Irish Railway Record Society’s ‘071 class two-day 40th anniversary railtour‘ covered a lot of ground in just two days.
The trip represented a mastery of coordination; special to thanks to everyone at Irish Railway Record Society, Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, and Irish Rail!
This a selection of 20 new images I made with my Lumix LX7. (I’m still down-loading the photos made with my FujiFilm X-T1).
The train was comprised of Railway Preservation Society of Ireland’s Cravens, seen here at Dublin’s Connolly Station. Lumix LX7 photo.
We started and finished at Dublin’s Connolly Station, running to Ballybrophy (with train continuing ‘empty carriages’ to Lisduff sidings to change direction, then via the Nenagh Branch to Limerick.
Limerick to Cork, Cork back to Mallow, then to Killarney for an overnight stay. In the morning to Tralee (my visit there since I bought a digital camera!) then back to Kilarney.
Back via Mallow to Limerick Junction, then down my favorite line to Waterford via Carrick-on-Suir. From Waterford to Killkenny and via Cherryville Junction back up to Dublin.
There were lots of intermediate photographic stops along the way.
Engine 083 brought us from Dublin to Limerick via Nenagh. Viewed in a rare moment of sun at Connolly Station in Dublin.
In the bay at Ballybrophy.Change of locos at Limerick; here 076 took over.083 at Limerick under the train shed.
Ken Fox at the throttle after arriving in Cork.
Kent Station in Cork features an unusual curved train shed, which I’ve featured in my recent book Railway Depots, Stations and Terminals (published by Voyageur Press).Amoung our numerous photo stops included a brief visit to Rathmore on the line from Mallow to Killarney.A wink of sun on arrival in Killarney. It wasn’t so nice the following morning.Killarney town is a popular tourist destination. I made this view on a wander after checking in to the hotel.Sunday morning in Killarney was cold and dark; but atmospheric. I made some of my most memorable images, if not the sunniest.Cold rain greeted us at Farranfore. It has been 18 years and some months since I first visited this classic Irish station. I wouldn’t expect that 076 in gray paint has been here very often. Except for rail tours and the infrequent per way train, the Kerry Road is a locomotive free zone.Is that an authentic Irish spelling for ‘Tralee’? I noted no less than three variations on official signage.This was a bit of a shock; tracks lifted in front of the old cabin at Tralee. I remember sitting up in the cabin chatting with the signalman back in the late 1990s.Palisade fencing in the old goods yard complicated photography at Tralee. Thankfully my Lumix LX7 is very thin.Another change of engine at Waterford. Here 077 took over from 076. A view across the Suir toward the old Viking town.A plaque to William Dargan at Carlow on the Kilkenny to Cherryville line.Local folks were bemused by the disgorging of passengers at Athy and frantic efforts to make photos in the 7 minutes allowed for the stop. (engine 079 took over at Kilkenny).
I’ll be posting more photos from the popular trip soon!
