Spring 2014

Pictures captured between January to May 2014, featuring PWD workings around the Dublin area and a foray out to Kildare area to photograph IWT/DFDS liners. Also included are a few odd events and coverage of the steam/diesel workings of the RPSI Saint Canice railtour.
071 Class locomotive 085 rolls into East Wall yard with the Long-Welded-Rail (LWR) train from Portlaoise. Another view of the LWR train arriving into East Wall. No mistaking what locomotive this is now with its large '085' numbers. Having run-around its LWR train in the yard, 085 shunts the PWD train back into the sidings at East Wall.
Seen at the same location, locomotive 086 leaves East Wall yard with a short PWD track-panel train, en route from Navan to Portlaoise. 085 is captured again, heading away from the North Wall area as it approaches Ossory Road bridge with its short PWD train loaded with wooden sleepered track-panels from the Navan branch. Heading to Platin on the Navan branch with concrete sleepered track panels is locomotive 088, seen passing Laytown station, en route from North Wall.
In March, the disused 1990s era container gantry from the former London & North Western Railway yard in North Wall was dismantled and removed for a new lease of life in Holland. A road crane is seen here loading the parts onto a low-loader. 071 Class 072 with the Ballina to Dublin IWT liner trundles by the dismantled remains of the container gantry which once spanned the LNWR yard in North Wall, prior to grantry's dispatch by road. The lorry with its loaded trailer carrying one of the main parts of the disused LNWR yard container gantry follows the IWT liner down Alexandra Road tramway.
The lorry with its loaded trailer carrying one of the main parts of the disused LNWR yard container gantry follows the IWT liner down Alexandra Road tramway. 201 Class locomotive No.222 attends to a failed 29000 Class railcar on the Alexandra Road tramway in East Wall. The railcar had arrived into East Wall yard with a DART transfer. 29000 Class railcar 29420 prepares to cross the busy East Wall road having been restarted following a failure while hauling a DART transfer.
29120 is the rear unit on the 29000 Class, seen running into East Wall yard from the Alexandra Road tramway. In the distance can be seen the 2-car 8100 LHB DART set which was been hauled on a transfer between Fairview and Inchicore works. NIR 201 Class locomotive 8208 approaches Milltown bridge as it climbs Kellystown bank north of Dundalk with the morning 10:00 Dublin-Belfast Enterprise service. Ex DSER K2 Class 2-6-0 No.461 runs through the former Dromin Junction station with an RPSI shuttle special from Dundalk to Drogheda. Part of the former platform used by Ardee branch trains is visible on the left.
Two Enterprise trains are seen crossing each other at the north end of Drogheda station, with DVT 9004+227 arriving from Belfast, and 8208 awaiting the road north. 201 Class locomotive 227 is seen propelling this evening Belfast-Dublin Enterprise service at Drogheda. On the right is one of the few servicable steam locomotive water-columns. 29000 Class railcar 29107 is seen in the bay platform at the north end of Drogheda station awaiting departure time with a service to Dublin.
Locomotive 461 pauses for a photo-stop at the little-used single platform station at Mosney, located between Laytown and Gormanston, while returning from Drogheda having worked shuttle specials between there and Dundalk. 461 is captured again, this time blowing off steam having arrived at its final destination of Dublin Connolly. The special 'RPSI 50' heardboard celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Railway Preservation Spociety of Ireland. 201 Class locomotive 224 works past the Iron Bridge just north of Sallins with the morning 9:30 Dublin to Ballina IWT liner.
071 Class locomotive 081 slows on the approach to Sallins with the Irish Rail track recording train (Sperry) which will arrive into the loop north of Sallins station. Locomotive 081 with the Sperry train gets the feather indication for the loop at Sallins. Also included in the formation of the Sperry train are the weed-sprayer Mk1 van and water-tanks. 081 and the Sperry train are seen a short while later, with the locomotive having run-around its train in Sallins loop for the return run to Dublin.
201 Class locomotive 226 heads away from Sallins with the Up Ballina to Dublin IWT liner. 215 approaches Hybla bridge near Monasterevin with a southbound Dublin to Cork express, formed of the Mk4 stock. 071 Class locomotive 075 works past Hybla with a fully-loaded Waterford to Ballina DFDS, formed of the Pocket-Container-Wagons (CPWs).
