Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[Mayner]

There are a number of photos of the 15 March 1959 Baltinglass Fair Special in the O'Dea Collection in the National Library, this appears to have been the final revenue working on the Tullow Branch.

The train appears to have acted as a positioning run for the branch lifting train the loco continued to Tullow with the coaches and P.W.D stock after dropping the cattle wagons at Baltinglass. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=tullow&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

It looks like the photo of the Sleeping Van and pwd. stock was taken at Dunlavin (concrete station building and loop lifted)

 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=Dunlavin&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

T

 

 

[Galteemore]

52 minutes ago, Noel said:

Great images. Would love to see a photo of the counter weight mechanism. Does that bridge still exist. Might sail under it some day heading for Lough Neagh.

Yes Noel, it’s in daily use (for trains rather than lifting). Keep going down the Bann a few miles and you’ll cross over another Bann railway bridge now lying in the depths of the river at Macfin. Image from NI Greenways.

D

[Edo]

35 minutes ago, Mayner said:

There are a number of photos of the 15 March 1959 Baltinglass Fair Special in the O'Dea Collection in the National Library, this appears to have been the final revenue working on the Tullow Branch.

The train appears to have acted as a positioning run for the branch lifting train the loco continued to Tullow with the coaches and P.W.D stock after dropping the cattle wagons at Baltinglass. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=tullow&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

It looks like the photo of the Sleeping Van and pwd. stock was taken at Dunlavin (concrete station building and loop lifted)

 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=Dunlavin&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

T

 

 

I know its with the benefit of 20/20 hindsight - but if they had only kept the line in place - a nature reserve like the upper Sligo end of the WRC....................this would have been re-opened as a very busy commuter line now.

 

 Sallins, Naas, KilkCullen, Baltlinglass and Tullow - these are all dormitory towns for Greater Dublin now with a growing population. If the line was in place - my brother would drive 10 mins to Dunlavin to take the train to his work in Naas and his wife would take the train all the way to Dublin to her work in the city centre.............instead of them being up at the crack of dawn to drive to Sallins from South East Kildare for her to get the train to Dublin.

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Edo

[DiveController]

 

@Noel, it spans the Bann at Coleraine, bascule type.

A bit like this one standing on its head, the mechanism being under the wheelhouse

 

Edited July 19, 2020 by DiveController

[Mayner]

There is a series of photos of the Bann Viaduct on https://www.geograph.ie/snippet/3725.

It looks like the viidaudct opens for shipping.

[DiveController]

Well done John. Probably the closest shot 

https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2101427

[Irishswissernie]

I was recently given 120 negatives from 1961-1967 which I am now identifying and titling up. Can anyone confirm the locations of these 3 negs of withdrawn ex GN locos and other rolling stock.  I think they are possibly at York Road, Belfast as a fair number of other views on the strips are there or on the Larne line.

The saddle tanks are, I believe the Courtaulds pair. 

[Galteemore]

Ernie - those are indeed the Courtaulds tank locos Wilfred and Patricia, and the photo is taken at Courtaulds factory in Carrickfergus. Belfast Telegraph archives have some similar at a slightly different angle, taken when the pair were moved to a Belfast scrapyard. The GN photos, I initially thought, may be at Maysfields, as the buildings look rather like the electric generating station there, although the tree puzzles me. I have asked my father, who was taking his own photos round these parts at that time! He thinks it’s one end of Grosvenor Road goods yard, where an SG3 and a UG class lasted for some time after the main GN fleet had gone to the flames. According to Norman Johnston’s book, the pair made it to 1968 (the UG) whilst the pictured SG3 no 37 got to 1969, although withdrawn c1965.

Edited July 19, 2020 by Galteemore

[Dhu Varren]

Indeed it is Grosvenor Road goods yard. There are a some pictures in Norman Johnson's book 'Parting Shot', one on P51, one on P96 & one on P140, the last two taken from the opposite direction, but showing the same features such as telegraph poles, yard lights and the leaning pole near to the large building on the right, the gable end of which shows up on the P140 picture, and not so clearly on P96.  

[Irishswissernie]

Your father has cracked it again; Grosvenor Road it is, I've just checked some of Mike Shannon's images and the chimney in the background confirms it. The yard also had the odd trees along the stream that flowed through it. The UG was 49

The negs are from 1965 1966 & 1967 and were in 3 sleeves but being partially sighted I didn't notice that each sleeve had a date in tiny letters in the corner. By the time I saw this it was too late and I had  had them all out scattered over the table so there has been a bit of guesswork in what went in which year!

This one of B185 is at Great Victoria Street with Grosvenor Road yard over the pool on the left.

