Tara Junction.

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The Weedspray train has arrived back into the Lakeview freight yard and we can see the view from one of the CCTV cameras on 3187…

Also permission was given to show the interior of 3187 giving the rare view of the water tanks and mixing equipment 

 

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Unloading of some used track panels has been taking place this afternoon at the Riverside permanent way depot,

Locomotive 074 is being used to shunt the wagons into position for unloading by the machines. 
 

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Friday night freight under the lights at Tara junction station. 
Locomotives 161+121 work a heavy laden bogie fertiliser through Tara junction. 
127+133 wait a crew change while hauling the ammonia train from Shelton abbey to Marino point,
187 has arrived at the platform with the branch train.

 

[jhb171achill]

I’m sure Tara Junction is choked with specials from Westport, Ballina, Castlebar and Claremorris today!

[Galteemore]

Just imagine what those trains would have looked like in 1951..ancient 4-4-0s or Woolwich moguls with strings of goodness knows what antiquity trailing behind 

Edited September 11, 2021 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Just imagine what those trains would have looked like in 1951..ancient 4-4-0s or Woolwich moguls with strings of goodness knows what antiquity trailing behind 

I must fish out a report I have of an all-Ireland day in the LATE fifties. The amount of specials and what they consisted of is mind-boggling.

[ttc0169]

17 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I’m sure Tara Junction is choked with specials from Westport, Ballina, Castlebar and Claremorris today!

It sure was….keep watching….specials galore will be uploaded later on…

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All Ireland final day 2021 produced extra activity at Tara junction with special trains from Mayo and one from Belfast ,

124+134 work the 07:00 Westport-Dublin Connolly special consisting of 10 Mk2 a/b coaches.

NIR 208 working 08:30 Belfast-Dublin Connolly 7 piece Mk2 set

132+152 working the 07:15 Ballina-Dublin Connolly 10 piece Mk2d set

190+184 working the 08:00 Westport-Dublin Connolly with 9 Cravens and 2 BR GSVs,

201 arrives at the platform with the regular 08:05 Dublin Heuston-Westport 8 Mk3 set,

6101+130 leads a push pull Mk3 set forming a Claremorris-Dublin Connolly special.

085 has charge of the 5 piece Mk3 Executive train which had the Mayo team on board.

127+133 were the standby locomotives and were ticking over on the turntable road.

[Rob]

I see the coloured springs on the bogies of the Mark 3 Executive-  very topical !

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11 hours ago, Rob said:

I see the coloured springs on the bogies of the Mark 3 Executive-  very topical !

Well spotted Rob

[LARNE CABIN]

Super running, as usual. Just love to see those long rakes of coaches, and super timetabling, but looks as though the railway companies may have lost money on the day! A lot of those specials look fairly empty, especially that 08:00 ex Westport, those cravens look empty! 

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6 hours ago, LARNE CABIN said:

Super running, as usual. Just love to see those long rakes of coaches, and super timetabling, but looks as though the railway companies may have lost money on the day! A lot of those specials look fairly empty, especially that 08:00 ex Westport, those cravens look empty! 

Thank you LC.....if you look closely you can see the passengers queuing in the aisles for the Cravens bar car 1508, its thirsty work on these football specials.......

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The Sperry train is seen here ready to depart Lakeview freight yard behind locomotive 078,the RPSI steam heating van 3173 is on hire to IE and can be seen here behind 078. 

The real Sperry train in the third photo is seen approaching Ballina behind 086. 

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A mid 1990s scene was recreated earlier when a joint IE/Dublin bus publicity shot with the slogan…We’re here to take you there….was staged at Tara Jctn 

Original livery 201 class locomotive 220 and an eight piece Mk3 set and Arrow liveried 2600 railcar 2601+2602  were lined up under the bridge on station road while above was RH41 sporting the all over ad for Irishrail.

Well done yet again IRM for the superbly decorated buses. 
 

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The Sperry train hauled by locomotive 072 passes through Tara junction with the RPSI van 3173 forming part of the consist,

127+132 are seen hauling the Mk3 train on a private charter to Killarney also passes through the station.   

 

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Friday night fun on Tara junction….

