Irish rail tease an interesting announcement

[Westcorkrailway]

This video was released on Irish rail social channels….whatever could it mean

https://www.facebook.com/share/v/tEBTs2pmc3Jti7KN/?

Of no correlation tickets are still available for the 30th aniversary 2600 IRRS railtour

Edited April 19 by Westcorkrailway

[Westcorkrailway]

 

Edited April 19 by Westcorkrailway

[Flying Snail]

The original and best livery! Do some of them still have their front gangways? If so, I hope its applied to some of those for the real authentic look!

It feels like yesterday when they first came out ....

[Westcorkrailway]

1 minute ago, Flying Snail said:

The original and best livery! Do some of them still have their front gangways? If so, I hope its applied to some of those for the real authentic look!

It feels like yesterday when they first came out ....

Yeah the unit in question is 2601/02. It still has its gangways. An authentic (ish) return of the arrow livery

Edited April 19 by Westcorkrailway

[Flying Snail]

3 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Yeah the unit in question is 2601/02. It still has its gangways. An authentic (ish) return of the arrow livery

nice ... but whats this 'ish' bit? ... does that mean we get flag logo instead of the 3-pin plug?

[Westcorkrailway]

I have no idea what logo it will get between The Killarney junction logo or the socket logo. I don’t think it will have modern IR logo but I don’t think I would mind a whiteout version of the logo ala the ones on the Grey 071s 

 

 

[226 Abhann na Suire]

And you’d wonder if with the year that’s in it will a retro 201 be to follow…?? A few more retro liveries would be great to brighten up the network!

[jhb171achill]

CIE 1950s green please!

[Flying Snail]

34 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

CIE 1950s green please!

Big anniversary for CIE coming up on 1 Jan 2025 .. would be a nice way to acknowledge it

[jhb171achill]

19 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

Big anniversary for CIE coming up on 1 Jan 2025 .. would be a nice way to acknowledge it

80 year anniversary indeed - maybe something with a flying snail on it!

[DSERetc]

On 19/4/2024 at 5:50 PM, Flying Snail said:

Yeah the unit in question is 2601/02. It still has its gangways.

Did Irish rail ever use the gangways in service?   Say for example, Galway and Mayo trains combining at Athlone and opening the gangways to have access through the whole train?   Fort William and Oban trains join and divide at Crianlarich on the West Highland line   Perhaps as a compromise on the recent proposal for the Wexford line, more frequent four coach trains from Wexford or Rosslare with gangways front and back could be combined with similarly equipped new four car Darts at Greystones or Bray. No passenger transfers required. 

[Westcorkrailway]

24 minutes ago, DSERetc said:

Did Irish rail ever use the gangways in service?   Say for example, Galway and Mayo trains combining at Athlone and opening the gangways to have access through the whole train?   Fort William and Oban trains join and divide at Crianlarich on the West Highland line   Perhaps as a compromise on the recent proposal for the Wexford line, more frequent four coach trains from Wexford or Rosslare with gangways front and back could be combined with similarly equipped new four car Darts at Greystones or Bray. No passenger transfers required. 

 

They used the gangways on the suit lee knot railtour . @Niles might know about everyday services I presume they did. Don’t think they do it anymore. Attached below is some of the interesting sites of a gangway linked 2600
 

 

[Mayner]

10 hours ago, DSERetc said:

Did Irish rail ever use the gangways in service?   Say for example, Galway and Mayo trains combining at Athlone and opening the gangways to have access through the whole train?   Fort William and Oban trains join and divide at Crianlarich on the West Highland line   

Funnily enough CIE used to divide and combine the Galway and Mayo AEC railcar powered train at Athlone during the 1st season of operation. The train was initially made up of a pair of 2600 railcars and a pair of 1904-1908 Brake 3rd coaches fitted with the brake compartment fitted out as a driving cab with a single rear window. The Train divided at Athlone with one 2600 railcar and Brake 3rd (nicknamed Mule) continuing to Galway and the second to Westport.  Train operate in this format for one season before being replaced with a 6 car train with Galway portion made up of a pair of 2600 cars, an open 3rd and a Buffet Car and Westport portion a pair of 2600 cars, Westport passengers wanting to use the Buffet Car had to travel in the Galway portion between Westland Row and Athlone, or possibly change at an intermediate station.

The Galway-Mayo railcar service the Cu na Mara was one of the few prestigious named trains introduced by CIE in the early 50s and may have operated as an non-stop or limited stop service.

