Irish steam breaks new ground

The multi-day ‘Emerald Isle Explorer’ took Q Class No. 131 to Galway, Limerick and Waterford for the first time ever.

OVER an eight-day period in early May, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland operated almost 750 miles of steam haulage around the Iarnród Éireann network for Steam Dreams – the ‘Emerald

Isle Explorer’.

This was the first Steam Dreams tour in Ireland since September 2019, and thus the first with new owners Locomotive Services, and was notable that it saw two former Great Northern Railway 4-4-0s working the same tour for the first time since 2001. It also marked several firsts for Q

Class No. 131, which had never operated to Galway, Limerick or Waterford in service or preservation.

Starting on May 4 at Dublin Heuston, V Class No. 85 Merlin worked the 09.15 HeustonGalway with seven Cravens coaches and a van as far as Portarlington, swapping there with No. 131 to take the tour on to Galway.

Departing from the pocket loop in Portarlington at 10.50, the train called at Athlone before arriving in Galway at 16.40. In the meantime, No. 85 worked light engine to Limerick.

West Corridor debut

On May 6, No. 131 made its debut on the West Rail Corridor with 08.50 Galway-Limerick via Athenry. At Limerick, No. 85 took over tender first for the 13.55 Limerick-Killarney departure, stopping at Mallow for water. The next day saw a short working with No. 85 to Tralee and back from Killarney. May 8 saw No. 85 on the 09.05 Killarney-Cork with a shortened train of five cravens and van, stopping at Mallow to run around and take water. The train was serviced at Cork before heading back to Killarney, again with a water stop at Mallow. The next day the train departed at 08.40 for Waterford via Mallow and Limerick Junction, where No. 85 was exchanged for No. 131. After being held by the regulator at Limerick Junction, the train proceeded to Waterford and arrived 25 minutes late at 14.10. Here GM No. 076 took the tour on to Muine Bheag, where passengers alighted with the train going empty stock to Carlow for stabling, while No. 131 went to Kilkenny light engine.

Meanwhile, No. 85 ran back light engine from Limerick Junction to Dublin Connolly shed, where it was found to be leaking water and so not sent light to Wexford as planned.

On May 10, after an empty stock working from Carlow to pick up passengers at Muine Bheag, No. 131 (having run light engine from Kilkenny) took the tour to Kildare, where No. 076 took over for the leg to Wexford via Dublin Connolly, arriving at 15.45. No. 131 returned to Connolly light engine for servicing before heading for Wexford to work the final leg, replacing No. 85.

The last day of the tour was May 11, when No. 131 brought the empty stock from Wexford to Rosslare Strand, then returned to Wexford and departed at 10.38 back to Connolly.

ALISTAIR CAMPBELL Left: V Class 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin passes Rathcoole (County Cork) heading for Mallow and Cork with the 09.00 ‘Emerald Isle Explorer’ from Killarney on May 9. The train had been shortened by two coaches for the stiff climb out of Cork on the return leg.

JEREMY DAVEY/DTT A POIGNANT MOMENT: May 14 saw the final day of operation at the late Adrian Shooter’s 2ft gauge Beeches Light Railway (at Steeple Aston, Oxfordshire), when Darjeeling Himalayan Railway 0-4-0ST No. 19B was run for the benefit of the cataloguers for the June 21 auction of his railway collection. Members of the volunteer support crew placed a wreath for Mr Shooter on the smokebox of No. 19B for this final BLR steaming. The Darjeeling Tank Trust is bidding to secure No. 19B for preservation at Statfold Barn, its appeal for support being boosted on May 23, by a £40,000 donation from the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society. See www.darjeelingtank. org.uk for more details.