Patrick Davey Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 (edited) I had a couple of hours to pass in Belfast city centre today, so I hopped onto a bus substitution service between Belfast and Lisburn and managed to grab some photos and video clips of the new Grand Central Station: Plenty room for all the current services plus services to Armagh and onto the Derry Road. A rather fine gantry, there are two of these at the station throat. FullSizeRender.MOV Viewed from the top of a double decker bus. FullSizeRender.mov The bus is now travelling along the former railway approach into GVS. Edited August 23 by Patrick Davey 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 Station to open for trains from 22/9/24 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted August 23 Share Posted August 23 (edited) Europa closes for good from Saturday September 7th! Boyne Bridge going a week later Edited August 23 by airfixfan 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Davey Posted August 23 Author Share Posted August 23 1 hour ago, airfixfan said: Europa closes for good from Saturday September 7th! Boyne Bridge going a week later Has this all been announced somewhere Jim or do you have somebody ‘on the inside’? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted August 24 Share Posted August 24 Someone keeps me posted with accurate info re GC 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DSERetc Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 Will the GLIDER routes be adjusted to connect into the Grand Central Station? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERW1 Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 10 minutes ago, DSERetc said: Will the GLIDER routes be adjusted to connect into the Grand Central Station? Wikipedia page of GC seems to state that lack of Glider connection was/is an issue but Wikipedia is notoriously unreliable on railways anywhere on the island. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted August 26 Share Posted August 26 No that would be too sensible! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 3 Share Posted September 3 Europa bus station closes from Saturday 7th Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishTrainScenes Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 Boyne Bridge going when? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Davey Posted September 4 Author Share Posted September 4 A short clip showing the inside of the station: https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/first-look-inside-the-new-belfast-grand-central-station-as-it-prepares-to-open-on-sunday-7NTEIDD27NAQDDQLVGWUDYBI3Q/?utm_source=Morning+Newsletter&utm_campaign=b80794a15c-BREAKING_NEWS_2024_08_26_COPY_09&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_da6327494b-e9e723768b-[LIST_EMAIL_ID]&mc_cid=b80794a15c&mc_eid=d664946604 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 With second hand HSTs etc 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhb171achill Posted September 4 Share Posted September 4 1 hour ago, airfixfan said: With second hand HSTs etc Serious point there being that had we been four fut 8.5 inch gauge, our railways would probably (like the Isle of Wight) been populated by elderly second-hand Brexitese stuff from the year dot.... no blue 4.4.0s or Maedb! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERW1 Posted September 5 Share Posted September 5 Paxman-Valenta HSTs on Dublin-Cork expresses would be interesting… I personally wouldn’t mind it. I’ve been in a re-gauged Mk3 too so it wouldn’t be impossible… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhb171achill Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 On 5/9/2024 at 7:29 AM, LNERW1 said: Paxman-Valenta HSTs on Dublin-Cork expresses would be interesting… I personally wouldn’t mind it. I’ve been in a re-gauged Mk3 too so it wouldn’t be impossible… I’d imagine that after the GSR amalgamation in 1925, virtually everything that ran here would have bWen brought in second hand from GB. So today, virtually everything would be various types of 1980s and 1990s railcars (or “DMUs” as they call them….) Locos - classes 24, 25, 26 & 33 might have been common. Little use for larger yokes like 47s. 31s on freight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Galteemore Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 (edited) 20 minutes ago, jhb171achill said: I’d imagine that after the GSR amalgamation in 1925, virtually everything that ran here would have bWen brought in second hand from GB. So today, virtually everything would be various types of 1980s and 1990s railcars (or “DMUs” as they call them….) Locos - classes 24, 25, 26 & 33 might have been common. Little use for larger yokes like 47s. 31s on freight? Probably could use Scotland as an analogy of what to expect - so lots of class 37s to see….here’s Northern Blue’s take on a 31…. Fascinating to speculate how the LMS would have handled it. Perhaps some of the old LNW classes which were superseded by Stanier designs might have made it across - such as Precursor tanks and George V 4-4-0s…image from LNW society FB. Edited September 7 by Galteemore 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin_McLeod Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 On 4/9/2024 at 7:23 PM, jhb171achill said: Serious point there being that had we been four fut 8.5 inch gauge, our railways would probably (like the Isle of Wight) been populated by elderly second-hand Brexitese stuff from the year dot.... no blue 4.4.0s or Maedb! Deltics on the Enterprise. 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin_McLeod Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 (edited) Edited September 7 by Colin_McLeod 2 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERW1 Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 On 23/8/2024 at 5:14 PM, Patrick Davey said: I had a couple of hours to pass in Belfast city centre today, so I hopped onto a bus substitution service between Belfast and Lisburn and managed to grab some photos and video clips of the new Grand Central Station: Plenty room for all the current services plus services to Armagh and onto the Derry Road. A rather fine gantry, there are two of these at the station throat. FullSizeRender.MOV 23.66 MB · 10 downloads Viewed from the top of a double decker bus. FullSizeRender.mov 15.88 MB · 0 downloads The bus is now travelling along the former railway approach into GVS. Some great trainspotting on that bridge! 