I remember watching a pair of 158 Class "Super Sprinters" dividing at Ely in the late 80s-early 90s on a Birmingham-East Coast cross-country service possibly with portions to Kings Lynn and Great Yarmouth.  A relatively fast frequent service of 156 and 158 Class Super Sprinters livened up previously neglected Cross-Country services in England, Wales and Scotland during the early 90s replacing run-down MK1 loco hauled stock and 1st generation DMUs, great memories of journeys in 158 Super Sprinters on Welsh Borders and in Scotland (commuting and leisure) a far superior train to the Class 156.

[226 Abhann na Suire]

I know that 2700 units used to be used in pairs on a Limerick to Nenagh service around the turn of the century where once reaching Nenagh, the set would split with one half continuing to Ballybrophy with the other half returning to Nenagh. Not sure why they stopped doing this kind of service, would be a great idea for these kinds of lines, ie Waterford to Clonmel and on to Limerick Jnct with one half returning to Waterford… 

[Niles]

17 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

 

They used the gangways on the suit lee knot railtour . @Niles might know about everyday services I presume they did. Don’t think they do it anymore. Attached below is some of the interesting sites of a gangway linked 2600
 

 

 

 

 

Sorry just seen. Yes, I remember 8 car 2600s in action on the northern suburban in the mid 2000s though originally 4 was more common, but gangways were in use.

They weren't unknown to run in multiple with 2800s on DSER line services and again the gangways were in use.

[Westcorkrailway]

7 hours ago, 226 Abhann na Suire said:

I know that 2700 units used to be used in pairs on a Limerick to Nenagh service around the turn of the century where once reaching Nenagh, the set would split with one half continuing to Ballybrophy with the other half returning to Nenagh. Not sure why they stopped doing this kind of service, would be a great idea for these kinds of lines, ie Waterford to Clonmel and on to Limerick Jnct with one half returning to Waterford… 

Would still need an extra driver though right? And somone to detach the railcars 

Edited April 21 by Westcorkrailway

[226 Abhann na Suire]

5 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Would still need an extra driver though right? And somone to detach the railcars 

Extra crew, yes, and that was possibly where the problem arose. Then again, a two car train arguably doesn’t need a conductor, now for the Nenagh branch where at the time, ticket machines were few and far between, a guard would be how lots of people got tickets, but today I don’t see why you couldn’t you could get away with two drivers, one for each set. All the uncoupling though as far as I’m aware was done from the cabs of the units so no staff needed there. Again though not 100% sure

[Niles]

Not my best photo, but you can just see the gangways made up between a 2600 and 2800 here.

[Mayner]

11 hours ago, 226 Abhann na Suire said:

I know that 2700 units used to be used in pairs on a Limerick to Nenagh service around the turn of the century where once reaching Nenagh, the set would split with one half continuing to Ballybrophy with the other half returning to Nenagh. Not sure why they stopped doing this kind of service, would be a great idea for these kinds of lines, ie Waterford to Clonmel and on to Limerick Jnct with one half returning to Waterford… 

The IE Signalling and Electrical Department demonstrated a degree of innovative and lateral thinking to allow the morning Limerick-Ballybrophy service to split mid-section in the Birdhill-Roscrea Block Section allowing the lead unit to continue to Ballybrophy and the trailing unit to return as the Nenagh-Limerick commuter train.

Nenagh was closed as a Block Post  with the signal cabin closed and crossing loop lifted in the cuts/rationalisation of the late 80s with the Block Section becoming Birdhill-Roscrea.

The S&E people got around the problem of a train splitting mid-section and the rear unit returning to Birdhill while the lead unit continued to Roscrea, by combining 19th Century signalling technology with 21st Century Industrial Safety Interlocking equipment.

The Lead Unit was classified as the Train and the Trailing Unit a 'Banker" assisting the 'The Train" to Nenagh in a similar manner to the way Steam Locos and sometimes Diesel railcars banked/assisted trains from Stranorlar to the summit of the Stranorlar-Donegal line in Barnesmore Gap before returning to Stranorlar.

The Birdhill-Nenagh 'Banking Staff' may have been an actual 'banking staff that survived from the steam era or possibly specially fabricated for the job, the S&E people managed to interface modern industrial 'safety interlocking" equipment with the existing electric staff instrument at Birdhill to allow the signaler at Birdhill to 'clear' the Birdhill-Roscrea section and release a staff when both the Lead Unit and the Banker had cleared the section.

