Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[leslie10646]

Oh dear, very embarrassing - I was on the train!

The St Ciaran was the first ever RPSI Two Day tour - now known as the International Tour. Give me time to find the 1968 logbooks and I'll give you the exact time!

[jhb171achill]

I detest that term "international" that the RPSI has used for years - why not call it the "May Tour" like just about everyone does!

[Irishswissernie]

 Approx 10 minute video uploaded to Flickr . MALLOW May 2003 featuring 148 on Tralee train , A 201 on the Cork-Platin Bulk MT's but mainly 160 with a set of 8 container flats being loaded by the Crane with some interesting close-ups of the crane mechanisms.

160 then departs for Cork. Flickr is now coping with 10 minute video's but produces a black thumbnail for some of the uploads which is a bit annoying!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/32555960187/in/dateposted-public/

Ernie

[Noel]

1 hour ago, Irishswissernie said:

 Approx 10 minute video uploaded to Flickr . MALLOW May 2003 featuring 148 on Tralee train , A 201 on the Cork-Platin Bulk MT's but mainly 160 with a set of 8 container flats being loaded by the Crane with some interesting close-ups of the crane mechanisms.

160 then departs for Cork. Flickr is now coping with 10 minute video's but produces a black thumbnail for some of the uploads which is a bit annoying!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/32555960187/in/dateposted-public/

Ernie

Thanks for posting. Fascinating. Having just travelled from Killarney yesterday on a Rotem Roller-skate seeing 148 running around  the Tralee train of Cravens and a GSV seems so much more interesting.  The shots of container crane in operation were excellent, and revealed quite a bit of skill needed to drop containers matching the pins with the holes on the containers, which was not as automated as one might have guessed requiring skill, trial and error. Fascinating. One wonders how they manage to load large Maersk container ships so fast at ports. Does mallow still handle container traffic?

[Irishswissernie]

 

17 minutes ago, Noel said:

Does mallow still handle container traffic?

No! No freight south west of Portarlington these days.

Ernie

[Noel]

6 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

No! No freight south west of Portarlington these days.

Ernie

All by road presume. What killed off the cement traffic?

[Warbonnet]

3 hours ago, Noel said:

All by road presume. What killed off the cement traffic?

The recession in 2008/9. 

[Noel]

51 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

The recession in 2008/9. 

Thanks does it now go by road?

[201bhoy]

7 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

 Approx 10 minute video uploaded to Flickr . MALLOW May 2003 featuring 148 on Tralee train , A 201 on the Cork-Platin Bulk MT's but mainly 160 with a set of 8 container flats being loaded by the Crane with some interesting close-ups of the crane mechanisms.

160 then departs for Cork. Flickr is now coping with 10 minute video's but produces a black thumbnail for some of the uploads which is a bit annoying!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/32555960187/in/dateposted-public/

Ernie

Great video, although it would depress you when you look at the way things are now!  Were there separate liners from Dublin to Mallow and Cork?  Or did the Dublin-North Esk liner just drop off/pick up some containers at Mallow?

[Irishswissernie]

I think Mallow traffic was handled by being picked up or dropped off the 2/3 daily Dublin- Cork liners and probably the Dublin- Tralee liner.

160 in the video was probably a special working.

 

Ernie

[JasonB]

9 hours ago, Noel said:

All by road presume. What killed off the cement traffic?

As Fran has already said, the recession was the final nail in the coffin. But cement movements had already began to slow in the mid 2000's. And this was in the middle of the largest building boom this country had ever seen. Says alot about IE's relentless move away from freight at the time.  

[Noel]

15 hours ago, jason brady said:

As Fran has already said, the recession was the final nail in the coffin. But cement movements had already began to slow in the mid 2000's. And this was in the middle of the largest building boom this country had ever seen. Says alot about IE's relentless move away from freight at the time.  

Did the long rail strike back then have any impact on cement traffic moving from rail to road? 

[Irishswissernie]

In the recent acquisitions there are a number of 186 + 155 on a special IRRS/LCGB NEW ROSS TOUR, 3 shown below. Can anyone provide the date and also the locations of these 3 which I think are stations on the South Wexford line.

Thanks again for your help and comments.

