a selction of pictures from Ross Castle, Killarney on Saturday and Killarney Station on the Sunday. http://smu.gs/17AroKD The Wanderer.

No, I don't have any close up ones. I'll put it on the to do list!

Photos from Friday of a trip to Kerry. Locations featured include Portarlington, Thurles, Cork, Mallow and Killarney. - New ticket barriers at Cork. - 2614 + 2617 2055 Cork - Tralee. http://smu.gs/11LU231 The Wanderer.

Evening folks, Earlier today the Ffestiniog Railway's "Princess" was unveiled at Dublin Heuston by Junior Transport Minster Alan Kelly T.D. Public Transport Minister, Alan Kelly T.D. was at Heuston Station today to officially unveil the oldest narrow gauge steam locomotive in the world. Princess, which has recently been on display at Paddington Station, London is coming to Ireland as part of The Gathering, to highlight a railway heritage tour aimed at the UK market for The Gathering. The Locomotive, which is on loan from Ffestiniog Railway in north Wales will be on display at Heuston from today until 24th July and is open to all those who love trains, whatever their age. The Minister was joined at Heuston by the Dublin Welsh Male Voice Choir and guests in Victorian dress to mark the occasion. The original Ffestiniog Railway was built with capital funds from Dublin, and Irish labour was heavily involved in construction in the 1830s. Photos from the delivery to Heuston on Tuesday evening and the launch event on Thursday are now online at http://smu.gs/13J8U5l Plus a few other odds and sods from this morning: http://smu.gs/11HSoPJ Enjoy! The Wanderer.

Good evening all, The sunny (Exam Time) weather was too much to resist this evening. So here is a selection of photos from 60 minutes split between Clonkeen, outside Portlaoise and Portarlington. http://smu.gs/17pDrdM The Wanderer.

Morning folks, A varied day today. From a preserved RA bus in Portlaoise to the arrival of a Princess from the Welsh Highlands at Heuston Station http://smu.gs/11CS7NS The Wanderer.