On Saturday 16th November 2024 Táilte Tours operated its third mainline railtour, "The Great Southern Railway Centennial" from Dublin to Killarney and back. Around 180 passengers took part in this trip, with it working nicely as a day trip from Dublin during the darker winter months which normally sees little in the way of railtour activity as far as Ireland is concerned.
November 2024 marked the 100th anniversary of the forming of the Great Southern Railway through the merger of the Great Southern & Western Railway, the Midland Great Western Railway and the Cork, Bandon & South Coast Railway. As such, we felt a railtour taking in some of its key tourist destinations would be the perfect way to celebrate such an historic event in Irish transport history.
Our Most Ambitious Railtour Yet
For our team the day started in Heuston at 06:45, as Alex and Niall arrived to find our gleaming mkIV carriage set on platform 3. Both set and locomotive (NI Railways No.(8)209) had been specially washed for the railtour and the results showed.
The first task was to load stock, set out places for 1st and Torc Class, and label up reserved seats. They we were later joined by Martin, David, Ed and Jon. The all important task of assembling our new "GSR 100" headboard was then undertaken. The IRRS team soon followed and began to set up their information stand and Clifton Flewitt's bookstall in Coach B. Passengers started to arrive from 08:30 on and, after plenty of photos were taken, our railtour set off for Limerick Junction on time at 09:10 with Driver John Cleary of Heuston in charge.
Driver John Cleary fits the railtour headboards to 209. This marked the first occasion that a Translink NI Railways locomotive worked one of our railtours.
We sped down the former Great Southern & Western 'premier line' with many passengers joining us at our pick up tops at Kildare and Portarlington, with several customers joining here having got connecting services from the West of Ireland. It was then on to Limerick Junction, where, unusually for a mkIV set these days, we crossed over from the down mainline to what is now the up platform. Here, our second driver of the day, Ken Fox of Cork depot, was waiting to take over for the next leg of our railtour to Limerick. A few photos were taken and we were soon off again, rounding the curve and onto the former Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway mainline.
209 arrives with the railtour in Portarlington. Photo: David Clarke
Another Irish Railtour First is Accomplished
We sped along the mostly-single track line towards Limerick, crossing a railcar set 2803+2804 on a local service at Dromkeen, and rushing past other long-closed stations such as Oola and Pallasgreen. At Limerick, our railtour operated to a point just beyond Limerick Check cabin (where the Foynes branch diverges), stopping along side the works and locomotive depot with part of the train under the Roxboro Road bridge. While the crew changed ends and swapped headboards back to the locomotive, passengers had an unusual opportunity to view the various freight wagons stored alongside while stationary, usually one gets but a fleeting glimpse from service trains as they pass by.
While the mkIV carriages were tested in the Limerick area when orginally delivered back in 2005/6, and have occasionally visited the depot there for maintenance, never before had the passengers had the opportunity to travel in such a set there, so this railtour marked a significant first in that respect. 201 class locomotives worked to Limerick daily from their introduction in the mid 1990s until the late 2000s. However, since then they have been a very rare sight on the line, with service trains being generally worked by ICR or 2800 class railcars, and railtours have tended to favour 071 class diesels.
At Limerick, the railtour operated to a point just after the 1/2 milepost, stopping alongside Limerick depot. This marked the first ever occasion a passenger carrying mkIV carriage set reached the Treaty City.
In what seemed like no time at all, we were off again with 209 demonstrating to those in the front coach that the 201s are far from quiet machines when it comes to the thrash department. Some delays were encountered on the return journey, as we were held in the passing loop at the closed Dromkeen station to let both the 11:38 Limerick Junction-Ennis service (2803+2804) and an empty stock working to Limerick (ICR set 22040) pass us. We were by now around 20 minutes late, however, some smart running by Driver Ken Fox saw us make a lot of this back.
209 and the railtour train waits patently in Dromkeen for an empty ICR to pass, having just let a 2800 class railcar by on the 11:38 Limerick Junction-Ennis service. Photo: Shane Roberts.
