{"id":7643,"date":"2014-08-03T02:37:55","date_gmt":"2014-08-03T06:37:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/?p=7643"},"modified":"2014-07-29T11:10:03","modified_gmt":"2014-07-29T15:10:03","slug":"irish-to-sallins-july-27-2014","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/briansolomon.com\/trackingthelight\/irish-to-sallins-july-27-2014\/","title":{"rendered":"Irish Rail to Sallins, July 27 2014"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sun, Clouds, Rain, \u00a0Railcars\u00a0and . . .<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

Yes all true, but I\u2019d traveled down to catch the return leg of steam hauled The Marble City rail tour operated by the Railway Preservation Society Ireland.<\/p>\n

Earlier in the day I\u2019d photographed the train departing Dublin (as featured in yesterday\u2019s Tracking the Light post The Marble City Tour<\/a> at Islandbridge.)<\/p>\n

I departed Dublin Heuston on the 1430 suburban train heading for Sallins. I was fortunate to travel on a five-piece intercity rail car (ICR), which was comfortable and mostly empty.<\/p>\n

\"Interior<\/a>
Interior of my train at Heuston Station Dublin. Lumix LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Irish<\/a>
Irish Rail’s Rotem-built Intercity Rail Cars are comfortable trains. Lumix LX7.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Arriving Sallins, County Kildare at 2:55pm, I had time for a leisurely bacon and cabbage lunch at the Lock 13 Pub\u2014located along the Grand Canal a short walk from the station. I\u2019d arranged to meet fellow photographer Hugh Dempsey after 4pm to explore some track side locations nearly in anticipation of photographing locomotive 461 with The Marble City.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The Lock 13 Pub at Sallins, County Kildare. Lumix LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"Sallins<\/a>
Sallins station with a foreboding sky. An ill wind was blowing; beware beware! LX7 photo.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"The<\/a>
The 1600 Dublin-Cork ICR approaches Sallins at speed. An automatic voice warns, ‘please stand back, train now approaching.’ Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"A<\/a>
A few minutes later another ICR passes, this time in the Dublin-bound direction. Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The special\u00a0was scheduled to depart Athy at 2:55 pm and according to Irish Rail company literature would depart Kildare at precisely 5:23 pm and 30 seconds. Armed with this information we scouted a bridge near milepost 17 and waited.<\/p>\n

\"Shortly<\/a>
Shortly after we arrived at milepost 17 the sky opened. It was like standing in Niagara Falls. Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
\"An<\/a>
An uproad ICR races toward Dublin in the rain. Canon EOS 7D with 200mm lens.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The usual procession of up and down passenger trains passed, mostly using the common Irish Rail Rotem-built ICRs\u2014like the one I\u2019d traveled down on.<\/p>\n

The weather changed from sunny to pouring rain rather suddenly;\u00a0uncomfortable, but not unusual.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d expected The Marble City to pass by about 5:50pm. More ICRs up and down, but no sign of the steam. By 6:30pm we were wondering what had gone wrong.<\/p>\n

After another hour we learned that there had been a fatality on the line south of Cherryville Junction (where the line to Kilkenny and Waterford diverges from the mainline to Cork) and 461 with The Marble City was being held at Athy! Oh no.<\/p>\n

That didn\u2019t bode well at all!<\/p>\n

Stay tuned for more. . . . !<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The down Dublin to Cork Mark4 approaches milepost 17.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Tracking the Light<\/a>\u00a0posts\u00a0new\u00a0material\u00a0every\u00a0morning.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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