 

[DiveController]

Lovely shot of the 181 in BnT with the distinctive 7 vents below the headlight

[Lambeg man]

I would have thought 1968 for the year, given that the railcars in the distance are in both UTA & NIR liveries, but 1967 may also be possible. The CIE locomotive has already run around it's Dublin-Belfast 'Enterprise' train and is about to propel it (or is already in the process) back into platform 2 at GVS. This sets the time as being about 11.15 or 17.10.  Excellent photograph Ernie.

[Barl]

On 7/17/2020 at 12:17 PM, Mayner said:

There are a number of photos of the 15 March 1959 Baltinglass Fair Special in the O'Dea Collection in the National Library, this appears to have been the final revenue working on the Tullow Branch.

The train appears to have acted as a positioning run for the branch lifting train the loco continued to Tullow with the coaches and P.W.D stock after dropping the cattle wagons at Baltinglass. http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=tullow&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

It looks like the photo of the Sleeping Van and pwd. stock was taken at Dunlavin (concrete station building and loop lifted)

 http://catalogue.nli.ie/Collection/vtls000148612/Home?lookfor=Dunlavin&filter[]=era_facet%3A"1950-1960"&filter[]=authorStr%3A"O'Dea%2C+James+P.+1910-1992+photographer"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&submit=Apply

T

 

 

Thanks for the above links, with a quick search I was able to find a photo of my grandfather working one of the cabins in Sallins (not sure which one).

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305635/MooviewerImg?mobileImage=vtls000305635_001

The Tullow branch ran right behind my Dad's home in Sallins and he has fond memories of playing on the stored open wagons after the line had closed! 

[Irishswissernie]

6 hours ago, Lambeg man said:

I would have thought 1968 for the year, given that the railcars in the distance are in both UTA & NIR liveries, but 1967 may also be possible

I did some digging last night re the dates as they seemed a bit early It would appear that the negs had been collected from various times and put into re-used sleeves. There are a fair number of Strabane just after the closure of the GN route in 1965 but before the track was lifted plus a few probably 1968-9 after some vandalising. From 1968 there are a number of 27 on its 23 March jaunt from York Road to Larne, Whitehead and return plus the RPSI Trip on 4 May 1968 from Belfast with 56 to Dublin then 186 +B147 down to Wicklow and back with a number of views at stops en route; back to Dublin and then 56 on the return at Dundalk & Portadown. Finally there are a fair number of WT's on Spoil and ballast trains, CIE Diesels probably taken at the time of the  WicklowTour. NIR Units etc. The Grosvenor Road stored 37 & 49 shown above are more likely to be 1968. They are all good quality views.

NOT bad for nowt

 

 

[airfixfan]

Cracking photographs of Strabane which I have been working on for the last few weeks. In regards to the Jeeps most kept their UTA crest until the end and only a small number gained the NIR symbol as shown in the photo of 56. Good shot of Ballycaryy which is unrecognisable today.

[KMCE]

Great shot looking down on 56. 

This will provide some really good information on details on the top of the tanks for my WT build.

Thanks for posting.

Ken

[Irishswissernie]

A couple more today. An NIR railcar powered goods train leaving Belfast for either Larne or Derry with a nice selection of containers and vans. Can anyone confirm that the loop on the right was part of the unloading line for the spoil trains or was this further out.

The Clonmel view (poor neg) shows a cattle train at Clonmel either awaiting the arrival of the 'cargo' or a path to somewhere else.

[airfixfan]

Top photo shows a train heading with parcels etc for Larne Harbour. Line to the right was part of a 3rd road for the Spoil trains during this period.

Edited July 22, 2020 by airfixfan

[Irishswissernie]

Spoil Trains 1968. The  one here could be 53

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[Galteemore]

That last pic is especially nice Ernie - lovely, well-lit view of a Jeep - especially the chassis which often gets ‘lost’ in photos taken from other angles. Good one for @KMCE! 

Edited July 22, 2020 by Galteemore

[airfixfan]

More great photos of the other topic I am working on apart from Strabane and the Donegal.

[Irishswissernie]

I am continuing to upload video from 2000-2006 with an instalment each day. Todays is Drogheda 22May 2003 with cement , up & down Tara's and up and down 'liners' plus a rake of bubbles detached from the Belfast-Dublin Liner and then shunted by a pair of 141's onto the Navan line.

 

I have over 600 new images in the pipeline dating from the 1930's to 2007. A couple of 'tasters'

 

[Irishswissernie]

I have managed to decipher JG Dewings records and identified this view as Cullion, first station out of Derry, Victoria Road on the Strabane line taken on 24 August 1950. I Havn't seen many photos of this location.

 

 

[airfixfan]

Great to see a photo of Alice which has just left Cullion station in the background. Photos of Cullion and Ballyheather are the rarest stations on the Derry NG branch. Cullion station still exists today.

