Tara Mines- Dublin Port End

[dave182]

Hi guys,

 

What happens at the Dublin Port end when the Tara Mines loaded train arrives? How does the loco run around the train? I know that there is a tippler for unloading the wagons individual wagons, does the locomotive have to pass through the tipple aswell to run around?

[Robert Davies]

A bit more info for you here on the old site Dave:

 

http://irishrailwaymodeller.yuku.com/topic/656/Tara-Mines-Wagons

 

Until someone who knows what they're talking about shows up!!

 

-Rob

[Railer]

Always wanted to know the exact details of this myself. What I believe part of what happens is that the train is divided and two and unloaded in halfs. The loco runs around the set and pushes the wagons into the tipper and then hauls them out one by one. Sounds very time consuming to me. Don't know the exact track layout inside the gates of the unloading area but there seems to be a small head shunt for the loco to run around. Tried to view in on Google Earth but the resolution in not high enough to make out the embedded concrete rails.

[dave182]

Railer, no headshunt as per picture. (copyright Google Earth) Agreed, it seems to be very time consuming and complicated. It never ceases to amaze me how complicated Irish Rail seemed to be able to make things. As far as I know the Ammonia tanker train had to be split in 2 for unloading. Driving Guinness kegs a mile to Hueston Station. Foynes Silvermines trains were split in 3(!) for unloading! 2 trips up from Sligo quay on the timbers... the list goes on!

Dubin Port.bmp

[Glenderg]

I think this is what you're looking for, but I believe there are photos/videos of said wagons on their uppers. Somewhere....

 

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/592-Rotary-Coal-Dumper?highlight=unloading

 

Richie

[Garfield]

Railer, no headshunt as per picture. (copyright Google Earth) Agreed, it seems to be very time consuming and complicated. It never ceases to amaze me how complicated Irish Rail seemed to be able to make things. As far as I know the Ammonia tanker train had to be split in 2 for unloading. Driving Guinness kegs a mile to Hueston Station. Foynes Silvermines trains were split in 3(!) for unloading! 2 trips up from Sligo quay on the timbers... the list goes on!

 

In fairness, there are reasons for some of those complications which had nothing to do with IÉ.

 

The line into the port is Dublin Port's baby, and to be fair to them, there is limited space available. A traverser is used to move the loco onto the loop to let it run around its train as there's no room for points and a headshunt. The traverser is also the reason 201s don't work on the Taras, as it's not long enough to accomodate them. Until the '90s it was also too short to hold 071s, which is why an A class loco was always used to haul the Taras.

 

As for the Sligo timber having to be split... that was because of the gradient on the branch from the docks. Nothing IÉ could do about that as that's the way it was when they inherited it. Even if they wanted to rebuild it with a gentler gradient, they couldn't because there isn't enough room available.

[Railer]

Thanks for that gg. I forgot about the traverser. So, the loco pulls the train in, uncouples, goes on the traverser, the loco runs around and pushes the train in one wagon at a time. Then collects one wagon from the traverser one at a time and adds it to back on to the train as it pushes the loaded ones in.

 

On the note of splitting freight trains. I believe the new terminal built for the IWT requires it to be split for loading and unloading. Again due to space reasons a the docks.

[wiggy]

This is taken from one of my video's (Vol. 14 I think).

I did not hang around much after it had arrived as it was there for a couple of hours so I went away and came back later but you can see what happens from

out side the terminal.

 

Wiggy.