The CTC signalman was kept busy tonight on Tara junction with five trains in operation at the same time,

220 + 8 Mk3s pass through hauling the 17:30 Heuston-Cork

134+124 work a Platin cement to Cork goods bogie bulk cement train 

6105+130 work the 16:00 Limerick-Heuston service

121+135 work the Shelton abbey-Marino point laden ammonia train 

190+184 work the Fridays only 13:30 Tralee-Heuston 9 piece Cravens set. 

Meanwhile locomotive 087 has shunted the Mail and passenger set to the bay platform for loading of the mail-due to depart at 21:30 to Galway. — at Tara Junction Station

[DJ Dangerous]

Fabulous!!!

Something so lovely about a 121 pushing a Mk3 push-pull set like that.

I see some lovely looking buses on that bridge!

Ordered mine two weeks ago, but shipping to Las Canarias is problematic...

Maybe next month!

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Let’s get ready to roll…..

 

[ttc0169]

018 on the out road trial-no issues a fantastic model-with the unmistakeable EMD sound and a superb runner. 

 

[StevieB]

Do you get a prize for being the first to show off the A/001 class? Wonderful stuff.

Stephen

[ttc0169]

Then onwards to Lakeview freight yard…..I wonder what next…..

 

[TimO]

Could you show us pictures of the model please!

I am very pleased to see that the Supertrain livery colour looks just the shade I recall and the loco seems to have a beautiful realistic stance on the rails, even the narrow track gauge does not detract. 
 

As a matter of interest what are the dimensions of your layout?

 

 

[ttc0169]

15 minutes ago, TimO said:

Could you show us pictures of the model please!

I am very pleased to see that the Supertrain livery colour looks just the shade I recall and the loco seems to have a beautiful realistic stance on the rails, even the narrow track gauge does not detract. 
 

As a matter of interest what are the dimensions of your layout?

 

 

Thanks TimO,

The layout measures 16'x10' 

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A night time view of 018 as she ticks over in Lakeview freight yard, I really like the red and white shunting lights function on the locomotive  

 

Edited October 12, 2021 by ttc0169

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Nighttime at the MPD, we see 001 class locomotives 018,036,054 and 056 being prepared for their next turn of duty.

it just keeps getting better and better

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Friday night and the locomotive fleet controller has a few decisions to make….

 

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The Fridays only passenger trains were a feature of the scene during the late 1980s and early 1990s,

Here we see 036 work the FO Dublin Heuston-Tralee with 6 Mk2d stock as 054 works the Dublin Heuston-Ballina FO service which is composed of 8 Cravens and BR GSV. 

Edited October 16, 2021 by ttc0169

[murphaph]

The A's look great with the mk2's especially.

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Some weathering of the bogies,buffers and CAWS protecting grid-(on locomotive 054) using powders has really brought out the exquisite detail on them-and highlights the rotating axles to great effect. 
 

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056s complete with weathered bogies 

 

[DJ Dangerous]

That weathering looks excellent, really brings out the detail!

Were the A's and 141's the only classes to have the hybrid ST / Ir livery?

[jhb171achill]

50 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

That weathering looks excellent, really brings out the detail!

Were the A's and 141's the only classes to have the hybrid ST / Ir livery?

It would appear so, yes.

I saw a few 141 / 181 classes like that, including one with "IR" logos on the sides and CIE roundels on the ends! This may be seen in one of the pictures in "Rails Through the West"**, and was probably unique.

What I did NOT ever see was a 121 with this hybrid livery.

It should also be added that in most (but not all!) cases this hybrid livery was short lived.

 

(**  Page 43, loco 155)

[murphaph]

I think it was longest lived on the A's as they knew they were the closest to withdrawal in many cases.

Didn't someone provide evidence that a single 071 got this treatment for a short while?

I think 121 had the roundels painted out but not patched over for a while. Think one of the books covering the era has a pic.

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, murphaph said:

I think it was longest lived on the A's as they knew they were the closest to withdrawal in many cases.

Didn't someone provide evidence that a single 071 got this treatment for a short while?

I think 121 had the roundels painted out but not patched over for a while. Think one of the books covering the era has a pic.

Quite possible with both these ideas, but I have to say I never saw either 071s or 121s like that, nor did I hear of it.

[Warbonnet]

I'm pretty sure one 071 got it and there was a picture of it floating about.

Some of the As were so treated up to 5 years, so longer lived than you may think. Well into the 90s anyway, and perfect for placing alongside IR and Supertrain liveries. It's one we always liked anyway!