[Irishswissernie]

I have been working through another newly acquired 160 odd negs, mainly 1965 -1967. Most of them are UTA/NIR but there are also some views at Pearse & Connolly.

I am trying to date a fair number of Spoil train images, they are all 20 wagon rakes but some have a brake van included . Van numbers UT2034, 2035 and possibly 2032.

Apparently when the trains first started running they were 10 wagon rakes plus brake van powered by a single WT. This soon progressed to the 20 wagon top n tailed WT's but there appears to be an interim when the brake van was still included. The guard travelled on the rear loco when the brake vans disappeared (no doubt there had to be some negotiation with the Unions and crews)

Does anyone know the dates of when the 20 wagon+van sets started running and when the vans were dispensed with?

A couple of 'tasters'

Edited July 31, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[airfixfan]

Working on this very topic at the minute. The last photo I can find with a brake van at the back of a top and tailed spoil train is late February 1967.

[Galteemore]

Here’s the answer from an expert (not me!)....

The spoil trains began with 1 engine+10wagons+van on 14.11.66

 

20 wagon sets began running at the start of February 1967

 

Vans were dispensed with from 17 April 1967

 

[airfixfan]

1 hour ago, Galteemore said:

Here’s the answer from an expert (not me!)....

The spoil trains began with 1 engine+10wagons+van on 14.11.66

 

20 wagon sets began running at the start of February 1967

 

Vans were dispensed with from 17 April 1967

 

Thanks for that and agrees with my comments earlier

 Must thank the expert myself.

[DiveController]

On 7/31/2020 at 3:59 AM, Irishswissernie said:

Apparently when the trains first started running they were 10 wagon rakes plus brake van powered by a single WT. This soon progressed to the 20 wagon top n tailed WT's but there appears to be an interim when the brake van was still included. The guard travelled on the rear loco when the brake vans disappeared

 

That's very useful information but the thing I find odd is that the tailing loco is not running cab first. So were two crews, engineer and fireman traveling on this train, as they tailing loco seems to be under more steam than just enough to keep it idling for the return journey?

Other photos of them show the WTs facing opposite directions for the return trip. Surely they didn't turn BOTH locos even if a turntable was available?

Edited August 1, 2020 by DiveController

[airfixfan]

Each loco had a driver and fireman with regular crews allocated to each loco by 1967. From 1967 the Jeeps top and tailed with locos usually running bunker first for thr easier run with the empty train to Magheramorne. There were occasional exceptions to the rule for example in Irish Railways in Colour there is a photo at Whitehead in August 1967 of 2 Jeeps double headed on an empty spoil train.

[Irishswissernie]

A couple of 121's  and 6whl bogied coach 484A formerly 861 GS&WR 1st/3rd Brake compo now owned by RPSI from the latest batch of negatives.   May 1965

Edited August 1, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[DiveController]

8 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

 6whl bogied coach 484A formerly 861 GS&WR 1st/3rd Brake compo now owned by RPSI from the latest batch of negatives.   May 1965

A unique coach insofar as 11 first/third composites were built by the GS&WR c.1906 initially designed to be a brake tri-composite. You can see the that the first two compartment were designed as firsts with 6/compartment and the two following designed as seconds, but I don't believe they ran that they ran that way with the GSWR abolishing 2nd class c. 1906. It definitely ran as a 2F 5T Brake. Only 861, 862, 863 were clerestory brakes and ran on 6 wheel bogies. The 11 coaches would make a lovely model series actually, since 861/4848A is also in preservation with the RPSI

Edited August 1, 2020 by DiveController

[flange lubricator]

Is that the inchicore works train ? 

[jhb171achill]

6 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

A couple of 121's  and 6whl bogied coach 484A formerly 861 GS&WR 1st/3rd Brake compo now owned by RPSI from the latest batch of negatives.   May 1965

First pic - three locos, three liveries...... green "C", grey "121" and black'n'tan "A"!

Second pic - deliciously filthy!

Third pic - 861 - first coach I ever worked on in the '70s........ it still had original first class GSWR horse-hair-stuffed upholstery in the compartment nearest to the camera..........

[Parkmore]

Although it is over 50 years since I last saw Wilfrid and Patricia (the Courtauld's tank engines built by Peckett's), the scene looked just like in the photograph.

Back in 1967 or 68 I was about 13. I lived at Galwally/Newtownbreda and some of my school friends lived around Stranmillis/Malone/Lisburn Rd/Finaghy and from time to time I would cycle to Lisburn station. One Saturday afternoon I cycled up Stockman's Lane to the roundabout (I think) at Andersonstown. The gates to Eastwood's were wide open so I walked in as there was no-one to stop me. What I saw just inside the gates perfectly matched the photograph that you have shown. I didn't have a camera with me, but the light was particularly poor even on an otherwise sunny Saturday afternoon; just like on the photo.