Tag Archives: Midland & Great Western

photography, Tips and Technique

Surprise at Ballinasloe—Three Photos.

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I really wasn’t expecting what I saw! (Click on Tracking the Light to see the whole story and photos).

It was the second time in as many months that I arrived by train at Ballinasloe, County Galway.

In September, the reason for my arrival was to photograph the Steam Dreams excursion operating with Railway Preservation Society of Ireland engine number 4.

See: http://briansolomon.com/trackingthelight/2019/09/14/steam-on-the-midland-at-ballinasloe/

Last week, Ballinasloe was to be the jumping off point for the latest of my Bord na Mona adventures (to be covered in Tracking the Light in the future).

Irish Rail’s Galway line wouldn’t be an operation characterized by variety. Except for the very occasional excursion, the vast majority of movements consist of the common 22000-series Intercity Railcars (ICRs).

So, when I positioned myself at the Dublin end of the down platform, my intent was to document the ICR that I’d arrive upon with Ballinasloe’s handsome Midland Great Western Railway station.

Why was the up-home signal green? We’d just crossed the up-Galway at Athlone.

As the 0735 Dublin to Galway train pulled away, I was startled and surprised to see a pair of 2800-series railcars ready to depart up-road. What was this?

After I made my photos, it occurred to me that this was the weekly equipment transfer for the Ballina Branch. Ah, yes. And perhaps, I should have known.

I’m happy that I had camera in hand to picture this relatively unusual movement. Sometimes, even when you think you know what to expect, something sneaks up and surprises you!

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Trains along the Royal Canal in Drumcondra.

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This week Tracking the Light is on ‘auto pilot’ while Brian is traveling.

On 23 March 2019, I set up in Drumcondra along the Royal Canal on Dublin’s north side to photograph trains working the Newcomen Line.

Normally the visually intriguing Newcomen line trackage is only lightly used during midday with most moves scheduled for weekday rush hours.

Instead, Irish Rail typically routes trains on the parallel double-track line via Drumcondra Station; however on the weekend of 23-24 March 2019 works on that line resulted in diversions to the Newcomen Line.

I made these views using my FujiFilm XT1 digital camera.

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Broadstone Revisited—March 2019.

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Sunday morning 10 March 2019, I paid another  visit to the old Midland Great Western terminus at Broadstone in Dublin.

You have to admit the name is cool. Broadstone just sounds like something substantial in a medieval way.

Anyway, this old Dublin railway terminal has served as a bus depot (garage) for decades, and in recent years has been nearly encircled by the new LUAS Green Line Cross City tram route.

Continued landscaping has much improved the grounds around the old railway station.

I made these photos using my Lumix LX7.

More soon!

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photography, Tips and Technique

Midland Cutting in Midday Sun.

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Dublin’s new LUAS Cross City tram line transits the old Midland Great Western cutting on its way from the city centre to Broombridge.

In my exploration of the new line I’ve been keeping a close eye on sun angles. Although many of the locations are familiar to me, when the sun favors the trams still requires careful investigation.

Owning to the depth of the cutting direct sun only illuminates the tracks for a relatively short period during midday this time of year.

 

I timed my visit to the Phibsborough station of the North Circular Road to make the most of the lighting.

Exposed using a FujiFilm XT1 with 18-135mm zoom lens.

LUAS tram 5019 at Phibsborough at 11:18 am, 9 February 2018.

LUAS tram 5023 at Phibsborough at 11:30 am, 9 February 2018.

photography, Tips and Technique

Dublin Broadstone Revisited—Four new views February 2018.

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Five years ago I featured Dublin’s Broadstone Station that was historically Midland Great Western’s Dublin terminal.

See: Two views of Broadstone, Dublin

Today, the new LUAS Cross City tram line skirts the front of the historic building in a purpose-built cutting.

I visited this much altered location on a bright morning, aiming to feature a LUAS tram in the sun with the old station.

Beyond Broadstone, the tram line has re-used the old railway right of way to reach its terminus at Broombridge.

Photos exposed using my FujiFilm X-T1 with 18-135mm zoom lens.

The bright wall in the cutting combined with the lightly coloured stone on the station façade along with the silver tram complicated my exposures, because these reflected more light than normally expected for a Dublin city scene.

Exposed at f14 at 1/500th second (ISO 400).

Exposed at f10 at 1/500th second ISO 400. A typical exposure in Dublin sunlight with this camera lens combination would be f8 at 1/500th second (ISO 400).

LUAS ticket machines at Broadstone.

 

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Two views of Broadstone, Dublin

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Broadstone_Dublin_Jan_3_2000
Broadstone Station, Dublin greets the new millennium. Rollei Model T with f3.5 75mm Zeiss Tessar lens.

Broadstone Station was the Dublin terminus of Ireland’s Midland & Great Western Railway. This enigmatic railway was built west from Dublin parallel to the suffering Royal Canal, and Broadstone Station was located adjacent to the existing Royal Canal basin in the north city center. M&GWR was among lines consolidated as Great Southern Railways in 1924, a move that sealed the fate of Broadstone; it was closed as a passenger terminal in 1936 (although tracks remained for freight services into the 1970s). The buildings survive as a Dublin Bus depot (garage). The old canal basin  was filled in many years ago and is now car park. The canal bridge that once spanned the road adjacent to the station is remembered in period photos on the walls of neighborhood pubs. Soon rails will return to Broadstone in the form of a LUAS light rail extension.

Broadstone Station is a vestige of Irish railways long gone. The station was executed in an Egyptian revival style and completed in 1850. I find the building fascinating, yet difficult to photograph because it is hemmed in by the five inhibitors of urban railway photography: pavement, walls, fences, wires and unkempt brush. On a weekday, cars and buses surround the old structure, which lend to ironic images of a grand decayed station encircled by transport modes that contributed to its redundancy. Making a simple image that captures the grandeur of the station isn’t easy. Here are two of my efforts: one was made with my old Rollei Model T on 120 size black & white film on January 3, 2000. I exposed the other digitally last Tuesday afternoon (February 19, 2013) using my Canon 7D and 40mm pancake lens.

Dublin's Broadstone Station, February 19, 2013. Exposed with Canon 7D fitted with 40mm pancake lens.
Dublin’s Broadstone Station, February 19, 2013. Exposed with Canon 7D fitted with 40mm pancake lens.

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