1 hour ago, Colin_McLeod said: If poor Dermot Morgan was still around, maybe we’d have seen Father Ted ripping the piss out of Irish Rail… it’s a pity he’s gone, a very funny man. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Branchline121 Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 7 hours ago, jhb171achill said: I’d imagine that after the GSR amalgamation in 1925, virtually everything that ran here would have bWen brought in second hand from GB. So today, virtually everything would be various types of 1980s and 1990s railcars (or “DMUs” as they call them….) Locos - classes 24, 25, 26 & 33 might have been common. Little use for larger yokes like 47s. 31s on freight? Well, the CIÉ almost bought a second-hand class over from Britain in the ‘70s — the Class 251. It never came to fruition, but I’m sure they would’ve looked awesome in the “supertrain” livery. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhb171achill Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 3 minutes ago, Branchline121 said: Well, the CIÉ almost bought a second-hand class over from Britain in the ‘70s — the Class 251. It never came to fruition, but I’m sure they would’ve looked awesome in the “supertrain” livery. Now a thing like THAT - yes!! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mayner Posted September 7 Share Posted September 7 8 hours ago, jhb171achill said: I’d imagine that after the GSR amalgamation in 1925, virtually everything that ran here would have bWen brought in second hand from GB. So today, virtually everything would be various types of 1980s and 1990s railcars (or “DMUs” as they call them….) Locos - classes 24, 25, 26 & 33 might have been common. Little use for larger yokes like 47s. 31s on freight? Many of the BR Class 2 & 3 diesels like the 24,25,26,31,33 and 37 would have been too heavy in axle load for general use on the CIE system, basically too heavy to work between Bray & Rosslare Strand, Cherryville Junction-Waterford, Limerick-Sligo and Tralee complete no-go. The orignial Bo Bo Sulzers 1100-1101 the precursors of the Derby Type 2 had a 20T axle load largely restricted to the Dublin-Cork line, the B101s the Irish version of the BRCW Type 2 had an A1A A1A wheel arrangement to keep the axle load down to allow general use on the CIE system. CIE & later IE had to upgrade structures and PW to allow the 071s and later 201s operate on the system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 (edited) Grand Central.open this morning for buses not trains even though the railway station completed end of August. DFI blocking opening due to elf and safety issues and insisting the Assembly gets involved Edited September 8 by airfixfan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IrishTrainScenes Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 52 minutes ago, airfixfan said: Grand Central.open this morning for buses not trains even though the railway station completed end of August. DFI blocking opening due to elf and safety issues and insisting the Assembly gets involved So when is GC FINALLY getting rail connections? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractionman Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 18 minutes ago, IrishTrainScenes said: So when is GC FINALLY getting rail connections? The latest enterprise timetable runs til early October, I took that to be a sign, we'll see... 21 minutes ago, IrishTrainScenes said: So when is GC FINALLY getting rail connections? The latest enterprise timetable runs til early October, I took that to be a sign, we'll see... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin_McLeod Posted September 8 Share Posted September 8 2 hours ago, airfixfan said: Grand Central.open this morning for buses not trains even though the railway station completed end of August. DFI blocking opening due to elf and safety issues and insisting the Assembly gets involved I have no problem with Health and Safety involvement to make sure everything is OK. That has always been the way with new railways. Not sure what the Assembly has to do with it, if anything. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Davey Posted September 8 Author Share Posted September 8 Open - for buses, for now. First impressions: huge, spacious, modern, plenty of staff on hand to assist. Could probably do with more seating though, but maybe that’s on the to do list. Congratulations to all involved. PS. I still prefer GNR(I) architecture…… 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Patrick Davey Posted September 8 Author Share Posted September 8 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Anyone seen or have any photos of 201s at GC? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhb171achill Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 15 minutes ago, airfixfan said: Anyone seen or have any photos of 201s at GC? Have they been in? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 That's what ai am trying to check? 227 at York Road meant to fo round for photos but it was cancelled on Monday Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Belfast Telegraph today stares railway station is delayed by weight restrictions. We can rule out CAFs and ICRs so must be a 201s issue.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNERW1 Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Surely they've checked whether the trains will fall through the floor already... I doubt they'd only be realising that now, right? 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airfixfan Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 85 is barred as well too heavy for the new track apparently 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jhb171achill Posted September 11 Share Posted September 11 Mad, utterly mad. Looks like I’ll be driving next few times I’m up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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