European Railroad Discussion > Railfanning in Ireland

Do you like GM locos with 567- and 645-series engines? Do you like something a little different? Then you might find Ireland a rewarding place to railfan. There are about 1350 miles of 1600mm (5'3") gauge railway divided between Iarnrod Eireann (1100 miles) and Northern Ireland Railways (250 miles). Most long-distance passenger trains are loco-hauled - unlike the UK - often by GMs dating from the mid to late 1960s. However, the main routes out of Dublin are increasingly in the hands of the 'new' 201 class locomotives - basically a passenger version of the SD60, or the UK Class 66 - so for the old stuff one has to head for the secondary routes such as Limerick - Ennis/Ballybrophy/Rosslare, and Cork-Tralee. How much longer the luchtime train to Ennis will be a 1965 built Class 141, with a 1960s heat van, and an equally old passenger car I do not know. Diesel Multiple Units are once again becoming common, and it may only be a matter of a year or so before they replace the last remaining local-hauled local trains. PDR+

Sounds rather American

http://news.bbc.co.uk/low/english/uk/northern_ireland/newsid_808000/808989.stm

Since I'm retiring soon and my passport current, when is the best weather, photographically speaking for a trip to Irekland and the UK?

Since the debates of mid-2000 about the future of rail in Northern Ireland, the legislature has committed itself to investing in the rail network. At the moment NIR is in the process of procuring 23 new diesel railcar sets to replace the old 80-class DEMUs in 2003/4. The Bleach Green-Antrim section of the NCC mainline has reopened in Spring 2001 after being closed to regular passenger traffic for 21 years. This cut 20 minutes from the Belfast to Londonderry schedule. A major track relay is in progress between Belfast and Bangor, and work has been undertaken on the Belfast-Larne line. The only down seems to be the probable closure of the ex-GNR Antrim branch, used by Belfast to Londonderry trains 1978-2001, and now redundant for that purpose following the reopening of Bleach Green-Antrim. PDR.

Dear Norm - this is a ticky one. It really depends on the weather, and that is unpredictable all year round. Looking through my old photo albums and the answer seems June through October for consistent weather, However, some of my best pix were taken in February! 3rd week of Feb. happened to be cold and clear that year (1998). My favourite locations in Ireland are Limerick; Limerick Jct (about 4 miles from Tipperary) Kildare and Mallow on the Dublin-Cork mainline; and Drogheda on the Dublin to Belfast line. Regards, Peter.