Diesel hauled 'Mystery Train' Sat 23rd June

Niles

The RPSI are running a 'Mystery Train' from Connolly next Saturday 23/6/12, featuring IÉ GM diesel haulage and the RPSI's Cravens carriages, including bar and snack cars.

The Mystery Train

Saturday 23rd June

Dublin - 'Mystery Desination' & return

Treat yourself to a diesel trip in vintage carriages from the early 1960s, travelling behind a vintage diesel to an unknown destination - have a guess where!

Depart Dublin Connolly Station 10:15am, returning at 7pm.

Fare: Adults €45, Concession €35.

Tickets can be purchased (over the counter) at:
EBS Offices at Malahide, Drumcondra and Dun Laoghaire.
Irish Rail, Pearse Station.

L1011

Is an 071 'vintage'? On age alone perhaps but the fact that they're still in regular use for freight and PW work would suggest otherwise.

Or is there going to be something else up front?

Hungerford

MYOB wrote: »

Or is there going to be something else up front?

I wouldn't mind but the RPSI bought 141 and 142 and have done precisely nothing with them since their debut railtour. Why not use them?

flyingsnail

Hungerford wrote: »

I wouldn't mind but the RPSI bought 141 and 142 and have done precisely nothing with them since their debut railtour. Why not use them?

141 is currently stored in inchicore and 142 is the shunter in Whitehead. As far as I know neither is currently passed for mainline use, this is due to a number of reason including time and money. The long term plan is to have them returned to mainline use for rail tours.

demanufactured

What needs to be cleared thought??
That they wont break down¿¿

Losty Dublin

demanufactured wrote: »

What needs to be cleared thought??
That they wont break down¿¿

The Railway Safety Commission needs to be assured that they are safe for mainline use before they certify them to run on the mainline again as would the Department for Regional Development in the North. The in cab signaling (CAWS) and train protection (TPWS) would also need to be refitted, as well as train radio systems. Irish Rail and NIR would also want to know that the loco's are fit as well, given that they own the track and supply the train drivers and guard.

Lastly, the RPSI's insurers would rather like to hear that the engines are in fine fettle before they deem them fit for use

demanufactured

Why was all the signalling and safety gear removed in the first place¿¿

Losty Dublin

They are removed from trains that won't run on the mainline network as they aren't needed. The kits are quite expensive so they would be used on other engines or railcars as spares. In the case of 141 and 142, they have no TPWS fitted, which is compulsory in the North so it would be required.

flyingsnail

TPWS was never fitted and I am unsure of the status of the other equipment. The RPSI has to ensure that all the necessary equipment is in place and fully functional, and that all aspects of the locomotive are functioning safely. The 141s and 121 are going to need mechanical work before they are put back into use, while this is something we may not like it cannot be helped.

The RPSI has a very finite amount of resources and priority is given to mainline steam as these are our primary revenue generators. There is some movement towards putting these locomotives back into service but progress is slow and while unfortunate I do no see the situation changing drastically any time soon.

Sligo Quay

MYOB wrote: »

Is an 071 'vintage'?

No the coaches are vintage, passengers won't be traveling in the loco, btw I seen a blue 071 hauling a steam loco yesterday passing over the bridge at Balbriggan, anybody know anything about this, and Im not joking, didn't have too much booze Saturday night, took a picture with my phone just to prove I wasn't hallucinating, but it turned out fuzzy

L1011

Sligo Quay wrote: »

No the coaches are vintage, passengers won't be traveling in the loco, btw I seen a blue 071 hauling a steam loco yesterday passing over the bridge at Balbriggan, anybody know anything about this, and Im not joking, didn't have too much booze Saturday night, took a picture with my phone just to prove I wasn't hallucinating, but it turned out fuzzy

The quoted post says "vintage diesel" though.

