Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[Lambeg man]

Hi Ernie,

The location for this one is Eastwood's scrap yard in Andytown, West Belfast.

Here is the Belfast Telegraph copy....... Note the wall is the same....

From the Belfast Telegraph: The final resting place for 20-year-old tank locomotive Patricia as she is swung into place in Eastwood's scrapyard at Andersonstown, Belfast, beside her "twin" Wilfred. The two "locos" which are still in working order, came from Courtaulds factory at Carrickfergus, where they were used for hauling coal. They will remain on show in the yard for a couple of years and may then be broken up for scrap. (27/01/1968)

 

[Irishswissernie]

The last part of my videos from 2000-2006 have now been added to flickr. There are 150 odd 'episodes' arranged in date order (I hope)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishswissernie/albums/72157706536575014

I have about 1200 scans to upload including approx 500 prints acquired with copyright as the negatives no longer exist. The prints were all taken in 1956 and I think I will upload them in a separate album as they will give a snapshot of the railways at that date. They were in 3 albums together with a narrative of the photographers journey so I shall try to add this to the captions. This is in the pipeline.

Meanwhile todays uploads to flickr include 655 at Ballaghadereen in May 1957

164 at Ballingrane July 1955

 

[jhb171achill]

On 8/3/2020 at 11:21 PM, Lambeg man said:

Hi Ernie,

The location for this one is Eastwood's scrap yard in Andytown, West Belfast.

From the Belfast Telegraph: The final resting place for 20-year-old tank locomotive Patricia as she is swung into place in Eastwood's scrapyard at Andersonstown, Belfast, beside her "twin" Wilfred. The two "locos" which are still in working order, came from Courtaulds factory at Carrickfergus, where they were used for hauling coal. They will remain on show in the yard for a couple of years and may then be broken up for scrap. (27/01/1968)

 

Wonder what became of their nameplates.

Also - were there three at one time?

2 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

 

 

One of the few which ended up in black, and shown nicely!

Gawd knows what colour the tender is, though......

Edited August 10, 2020 by jhb171achill

[Galteemore]

Lovely - thanks as ever awr

24 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Wonder what became of their nameplates.

Also - were there three at one time?

One of the few which ended up in black, and shown nicely!

Gawd knows what colour the tender is, though......

Only ever two, JHB! I suspect the plates may have gone to Courtaulds staff. The sidings site and halt at Mount were favourite spots on my school commute in the 80s, as you could still see the old gate that marked the boundary of Courtaulds/UTA trackage 

[jhb171achill]

7 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Lovely - thanks as ever awr

Only ever two, JHB! I suspect the plates may have gone to Courtaulds staff. The sidings site and halt at Mount were favourite spots on my school commute in the 80s, as you could still see the old gate that marked the boundary of Courtaulds/UTA trackage 

I remember that indeed, Galteemore!

[Irishswissernie]

Recent uploads to flickr include a couple of Lough Swilly views at Burtonport and Owencarrow viaduct

An all action shot of the short lived Cork - Belfast Enterprise leaving Cork behind 401

181 at Malahide in May 1988

 

Finally another plug for membership of IRISH RAILWAY RECORD SOCIETY

I notice today that their Photographic Archive now contains over 3000 images available for members only, to view. So don't delay JOIN TODAY 

Ernie

Edited August 13, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[airfixfan]

Great stuff and new Burtonport photos are most welcome. The IRRS Photo archive is brilliant

 

[Galteemore]

It is truly wonderful. About fifty years ago my father gleaned pretty much everything SLNC that could be found with the catalogues of Lens of Sutton etc, so I was familiar with a fairly wide selection of SL images. The IRRS archive has added significant new gems though. Anthony Bennett’s views of a goods train in progress, and PJ Flanagan’s rarest of the rare photo of Lisgorman are pure gold. Join up boys and girls! My only regret is that for the three years we lived by the Liffey, I was into German HO, and it never occurred to me to visit in person.

Edited August 13, 2020 by Galteemore

[JasonB]

On 7/26/2020 at 7:41 AM, Irishswissernie said:

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.

141 and 144 shunting the bubbles. Does it get any better. As always, priceless footage. 

[Irishswissernie]

I have now scanned the 416 prints acquired with copyright and as they are from 2 trips made in June and September 1956 plus  a number from a trip in 1957 I think that they should be put on flickr in a separate album as this will give a snapshot of 

that time period. The photographer took the trouble to record the coach numbers for some of the views. Below is a sample of 3 views at Cork, Albert Quay. I have added the captions to the prints.