Passing the Cork & Kerry Mountains
The photostop at Millstreet proved very popular.
At Limerick Junction, we rounded the curve and rejoined the Cork mainline, with a non-stop train from the Limerick Junction making for an unusual sight passing through the platform. We continued on down the Cork mainline, racing through Charleville and Mallow shortly after which we diverged onto the Tralee branch line. A quick photostop was held at Millstreet, home to one of Ireland's longest platforms (extended for the Eurovision Song Contest which took place in the north Cork town back in 1993). After a brief pause, we made our way on to Killarney.
Crowds gather around the railtour at Killarney
Embracing a Tradition of Railtours and Hospitality
Some of the Táilte Tours team pose with staff from the Great Southern Killarney.
On arrival at Killarney we were welcomed by staff from the adjacent Great Southern hotel, the world's oldest railway hotel. Opened by the Great Southern & Western Railway (predecessor to the Great Southern Railway) in 1854, it is itself celebrating 170 years in 2024 and we were delighted to have them on board as a sponsor of our own GSR anniversary celebrations.
Passengers disembark at Killarney station. Photo: David Clarke.
With photos taken, our passengers left to explore the town for a few hours, while our crew ventured over to the hotel to enjoy a much appreciated Afternoon Tea.
The Táilte and Great Southern teams pose on the steps of the iconic Great Southern Hotel in Killarney.
Homeward Bound
4008 ready to lead the railtour back to Dublin at Killarney. Photo: Ed Fahey.
With everyone back on board and suitably fed, our railtour departed Killarney on time at 17:15 to begin its long journey back to Dublin. We had quite a few track bashers over from the UK among our passengers, and for them, the real fun was only just beginning. The first point of interest for them was our usage of Millstreet loop to cross a Mallow-Tralee service train; this loop had been out of service for a few years and has no scheduled passenger trains, so very much in the 'hard to get' category. At Mallow we called at platform 3, a piece of track specially requested by our UK friends and we were only to happy to arrange this with IÉ for them. Here we said goodbye to Driver Ken Fox who passed the reigns to Driver Dylan Kinsella of Heuston, we really were blessed with an all-star crew of enthusiast drivers from start to finish. After a few minutes for photos, we departed Mallow on time and made our way back up the mainline towards Dublin, setting down passengers at Limerick Junction, Portarlington and Kildare. At Portarlington, Driver Dylan had specially arranged an extra surprise for the track bashers, departing the station via the Up Goods Loop, which was much appreciated by the enthusiasts on board. Another loop traversed was that at Sallins, before our arrival back in Heuston station at platform 8, where our passengers disembarked but not without several more photographs been taken. Plenty of goodbyes were exchanged, before our crew unloaded our stock and the headboards were safely put away until the next trip Just where and when will that be, you ask? No details confirmed just yet, but we have an idea... sign up to our newsletter below and you'll be the first to know.
Thank you
Táilte Tours is indebted to the help of staff across all departments in Iarnród Éireann who made this railtour a success. Special thanks to Stephen Hackett, Neil Dinnen, Kieran Marshall, John Cleary, Ken Fox, Dylan Kinsella, Peter Smyth, Donal Curran, Ken Clinton, Alan Keys and Mark Kirwin, along with Cathal McNally and Monika Zimonyi in CCSL catering.
We are also grateful for the help in promoting this railtour that we received from the Irish Railway Record Society, the Irish Traction Group, the Cavan & Leitrim Railway Museum, the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, the Branch Line Society, the Model Railway Society of Ireland, Wexford Model Railway Club, the Weee Duck, South Dublin Model Railway Club, and newcomers to the the scene, the Midlands Model Railway Club and the Mid West Model Railway Club. We encourage you all to support these groups when you can.
And of course to our sponsors and supporters, AMC Training & Consultancy, Rhomberg Sersa Rail Group Ireland, Hapi Studio, Great Southern Killarney and the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport.
Here's to the next one.
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