Blue 071 = NIR 111 class. Could have been hauling an RPSI steam loco home maybe?

flyingsnail

Sligo Quay wrote: »

No the coaches are vintage, passengers won't be traveling in the loco, btw I seen a blue 071 hauling a steam loco yesterday passing over the bridge at Balbriggan, anybody know anything about this, and Im not joking, didn't have too much booze Saturday night, took a picture with my phone just to prove I wasn't hallucinating, but it turned out fuzzy

That was NIR 112 hauling 186 from Dublin to Whitehead for repairs.
You can see a video of it arriving in whitehead here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hvynxymN56o

Rud

I myself would consider an 071 to be vintage to a point,i guess,i mean they are going on 35 or 36 years at this stage and they are a serious beast of a loco and any chance to get behind one in a passenger train is always welcome.Of course getting behind a double headed 141 set would be even better but this won't be happening anytime soon as has been well explained above.I wonder will the day ever come again to get behind the last of the 121s??Pretty much guaranteed to never happen unfortunately

Sligo Quay wrote: »

btw I seen a blue 071 hauling a steam loco yesterday passing over the bridge at Balbriggan, anybody know anything about this

I'd assume it's one of the 111s bringing 186 maybe?I havn't seen or heard anything about it but i'm sure someone in the know could shed a better light on it?

EDIT: The posters above got in ahead of me

Hungerford

flyingsnail wrote: »

As far as I know neither is currently passed for mainline use, this is due to a number of reason including time and money.

Did the RPSI tell the donors that before they obtained their funding for the locomotives?

It must have been a very interesting meeting:
"Our plans, Mr Donor, are to purchase two fully-functioning mainline locomotives with all the necessary safety gear and clearances for the Republic of Ireland. We will then rip out the modern safety equipment and allow the clearances to expire. We shall then let the locomotives rot until we get tired of playing out our Thomas the Tank Engine fantasies"

cbl593h

Hungerford wrote: »

Did the RPSI tell the donors that before they obtained their funding for the locomotives?

It must have been a very interesting meeting:
"Our plans, Mr Donor, are to purchase two fully-functioning mainline locomotives with all the necessary safety gear and clearances for the Republic of Ireland. We will then rip out the modern safety equipment and allow the clearances to expire. We shall then let the locomotives rot until we get tired of playing out our Thomas the Tank Engine fantasies"

Harsh. But fair .:D

flyingsnail

Hungerford wrote: »

We will then rip out the modern safety equipment

I am not sure anything has been removed

Hungerford wrote: »

and allow the clearances to expire.

That’s not much of an issue, its easy enough to get route clearance.

We would all like every piece of rolling stock the RPSI have to be in full running order, I mean who wouldn’t. The sad fact is that people are not prepared to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty. As a result all of the work falls on a core group of volunteers to keep everything running. On an average weekend you will get 7-8 people who turn up an carry out work. For the last few years the majority of that groups work has been the overhaul and scheduled maintenance of the cravens as the primary running set, most days we start at 10 and finish about 6.


As I already said things are moving forward slowly, but they are moving. We all wish things could move faster but as with a lot of preservation things move slowly because you are solely relying on volunteers who are generally only available to work on weekends due to work and family commitments.

Niles

Hungerford wrote: »

Did the RPSI tell the donors that before they obtained their funding for the locomotives?

It must have been a very interesting meeting:
"Our plans, Mr Donor, are to purchase two fully-functioning mainline locomotives with all the necessary safety gear and clearances for the Republic of Ireland. We will then rip out the modern safety equipment and allow the clearances to expire. We shall then let the locomotives rot until we get tired of playing out our Thomas the Tank Engine fantasies"

I think it's fair to say that buying a vehicle is one thing; maintaining it another kettle of fish altogether. The actual purchase of a vehicle is just the tip of the iceberg. Manpower and restoration/upkeep funding doesn't appear out of thin air; many preservation groups have a hard time coming up with enough bodies to maintain their bread and butter stock before even thinking about extras. As in many walks of life, the best way to try get something done is to offer help.

I've often thought about volunteering for the RPSI or DCDR - I'm just not entirely sure what I could offer.

flyingsnail

Karsini wrote: »

I've often thought about volunteering for the RPSI or DCDR - I'm just not entirely sure what I could offer.