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

I've been thinking about getting a Reach Stacker for Glengarriff but there isn't much roadway on the layout. Coincidentally I am converting my Swiss video to MP4 and this is one Swiss solution Basel 26 March 2008 Birsfelden Swiss Terminal

 

[Irishswissernie]

I have managed to acquire some 75 Graham Roose original slides mostly from the 1990's with copyright which will keep me busy for the next few days in between hopefully commissioning 121's. The 1990's are the period Glengarriff is representing so these slides will come in very handy. 

A couple of samples

 

[Irishswissernie]

A couple  of 163 at Foynes 28 August 1953

After arriving with the branch train 163 appears to have been turned but has acquired an unusual addition to its chimney. Why?  There was an oil store siding at Foynes so was it some kind of primitive spark arrester or was the loco having steaming problems and this was to help the draught through the tubes and get steam back up.

 

 

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

This Graham Roose slide of 082 on the Limerick City shuttle running round at the Junction 13 April 1995 is I think a rare duty for an 071 class. Probably either a loco shortage or failure.

 

[BSGSV]

On 9/15/2020 at 10:36 AM, Irishswissernie said:

This Graham Roose slide of 082 on the Limerick City shuttle running round at the Junction 13 April 1995 is I think a rare duty for an 071 class. Probably either a loco shortage or failure.

As you say, but could have a motor issue too. On the GM's you need to isolate a pair, so an 071 would be on four motors. I think 071's also very occasionally were used in that state on the Limerick - Ballybrophy line, in similar circumstances. 

[hexagon789]

35 minutes ago, BSGSV said:

As you say, but could have a motor issue too. On the GM's you need to isolate a pair, so an 071 would be on four motors. I think 071's also very occasionally were used in that state on the Limerick - Ballybrophy line, in similar circumstances. 

One of the working timetables I have notes that '001' Class locomotives are prohibited from working goods trains of certain weight over the likes of the Rosslare-Waterford-Limerick line with less than 5 motors and can only continue in service with 5 they are not allowed to start out in such conditions.

Presumably same with the 071s though the higher power would mean on 4 motors they'd be a bit more capable than a 001 on 4.

[Irishswissernie]

Not a pair of 141's giving it some clag on the beet out of Limerick Junction but I caught this one last night 37423 not quite creeping through Haltwhistle Centre of Britain which brought back memories. Don't be tempted to turn up the volume!

 

Edited September 17, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[Mike 84C]

Ernie, I think you are doing a fabulous job of putting all these collections on line for us to enjoy. Thank you and long may you keep it up.

[Irishswissernie]

Back in the good old days this time of year meant get that flight sorted and the B&B booked because in a few weeks time there were trains to be photographed/video'd.

A couple of Graham Roose slides recently acquired. Locos were 085 141 & 123 28 October 1995. Waterford Yard.

[Noel]

Fab pictures, especially the wonderful late evening light. 

[Irishswissernie]

A couple of rolling stock views today. Unfortunately J G Dewing didn't record the coach number

 

[Irishswissernie]

Cavan & Leitrim Railway Belturbet

Edited September 23, 2020 by Irishswissernie

[DiveController]

Love the pallet vans at Inchicore, always interesting to see photos the erstwhile 'new vans' or 'new coaches'

[Lambeg man]

Hi Ernie,

Another picture (taken by W.E. Robertson) of that coach roof board appears in the book Irish Railways in the 1950's and 1960's and that picture clearly shows that roof board in the picture is in two halves.

I am guessing the "Derry" half came from a "Derry-Dublin" roof board that would have been used on a Dublin-Derry 'Through' carriage prior to June 1957 when such workings ceased. The "Belfast" half was probably part of a former "Belfast-Enniskillen" roof board for the through coach between those two places, a service that ceased in September 1957.

[murphaph]

I Just watched Ernie's fantastic flickr videos of shunting keg wagons in Claremorris with what appears to be the Ballina branch train. Was this an unusual occurrence?

[Irishswissernie]

I think this was normal practice when I visited 2003-2005 particularly after they had built the houses next to the sidings. The loaded train ex North Wall usually came in around or after midnight and if the empty wagons had already been assembled into a train it cut down the shunting and noise. The loads merely had to be reversed into the Guinness siding and the oil tanks (if any) into the oil siding and the loco then backed onto the mts train ready to depart to Dublin. Using the Ballina branch loco wasn't a problem as it sat at Claremorris for several hours between runs.

