The end of wagonload freight?

[west_clare_wanderer]

Is there a de facto date for the end of wagonload freight and the H vans and replacement with liner trains? I'm guessing there was quite a bit of overlap between the two and that it wasn't uniform across the country?

Any guidance is much appreciated as always! 

[Mol_PMB]

It did vary by traffic and by route, and the transition was gradual from the mid 1960s to the early 1980s. 
 

Shipping containers and bulk cement were some of the first traffics to switch to liner trains. Beet and engineers’ works trains were some of the last to change. 

The last traditional unfitted ‘sundries’ traffic was late 1970s to/from Limerick.

There was also a reorganisation of the way freight was handled, with goods facilities at many smaller stations being closed and replaced with larger mechanised depots serving a wider region with final delivery/collection by road where needed.

 

[MOGUL]

Just to be a contrarian here, but Irish Rail carried wagonload freight up until 2006 when the Guiness contract ended, probably the last remnant of the Liner network, with all freight thereafter being in full trainload quantities. However, a small remnant of that network remains, in the weekly wagon transfers that run to/from Inchicore and Waterford to Limerick wagon works. It often feels like Irish Rail lost the revenue earning part of the services(the Waterford wagons ran with the Castlemungret to Waterford cement in later years, and the Dublin ones with the Guiness, which in it's last months worked as a combined Cork/Limerick service, with Limerick served by an out and back trip working from LJ, often including 1-2 wheelcarrier wagons) but were still left with the cost of crew and fuel etc to operate those services!

I guess what you are really looking for is when the traditional loose coupled services stopped operating and were replaced by replacement Vac braked liner services. I think this would have been part of the Railplan 80 freight plan. I'm not sure if there are exact dates for services out there, but a trawl online might give some answers on when the replacement liner services commenced. 

[Mayner]

North Wall-Sligo followed by North Wall-Wexford were the first routes to convert to Liner Train (mixed freight) operation initially with fixed formation trains possibly during 77-78.

The change over on the Sligo line was covered in a Weekly Notice or possibly Nuacht the CIE newspaper, as it specified that traffic for Sligo Line stations could only be accepted in ISO equipment, and (gross) container weight/load limits at each station. As far as I recall 7½ Tonne Mullingar & Boyle, 25 possibly 30T Longford & Sligo. 

The scheduled Liners typically conveyed sundries traffic, individual containers (full/half height/keg) individual tank wagons (effectively what was once wagon load traffic re-classified as Unit Load and transported on fully fitted trains. 

Possibly North Wall-Dundalk or North Wall-Mayo & Galway (Galway & Westport Liner running via Tullamore) North Wall- Ballina Ashai out by Tullamore return by Mullingar.

The "Southern" with Dublin-Tralee was apparently the last to go over to Liner Train operation for sundries traffic after a coupling broke on a Dublin-Tralee loose couple goods while climbing the Gullet and the wagons ran back into Heuston Station possibly 78-9. Its possible the 'final' Dublin-Tralee goods was still operated from Heuston Goods and traffic did not transfer to the North Wall until Tralee traffic went over to Liner Train operation.

The runaway and changeover to Liner Train operation is likely to be covered in IRRS Journals of the era & CIE weekly notice/staff newsletter.

During the mid- late 70s one of our suppliers used CIE to ship its output from Youghal (road & rail) to Dublin & leased warehouse space at Heuston Goods. The supplier used a 2 axle (possibly Ford D series or Bedford TK) truck with skeletal bed for transporting 20' containers, driver (Richie) & helper possibly a member of CIE staff.

Interestingly during the changeover period from loose coupled good to Liner Train operation ISO Containers on 20T Flats appear to have been used on some routes in place of the traditional H Van & Open wagon. While travelling by train from Dublin to Waterford in 1978 I remember seeing a 20T Flat with a CIE side door container and a second with a Half Height being loaded/unloaded in the goods yard at Athy a station that was scheduled to close to sundries and wagon load traffic under Rail Plan 80.

Loose coupled trains continued to operate for beet and PW operation for several years after the majority of goods/freight traffic converted to Liner Train operation, one exception was Dundalk-Belfast cross-border freight operation (operated by NIR crews) which appear to have run of several as loose-coupled trains with 'modern" fitted stock for several years.

 

 

[west_clare_wanderer]

Thanks as always Paul for a comprehensive and informative answer. It chimes with my understanding, but always best to get a proper response from an expert. I'm trying to justify that I can run my traditional 4 wheel stock with Supertrain liveried locos into the later 1970s period. It's just about do-able from photos. 

[west_clare_wanderer]

Thanks chaps, that's really interesting and helpful. 

Yes @MOGUL, perhaps what I should have asked was the date of demise of the traditional loose coupled goods services, with H vans and corrugated opens predominating. 

Absolutely fascinating replies. Thank you!