If all you can offer is a pair of hands that is very welcome. When I started with the RPSI I had no experience of working in a railway environment but you will be taught everything you need to know. The only requirements for joining is a pair of steel toed boots and current RPSI membership (for insurance purposes).


I am not sure what the requirements for the DCDR are but I would imagine they are similar. I know there are a few working volunteers who post here, they should be provide more info.

Losty Dublin

flyingsnail wrote: »

I am not sure what the requirements for the DCDR are but I would imagine they are similar. I know there are a few working volunteers who post here, they should be provide more info.

Yep, hard boots and HVV is what's needed; it's the same as per RPSI with the exception of one or two admin jobs.

As it is a standalone railway with it's own operational licence, you can drive or work as a shunter/guard a train in Downpatrick or also you can work on Per Way. Asides from that, there are carriage and engine restoring projects on site, and on some vehicles that are far older than the RPSI running stock.

I have the steel toed boots, no problem there. My only issue with the DCDR is that it's a bit out of the way for me as I live in Dublin and don't drive. Still, I'd love to do whatever I can.

Losty Dublin

Join up first off and then we can see about getting you into some role. I'm in the same boat as you and they understand that I can't be there all the time, as is the case with many other of the staff there.

flyingsnail

Not sure how many tickets are left but there are some.

THE MYSTERY TRAIN - UPDATE

Diesel Excursion

Saturday 23rd June

Dublin - mystery destination & return - depart Dublin Connolly Station 10:15am, returning at 7pm.

Tickets will be available to purchase on the day, Adults €45, Concession €35.

dowlingm

It's a shame that voluntary organisations are obliged to purchase items they cannot use since the State values them not a jot and would turn them into razor blades to satisfy the bean counters and those who deem a proper national transport museum a "frill".

Oscar Bravo

If any1 is going on the tour plaese get some photos of the 071when in Galway.

demanufactured

An 071 and mk2 stock just went by my house...was that the tour??
Didnt seem to be many on it

flyingsnail

demanufactured wrote: »

An 071 and mk2 stock just went by my house...was that the tour??
Didnt seem to be many on it

I should hope not, we sent out an 086 and a set of cravens:P. But yes that sounds like the tour

demanufactured

flyingsnail wrote: »

I should hope not, we sent out an 086 and a set of cravens:P. But yes that sounds like the tour

Lol i didnt ssee the coaches well enough.

Sligo Quay

I would have love to go on that tour, but didn't know where it was going as it was a mystery, just heard it went to Galway, also hear some of the train spotters had problems taking pictures in Galway station by a security man from Brinks Security, Brinks Security seem to turn a blind eye to this train spotter without a brain in Connolly station last Sunday morning http://chrisplayfair.smugmug.com/Travel/2012-Photos/June-2012/23310780_mVmcVR#!i=1911248408&k=KVPjnVq&lb=1&s=X2 a law for some and no law for others, probably works for Irish Rail, climbing a signal post to take a snap then posting it up on the internet, a trainspotter without a brain is a very dangerous creature.

Judgement Day

Cracking photos all the same. God be with the days when railway enthusiasts (like myself) were given free rein to wander about Connolly yard as long as we had viz vests.

Chrisplayfair

Judgement Day - Thanks for your kind comments

Re comments made by Sligo Quay - First of all Brinks Security do not work on Connolly station. It is STT (A trainspotter with a brain would have known this)

Secondly, I am unable to understand what picture you are talking about - The link takes you to a picture of 4001 at GVS???? I was standing on my own to feet on the platform....Talk about brains!


Link to photos from Connolly yesterday including the diesel tour -
http://chrisplayfair.smugmug.com/Travel/2012-Photos/June-2012/23310780_mVmcVR#!i=1923987080&k=Sk9bGT6

Niles

Sligo Quay wrote: »

http://chrisplayfair.smugmug.com/Travel/2012-Photos/June-2012/23310780_mVmcVR#!i=1911248408&k=KVPjnVq&lb=1&s=X2 a law for some and no law for others, probably works for Irish Rail, climbing a signal post to take a snap then posting it up on the internet, a trainspotter without a brain is a very dangerous creature.

