Early Tara mines

[snapper]

I was look at this vid and thought they would make a nice model. The base is a standard 20ft flat wagon. The sides dont look too complicated to make from plasticard. Has any body got any idea for the tarpaulin.

 

[skinner75]

One of the recent Model Rail magazines covered a material to use for tarpaulin - I'll look it up for you when I get home

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Are those trains hauling tara mines or beat bit confused as the video is on the Wexford line. Did the tara's travel that far south?

Edited December 22, 2012 by Anthony

[Garfield]

Nice footage there of an A class at full throttle!

 

Are those trains hauling tare mines or beat bit confused as the video is on the Wexford line. Did the tara's travel that far south?

 

The ore was originally transported to Arklow for transfer to ships there...

[Glenderg]

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article/making-realistic-tarps/3310/#

 

Alternative is to use cling film layered 8 times with a skin of pva every two sheets. Form the tarp by pushing the wagon into it, and creasing the film along the sides. Then you can mark the film, cut off the excess, and fold the four outer creases to form a whole tarpaulin. It will take a while to dry, but laminated cling film is surprisingly rigid and holds folds & creases well. It likes sticking to plastic too.Richie.

[snapper]

Are those trains hauling tare mines or beat bit confused as the video is on the Wexford line. Did the tara's travel that far south?

 

As far as I know during the early 90s there was a short lived experiment to so if they could send the ore out cheaper by port from Arklow rather than Dublin.

[snapper]

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article/making-realistic-tarps/3310/#

 

Alternative is to use cling film layered 8 times with a skin of pva every two sheets. Form the tarp by pushing the wagon into it, and creasing the film along the sides. Then you can mark the film, cut off the excess, and fold the four outer creases to form a whole tarpaulin. It will take a while to dry, but laminated cling film is surprisingly rigid and holds folds & creases well. It likes sticking to plastic too.Richie.

 

Great, thanks. Now all I have to do is build the rest of it

[Mayner]

As far as I know during the early 90s there was a short lived experiment to so if they could send the ore out cheaper by port from Arklow rather than Dublin.

 

I didn't realise Tara ore went out through Arklow somebody must have been trying to put the frightners on Dublin Port, the cost of getting the ore to Arklow would have been much higher compared with Dublin, much longer rail journey, lighter train loads and road transfer.

 

Originally traffic from Tara went out in Byrytes wagons through Foynes, the Alexandra Rd Tara Terminal (Gouldings Wharf) was picketed by Gouldings Fertiliser workers who were looking for better redundency terms for several months.

[h gricer]

I didn't realise Tara ore went out through Arklow somebody must have been trying to put the frightners on Dublin Port, .

Thats exactly what it was about John, but the round trip was too long, a 2day round trip, it was 13.20ex Navan on Monday to Pearse Station, then on Tuesday it was 5.30 Pearse / Arklow laden zinc, the loco would then work 9.40 Shelton Abbey / Marino Pt empty ammonia.

The return working on Tuesday 8.40 Laden ammonia to Shelton, the 17.00 Arklow to Drogheda empty zinc, so laden zinc train Monday Wednesday Friday, empty Tuesday Thursday Saturday, the paths where linked in with the ammonia workings, IRRS Journal no159 February 2006 has a small piece on it, the wagons found another use in grain traffic, details also in the same Journal.

The wagons are now scattered far and wide, some even found in fields with chickens living in them.

Regards

hg

Edited August 22, 2012 by h gricer

[Robert Davies]

Apologies for digging this one up again!

 

Those containers on the 20ft flats, are they standard open top containers? They appear similar to the 20ft coal boxes that were used on the Cawoods traffic.

 

When did the Tara traffic change from these wagons to the current ex-shale type wagons (approximate year, not day, date, time!)

 

Are there any photographs of either the loading at Boliden's or the unloading* at Alexandra Rd? If you'd rather not post, any PMs will be treated with the utmost discretion.

 

I'm guessing it would be a tippler arrangement because those wagons don't appear to be conducive to unloading by shovel.

[Mayner]

The Tara traffic has basically been carried in the same purpose built covered bogie tippler wagons since traffic started in the late 70s, the Shale wagons were an air braked open topped development of the original Tara design. The Shale traffic never lived up to expectations in terms of tonnage or revenue and a number of surplus Shale wagons were modified for Tara traffic in the early 1990s.

 

The initial ore shipments went out through Foynes as redundant Goulding Fertiliser workers placed a picket on the Alexaandra Road Ore Terminal (Gouldings Wharf), the shipments through Arlkow in the 90s may have been a negotiating ploy with Dublin Port or possibly to overcomee a short term capacity problem.

 

At the time the 4w container wagons were under-utilised and the open containers allowed short term contracts to be negotiated for traffic like grain, coal at marginal cost without major investment in new rolling stock or terminal facilities.

 

 

Paul Shannons Irish Railfreight video covers most freight workings in the early 1990s including the loading at Tara and unloading operation at Alexandra Road.

 

 

Tara sends out both lead and zinc concentrates which are toxic hence the covered wagons and enclosed loading and discharge facilities.

 

 

A

 

a

 

 

Apologies for digging this one up again!

 

Those containers on the 20ft flats, are they standard open top containers? They appear similar to the 20ft coal boxes that were used on the Cawoods traffic.

 

When did the Tara traffic change from these wagons to the current ex-shale type wagons (approximate year, not day, date, time!)

 

Are there any photographs of either the loading at Boliden's or the unloading* at Alexandra Rd? If you'd rather not post, any PMs will be treated with the utmost discretion.

 

I'm guessing it would be a tippler arrangement because those wagons don't appear to be conducive to unloading by shovel.

[Robert Davies]

Thanks John for the descriptions, input and clarification.

 

-Rob