Catching up again with 081 and its Sperry train, which are seen running by Hybla as it works from Dublin to the PWD depot at Portlaoise. 29000 Class railcar 29413 approaches the footbridge at Claude Road as it slows for the stop at Drumcondra station with a midday service from Maynooth to Dublin. 071 Class locomotive 086 passes Claude Road with a HOBS train from Portlaoise depot to North Wall.
086 and its HOBS train are now seen shunting back into the ballast loading siding in East Wall yard, having arrived from Portlaoise. 071 Class locomotive 082 stands 'wrong road' at the Collins Avenue road bridge just south of Killester station with a long spoil train which is been loaded during PWD drainage works. With its spoil train now full, 082 approaches East Wall yard having been engaged in the PWD drainage works at Killester.
A busy scene in East Wall yard sees 071 Class 073 shunting flats wagons prior to the unloading of the IWT liner, which will be later hauled by 201 Class locomotive 228 (visible to the left with additonal containers), while Enterprise liveried 206 stands at the head of a Mk3 rake bound for Dundalk. Locomotive 073 heads for the Alexandra Road tramway with the IWT liner which will be unloaded in the docks, passing 228 which will later haul the Dublin-Ballina working. 071 Class 082 passes beneath the new footbridge at Rush & Lusk station with the morning laden Tara Mines to Alexandra Road ore train.
201 Class locomotive 206 passes the disused Great Northern style signal cabin at the south end of Rush & Lusk station as it hauls a redundant rake of Mk3 carriages from Dublin to Dundalk. Locomotive 206, named 'River Liffey', passes the army airfiield at Gormanston as it heads north with the Mk3s to Dundalk. Great Northern V Class compound 4-4-0 No.085 Merlin stands at the head of the RPSI Saint Canice railtour at Drogheda. The locomotive returned to Belfast, while 206 hauled the RPSI's Mk2 stock on the final leg of the journey from Whitehead to Dublin.
Another view of the sky-blue liveried No.085 Merlin, complete with GNR(I) Enterprise headboards, seen running light-engine back to Belfast at the south end of Drogheda station. Having disposed of the Mk3 carriages in Dundalk, Enterprise liveried 201 Class locomotive 206 works the empty rake of RPSI Mk2 stock to Dublin Connolly on the first part of the RPSI Saint Canice railtour. As the Saint Canice railtour (with RPSI 50 badge) heads south away from Drogheda, locomotive 082 approaches the station with the return empty ore wagons bound for Tara Mines in Navan.
Another view of 082 approaching Drogheda station with the return empty ore working from Alexandra Road to Tara Mines. Locomotive 074 speeds past the site of the original Cherry Orchard station (1994-2008), with the RPSI 'Galway Bay' diesel railtour from Dublin to Galway, formed of the 1960s era Craven coaches. In the grey livery, locomotive 077 takes the line towards Islandbridge at Glasnevin Junction with the Irish Rail weed spraying train, en route from Wexford to Dublin Heuston.
Later that evening, the 'Galway Bay' railtour heads past the former cement terminal in Cabra as it nears the end of its journey from Galway. Displaying the new Irish Rail/DART logo, 8128 leads a 6-car LHB DART into Sutton with a morning stopping-service from Bray. Passing the disused GNR(I) era signal cabin at the south end of Sutton station is 071 Class locomotive 074, as it leads the RPSI Saint Canice railtour from Dublin to Howth.
Following the railtour out to Howth is ex Dublin & South Eastern K2 Class 2-6-0 No.461, seen passing through Sutton station. 461 would later haul to the RPSI tour south to Wicklow, and then west to Enfield. Locomotive 074 stands at Howth station having arrived from Dublin City with the RPSI Saint Canice railtou, formed of the 1960s era Craven coaches. 461, not visible, stands at the other of the train awaiting departure time to Wicklow. Another view of 074 in Howth with the RPSI Saint Canice railtour, with LHB DART 8126 awaiting departure with a service to Greystones.
201 Class locomotive 228 is captured at Claude Road near Drumcondra with a fully loaded weekend Ballina-Dublin IWT liner train.