European Railroad Discussion > Ireland in 2004 & 2005

Finished scanning my slides, these are the last ones I took in 2004 & 2005.

First from July 2004 is Great Northern Railway of Ireland (GNRI) no.85 Merlin, one of five 3 cylinder compounds built in 1932 and seen here near Cloughoge on a Northern Enterprise special from Dublin to Belfast and back.

Second, taken in September 2004 is LMS-NCC 2-6-4T no.4 on a returning Thursday Excursion, another Dublin to Belfast round trip, used to swap motive power. 85 came north whilst 4 went south.

Finally from October 2005 a sugar beet train betwen Carrick on Suir and Clonmel

This is a link to this penultimate update, the final pictures will be from 2007 and a visit to Dublin in November
http://nick86235.smugmug.com/Trains/Nostalgia/Ireland-1975-2007/i-54Nr6Mr



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/03/15 23:00 by 86235.

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Good show, Nick. Thank you. Gerry

Fantastic! Now we see the influences for Thomas the Tank Engine!

Thanks, planning to sample more Irish steam later this year.

At least at this desk, one seldom sees Irish steam. Thanks for posting.

BTW, are these locomotives in service today (2015)?

The RPSI (Railway Preservation Society of Ireland) normally maintains two serviceable steam locos out of a stud of four or five, one based at Whitehead (for duties around Belfast) the other in Dublin. In 2015 the operational fleet consists of 85 Merlin (the 4-4-0 3 cylinder compound) and 461, an inside cylinder 2-6-0 built in 1921 for the Dublin & South Eastern.

The big event every year is the spring rail-tour, which takes place over five days in early to mid May. This year the South Munster tour starts in Whitehead on May 7th, 85 on the RPSI Mk2 coaches via Belfast to Dublin, on Friday 8th there's a diesel tour from Dublin and back, the steam tour starting on May 9th with 85 joined by 461 on the Great Southern and Western mainline from Dublin to Cork. On May 10th the tour explores the lines around Cork and 85 returns the train from Cork to Whitehead (via Dublin and Belfast) on Monday 11th. Overall that's 600 miles plus of mainline steam haulage behind two iconic locomotives. For all the main-line stuff we have in Britain, none are quite as old as either 85 (83 years) and 461 (94 years).

Being overhauled are 4 - the LMS-NCC 2-6-4T Jeep, 131 a GNRI 4-4-0 of the Q class which hasn't turned a wheel in anger since 1963 and 171 Slieve Gullion, a GNRI S class 4-4-0 which was the workhorse of the RPSI for many years and which is featured in my pictures from 1993.

The two J15 0-6-0s, one of which was operational until 2014, are currently stored. They are a little too small with limited haulage capacity for this day and age.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/15 06:06 by 86235.