2nd November 1968
Railway Preservation
Society of Ireland
Colmcille Railtour
Locos Used | UTA50 & GWSR186 |
Route :
Loco(s) | Route |
UTA50 |
Belfast York Road - Antrim |
GSWR186 + UTA50 |
Antrim - Aldergrove - Lisburn |
GSWR186 + UTA50 | Lisburn - Portadown |
GWSR186 | Portadown - Poyntzpass |
GSWR186 + UTA50 | Poyntzpass - Dundalk |
UTA50 | Dundalk - Portadown |
GSWR186 + UTA50 | Portadown - Belfast Great Victoria Street |
Notes :
(1) Terry Jackson comments: this tour was booked to run from Belfast York
Road to Coleraine and Londonderry and return. However during the previous day
and night, there were severe storms in Northern Ireland and England which, by
the time Saturday morning arrived, had caused a lot of damage over a wide area.
Together with several friends, I travelled to Belfast on the Ulster Express from
Euston on the Friday evening and then on the overnight boat from Heysham. We had
a good meal and plenty of wine on the train and once in our cabins we were soon
asleep. This was just as well as, on arrival at Belfast, we learned that we had
sailed through the storm with Force 9/10 winds.
The proposed tour route was blocked in several
places and the organisers arranged a hastily re-arranged tour using the route
detailed above. No specific timings were issued but in the circumstances immense
credit was due to all those involved with the tour from the R.P.S.I. and the railway
staff concerned for their efforts to ensure that everyone who had made it to
Belfast had a good day out.
From The John Debens Ticket Collection.