Tara Junction.

[JasonB]

25 minutes ago, CFD said:

Fantastic livery on the loco's, thanks for posting....I have never seen this livery for sale, but then I have come to Irish rail modelling just recently. I assume these all sold out when the 071 was released and are no longer available?

I see plenty of 071's still in Marks Models and online in various places...but just in the various orange livery.

They were actually the last of the 071 class to be released by Murphy Models, but sold out in no time. If you didn't get one then, the chances of picking one up now are few and far between. But they do pop up now and again.  

[CFD]

9 minutes ago, jason brady said:

They were actually the last of the 071 class to be released by Murphy Models, but sold out in no time. If you didn't get one then, the chances of picking one up now are few and far between. But they do pop up now and again.  

Thanks Jason....will add one to my (ever growing) list of missed items to watch out for...

Edited March 2, 2019 by CFD

[Noel]

On 1/1/2019 at 1:21 PM, ttc0169 said:

Wishing all Irish railway modellers a Happy new year from the Chief operating officer of Tara junction.

Here are a selection of photos from the Christmas and New year period which seen an intensive passenger timetable on the lead up to Christmas eve and some New years eve freight liner operations.

The passenger operation seen over 40 passenger carrying vehicles with a total seating capacity of 2,806 excluding EGV and GSVs,

The use of the 10 piece MK2 a/b set was a welcome addition alongside a MK3 3 piece push/pull hauled/pushed by 234.

On the freight side there were six trains operated carrying Guinness ,oil, containers, fertiliser ,cement  both in bulk and pallet form and ore from Tara mines

 

 

 

 

Wow fabulous live scenes. You can just imagine all the industrial noises, clanking, banging, flange squeal, horns, station announcements and the back ground murmur of LPPs chattering on the platforms, a group of nuns in full habit floating gracefully down the platform as if they were on castor wheels, a late student running down the platform in a total flap pushing their full size bicycle, as a guard blows his whistle, prefacing the build up of air in the door closing system and brake system, the loco horn toots, will she make it, will she manage to get the bike on to a standard open coach that has no bike racks, folks on the footbridge cheering her on with encouragement, the kindly guard delays waving the green flag at the driver 200m away, she leaps on, drags the bike on, clunking and banging it as she get clogged in the corridor with American tourists and their King Kong sized luggage. Grid lock, but the door closes, the train ever so quietly start to inch forward as the loco engines 200m away notch up on the launch pad, echoing tumultuously off the station roof as, relief on the students face, she has 3hours to find a seat and plan her route back to Heuston from Claremorris to get the cork train she though she was on. The bike was smiling though on route to the Atlantic greenways.

 Seriously Noel, those layout scenes are alive with busy plausible activity. Top class.  best IE/IR layout that never ceases to entertain. 

Edited March 4, 2019 by Noel
typos

[ttc0169]

On ‎3‎/‎3‎/‎2019 at 3:47 AM, Noel said:

Wow fabulous live scenes. You can just imagine all the industrial noises, clanking, banging, flange squeal, horns, station announcements and the back ground murmur of LPPs chanting on the platforms, a group of nuns in full habit floating gracefully down the platform as if they were on castor wheels, a late student running down the platform in a total flap pushing their full size bicycle, as a guard blows his whistle, prefacing the build up of air in the door closing system and brake system, the loco horn toots, will she make it, will she manage to get the bike on to a standard open coach that has no bike racks, folks on the footbridge cheering her on with encouragement, the kindly guard delays waving the green flag at the driver 200m away, she leaps on, drags the bike on, clunking and banging it as she get clogged in the corridor with American tourists and their King Kong sizef luggage. Grid lock, but the door closes, the train ever so quietly start to inch forward as the loco engines 200m away notch up on the launch pad, echoing tumultuously off the station roof as, relief on the students face, she has 3hours to find a seat and plan her route back to Heuston from Claremorris to get the cork train she though she was on. The bike was smiling though on route to the Atlantic greenways.

 Seriously Noel, those layout scenes are alive with busy plausible activity. Top class.  best IE/IR layout that never ceases to entertain. 

Thanks Noel-much appreciated.

[ttc0169]

A rare locomotive to be allocated to work the empty timber train is NIR locomotive 112 which is seen here arriving light engine from the MPD,after coupling to the train it worked it forward to the Lakeview freight yard where it is seen shortly after arrival.

 

[GNRi1959]

This is a lovely layout which opens my eyes to the industrial side of our railway, something we didn't experience of the Derry Road. Great work.

[ttc0169]

With the increase in passenger numbers of late on Tara junction, It was decided to reinstate a Mk3 push pull set to traffic,

Here we see a few photos of 221 hauling control car/DVT 6104 back from an internal refit and a repaint to the MPD where it was lifted off its bogies,

While stopped at the station the opportunity was taken to test the push pull equipment between 221 and 6104. 

