21st April 1990

Irish Traction Group
The Hunslet Farewell Railtour

Locos Used NIR : 101, 111 & 113
Stock Used NIR: 913+932+934+935+548+924+812 (3)
EMU's Used 8118+8318 & 8123+8323

Route :
B152 : Bray to Lisburn
B443 : Lisburn to Londonderry
B444 : Londonderry to Belfast Central
A141 : Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly
E272 : (Howth) Dublin Connolly to Bray

Traction Route
113 Bray - Dun Laoghaire - Dublin Connolly - Drogheda - Dundalk - Newry - Lisburn
111 Lisburn - Crumlin - Antrim - Coleraine
101 Coleraine - Londonderry
101 Londonderry - Coleraine (1) - Antrim - Crumlin - Lisburn - Belfast Central
111 + 113 (2) Belfast Central - Lisburn - Newry - Dundalk
113 Dundalk - Drogheda - Dublin Connolly (2)
8123+8133+8118+8318 (4) Dublin Connolly - Dun Laoghaire

Notes :
(1) Special was booked to reverse at Coleraine and run to Portrush then form 13.45 Portrush to Coleraine service train, but this did not happen due to late running, as confirmed by Gordon Lacy: It was decided to eliminate the planned visit to Portrush (which would have replaced a service train between there & Coleraine!!!), on the return leg, saving 40 minutes. In the event, photo stops were also 'knocked out' towards this aim. A bonus for Hunslet fans occurred as 101 was despatched from Londonderry to Coleraine, where it relieved 111 and thus performed faultlessly Coleraine - Londonderry - Belfast Central. In doing so, also secured its future in NIR service for many months to come. This being an "Irish railtour", 40-odd minutes were lost at Londonderry, running round the stock! Again, by knocking out the photostops, arrival in Belfast was down to 40 minutes, where 111 multied up with 113 for a first public '111 double-header' as far as Dundalk, the charter being attached to the front of the 17:00 service train.
(2) Special attached to the front of the 17.00 Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly service train, at which point the train was load 12.
(3) Gorgon Lacy comments: About a mile after passing Howth Junction, the train hit a fallen tree which caused damage to coach 935 (just my luck to be in it!). After some 27 minutes, we proceeded to Malahide, where the defective coach was shunted out. Further delays due to a 'security alert' put us 100 minutes late into Lisburn, where a replacement coach (number not noted) was added to the formation.
(4) Upon arrival into Dublin the train was booked to run onwards to Dun Laoghaire for ferry passengers but this did not happen, a service EMU from Howth to Bray being taken instead.

Sources : Jonathan Wilcox (taken from Websites/ITG "Irish Mail") & Gordon Lacy

Timings (Booked & Actual)
(from Clive Barlow & Gordon Lacy)

M.C Location Booked Actual
? Bray 07.05d ?
0.00 Dun Laoghaire 07.19a ~ 07.25d ??.?? ~ 07.25
7.00 Dublin Connolly 07.39a ~ 07.45d 07.38½ ~ 07.45
11.64 Howth Junction 07/52 07/52½
? Malahide 07/56 08.26 ~ 09.00
? Rush & Lusk ? 09/05
? Skerries 08/04 09/09
? Balbriggan 08/08 09/12
? Gormanston ? 09/14
? Mosney 08/12 09/15½
? Laytown ? 09/16½
38.60 Drogheda 08/18 09.27 ~ 09.38
61.30 Dundalk 08/40 10.03 ~ 10.21½
76.20 Newry 08.56a ~ 09.01d 10/38½
? Poyntzpass 09/09 10/47
94.16 Portadown 09.21a ~ 09.22d 10.59 ~ 11.00
? Lurgan 09/29 11/06½
? Moira 09/35 11/11½
112.04 Lisburn 09L40a ~ 10L10d 11.20 ~ 11.29
118.79 Balinderry 10/20 11/38½
124.45 Crumlin 10/27 11/45½
132.13 Antrim 10/37 11/54
143.73 Ballymena 10p51a ~ 10p56d 12/09
163.69 Ballymoney 11/20 12/31
172.13 Coleraine 11/30 12L41 ~ 12L59½
177.73 Castlerock 11p38a ~ 11p43d 13/08½
205.53 Londonderry 12.15a ~ 12.30d 13.41 ~ 14.18
233.33 Castlerock 13.10a ~ 13.16d 14/50½
239.13 Coleraine 13.24a ~ 13.27d DIV
245.13 Portrush 13.42a ~ 13.45d DIV
245.43 Dhu Varren 13.46a ~ 13.47d DIV
249.68 University 13.54a ~ 13.55d DIV
251.13 Coleraine 13.58a ~ 14.03d 14.59 ~ 14.59½
259.37 Ballymoney 14/15 15x10½ ~ 15x12½
279.33 Ballymena 14.42a ~ 14.55d 15.37 ~ 15.37½
291.13 Antrim 15/10 15/50½
298.61 Crumlin 15p22a ~ 15p28d 16/00½
304.27 Ballinderry 15/36 16/08
311.22 Lisburn 15/47 16/17
314.58 Dunmurry 15/53 16/21½
319.58 Belfast Central 16.00a ~ 17.00d 16.40 ~ 17.03
320.58 Botanic 17.02a ~ 17.03d 17.05½ ~ 17.08
324.58 Dunmurry 17/09 17/14
328.14 Lisburn 17.14a ~ 17.15d 17.18 ~ 17.19
335.15 Moira 17/22 17/26
340.55 Lurgan 17.28a ~ 17.29d 17.33 ~ 17.38
346.02 Portadown 17.36a ~ 17.37d 17.46 ~ 17.47½
356.25 Poyntzpass 17/49 17/58½
363.78 Newry 17.57a ~ 17.58d 18.07 ~ 18.08½
378.68 Dundalk 18L15a ~ 18L20d 18.25½ ~ 18.33
401.38 Drogheda 18.44a ~ 18.45d 18.55½ ~ 18.59
406.05 Laytown 18/51 19/04
407.35 Mosney Holiday Camp 18/52 19/05
? Gormanston 18/54 19/07
411.38 Balbriggan 18/56 19/09
415.21 Skerries 19/00 19/12
419.24 Rush & Lusk 19/04 19/15
424.18 Malahide 19/08 19/19
428.34 Howth Junction 19/13 19/23
433.18 Dublin Connolly 19.20a ~ 19.26d 19.34 ~ CANX
440.18 Dun Laoghaire 19.40a CANX

Service Train E272

Location Booked Actual
Howth ??.??d ?
Dublin Connolly ??.??a ~ 19.46d ?
Dun Laoghaire 20.06½a ~ ??.??d 20.06 ~ ??.??
Bray ? ?

Ferry 'St Columba'

Location Booked Actual   Booked Actual
Holyhead 03.15d 03.15   00.15a 00.16
Dun Laoghaire 06.45a 06.55   20.45d 20.57


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