{"id":1841,"date":"2013-03-28T06:20:07","date_gmt":"2013-03-28T10:20:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=1841"},"modified":"2013-03-28T06:26:21","modified_gmt":"2013-03-28T10:26:21","slug":"irish-rails-iwt-liner-passing-cherry-orchard-march-21-2013","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/irish-rails-iwt-liner-passing-cherry-orchard-march-21-2013\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Rail\u2019s IWT Liner passing Cherry Orchard\u2014 March 21, 2013"},"content":{"rendered":"

Class 071 Hauling Containers.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

This time last week (Thursday March 21) I was getting ready to fly to Brussels. My bag was packed; my passport and tickets were organized. Then word came over the telegraph that an 071 was to work Irish Rail<\/a>\u2019s second Dublin-Ballina IWT Liner (International Warehousing and Transport)<\/a><\/p>\n

As previously mentioned on Tracking the Light (see: Irish Rail at Clondalkin, February 21, 2013<\/a>), Irish Rail runs a weekday container train between Dublin and Ballina. On Thursdays, traffic demands a second Dublin-Ballina train.<\/p>\n

In recent months, Irish Rail has largely assigned its common 1994-1995 General Motors 201-Class diesels to this freight service, and the older General Motors 071-Class have only worked it infrequently. So, when I heard that Irish Rail 075 was on the train, I was keen to make some photos.<\/p>\n

I had two hours before I needed to aim for Dublin Airport\u2014plenty of time. On the downside, the weather wasn\u2019t so cooperative. It was overcast, very windy, and spitting rain. Not my favorite conditions, but I\u2019ll make photos in just about any circumstances. So, when my friend Colm O\u2019Callaghan suggested we make the effort, I grabbed my travel bag and cameras and headed out the door.<\/p>\n

This would require only a very short wait, or so we thought! When we arrived at Cherry Orchard, an industrial area in the west Dublin suburbs, the telegraph informed us that the second IWT was still in the yard at the North Wall. In other words, it hadn\u2019t left yet, and was still at least 20 minutes away. An hour ticked by. In the mean time we caught the Ballina-Dublin \u2018up IWT\u2019 liner with a 201-class.<\/p>\n

Then my phone rang; a client needed a photo immediately. A difficult proposition considering that the photo was buried on a hard-drive that I hadn\u2019t planned to access for another week! My plans changed, I had to head home and address this request before making for the airport. My two-hour cushion had just been eroded. Still no IWT liner, and time was running out.<\/p>\n

We gave up and were about to leave, when the telegraph came to life: the IWT had passed Islandbridge<\/a>! It was on its way and not far off. Unfortunately, a clattering of passenger trains preceded it. Another 10 minutes gone. Finally, we heard the approaching roar of a 12-645 turbocharged diesel! Our perseverance paid off: 075 with the \u2018down IWT\u2019.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\"Irish<\/a>
Irish Rail 075 leads the 2nd IWT Liner at Cherry Orchard on Thursday March 21, 2013. Photo exposed with a Canon EOS 7D<\/a> with 28-135mm lens, contrast and color balance adjusted in Photoshop.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Irish<\/a>
Photo exposed with a Canon EOS 7D with 28-135mm lens, no post-processing adjustment, except for scaling.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I dashed home, sent off the requested photo, then made for Dublin Airport on the 747 Airport Bus. Stay tuned for my photographs of Belgian railways . . .<\/p>\n

\"Trailing<\/a>
Trailing view of the 2nd IWT Liner at Cherry Orchard.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I\u2019ll be presenting my illustrated talk \u201cIreland through American Eyes 1998-2008 My first Decade in Ireland\u201d to the London area Irish Railway Record Society<\/a> on April 18, 2013.<\/p>\n

The program begins at 1900 (7pm) upstairs at the Exmouth Arms, 1 Starcross Street, LONDON NW1, (advertised as a 5 minute walk from London\u2019s Euston station). A nominal donation of \u00a33.50 is asked of non-IRRS members (members \u00a32.50)<\/p>\n

For more on the IRRS see: http:\/\/www.irrs.ie\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Related articles<\/h6>\n