Interestingly the Donegal apparently used to detach railcars from trains in the Barnesmore Gap area to allow staff to cut/harvest turf in the gap, the railcar returning the Stranorlar on the Banking Staff when the days work was done.

[226 Abhann na Suire]

7 hours ago, Mayner said:

The IE Signalling and Electrical Department demonstrated a degree of innovative and lateral thinking to allow the morning Limerick-Ballybrophy service to split mid-section in the Birdhill-Roscrea Block Section allowing the lead unit to continue to Ballybrophy and the trailing unit to return as the Nenagh-Limerick commuter train.

Nenagh was closed as a Block Post  with the signal cabin closed and crossing loop lifted in the cuts/rationalisation of the late 80s with the Block Section becoming Birdhill-Roscrea.

The S&E people got around the problem of a train splitting mid-section and the rear unit returning to Birdhill while the lead unit continued to Roscrea, by combining 19th Century signalling technology with 21st Century Industrial Safety Interlocking equipment.

The Lead Unit was classified as the Train and the Trailing Unit a 'Banker" assisting the 'The Train" to Nenagh in a similar manner to the way Steam Locos and sometimes Diesel railcars banked/assisted trains from Stranorlar to the summit of the Stranorlar-Donegal line in Barnesmore Gap before returning to Stranorlar.

The Birdhill-Nenagh 'Banking Staff' may have been an actual 'banking staff that survived from the steam era or possibly specially fabricated for the job, the S&E people managed to interface modern industrial 'safety interlocking" equipment with the existing electric staff instrument at Birdhill to allow the signaler at Birdhill to 'clear' the Birdhill-Roscrea section and release a staff when both the Lead Unit and the Banker had cleared the section.

Interestingly the Donegal apparently used to detach railcars from trains in the Barnesmore Gap area to allow staff to cut/harvest turf in the gap, the railcar returning the Stranorlar on the Banking Staff when the days work was done.

That’s intriguing, wow!! Just goes to show that what a bit of outside the (signal) box thinking can do!!

[hurricanemk1c]

The Nenagh split happens Monday-Friday, 0645 Limerick - Ballybrophy splits at Nenagh to form the 0753 Nenagh - Ballybrophy (continuation of 0645 ex Limerick) and 0749 Nenagh - Limerick.

On Saturdays the 0749 Nenagh - Limerick does not operate, so the 0645 ex Limerick departs at 0700 and same path from Nenagh

[Horsetan]

On 21/4/2024 at 12:16 AM, DSERetc said:

Did Irish rail ever use the gangways in service?   Say for example, Galway and Mayo trains combining at Athlone and opening the gangways to have access through the whole train?   Fort William and Oban trains join and divide at Crianlarich on the West Highland line.... 

I think they still do the divide/rejoin on the North Kent coast route, where down trains divide into Ramsgate and Dover portions, and up trains join, at Faversham.

[Mayner]

Going back to the old-old days the Great Northern BUT railcar trains were designed to be divided and combined to serve different destinations. The original 700 Class railcars were double ended with a driving cab at each end. This capability was put to use for a few weeks before the Irish North line closed in September 1957 with a combined BUT operated Belfast-Derry-Enniskillen train.  The Enniskillen portion was operated by a single 700 Class railcar towing a vintage clearstory brake end coach, a last hurrah for the Great Northern demonstrating that it was feasible to operate a fast (3hour) Belfast-Enniskillen train despite the Northern Government having already decided to pull the plug.

Going back to Ivan's comment about the North Kent trains continuing to divide en-route, the Southern always demonstrated innovative thinking with hybrid electric-diesel operation of Waterloo-Weymouth services long before the term hybrid became popular!  Between the late 60s and the mid 80s completion of the 3rd rail electrification through to Weymouth through Waterloo-Weymouth services were electrically powered to Bournemouth by a 4REP unit at the London end of the train pushing-pulling the 4TC non powered units that worked through to Weymouth. The 4REP unit was uncoupled at Bournemouth with a Class 33 diesel working the 4 TC cars push-pull to Weymouth. 

There were also stories of combined electric and diesel working with 4REP units and Class 33 diesels on the 3rd rail, the 4REP traction motors were re-used in the stylish MK3 based Class 442 units

[Westcorkrailway]

As revealed on IRISH rails socials….