Tag Archives: Gullet

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Elusive ‘Raccoon’ leads the RPSI Cravens Transfer at the Gullet.

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I made this photo on the morning of 18 March 2019 using my FujiFilm XT1.

I’ll admit that if you’re not closely familiar with Irish Rail’s Dublin operations my title to today’s Tracking the Light post might seem cryptic.

Two of the Irish Rail 201 class General Motors diesels, 231 and 233, are painted in a minimalist silver, black and yellow livery. These are colloquially known in the enthusiast community as ‘raccoons’ (or ‘badgers’).

Engine number 233 has been shy lately and rarely seen out on the mainline.

RPSI stands for the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

RPSI owns an historic set of Cravens-built passenger carriages.

These are stored/maintained at Irish Rail’s Inchicore works (repair shops), and when they are required for an excursion, Irish Rail makes a transfer run across Dublin to deliver them to Connolly station for boarding.

The graded three-track line from Islandbridge Junction to Inchicore runs through a cutting along Con Colbert Road known as ‘the Gullet’.

While I’ve covered most of this previously, I figure it doesn’t hurt to review the esoteric every so often to avoid confusion.

Tracking the Light is on Auto Pilot while Brian is Traveling.

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Mix and Unmatched at the Gullet—Variety on Irish Rail.

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Who said that Irish Rail is boring?

Patience and being-there can make the difference.

On the Evening of 16 September 2018, the Railway Preservation Society Ireland’s Cravens transfer (train  i.d. H260) ran from Connolly to Irish Rail’s Inchicore Works. Rather than run with an 071 class locomotive, as is often the case, it was assigned locomotive 216 specially painted for Belmond’s Grand Hibernian.

Exposed with a FujiFilm XT1 with 90mm lens.

Gullet glint! Trailing view of RPSI’s Cravens transfer. Exposed with a FujiFilm XT1 with 90mm lens.

The following morning, the up Grand Hibernianfrom Waterford passed the same location with Irish Rail class 071 number 083 in the lead.

While Belmond’s train often runs to and from Waterford with an 071 class locomotive, this still presents a bit variety on a railway that tends to favour uniform train sets.

All  of these photos were exposed at ‘The Gullet” (the three track throat to Islandbridge Junction) from Memorial Road in Dublin.

Lumix LX7 photo.

Trailing view looking toward Islandbridge. Exposed with a Lumix LX7.

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Belmond’s Grand Hibernian on the Middle Road.

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On Sunday’s an Irish Rail class 071 works Belmond’s luxury cruise train, the 10-car Grand Hibernian, on its run from Dublin Connolly to Waterford.

Although slightly back lit, I found the famed ‘Gullet’ offers a good place to catch this train at work.

This cutting dates from the 1840s and features three tracks.

In this instance, Irish Rail 082 was accelerating down the middle road with the posh-looking train. (‘Down’ refers to traveling away from Dublin, and doesn’t reflect the gradient, which in this situation is actually rising).

Working with both my FujiFilm XT1 with 90mm telephoto and Lumix LX7, I made two sets of digital photos.

Irish 082 with Belmond’s Grand Hibernian cruise train. FujiFilm XT1 with 90mm lens.

Lumix LX7 view.

The locomotive sound was impressive as on this particular Sunday a couple weeks back the roads in the area were shut for a foot race and there was very little ambient noise compared with a typical day in Dublin. Perhaps, I should have made a recording!

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Irish Rail Heritage Locomotive Works the Sperry Train.

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Service Notice: Brian will be traveling for the next few days. New Tracking the Light posts will go up daily, but email notices may be delayed. To see the most recent posts, please check: http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/

On Monday, 13 March 2017, I photographed Irish Rail 071 in heritage paint working the Sperry rail-defect detection train. (The Sperry equipment is in a yellow container at the middle of the train).

I’d planned these photographs at ‘the Gullet’ (west of Islandbridge Junction between Dublin Heuston and Inchicore) on the previous Friday, but the train was canceled. Patience and persistence paid off in the end. (There’s your tips for the day).

Irish Rail 071 works west  on the morning of 13 March 2017. Exposed digitally with a FujiFilm X-T1 fitted with 18-135mm lens. File adjusted for contrast using Lightroom.

Exposed using a Panasonic Lumix LX7.

Trailing view exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1.

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Views from the Gullet.

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Irish Rail’s section of three tracks running from Islandbridge Junction to Inchicore in Dublin runs upgrade through a cutting (parallel to Con Colbert Road) known colloquially as ‘The Gullet’.

On Friday, 10 March 2017, I exposed these photos over one half an hour.

My primary subject was Irish Rail’s elusive spoil train that was expected up-road. When this passed, I relocated.

Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 with f2.0 90mm prime lens.

Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 with f2.0 90mm prime lens.

Irish Rail GM diesel 072 leads the empty spoil train on 10 March, 2017. Exposed with a FujiFilm X-T1 with f2.0 90mm prime lens.

 

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photography, Tips and Technique

Irish Rail Passenger Trains; Grab Shot in the Gullet, Dublin.

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The other day I was at the St. John’s Road roundabout. A Mark4 set was blocked as an in-bound ICR (intercity railcar) bound for Dublin’s Heuston Station over took it on the middle road.

The Gullet is the three track section in a cutting on approach to Islandbridge Junction in Dublin.
The Gullet is the three track section in a cutting on approach to Islandbridge Junction in Dublin.

Using my Lumix LX-7, I made this photo by holding the camera over the wall and gauging composition from the live-view digital display at the back of the camera.

I lightened the shadows in post-processing to improve contrast.

For the next couple of weeks Tracking the Light will be on auto-pilot while Brian is on the road. Posts should appear daily having been pre-programmed into the holding queue.

New Posts Every Day (hopefully).