 

regards Ernie

[Edo]

Hi Ernie

from the top

Im pretty sure the middle photo is Bridgetown and the bottom photo is Campile - the first one has me puzzled.

On that line - all the stations , Campile , Ballycullane, Wellington bridge , Bridgetown and to lesser extent  Killinick were all set up roughly the same - the passenger platform in the middle of the passing loops with sidings for beet, Cattle and freight loading......Im tempted to shout the top photo as Ballycullane - but its so hard to be sure - and virtually impossible to tell these days after the wholesale unwarranted vandalism by CIE in the rationalisation of the line after the late 70's..........

No idea of the year - 1970-1977 - given the livery and the fashion - I was only a nipper then.

Ed

 

 

Edited March 31, 2019 by Edo

[Irishswissernie]

Well I've finished the scanning  of approx 280 slides/negatives and in addition to the ones already on here there are another 6, location unknown. A couple of these will probably remain unknown (unless someone knew the horse on one!)

 

There's nowt on the Telly so happy hunting!

Thanks ERnie

[Irishswissernie]

I think B148 is at Ballina (4th one down) Just digging out some evidence! CONFIRMED. 1 down 7 to go

 

Ernie

Edited April 2, 2019 by Irishswissernie
Eureka!

[patrick]

 The third and sixth look to me like they are the same location and date.

[BSGSV]

I think B159 is at Tipperary, Limerick Junction end, with both main and loop starters on the same side.

[BSGSV]

143+186 date is 13/5/1978. Location could be Ardrahan.

If the date of the one with the horse is right, then it must be 171 on the RPSI 10th Anniversary Railtour, which went Whitehead - York Road- Waterside - York Road - Whitehead.

[Irishswissernie]

1 hour ago, BSGSV said:

143+186 date is 13/5/1978. Location could be Ardrahan.

If the date of the one with the horse is right, then it must be 171 on the RPSI 10th Anniversary Railtour, which went Whitehead - York Road- Waterside - York Road - Whitehead.

You are right for 143+186, I have located a view of 128 at the north end of the station which has the same white washed stone walls but the clincher is the row of concrete fence posts on the left which appear in both views.

One slight problem with the horse theory is that the loco in the photo is a 0-6-0 whereas 171 is a 4-4-0. The date is the slide processing date and therefore only a rough guide. It could also be at possibly Tipperary or the same station as B159 although the horse view loading bank appears to have squared dressed stone. 

Thanks for your efforts!

Ernie

PS I think B159 is at Tipperary, the loading bank also has a mixture of stone dressing styles so will now try to tie in 'Dobbin' or was it Paddy!

PPS Yes the horse is also at Tipperary, steam loco is 186, special from Limerick to Clonmel and return 28September1974. Green building on B159 and the corrugated one are still there on Google. The other slight clue is that the slides are consecutively numbered er doh!

 

Edited April 2, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[BSGSV]

I'm glad to be of some help. I meant to look at that awful Beaumont's book when I got home from work to check Ardrahan, but forgot! (Only joking JHB, I blame Barry).

I'm disappointed I failed to identify 186 too.

[Irishswissernie]

A couple more Irish Videos; the first from October 2000 taken at Drogheda featuring 169/182 on Gypsum, 072 arrives from Belfast & Dundalk with a Liner and leaves 10 bubbles before continuing. After a 4 car 2709 headed Railcar set arrives and departs for Connolly, 165 picks up the bubbles and takes them back to Platin. Finally 080 departs on loaded Tara's.

The second is again at Limerick Junction October 2002 featuring 229 exchanging a bulk cement wagon for a repaired one and 203 on a down Cork liner.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/40591716703/in/album-72157706536575014/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/33651285588/in/album-72157706536575014/

Weather in Drogheda was terrible but at least the footbridge had (still has) a roof, I had previously video'd the Liner at Dundalk; 072 arrived from Belfast with 3 Container flats and 6 bubbles and after protracted shunting add 4 further container flats, 2 Guinness 4w wagons and 4 more bubbles.  I plan to add the Dundalk footage in the future.

regards ERnie

[jhb171achill]

The one with the 6-wheel coaches intrigues me, as the one extreme left appears to be one end of a DSER coach. The others are either Midland or GSWR.