Indeed, same thought struck me when I saw that photo. I've seen cases where enthusiasts have been asked to step down from such fixtures on railtours, sadly you'll always get some who see themselves as 'above' instruction. Give others a bad name really.

Judgement Day

I think that you'll find that the enthusiast concerned is a well known and respected photographer in railway circles and has been around for a long time - too much H&S bs around everything these days.

Losty Dublin

Judgement Day wrote: »

I think that you'll find that the enthusiast concerned is a well known and respected photographer in railway circles and has been around for a long time - too much H&S bs around everything these days.

I won't say anything except that's the funniest description of him I've ever heard

Rud

Those are some great pictures.The shots of 113 in Dundalk are pure class.Plenty of colour

Sligo Quay

Chrisplayfair wrote: »

Secondly, I am unable to understand what picture you are talking about - The link takes you to a picture of 4001 at GVS???? I was standing on my own to feet on the platform....Talk about brains!


Link to photos from Connolly yesterday including the diesel tour -
http://chrisplayfair.smugmug.com/Travel/2012-Photos/June-2012/23310780_mVmcVR#!i=1923987080&k=Sk9bGT6

The picture Im talking about was taken from the top of the signal at the end of Platform2, Im very familiar with Connolly station as I used it for the Sligo train, you deleted the picture and changed the link around, maybe you have admitted your guilt and taken the picture down, trying to make a fool of me but only fooling yourself, nice pictures otherwise, anybody who has seen the picture before you removed it, Sligo Quay not a fool.

Chrisplayfair

Rud wrote: »

Those are some great pictures.The shots of 113 in Dundalk are pure class.Plenty of colour

Many thanks Rud!

Victor

Losty Dublin wrote: »

I won't say anything except that's the funniest description of him I've ever heard

Play nice.

Can I kindly ask people to refrain from (a) verbal abuse (b) revealing personal detail of people without their permission

Niles

Some nice footage here of 086 and the Cravens setting off from Connolly on the tour:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5FI-sYYd-Y

steamengine

CaptainFreedom wrote: »

Not to worry - important people have seen the photo that was removed.

It doesnt matter if 'your daddy drives the train', nor if your head is fairly rammed up the arse of every DTE going, trespassing on the railway, be it ontrack, a signal gantry or a staff footbridge is still a crime and Irish Rail are more than happy to punish offenders. There are a few photos on that site that only can be taken if the photographer was trespassing on IE property. Even better that said photographer is unemployed and is earning money from UK Railway publications, Im sure DSS would be interested in that.

Didn't hear too much from posters like yourself concerning the trespass that clearly took place regarding the grafitti/vandalism to RPSI's loco 186. :rolleyes:

CaptainFreedom

steamengine wrote: »

Didn't hear too much from posters like yourself concerning the trespass that took place concerning the graffiti vandalism to RPSI's loco 186. :rolleyes:

We are talking about so called enthusiasts here, not vandals/'artists'

steamengine

CaptainFreedom wrote: »

We are talking about so called enthusiasts here, not vandals/'artists'

Forgive my curiosity but you have selected the 'photographer' for criticism but not the 'artist'. The artist would have had to cross several tracks to grafitti 186, whereas the photographer, allegedly, only climbed up a pole on a platform. I am sure the artist was just as enthusiastic about his work of art as the photographer. Yet there is no criticism of the artist.

starhillroad

A cameraman with obvious experience of railway safety standards on a signal pole ladder is a lot less to worry about than a vandalising skanger in fairness.

The only problem is that the cameraman should be seen to lead by example, but in this aim to be 'holier than thou', what was once safe and accepted is now not tolerated. Granted its a more litigious culture, but what happened to common sense.

Its hardly as if there were scores of railway enthusiasts suing the backside off CIE, British Rail and its descendant companies before, and its not happening now.

