Tara Mines Navan Site

[dave182]

With potentially just a few weeks of Tara Mines trains running, it reminds me that there is precious little video footage of trains shunting and loading from within the mine complex in Navan. Is there anyone in the community that would have the connections (on behalf of all of us in the IRM community) to try and get some footage, in the spirit of recording our industrial railway heritage. Think of how valuable the little footage we have of Ballinacourty is! Do Boliden have a historian/PR person within their vast empire that might support a request like this? Any thoughts?

[Mayner]

Not much of interest in the way of shunting or the loading operation at Navan, the Dublin Port unloading operation is much more interesting with a lot more shunting.

Basically the entire train of wagons is loaded inside a big shed, the only shunting as such is the loco running round the train.

The entire Tara Mines operation was covered in an Irish Railfreight Video published by Paul Shannon during the early the 1990s, its possible Markle Associates may be able to help.

Edited September 21, 2023 by Mayner

[irishrailways52]

back a few years ago i filmed some of the shunting form the motorway bridge

co ordinates: 53.651016, -6.704064

just wondering if you have anymore detail on the potential return of the flow.

[skinner75]

Here is the Telerail video on Irish rail freight - not sure if the Navan operation is covered in this, but still a great vid:

https://www.telerail.co.uk/product/railfreight-today-ireland/


https://markle.co.uk/

Irish Rail Archive vol8 has a major feature on Tara Mines traffic

[MOGUL]

Michael Portillo traveled to the mine(complete with hard hat, high viz and Salmon covered trousers no doubt) in one of his railway journeys episodes.. A long time since I've seen it but I think it showed the shunt..

Also of note, is that Tara mines have a unilok and a shale wagon(last one) that are used to calibrate the scales

[skinner75]

I'll take a look at the Markle dvd this evening to check if it covers the shunting etc inside Tara Mines itself

[skinner75]

Watching the Markle dvd now, Tara Mines is the first on the dvd. The footage at the mine is shot from within the cab. You can get a good idea of track layout. It shows the system used for positioning the wagons, and loading.

I'd highly recommend all the Markle dvds, as they are a great watch, nicely narrated for a bit of context.

[irishrailways52]

the Michael Portillo one showed part of the shunt

[jhb171achill]

On 25/9/2023 at 5:51 PM, skinner75 said:

Watching the Markle dvd now, Tara Mines is the first on the dvd. The footage at the mine is shot from within the cab. You can get a good idea of track layout. It shows the system used for positioning the wagons, and loading.

I'd highly recommend all the Markle dvds, as they are a great watch, nicely narrated for a bit of context.

True!

[jhb171achill]

I’m assuming this is finished now?

[Mayner]

This thread or Tara Mines ? 

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Mayner said:

This thread or Tara Mines ? 

The mines trains 

[Niles]

I've dealt with Boliden in a day job role, they're now very, very tight on security and who can access the site (I know of cases where delivery drivers have to make sure everyone in their van is approved to go in, etc. I can't see them entertaining a request for entry for photos etc.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Niles said:

I've dealt with Boliden in a day job role, they're now very, very tight on security and who can access the site (I know of cases where delivery drivers have to make sure everyone in their van is approved to go in, etc. I can't see them entertaining a request for entry for photos etc.

So is it possible at this stage to state with any degree of certainty whether the last Tara train has operated?

[Niles]

Probably a matter of time, there's precedent for it too.

[Darrman]

Once the Taras stop (if they haven't already), what will the fate of the Navan branch be? I can't see Irish Rail introducing Drogheda-Navan shuttles, nor any replacement rail freight. Is this the end?

[Mayner]

3 minutes ago, Darrman said:

Once the Taras stop (if they haven't already), what will the fate of the Navan branch be? I can't see Irish Rail introducing Drogheda-Navan shuttles, nor any replacement rail freight. Is this the end?

Basically it depends on ore prices rising sufficiently to make it worthwhile for Boliden to open up the "Tara Deep' ore body, the existing Tara and Bula ore-bodies are bascially exhausted. It looks like Boliden is planning to continue using rail if mining ever resumes, IE was planning to order new ore wagons to replace the existing 46 year old Tara wagons

Boliden have began development work on "Tara Deep" https://www.boliden.com/48fd1d/globalassets/investor-relations/reports-and-presentations/capital-markets-day/2017/tara/tara-deep-mineral-resource.pdf but development work ceased as a result of flooding before closure.

IDrogheda-Navan shuttles would basically depend on the NTA or Meath County Council subsidising the service.