I don't think any DSER six wheelers were still about by 1960, so could that pic have been taken maybe about 1957?

I don't think it's Inchicore either but I could be wrong.

Edited April 7, 2019 by jhb171achill

[Irishswissernie]

East of Dublin Pearse has been suggested on Flickr and I am working on that theory but havn't come up with any other photographic evidence yet. There were Gas holders there of 2 different types similar to the ones in the photo ( One in the photo is empty but you can see the metal gantry supports).

I think the slide dates from the 1950's before the massive re-development of the area. On the old 25" maps around about Grand Canal Dock there appears to be a long siding running through 3 separate buildings which were probably carriage sheds back in DSER days and the coaches could be standing on that siding.

Ernie

Edited April 8, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[BSGSV]

I could well be wrong, but I'm not sure the 6-wheel carriages are in Dublin. Is there any chance they could be in Albert Quay?

[Irishswissernie]

I don't think its Albert Quay or Rocksavage. THere was a Gas Works but on the carriage slide those are running lines well polished in front of the rake.

Here's Albert Quay after closure to passengers, (probably also goods) the station itself has been converted to a Warehouse

Ernie

Edited April 9, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[Mayner]

 

The 6 wheelers unlikely to be at Grand Canal Dock, more likely to be Albert Quay looking across the yard towards the Hibernia Road bridge. 

I don't think the operating people at Westland Row would have tolerated a rake of redundant coaches cluttering up their carriage sidings and relief road between a very busy cramped station and the loco depot.

Grand Canal Street Shed and Dock Mills would have obstructed the view of the gasworks from the carriage sidings, 

Tim Cramer in his "Irish Miscellany" series in Model Railway magazine in the late 70s spoke about "a little group of them spending their final years in Rocksavage Yard before being confined to the bonfires of progress:

The coaches including a relatively modern (1910) MGWR 5 compartment lavatory 3rd together with older GSWR stock. Photo possibly taken across the running roads towards the goods yard between the end of the platform and signal cabin.

Albert Quay was retained as a goods yard served by a connection from the Cork City Railway into the late 1970s interestingly while CIE lifted the running roads into the former passenger station the points were left in place.

 

  Albert Quay was retained as a goods yard served by a connection from the Cork City Railway into the late 1970s interestingly while CIE lifted the running roads into the former passenger station the points were left in place.

http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/Railway Stations A/Albert Quay/IrishRailwayStations.html#AlbertQuay_20110505_003_CC_JA.jpg

Edited April 9, 2019 by Mayner

[Irishswissernie]

I think you've cracked it!

Here is a snip of an aerial shot in the Britain from the Air copyright collection .

The Gas holders are in the right place as is the house and chimney and also the elevator tower. The photo is from the 1930's I think so a lot of the other buildings could have been demolished.

Also a snip from a photo in Railways of West Cork "Reflections & Reminiscences" copyright I think David Lawrence

Good work boys, thanks!

ERnie

Edited April 9, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

Todays video offering is Dundalk October 2002 PART 1 .

072 arrives from Belfast to collect further wagons before departing for Drogheda and North Wall. The video illustrates the way the train was made up with bogie wagons at the front and 4 wheelers at the rear with the MT  bubbles right at the back to facilitate detaching them at Drogheda. Part 2 will probably be added tomorrow. (unless Mrs B has other ideas!)

  https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/32634624087/in/dateposted-public/

Ernie

[Mayner]

I spent a very enjoyable day driving from Stirling to Dublin (via Larne!) in September 1993  visiting Whitehead, Dundalk, Dunleer and Drogheda on the way.

Freight traffic was a lot heavier on the Great Northern Line then two South bound Liners were recessed o in the up yard at Dundalk Junction presumably awaiting Customs clearance, I later saw the afternoon Dundalk-North Wall Liner passing Drogheda behind a pair of 121s presumably with cigarettes and beer from Dundalk! Only had a SLR with limited capability at the time so picture quality was not great

A lot has changed in the last 25-6 years!

 

[BSGSV]

On 3/31/2019 at 10:09 PM, Edo said:

Hi Ernie

from the top

Im pretty sure the middle photo is Bridgetown and the bottom photo is Campile - the first one has me puzzled.