Some leeway should be given, although I can't blame Irish Rail staff for being paranoid from time to time, after all its their necks on the line, not the likes of Chairman Lynch in his Ivory Tower in Heuston.

LXFlyer

Any trespassing on the railway is unforgivable - it is potentially dangerous and damages relationships perhaps permanently between the railway company and the enthusiast community.

I would criticise all such trespassing in equal amounts.

I find it extraordinary that anyone is trying to defend this sort of behaviour.

Sligo Quay

steamengine wrote: »

Forgive my curiosity but you have selected the 'photographer' for criticism but not the 'artist'. The artist would have had to cross several tracks to grafitti 186, whereas the photographer, allegedly, only climbed up a pole on a platform. I am sure the artist was just as enthusiastic about his work of art as the photographer. Yet there is no criticism of the artist.

I don't see the connection, you don't benchmark 1 offence against another and say ''oh thats worse than that'' every offence is judged on its own merits.
Good news, traveling up on the 9 from Sligo earlier, I sat with a member of this forum we discussed this thread and guess what, he downloaded the offending picture before it was deleted, so if its made available I shall post it up in this thread and judge for yourselves, no copyright breach as the playfair person excepts no responsibility for the picture, according to him it doesn't exist.
To copyright, copyright is protected in books, documents, journals and magazines etc. not on the World Wide Web, once a picture is posted on the internet copyright goes out the window, not protected on the internet, so says my legal acquaintance on the train earlier.

zagmund

Erm, posting stuff on the internet doesn't mean you give up copyright. If it did, then BBC would be shooting themselves in the foot with iplayer for example.

z

Chrisplayfair

It's really sad to see that the railway has been turned into a place of danger, where lyes nothing but sad people who worry about what others are doing rather than what they're doing themselves.

I will certainly not have anyone make allegations regarding my personal status on the internet. It's clear cyber bullying. Whether its jealously or they don't have anything better to do, it's the latter.

starhillroad

Chrisplayfair "the railway has been turned into a place of danger"

Lets rephrase that. That remark needs a deeper analysis.

The railway is a place of POTENTIAL danger. The very operational nature of rail transport, its rules, its regulatory environment are such that it is always potentially dangerous. There is no margin of error, because if things go wrong, its unforgiving in a merciless fashion. Traffic levels are also substantially higher than before, so the previous 'happy go lucky' system we grew up with no longer exists.

Now, when I say 'happy go lucky', its not to detract from the professionalism of railway workers, and their flexibility with railway enthusiasts. The railway workers know very well that there is a heck of a difference between Clonmel and Connolly. At Clonmel, a railtour with enthusiasts will know exactly when the next train is due, and accomodate it accordingly. People will walk freely around the tracks, and working environment. It was the same with the railtours to Mullingar on Good Friday in the 1990's for example, and people knew what they were doing.

Connolly on the other hand, has a lot more traffic, and there is no muppetry with people walking on tracks taking snaps there for a reason. They know that drivers are worried about suicide risks and jumpers and exercise due consideration.

And yes.....when someone points, there are three fingers pointing back and a thumb pointed up at the heavens.

steamengine

Chrisplayfair wrote: »

It's really sad to see that the railway has been turned into a place of danger, where lyes nothing but sad people who worry about what others are doing rather than what they're doing themselves.

I will certainly not have anyone make allegations regarding my personal status on the internet. It's clear cyber bullying. Whether its jealously or they don't have anything better to do, it's the latter.

Welcome to boards - hope you stick around - your rail photography is brilliant !!!

Chrisplayfair

steamengine wrote: »

Welcome to boards - hope you stick around - your rail photography is brilliant !!!

I intend too...Thanks for the comments

Niles

I think this day and age it goes without saying that you don't climb up signal posts and the like. As lxflyer says such actions only serve to damage the relationship between the rail operators and the enthusiast community, not to mention setting a bad example for others.

Worryingly it seems to have already set a trend, noticed in that video of 086 leaving Connolly there's actually a photographer jumping from a signal. :eek: