Ultimately remember one thing - IE has nothing to do with the Belmond Mark 3s. They are (naturally enough) Belmond's.
The use of railcars and ICRs on services played a large part in being able to cut costs during the post Celtic Tiger wake and during the March 2020 Covid timetable (where a considerably cheaper 3 ICR was used instead of 201+8 Mark 4 on Cork services). Since then the ICR fleet has performed well and there is no way a traditional loco hauled fleet would be able to operate the timetable in place today
The train records the condition of the rails ultrasonically I believe, the weedspray coach 3187 is used for staff accommodation, the tank and spoil wagon for brake force and the container has the Sperry recording equipment
April 2021 saw me visit the local bog, freshly painted Mark 4s, Inspection Car movements and a 8x29000 (in a possible first) between Greystones and Gorey. Click on any of the photos or this link to view them all https://www.flickr.com/photos/hurricanemk1c/albums/72157719187949970
Nothing will come close to the employment level that both BnM and ESB had out there. A lot of the bogs will be flooded, not turned into windfarms or forests. I aws out there yesterday for the actual wind down (you could see the smoke changing and becoming weaker), there's pretty much nothing else out there. Went for a few hours without seeing anyone other than BnM drivers
Just a point on putting "Platform X" on the signs, the number of people I used to stay "it's on X" to and get a completely blank look back shows it's actually needed, and not the 6th train to depart )or whatever they think).
Then if you put it in English you have to put it in Irish as per the Official Languages Act 2003
The existing Heuston signage has been in place since I started commuting in September 2014, the only changes being making A and B platforms about two years ago now
The very nature of PW trains don't lend themselves to be included in Working Timetables, as they require to be ran to and from various locations at various times. There could have been major long-term works on the Galway/Westport line at the time which did actually warrant fixed paths. I doubt they always ran!
Photos from October 2020, with view from Hazelhatch, Portarlington, Galway, Heuston, Connolly and Portlaoise
Full album: https://www.flickr.com/photos/hurricanemk1c/albums/72157716850445862/page1
Regards,
Kieran
Spray train has been MPV for two years now. It's also used for Sandite in the winter months around the Dart network and is certified to carry and use a crane
ICRs have entire passenger network route clearance on IE, and both ways to Belfast
Weedspray tankers are also used on the Sperry as brake force, one wagon I noted on Wednesday had a spoil contaiber and a water tank
There is talk of various bogs becoming natural parks with possible rail attractions. There may be other plans as well....
Stradbally definately has an eye on a few items coming up, and to my knowledge is the only place where a reasonable accurate (bar length and loco livery) turf train can be found
For those curious as to what can haul them, the list can include 8208 in the unique Enterprise livery, worked a rake down North Wall-Portlaoise on Friday 8 June 2012. Something a little different to a grey 071!
There's a weekly "as required" wagon transfer from Limerick to Inchicore and back (and Limerick-Waterford and back), can be formed of anything and everything
The one on the 16th July had 074 hauling Tara Mines wagon 31015, LP flats 30174 and 30141, and LX flat 30253 back from Inchicore
Part of it may be a large backlog of requests or more general products that he's trying to space out. Understandable given he's a one-man band and looks to produce some incredible stuff
Just be warned 6402 was different to the other plug door vehicles. The actual door itself is the same but as it was a rebuild rather than built new their are differences. 6402 on the left