The CME keeps an eye his team as the fitters inspect the underneath of the control car,

When the operation was complete the bogies were transported by road to be overhauled at the works bogie shop.

 

[Noel]

Fabulous story telling as ever. Love it. Jeepers when you see scale sized LPP standing beside the bogies you realise just how massive TLCs can be out of scale (ie the pic of the white and the orange LPP standing beside the removed bogie). Great photo scenes Noel, love these visual stories.

[JasonB]

Lovely scenes Noel. Great to see 112 out and about. It's by far my favourite loco from my own collection of 071/111's. Have to say it's looking particularly well working the timber train    

[ttc0169]

Locomotive 175 awaits the signal to enter the permanent way possession to discharge ballast from the two axle ballast hopper train which is now complete with the superb plough vans-well done gentlemen for taking the time and effort to bring us the fantastic models..

 

[BosKonay]

They look very very at home

[ttc0169]

With an intensive couple of weeks ahead for ballasting both sets of ballast trains are now a regular sight on Tara junction,

Here we see 071 arrive from the south with a fully loaded HOBS set containing 300 tonnes of stone, while across the platform 175 is also coupled to the two axle hopper train which has roughly the same tonnage of stone available,

Johnny the ballast guard keeps an eye out on proceedings in the rear plough van 24853.

Also seen is the rare sight of the Mk3 push/pull set stabled in the bay platform having been pushed in there by 234,it is covering for one of the 2600 railcars which is undergoing some maintenance to one of its engines.

 

[ttc0169]

175 hauls the heavy ballast hopper train through the station.

[ttc0169]

With less than 24 hours to go until the RPSIs West awake rail tour we see a test run of 075+082 together with the Cravens set of coaches,

071 was used to shunt release the coaches to allow the 2x071s return back to the MPD. 

Here are a selection of photos and videos of the operation...…

 

 

[ttc0169]

The Test train arrives at Tara junction....

 

[JasonB]

On 4/11/2019 at 8:44 PM, ttc0169 said:

175 hauls the heavy ballast hopper train through the station.

Looks great Noel. Looking forward to getting mine up and running. An extremely dirty no.156 is waiting patiently in the siding, ready to take charge of the completed ballast train   

Edited April 16, 2019 by JasonB

[RedRich]

What I love about TJ is the way Noel gives us all the info on the trains and their duties. It's operated on prototype practices from a railway man himself 

I can imagine the drivers coming in at the start of a weeks shifts and checking the roster. If anyone wants or needs any prototype info then Noel is the man to ask.

Love it Noel 

Rich,

[ttc0169]

4 hours ago, RedRich said:

What I love about TJ is the way Noel gives us all the info on the trains and their duties. It's operated on prototype practices from a railway man himself 

I can imagine the drivers coming in at the start of a weeks shifts and checking the roster. If anyone wants or needs any prototype info then Noel is the man to ask.

Love it Noel 

Rich,

Thanks Rich. Its much appreciated. I am in the fortunate  position to have an insight into the workings of the real railway and try to mirror them in the miniature world of Tara junction.

 

[ttc0169]

When the HOBS set of ballast wagons were introduced into service by Irish rail during 2010, It was suggested that a few ballast plough vans be retained to be used with the HOBS until such time that crews got familiar with the remote control system of discharging stone-rather than having an on track machine spread the stone behind the train,

This of course never happened due to the cost of converting the plough vans to the air braking system,

However over on Tara junction-(where anything is possible)-plough van 24853 was converted to a duel braking system-(air and vacuum)-and is seen here undergoing a trial run on the rear of the HOBS set with Johnny the ballast train guard supervising operations.

 

[ttc0169]

With the increase in freight traffic to the Lakeview freight yard,a new servicing facility for locomotives was built at the west end of the yard and is up and running for a few months now,

Its sole purpose is to supply locomotive's to work freight trains out of the freight yard and also to service incoming locomotives, this in turn eases the pressure on the main Tara junction MPD, but it does allow for light engine movements of some variety between both depots through the main station,

It is also intended to do some maintenance work on freight wagons ,mainly brake block replacements

The Lakeview servicing facility can cater for up to four locomotives at one time and has a storage space for eight,

The method of operation is that when a liner train arrives from the West the incoming locomotive is uncoupled and operates to the depot where it is serviced with Fuel, oil and water,

A fresh locomotive is then allocated to work the outward bound service,

Here are a few photos of locos 187 and 203 in for servicing,

In the last photo we see a 1995 era scene with Arrow railcar 2601+2602 and locomotives 220 and 221 in at the fuelling point for fuelling and examinations at the Riverside servicing point,

This facility looks after all 2600/29000 railcar servicing and some locomotives.