Just acquired this Graham Roose view of earlier freight shunting using the Ballina branch loco 24 March 1997.

 

[Mayner]

1 hour ago, murphaph said:

I Just watched Ernie's fantastic flickr videos of shunting keg wagons in Claremorris with what appears to be the Ballina branch train. Was this an unusual occurrence?

I saw a similar move at Longford during the same era when the loco and stock of the evening Connolly-Longford commuter train shunting the evening Longford-North Wall Liner Train.

After unloading its passengers the Commuter propelled back along the main line towards Dublin, before running forward into the Gantry Loop and coupling on to the Liner, the loco then pushed and pulled the combined train along the loop  until the coaches were positioned in the yard clear of the running lines. The loco then uncoupled from the Commuter and continued to push the Liner along the  loop and on to the Main Line until clear of the points at the Sligo end of the station before departing for Dublin. 

Railway men and women will tray and complete a shunt with the minimum number of moves to both to save time and reduce the amount of walking by staff on the ground.

[Niles]

On 9/27/2020 at 11:35 AM, Mayner said:

I saw a similar move at Longford during the same era when the loco and stock of the evening Connolly-Longford commuter train shunting the evening Longford-North Wall Liner Train.

After unloading its passengers the Commuter propelled back along the main line towards Dublin, before running forward into the Gantry Loop and coupling on to the Liner, the loco then pushed and pulled the combined train along the loop  until the coaches were positioned in the yard clear of the running lines. The loco then uncoupled from the Commuter and continued to push the Liner along the  loop and on to the Main Line until clear of the points at the Sligo end of the station before departing for Dublin. 

Railway men and women will tray and complete a shunt with the minimum number of moves to both to save time and reduce the amount of walking by staff on the ground.

I recall seeing similar 'loco sandwich' moves at Wellington Bridge, when all roads were occupied. An inbound empty train would arrive, couple up to 'stray' wagons ahead of it, and then move the whole consist at once to clear the Waterford-end points so that a loaded train could leave. The inbound loco would then uncouple from from the wagons it arrived with and propel the 'strays' towards Bridgetown and then draw them forward into the other loop once the loaded train had departed.

Edited September 28, 2020 by Niles

[Galteemore]

Ernie - loving your 1956 shots. Had a very pleasant discussion session with my dad reconstructing the snapper’s afternoon in Co Cavan and Monaghan. Thanks to his amazing caption details, which are time specific, we can work out how he travelled into Belturbet by NG, up to Clones for a busy hour of traffic, and on to Enniskillen in time to see the SLNC 7:20 ready to go. He could presumably have then travelled on it. But no, yer man sleeps in EKN overnight and then goes to Omagh in the morning! Great album - can’t wait to see the rest! Thanks Ernie 

Edited September 30, 2020 by Galteemore

[Irishswissernie]

Thanks for your kind comments. From the photographers notes he ran out of film in Enniskillen which explains the dearth of phots taken there and left early the next morning going straight through to Omagh where he obtained fresh supplies and then went back to Bundoran Junction before returning to Omagh and then on to Strabane and Derry. Unfortunately for us he didn't spend any time on the SLNCR and didn't travel on the CDRJC but makes up for it by a fair number of views at Bundoran Junction, Omagh and Strabane. The plan is to upload 3 or 4 each day for the next 10-11 weeks.

 

[Irishswissernie]

I have typed out the photographers notes for volume 1 (as far as Ballyconnell) and added them split in 11 parts immediately preceding the batch of photos they refer to. I havn't typed up the remainder from Vols 2 & 3 but will get round to it some day. 

[airfixfan]

Who was the photographer? Did he take many of the CDR? Thanks for all your efforts.

[jhb171achill]

On ‎9‎/‎27‎/‎2020 at 9:30 AM, murphaph said:

I Just watched Ernie's fantastic flickr videos of shunting keg wagons in Claremorris with what appears to be the Ballina branch train. Was this an unusual occurrence?

No, quite normal for the time!

Priceless stuff, Ernie, keep 'em coming!

[Irishswissernie]

1 hour ago, airfixfan said:

Who was the photographer? Did he take many of the CDR? Thanks for all your efforts.

No idea who photographer was but  they came via Robin Fell (Trotskee) who acquired the albums with copyright. He only took photos at Strabane on his trip which was one of only 2 he had made to Ireland. Do you want scans of the prints for the Museum John?

[murphaph]

Did the Ballina branch train sit in Claremorris between duties on the branch or did it sit in Ballina or Manulla Jct?