IWT Liners at Clara

[josefstadt]

On Friday last (22/06), as seen in Csalem's pic in a post on the Photographic Website Updates thread, 072 worked the up IWT liner. It is seen here entering the loop at Clara, where it crossed the 11:30 Dublin-Galway service, at 12:35. Vegitation clearance by IÉ has greatly improved the view of up trains from the road bridge at the Athlone end of the station.

 

 

 

At about 13:30 the down DFDS liner passed through Clara headed by 079. Unlike the up IWT train, which had 18 fully loaded wagons, this one was only loaded to about half its capacity.

 

Edited June 26, 2012 by josefstadt

[thewanderer]

Nice pictures!

 

The Athlone end view has certainly been opened up.

 

The Wanderer.

[ttc0169]

On Friday last (22/06), as seen in Csalem's pic in a post on the Photographic Website Updates thread, 072 worked the up IWT liner. It is seen here entering the loop at Clara, where it crossed the 11:30 Dublin-Galway service, at 12:35. Vegitation clearance by IÉ has greatly improved the view of up trains from the road bridge at the Athlone end of the station.

 

<img src="http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1335"/>

 

At about 13:30 the down IWT liner passed through Clara headed by 079. Unlike the up train, which had 18 fully loaded wagons, the down working was only loaded to about half its capacity.

 

<img src="http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=1336"/>

 

Nice photos josefstadt.....the area at Clara that has been cleared is to facilitate the building of a new longer set of points which when built will be installed under where loco 072 is passing over.

The longer point will allow faster running through the station in the future.

[MOGUL]

The one hauled by 079 looks more like a DFDS I think, I think they're loadings have suffered a bit since IWT went to 6 a week, could be why its half empty. Bit late for a westbound IWT I would think? Great news about the new points, would be worth their while lengthening the loop while they're at it to accommodate 20 wagon liners.

[josefstadt]

Quite right Mogul, it was indeed the DFDS liner. The train was running somewhat late (due out of Clara at 12:22) and I had assumed that it was the IWT service. My apologies for the confusion. I've corrected the caption in the first post.

[Mayner]

Interesting place Clara once an industrial town a junction for two branch lines with two stations and private sidings to Goodbody's Jute Mill and Ranks Grain & Flour Mills. There are some interesting photos of Clara with a newly introduced G Class making up the Banagher Goods in the O'Dea Collection at the National Library

 

The Banagher Branch left the main line at Clara and Banagher Junction about a mile West of the station, Goodbodies siding trailed into the main line in the background behind the IWT Liner, the sidings were still there into the 1970s, the chimney in the background may be part of the old mill.

 

The goods yard was in the area between the station building and the trees in the distance, with the goods shed in the middle distance behind the DFDS Liner. A siding ran out of this yard to serve Ranks Grain elevators, Ranks had some very neat bulk grain wagons lettered Ranks Ireland Limerick and Clara.

 

The Midland branch from Streamstown made a facing connection towards Tullamore just beyond the end of the train in the far distance, there was a signal cabin and exchange platform at the junction together with the Midland Goods and Loco shed, Midland branch followed the tree line in the far distance.

 

Clara always had a single passenger platform there was once a second goods loop off the down loop allowing shunting to take place a a loco to run round a train without blocking the main running line.

 

John