 

 

Edited April 30, 2019 by ttc0169

[ttc0169]

In preparation for the May bank holiday weekend the carriage fleet controller on Tara junction increased the normal seven piece Mk2 air braked set to ten coaches,

The set was slotted in to the 18:05 Dublin Heuston-Westport link earlier  this evening and will work the 07:15 Westport-Heuston in the morning, It will then be in place to work the busy 12:45 Heuston-Westport and as instructed by the fleet controller three coaches will be detached on arrival at Westport and stabled there until they will be reattached to the 13:10 Westport-Heuston on bank holiday Monday,

Here we see a few photos of the ten piece Mk2 a/b arrive to a busy platform one behind NIR owned locomotive 208,ten minutes earlier the Mk3 push/pull set is seen arriving at the bay platform with a connecting service formed by 6101+234.

"""During the late 1990s early 2000s it was common place on IE to substitute the regular Mk3 set with a high capacity Mk2 a/b set at busy periods on the Westport route"""

[Robert Shrives]

And a lovely shot of railways for the people - perhaps now gone for ever. I did wonder ( only a little bit) who had bought most of the MM MMK2a coaches and now I know..

Robert 

[ttc0169]

When the workload at the Lakeview servicing facility has quietened down they turn their attention to completing  exams on wagons,

After a few months in service, and with some cement dust beginning to build up-Here we see some two axle cement bubbles in for brake block changing-note the handbrake on two wagons have been applied-this is only a temporary measure. They will be released to allow the brake blocks to be replaced-another ingenious addition from the lads at IRM HQ.....

 

[JasonB]

On 5/8/2019 at 11:58 PM, ttc0169 said:

When the workload at the Lakeview servicing facility has quietened down they turn their attention to completing  exams on wagons,

After a few months in service, and with some cement dust beginning to build up-Here we see some two axle cement bubbles in for brake block changing-note the handbrake on two wagons have been applied-this is only a temporary measure. They will be released to allow the brake blocks to be replaced-another ingenious addition from the lads at IRM HQ.....

 

Cheers Noel. That's my cement fetish satisfied for another week or so. 

[ttc0169]

The new permanent way sidings and ore loading point have recently benefited from some new lighting-the four strip LED lights were purchased from the Homestore and more shopping outlets for E20.

Here we see the spoil train being unloaded while 074 & 082 ticking over while awaiting their next turn of duty.....

 

[ttc0169]

Some new lights have been added to the MPD and staff mess room at Tara junction.

Locomotives  receiving attention were 166 on the lifting jacks minus bogies and a fuel tank while 201 C class locomotive is having its brake blocks replaced.

 

 

[Rob]

Always great to see updates from here- brilliant!!

[ttc0169]

Some more lighting has been added to the West end depot at Tara junction station.

Thank you to Baseboard Dave for supplying the tower lights which have really transferred the night time operation of various parts of the layout.

The pilot driver has moved 2601+2602 from the station to No1 fuelling point road while the cleaners refresh the interior, while that is happening the driver places locomotives 220 and 221 at numbers 2 and 3 roads for fuelling and later moves them into the shed for the fitters to examine and attend to any defects which may be noted in the log books,

 

[ttc0169]

With the ever increasing locomotive fleet and the forthcoming models of the 121 and 001 class locomotives the new wheel lathe was installed over the weekend at the MPD on Tara junction,

Here we see locomotive 0117072 become the first locomotive to use the facility,

The CME observes proceedings as they prepare to move 072 onto the lathe,

Here are a few photos of the operation.

 

[ttc0169]

Next up is the iconic Tara mines bogie wagon,

After developing a brake problem which caused wheel flats the Tara wagon was worked at slow speed to the wheel lathe shop for attention

....

[JasonB]

It just gets better and better with each update Noel.The attention to detail never ceases to amaze me. 

[ttc0169]

A selection of photos of the stores oil tanker transfer to the West end stabling point on Tara junction complete with 23674 CIE brake van professionally built by hidden-agenda....

161 arrives at the signal and awaits clearance to the up mainline before propelling the wagons to the oil road siding for discharging to  commence.

Over at the new wheel lathe CIE 071 class locomotive 088 gets its wheels turned....

 

 

[JasonB]

Love it  

[ttc0169]

Bank holiday Sunday sees little activity at the freight yard sidings with 156+183 coupled to a pallet cement train while 080 works light engine to the MPD,

Over at the locomotive shed a variety of locos in various livery's can be seen,inside the shed are 161 and 080, while outside are 143,152,185,001,192+160

234 is seen at the rear of the Mk3 push/pull set providing a shuttle service to and from Connolly station with control car 6101 leading.

[JasonB]

Fantastic selection of stock as always Noel. The pair of baby's and pallet cement wagons are a big favourite of mine.