Rail Express – September 2019

96 RAIL EXPRESSSeptember 2019

IRISH ANGLE William Watson&Alan McFerran

Intensive timetableservesRoyal

Portrush Openchampionship

NIR ranaspecial timetableforthe 2019 BritishOpen golf championship, whichwasbeing held in Northern

Irelandforthe first time since 1951.

NORTHERN IrelandRailwaysrana
revised special timetable on the Belfast
to Portrush/Londonderry line from
July14-21 forthe 148th Opengolf
championship, whichwasheldatRoyal
Portrushforonlythe second time, after
agap of 68years. Justunder238,000
spectatorswere said tohave attended
theevent overall.
The initial specialtimetable
indicated that most of the planned
extratrains toPortrushforspectators
from the Belfastdirection would only
serveBelfast Great Victoria Street
(GVS) andLanyonPlace stations.
However, with manyvisiting spectators
also accommodated at locations
en route, itwasdecidedtochange
the arrangements.
This sawaregulartimetable, with
some alterations,operatedfromJuly14
to end of service on the 16. Then a

specialtimetable in use from July17-21

sawthe majority of trains operate

between Belfast G VS and Portrush,

with connectionsatColeraine into and

from Londonderry trains.Aconnecting

shuttle busservicewasalso operated

betweenColeraine andPortrush to

augment the train service.

WhilePortrush station enjoyedits

mo st intensiveservice since theresort

hostedtheIrish Open golf championship

in 2012, the latest arrangementswere

operated on the branch within the

inflexible ‘OneTrain Operation’, with

platform2being used throughout.

Anumber of through mainline

serviceswere ro uted viaPortrush,

although not publicised as such, and

this wasprobabl ythe firsttime this

arrangement hadbeen used. Ingeneral,

therewas ahalf-hourlypattern of

trains toPortrush from Belfast GVS

each morning, andaseries ofreturn

trainsevery half hour eachevening. It

should be noted that the normalregular

interval servicepattern wasgenerally

adhered to during the period of thegolf

tournament. All trains servedselected

intermediatestations.

DMUsUSED

The majority of services during the

periodwere worked by six-car DMUs,

but some peak hour oneswere worked

by three-car units. Theyard andsidings

at Cole raine were usedextensively

to stable trains, with as manyassix

six-car units being accommodated at

one time.

Congestionat the junction station

on July20saw the infrastructure

yard at Ballymenaused to stablea

six-car 4000 series unit. The siding at

Ballymoneywas not used.

Portru sh-bound trains from Belfast

GVS (departuretimesinb rackets)

between04.25 and 08.10on July17

were:Nos. 3016+3022 (04.25),

4020+4018 (05.05),4012+4011(05.33),

4013+4017 (06.05),3009+3017

(07.10), 3016+3022 (08.10).

Belfast-boundwere:Nos. 3002

(05.50ex-Coleraine), 3022+3016

(06.05ex-Portrush), 4008 (06.12ex-

Londonderry) and4018+4020(07.05

ex-Portrush).

The firstfivePortrush-bound

specials on Sunday, July21, departed

GVSathalf-hourlyintervals between

06.10 and 08.10,andwereworked

by Nos 3019+3005, 4011+4012,

4017+4013, 4020+4018, 3009+3017.

Therewas alsoa08.38 ex-GVSformed

of Nos.3014+3006. All theabove

Sundaytrains were well patronised

departing Belfast.E

DEMU and loco preservation progress at Downpatrick

THE Downpatrick andCounty Down
Railway’s ex-NIR two-car 80 Class
DEMU,Nos. 69+749, continues to be
used forcrewtrainin gtripsand other
non-passenger duties.
The preservationistshave also
been activerestoring the interiorof
the vehicles to original condition.While
the twovehicleswere reliveried at York
Road Worksinto the original maroon,
blue and white colourschemeprior to
their transfer to Downpatrickon May13,
2018, the interiorsremainedunchanged.
However, asmall team ofvolunteers has
transformed the interiorof driving trailer
No. 749 into almost as-newcondition.
The work,which wascarri ed out
over10months, includedfitti ng the

original type of linoleumfloorcovering

and ‘BurmaTeak’ Formicawall co vering,

most of whichwas salvagedfrom

scrappedvehicles.Theseat frameswere

refurbished off-site andreinstated. The

upholsterywasalso reinstated, while

repairs to windowframes and doors plus

otherrepaintingasr equiredwasalso

carried out.Vestibules and the driving

cabhave also received attention.

On the mechanical side,the oi lin

the 4SRKTengin eofNo. 69 wasfound

to be contaminated,soitreceived an

oilchange(300litres) on June22. The

feed pipeforthe fillupwas run from

an IBC(tank container) thatwasheld

aloft by the railway’s excavator.New oil

and fuelfilters were alsofitted, while

adefectiveinjectorwas replaced and

tappets adjusted.

The twoother 80Class vehicles

at Downpatrick,Nos. 90 and 752,

remainstored but have had some

cosmetic treatment.

The IrishTraction Group’sex-CIE/IR

‘Small’ GM No. 146 continues to be the

mainstayofdiesel locomotiveoperations

at Downpatrick.

The group’s other mainline diesels

based thereare ex-CIE/IR Nos. C231

and A39R. While No. C231remains

stored, No. A39R hasrecentlyreceived

attentionafter bein ginactivefor almost

threeyears. This locomotive’s engine

has received heavy maintenance,with

renewalofs ome components,athorough

internal clean,and an oilchange.

No. A39Rwasstarted and,after

attention toits brakegear, it wasableto

be moved. The loco, theonlyoperational

one of its class,wasthensubjectedto

an externa lwash andits cabs and engine

room cleaned.

Elsewhere,theproject torestor ethe

ITG’s former CIE/ IR locomotiveNo. 226 to

full workingorder continues atCarrick-

on-Suir.The work has includedfitting

laminated windscreens and frames,

repairs to bodywork, brakes an delectrical

equi pment, andthe reinstatement of the

roof section.The la tte rwas carriedout

usingamobilecrane,with thelocomotive

positioned on the short section oftrack

outsidetheshed.

NORTHERN IRELAND

RAILWAYS(NIR)

■SPECIAL TRAFFIC:The annual

historicalreenactment ‘Sham

Fight’ at ScarvaonJuly13, sa wthe

runningofthe usual shuttle service

from Portad ownfor spectators. This

series of eight DMU-worked trains

ranfrom09.40 to around 12.00,

with seventrains scheduled to run

empty toPoyntzpasstocrossover

andreturn toPortadown. One train

returned toPortad ownvia Newry.A

return shuttle service from Scarva

to Portad ownwas pr ovided later

the same day.

DART’S 35TH

ANNIVERSARY:

EMU No. 8634 is

pictured at Dublin’s

Pearse station

on July26, with

aservice to Bray,

almost 35yearsto

the day(July23),

since the Dublin

AreaRapidTransit

operations began.

Abovethe train

is the temporary

crash-deck

installed at the

station as part of

work torefurbish

the trainshedroof,

which will continue

into2020.

Cathal O’Brien

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