9th - 11th May 1992

Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Grainne Uaile Railtour

Locos Used IE diesel & steam: 171 & 461
DMU Used NIR set

Route :

Date Traction Stock Route
09/05 461 Cravens IE coaches Dublin Connolly - Mullingar - Athlone - Claremorris - Westport
10/05 IE diesel Cravens IE coaches Westport - Manulla Junction - station points
10/05 IE diesel (1) Cravens IE coaches station points - Manulla Junction [Ballina platform]
10/05 461 Cravens IE coaches Manulla Junction - Ballina
10/05 461 Cravens IE coaches Ballina - Athlone - Mullingar - Dublin Connolly
10/05 461 Cravens IE coaches Dublin Connolly - Howth Junction - Malahide - Drogheda - Dundalk (2)
10/05 461 Cravens IE coaches (3) Dundalk - (reverse of outward route) - Dublin Connolly (3)
10/05 NIR DMU - (2) Newry - Portadown - Lisburn - Belfast Central
11/05 171 5x RPSI coaches Whitehead RPSI - Whitehead NIR - Carrickfergus - Greenisland - Bleach Green Jn - Belfast York Road
11/05 171 5x RPSI coaches Belfast York Road - Bleach Green Jn - Antrim - Ballymena - Castlerock
11/05 171 5x RPSI coaches Castlerock - (reverse of outward route) - Belfast York Road
11/05 171 5x RPSI coaches Belfast York Road - (reverse of outward route) - Whitehead RPSI

Notes :
(1) Loco propelling.
(2) NIR laid a bus on to get passengers between between Dundalk and Newry stations (either side of the border) as the line was closed at the time owing to a bomb attack on the line just south of Newry. The closure of the line meant loco 171 and the RPSI vintage stock could not be used more extensively for this tour as originally planned as they were the wrong side of the line closure.
(3) The return run from Dundalk to Dublin was shown as an empty stock movement in the timing sheet however Chris Totty confirms it was possible to travel on this back to Dublin as he and his father did.
(4) Route & loco confirmation required for the Monday trip (11/05) - above is what was advertised & timed. 171 was booked to run tender-first from Whitehead to Belfast York Road and Coleraine to Castlerock. The original planned route was;

Belfast Central - Lisburn - Antrim - Ballymena
Ballymena - Antrim - Bleach Green Jn - Belfast York Road
Belfast York Road - Whitehead RPSI


461 being coaled at Claremorris on May 9th (photo: Max Birchenough)

Source : Chris Totty (left the train at Dundalk on 10/05)

Timings (Booked Only)
(from Chris Totty)

Saturday 9th May
(timings required)

Sunday 10th May

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn) (2)
Dublin Connolly 19.15d 22.55a
Howth Junction 19/24 22/45
Malahide 19/31 22/35
Rush & Lusk 19/39 22/22
Skerries 19/46 22/15
Balbriggan 19/52 22/09
Mosney 19/59 22/02
Laytown 20/01 22/00
Drogheda 20/09 21/52
Dunleer 20/26 21/36
Dundalk 20w47a 21w15d

 

Location Booked
Newry 21.45d
Poyntzpass 21/54
Portadown 22.06a ~ 22.07d
Lurgan 22/15
Moira 22/22
Lisburn 22.30a ~ 22.31d
Belfast Central 22.48a

Note:
(1) All passing times shown in the two tables immediately above were all given in the timing sheet as "depart" however it is suspected these were in fact passing times - though shown as such above, confirmation of this is required.

Monday 11th May

Location Booked (out) Booked (rtn)
Whitehead (RPSI) 08.25d 17.21a
Whitehead (NIR) 08/28 17/18
Carrickfergus 08/39 17/08
Greenisland 08/46 17/02
Bleach Green Jn 08/52 16/57
Belfast York Road 09L03a ~ 10L00d 16L07a ~ 16L45d
Bleach Green Jn 10/10 15/57
Antrim 11.05 ~ 11.07 15.05 ~ 15.07
Magherabeg 11/16 14/56
Ballymena 11w25 ~ 11w35 14w39 ~ 14w46
Ballymoney 12/05 14/09
Coleraine 12L18 ~ 13L02 13/57
Castlerock 13.15a 13.45d

Note:
(1) All passing times shown in the table immediately above were all given in the timing sheet as "depart" however it is suspected these were in fact passing times - though shown as such above, confirmation of this is required.

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