On that line - all the stations , Campile , Ballycullane, Wellington bridge , Bridgetown and to lesser extent  Killinick were all set up roughly the same - the passenger platform in the middle of the passing loops with sidings for beet, Cattle and freight loading......Im tempted to shout the top photo as Ballycullane - but its so hard to be sure - and virtually impossible to tell these days after the wholesale unwarranted vandalism by CIE in the rationalisation of the line after the late 70's..........

No idea of the year - 1970-1977 - given the livery and the fashion - I was only a nipper then.

Ed

 

 

I'd agree with Ballycullane, as the only other contender, Killinick, doesn't match.

[JasonB]

On 4/7/2019 at 7:42 PM, Irishswissernie said:

A couple more Irish Videos; the first from October 2000 taken at Drogheda featuring 169/182 on Gypsum, 072 arrives from Belfast & Dundalk with a Liner and leaves 10 bubbles before continuing. After a 4 car 2709 headed Railcar set arrives and departs for Connolly, 165 picks up the bubbles and takes them back to Platin. Finally 080 departs on loaded Tara's.

The second is again at Limerick Junction October 2002 featuring 229 exchanging a bulk cement wagon for a repaired one and 203 on a down Cork liner.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/40591716703/in/album-72157706536575014/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/33651285588/in/album-72157706536575014/

Weather in Drogheda was terrible but at least the footbridge had (still has) a roof, I had previously video'd the Liner at Dundalk; 072 arrived from Belfast with 3 Container flats and 6 bubbles and after protracted shunting add 4 further container flats, 2 Guinness 4w wagons and 4 more bubbles.  I plan to add the Dundalk footage in the future.

regards ERnie

Great footage as always Ernie. Interesting shunting movements from 229 at Limerick Junction before continuing on. Always nice to see the Baby GM's in action at Drogheda, once a hive of activity with cement etc. 

[Irishswissernie]

Flickr up-date.

The Dundalk video's were uploaded a few days ago and various slide scans have also been added.

I have added most of the various Class 121 images into a new album -  https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/albums/72157677789896957  The images are also still in the various original albums but by bunging them altogether it is easier to compare liveries etc.

Finally seeing as Limerick Junction is finally being rebuilt with platforms on both the main running lines and therefore even less interesting I have added a video from 5 October 2000 when the South Cabin was switched out and the points etc locked during rebuilding/maintenance. This made for even more interesting train routeing with what looked like only the north end crossover and point to the platform 1 loop being hand worked to pass the trains through.

Happy days!

 

 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/47650631551/in/dateposted-public/

 

Ernie

Edited April 20, 2019 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

Back in October 2004 (12 to 15 October) I travelled from Haltwhistle to Ireland principally to catch the Beet campaign. I spent a night at Cherryville staying at the farm there then carried on to Newrath at Waterford via Limerick Junction for another 2 nights.

I have now copied most of the video action at Limerick Junction and Waterford. Part 1 is at Limerick Junction and features 124+167 on bulk cements from Cork to Mungret plus 073 Loaded Beet.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/47675712891/in/dateposted-public/

Apologies for the quality as usual. Part 2 will follow and is also mainly at Limerick Junction. Parts 3 to 5 will also be uploaded and are mainly at my favourite Waterford viewing point that I discovered the previous year. This was on top of the hill which overlooks the goods yard on the boundary of the golf course. I have never seen any other photos etc taken from this vantage point which probably was only accessible for a few years just after the road  was diverted and dualled and the cliff face had been moved back with an iron fence built on its edge. I sat there for most of the day and never saw a soul!

Ernie

[Irishswissernie]

Part 2 now on Flickr at the third attempt!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/47684583151/in/dateposted-public/

This features 152 on the Limerick shuttle; I think this was an emergency stand-in for a failed railcar and judging by the number of crew members a fairly rare happening. It probably only did one return journey as 2751+2753 were waiting on the direct curve as I departed for Waterford. 221 was on the down Cork CPU's. The video continues the next day (14 October 2004) with me ensconced up the hill overlooking the goods yard. 078 on beet mts 081 shunting cement and 083 on the stabling point. 

Part 3 tomorrow hopefully.

 

Ernie