A group of us had been visiting Ireland for a number of years. This had been mainly concentrated around Dublin or on the www.irishtractiongroup.com Railtours. We had gone for day trips but as the tours were mainly on Saturdays this was becoming increasingly difficult. British Rail was gearing up to privatisation and many Saturday night, Sunday morning trains were disappearing. We were having to drive greater distances and by this stage we having to drive to Holyhead and back. This was a nearly 5 hour in each direction drive to and from Holyhead. This was in the days the A55 North Wales Expressway ended at Llandudno Jn and it used to take over two hours from there to Holyhead. This was taking the shine off what were normally excellent railtours. The trip used to normally involve 36 hours in total with very little sleep. It was also quite dangerous driving home after so little sleep.

For the tour in November 1990 we decided enough was enough and to do something a bit different. We were going to go out on the Thursday night stay Friday and Saturday in B&B and come back on Sunday. This would allow for a more relaxing weekend and allow the local Guinness to be sampled.

The final plan was simple, out on the overnight ferry from Holyhead a trip to Tralee on Friday as none of us had been there, Railtour on the Saturday and back home on the Sunday. Quite a group of us travelled across but I cannot remember who 20 years later.

Thursday 15 November 1990

I was at work so a trip from home to Preston and back was required before setting out, then showered and back out for the last train to Crewe. One of the team knew of the Albion pub in Crewe which normally had a good selection of beers and a pool table. This was to become the normal move when visiting Ireland. We would then catch the 23:00 (ish) train from Crewe to Holyhead in time for the overnight sailing. This gave us just over two hours in the pub and normally a dash back to the station in order to catch the train. We never left enough time to walk back.

We arrived to catch the train at Crewe and it was a fairly new Class 150. When originally built the Class 150s had an area at the end of one of the vehicles for bicycles and luggage, with tip up seats around the outside of the vehicle rather than in the 3+2 formation as in the rest of the train. We decided this would be the best area to take over.

During this period these was a lot of building work going on at Holyhead and we had been unable to purchase tickets for the ferry. It was also a joint BR / Sealink / B&I booking office (that’s Arriva Trains Wales / Stena Line / Irish Ferries to younger viewers) which meant that as the train arrived there was shortly afterwards a massive queue. Progress means that in 2010 all three have their own offices, not sure this is more efficient. The trick was to get off the train quickly and get to the booking office before everyone else. As frequent visitors we knew the quickest way to navigate the maze of hoardings around the building site. On arrival in Holyhead we dived off the train and ran round the maze of building works to the location of the temporary booking office. We rounded the final corner to find it had been moved since our last visit a few months previous. We discovered that they had moved back into the main station building and by the time we arrive there is now a massive queue. Best laid plans……..

Friday 16 November 1990

039 after running round at Mallow

We found our usual location in the bar on the boat and got our head down for a few hours sleep.

On arrival on Dun Laoghaire we head across to the station and procure tickets to Tralee. The station is somewhat more busy than when we visit on Saturdays. The station is normally deserted when the ferry arrives but with this being Friday the station id full on commuters. We join the crowded DART train to Dublin then it is across to Heuston station on the number 90 bus. The plan for the day is to catch the train to Tralee via Cork. We are heading to catch the 12:45 Cork to Tralee which is normally hauled by an “A” Class loco.

We join the 09:00 service to Tralee but make a change at Mallow rather than travelling direct and in Cork we find 039 on the front of the train to Tralee. We have split up on the station to find lunch. The group I am in gets back first so we get our photos and find seats on the train. The remainder of our group arrive from finding food and are getting photos when they are marched off the end of the platform by one of the station staff. The time gets to 12:45 and they are not back but fortunately the train does not appear to be departing on time. No sign of a green signal.

It gets to 12:55 and they jump on the train in the nick of time and we set off. We ask what had happened and why had they been marched off. It is not what we think. The person who has marched them off the platform was the station manager. He had actually taken them to his office to show them old photos of the station and trains. When it had got close to the time of the departure of the train and they said they had to go as they were catching the 12:45 to Tralee. He had called the station and said that the train should not go until he got there but did not tell them why. The real reason being that he had finished showing them the photos. Only in Ireland!

