Belfast Grand Central Station

[Patrick Davey]

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.

 

Viewed from the top of a double decker bus.

 

 

The bus is now travelling along the former railway approach into GVS.

Edited August 23 by Patrick Davey

[airfixfan]

Station to open for trains from 22/9/24

[airfixfan]

Europa closes for good from Saturday September 7th! Boyne Bridge going a week later

Edited August 23 by airfixfan

[Patrick Davey]

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’?  

[airfixfan]

Someone keeps me posted with accurate info re GC

[DSERetc]

Will the GLIDER routes be adjusted to connect into the Grand Central Station?

[LNERW1]

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.

[airfixfan]

No that would be too sensible!

[airfixfan]

Europa bus station closes from Saturday 7th

[IrishTrainScenes]

Boyne Bridge going when?

[Patrick Davey]

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

[airfixfan]

With second hand HSTs etc

[jhb171achill]

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!

[LNERW1]

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…

[jhb171achill]

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?

[Galteemore]

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

[Colin_McLeod]

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.

[Colin_McLeod]

 

 

 

 

Edited September 7 by Colin_McLeod

[LNERW1]

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.

 

 

Viewed from the top of a double decker bus.

 

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.

[Branchline121]

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.

[jhb171achill]

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!!

[Mayner]

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. 

 

[airfixfan]

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

[IrishTrainScenes]

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?

[Tractionman]

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...

[Colin_McLeod]

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. 

[Patrick Davey]

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……

[Patrick Davey]

[airfixfan]

Anyone seen or have any photos of 201s at GC? 

[jhb171achill]

15 minutes ago, airfixfan said:

Anyone seen or have any photos of 201s at GC? 

Have they been in?

[airfixfan]

That's what ai am trying to check? 227 at York Road meant to fo round for photos but it was cancelled on Monday

[airfixfan]

Belfast Telegraph today stares railway station is delayed by weight restrictions. We can rule out CAFs and ICRs so must be a 201s issue.?

[LNERW1]

Surely they've checked whether the trains will fall through the floor already... I doubt they'd only be realising that now, right?

[airfixfan]

85 is barred as well too heavy for the new track apparently

[jhb171achill]

Mad, utterly mad.

Looks like I’ll be driving next few times I’m up there.