MOGUL

Trial is now scheduled to run on Sunday 18/06.. 24 wagons dublin to Ballina only

So instead of the new points and signals being mechanical they would now need to be digitally controlled effectively.. is there any effect on the wagon works, gantry siding or storage sidings on the approaches to the station or will all of these be resignalled?

Just say this promoted online.. Any one know what's involved and if provision will be made for the possible reopening of the Foynes line that has been rumoured for a while http://www.irishrail.ie/limerickworks

Great work Noel.. bit of a random idea and maybe to late.. but could you put the 121 on the MM 141 chassis and then use the athern under the C with new bogie sides.. would save a lot of work methinks!

Funnily enough about 50% of leased aircraft in the world are Irish owned.. i would guess that the rail figure would be lower but there's still probably more Irish owned locos that belong to leasing companies than to Irish rail, NIR, ITG and RPSU combined!

Yup just heard, driver shortage.. hopefully in the next few weeks

Bit of a random question, but where did you get the checker plate plasticard for the cab floor?

The next freight trial will take place next Wednesday, 26th April 2017.. 24 flat wagons running as 20:45 North Wall to Ballina.. The trial will operate as 24 wagons in the down direction only, with the train returning as two halfs on Thursday and Friday.. To facilitate the trial, the CPWs will commence operating on the DFDS liner this Thursday

That's the one! Thanks for those

Would anyone have the schedule for the Marble city railtour for this year?

Just found the piece on the coal, it's in the October 1989 IRRS journal" In July 1989 a new series of coal trains began operating between Dundalk(Barrack Street goods yard) and Arklow. The coal originates in South Wales and is carried in CAWOODS containers to Ellesmere Port, Cheshire by rail and brought by sea to Warrenpoint and by road to Dundalk. The 20ft open top containers are loaded onto four wheelers flats at Barrack street and forwarded to Arklow." It then describes some of the workings and finishes with " The traffic was suspended for most of August during holidays but is expected to resume in September on a fairly regular basis. It is also reported that the loading of bagged coal has commenced in arklow..

I think the coal was inbound to Arklow from Drogheda in cawoods 20ft containers loaded on 4wheel flats.. I was recently reading the IRRS journal that mentions the traffic starting.. I would think the cawoods containers would be available in OO as they were very common in the UK

He would have to tool up for 45fts to do them unfortunately.. Dapol have the right tooling but my attempts to contact them about a commission of IWT containers (in the full orange and revised plainer livery) have been met with stony silence

The IWT promo video is now available on YouTube at I hope the moderators don't mind this being shared here, my intent is not to promote the company but to share some excellent footage from inside Dublin Port

We only got to go once when I did that course Luckily I then did my work placement based out of Inchicore!

Nope rail is at least as cost efficient if not cheaper.. The flexibility thing is a small issue that can be overcome by having daily trains

Not even on the same level id say John.. It was a port that Bell used to serve the whole island, no idea how many vessels a week they ran.. Now its just a stop off for local Waterford traffic on the DFDS/Samskip service of 2 vessels a week.. DFDS liner train to Ballina is 60TEU/week and that is after the trains increased last week.. CPW transfer will now run on Monday Waterford to NW

more of the the same I'm afraid JHB... CPWs will run Waterford to NW on Sunday.. Will operate 2nd Tuesday and Wednesday trains to Ballina next week

Starting from Thursday's departure ex Ballina, DFDS will be using a wagon set of 12 LX(47ft 6in)and 3 LP (42ft 9in) for their Waterford-Ballina trains.. These were taken from the third set of flat wagons being used by IWT.. The CPWs will transfer to NW for use as the third IWT set (extra tues/ weds trains)

I have 2 Dapol 45ft containers and 2 20ft Bachmann containers that I want to remove the decals from so that I can spray paint them.. Has anyone done this and if so what worked for people? I have tried white spirits and Nail polish remover but both didn't seem to have any effect on the decals

I'm guessing your planning your buy from IRM.. A real life rake could be up to 36(empty) or 24 (laden) bubbles.. But the didn't always run in block trains, so could be seen mixed with flat wagons carrying kegs or containers, stores oil wagons or even other wagon types travelling in a liner train to Linerick works.. I think ultimately how you run them depends on your preference and how much space you have on your layout

Strangely enough, a week after I said I had never seen a Transamerica spider tank in Ireland, 6 of them arrived in Ballina on the IWT liner! DANA tanks below, will try and source more but can't seem to PM these to Arran

Since he got into the train, off it again and only fell getting back on, so his third time through the doors, he only fell 1/3 of the time.. So surely IE should only be 33 percent liable!

Carefull now!! Those have the potential to upset a few on here

Ballina is a bit of a quirk in that all the right conditions conspired to make a viable rail service.. I would see these as 1) Volume of freight allowing a frequent service, reducing the inherent inflexibility of rail freight.. 2) Distance from nearest Port meaning rail is cost conpetitive 3) Nature of the cargo being carried (dangerous goods and heavy tank containers).. This also feeds into 2 as both of these add to cost of road haulage 4) The right freight companies being involved and their customers supporting their efforts! This is for me the biggy, there are lots of places that could have a rail service if the right freight forwarders were carrying the business.. Sligo, Ennis and Galway spring to mind 5) continuity of operation, meaning IE never got to "rationalise" the infrastructure needed for operation of freight trains without needing a large upfront investment.. This is probably the sole reason that Cork doesn't have a freight service