This train is diesel haulage at it’s finest, short train and steam heat. The train is booked to run round at Mallow which is achieved very quickly and we depart on time. For all of us this our first trip beyond Mallow and we are interested to see what happens at Killarney. This station is about half a mile off the mainline and the train is booked to call there. The train leaves the mainline and arrives and make the station stop. The train then propels out the station, at great speed, back to the junction and then continues forward again along the line to Tralee. We cross the train that we travelled down from Dublin to Mallow at Farrenfore and we finally arrive in Tralee. Not bad this has taken us around 19 hours. We have a few hours here before the train returns.

039 after running round at Tralee with the coaching stock left on a low simmer

There is time to kill so we head into the town. The weather is cold put at least is not raining. We find the main street and see a selection of pubs and decide to go for a drink in the Rovers Return. They also serve fantastic Vegetable Soup and Soda Bread.

We come out of the pub to find that it is still cold but now absolutely tipping down and we get soaked with the walk back to the station. The train has been on a light simmer throughout our visit to the pub and it is nice and warm. The steam heat is working well.

We have a change at Mallow again on the way back to Dublin. We join the train and find the front coach is the Irish Rail Executive Saloon and has a selection of loose armchairs at one end and the other end only has seats around the outside walls of the vehicle. This coach has an optional boardroom table but this has been removed. You could play football in the space in this coach. We are now getting very tired through lack of sleep and need more food to keep awake. We head to the buffet car and cannot decide what to have. Sandwiches or microwaved chips, tough choice. I need something hot to eat so elect for the sausage and chips. The next thing I hear is the sound of chips hitting the deep fat fryer. A deep fat fryer on a train! They are not microwaved chips as I was expecting but fresh cooked. The food is very good and far better than we expect it is going to be.

We arrive back at the seats with a paper plate full of chips. This has started something and everyone else sees the fresh cooked chips and they all want part of the action. We all sit there in the Irish Rail former Presidential Saloon eating chips.

We arrive back in Dublin and we drop our bags at the hotel and there time for a couple of beers in Ryan’s Bar before heading to bed.

Saturday 17 November 1990

We head across to Dublin Connolly on bus 90 from Heuston station. We have to leave before breakfast in the hotel so are hungry. One of our group knows of the Red Rose Café near Connolly station so we head off in the general direction. The café is open and serves an excellent breakfast sandwich. It is then back to the station for the tour.

ITG tours of this period operated with multiple engines on routes on whic

101 at Bangor

h they do not normally operate. The tour also featured a Hunslet loco which had been withdrawn and should be confined to shunting in Adalade Yard, Belfast but was allowed out to work the tour. The tour operated as planned. The last part was quite interesting as the railtour stock was attached to the rear of the 17:00 Belfast Central to Dublin Connolly and caused chaos at many of the station stops as the train was far too long for the platforms.

It was back in Dublin in time for a few beers in Ryan’s Bar.

Sunday 18 November 1990

It is up early and a taxi across Dublin as bus 90 does not operate this early on Sunday morning. We are surprised to see a set of steam heat cravens stock on the train to Dun Laoghaire as the power is turned off and the DART cannot operate.

It is a relatively quite trip back as it is has been a very busy four days and we have not had a lot of sleep.

An excellent few days in Ireland and we have only travelled on one train operated by multiple units.

Traction Log

Thursday 15/11/1990
Lancaster - Crewe	90021
Crewe - Holyhead	150225
Friday 16/11/1990
Dun Laoghaire - Dublin Connolly	8301+8101+8134+8334
Dublin Heuston - Mallow	086
Mallow - Cork	191
Cork - Mallow - Tralee - Mallow	039
Mallow - Dublin Heuston	088
Saturday 17/11/1990
Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central	112
Belfast Central - Bangor	102
Bangor - Belfast Central	102+101
Belfast Central - Portrush - Belfast Central	111+071
Belfast Central - Dundalk	101+112
Dundalk - Dublin Connolly	112
Sunday 18/11/1990
Dublin Connolly - Dun Laoghaire	153
Holyhead - Crewe	47525
Crewe - Lancaster	87023