back in the 90s I had a friend who lived at the little gate house opposite balla Mart, which you can see in this video, the house is now gone. during a train drivers strike we pulled an old rail cart which was lying in a hedge oppisite the house on to the tracks, and with me pushing with a long stick and 4 lads on the cart we picked up speed and made our way to balla station. on the return journey we had just pulled up behind the railway gates when my old fella crossed in his green citroen! if he looked to his right we were in for a fair bolliking!! we regularly walked that track to go fishing at a river about a mile away the balla side for perch, I recall seeing dates on the track plates going as far back as 1912, and 11. I can still smell the tar off the sleepers in summer, it's one of those wonderful smells you don't forget. thanks for the videos👍I have more stories which involve some devilment on the tracks but I'd be cautious about putting those up lol!😂
What a lovely story MJ. I have very fond memories also of jumping on the tracks just north of connolly station and going up and down from drumcondra. Days and nights just watching and listening to the endless procession as the line carried the sligo and all western trains. The smell of the tar was such a lovely smell and an almost sweet smell from the diesel fumes of trains passing. As the day would turn to night the drop in temperature would allow the sounds of the trains to increase. the old 001s carrying full loads on the steep incline coming up from north wall was a thunderous sound that will never leave my memories. Beautiful memories
Manulla Junction was a real wreck of a place back then! Good to see Claremorris with the full track layout in place and the Burma Road still physically connected
Hi adj1973. yes it was bouncy and depending on bogie status. The 001 class was much steader.It was a combination of loco type and track maintenance. Yes the line is still open and totally relaid a few years ago with CWR. Railcars now work on the also a lot of freight now on the line.
Reopening of both Galway & Sligo lines in Claremorris as part of the Western Rail Corridor would cut down on Traffic Jams, Car Accidents, Road Deaths & Pollution.
If you look at the first engine one of the lights is covered did I here a story the light use to shine up wards so choppers could see them up the north
Yes I remember in the early 1960s the short rails 20 to 30 feet long were welded together to make 60 feet long rails in places along the branch. On some sections the rails dated back to the 1890s.
What happens at 9:20? The engine note changes and revs seem to drop it's like engaging overdrive in a car, I asked several drivers over the years, although they understood what I meant they couldn't tell me what was happening. That engine sound is just beautiful they were a fantastic loco.
Hi caffjohn. You are correct with the engine sound. When a locomotive starts it requires lots of Amps to the motors to get the train started. At 34 MPH for a 141 & 181, 121 at 28 MPH the motors are at saturation point they now need Voltage hence the different sound changing from amps to volts known as transition now the train is accelerating. This happens on all GM locos. Hope this answers you question. PS you were the first person to notice the change. You can here it much better on my cab run Wicklow to Rosslare Strand. Thanks for watching.
@@gerryconmy Thanks for clearing something up for me that's bothered me since the 70s. I worked in a sawmills in the eighties and I thought it was similar to the Start/ Run switches we had on the bigger bandsaws. I would love to learn more about how traction motors work, are they AC or DC, 3 phase etc... You're never too old to learn eh?
Hi the traction motors are DC try wickepida for more information as i to wondered about the engine sound changing the term used is transition, the traction motor wiring change from series to parallel.
back in the 90s I had a friend who lived at the little gate house opposite balla Mart, which you can see in this video, the house is now gone. during a train drivers strike we pulled an old rail cart which was lying in a hedge oppisite the house on to the tracks, and with me pushing with a long stick and 4 lads on the cart we picked up speed and made our way to balla station. on the return journey we had just pulled up behind the railway gates when my old fella crossed in his green citroen! if he looked to his right we were in for a fair bolliking!! we regularly walked that track to go fishing at a river about a mile away the balla side for perch, I recall seeing dates on the track plates going as far back as 1912, and 11. I can still smell the tar off the sleepers in summer, it's one of those wonderful smells you don't forget. thanks for the videos👍I have more stories which involve some devilment on the tracks but I'd be cautious about putting those up lol!😂
What a lovely story MJ. I have very fond memories also of jumping on the tracks just north of connolly station and going up and down from drumcondra. Days and nights just watching and listening to the endless procession as the line carried the sligo and all western trains. The smell of the tar was such a lovely smell and an almost sweet smell from the diesel fumes of trains passing. As the day would turn to night the drop in temperature would allow the sounds of the trains to increase. the old 001s carrying full loads on the steep incline coming up from north wall was a thunderous sound that will never leave my memories. Beautiful memories
Shay checking in from dublin ❤❤❤
Manulla Junction was a real wreck of a place back then!
Good to see Claremorris with the full track layout in place and the Burma Road still physically connected
Brilliant video. Well done all involved.
Thank you Gerry for uploading this glorious footage.
Thanks John glad you enjoyed
great to see this old video and hoping for more. best wishes from Germany
excellent video
Great stuff.
Brilliant really enjoyed.
Glad you enjoyed the video and thanks for watching.
Hi adj1973. yes it was bouncy and depending on bogie status. The 001 class was much steader.It was a combination of loco type and track maintenance. Yes the line is still open and totally relaid a few years ago with CWR. Railcars now work on the also a lot of freight now on the line.
Reopening of both Galway & Sligo lines in Claremorris as part of the Western Rail Corridor would cut down on Traffic Jams, Car Accidents, Road Deaths & Pollution.
Martin Loughnane driving at the start of the video. A true gentleman.
He sure was a gentleman in every sense and a great driver.
Gerry
Absolutely amazing that trains managed to stay on these rails. Must be the original rails fro the 1840s.
If you look at the first engine one of the lights is covered did I here a story the light use to shine up wards so choppers could see them up the north
Hi yes you are correct.
The need to reopen to Western Rail Corridor onto Galway & Sligo connections at Claremorris.
Great video, just curious I never seen any young staff all seem to be older guys any reason?
How did it stay on the road!!
fantastic video. did ye get any footage on the Claremorris / Tuam to Athenry line
no Tony none at all
+Gerry Conmy thanks for the Connolly to Mullingar video. i work in Clonsilla Wheelhouse and so good to see it in its glory days.
I
Those rails etc would have (at that time) mostly dated from the 1920s.
Yes I remember in the early 1960s the short rails 20 to 30
feet long were welded together to make 60 feet long rails in places along the
branch. On some sections the rails dated back to the 1890s.
What happens at 9:20? The engine note changes and revs seem to drop it's like engaging overdrive in a car, I asked several drivers over the years, although they understood what I meant they couldn't tell me what was happening. That engine sound is just beautiful they were a fantastic loco.
Hi caffjohn. You are correct with the engine sound. When a locomotive starts it requires lots of Amps to the motors to get the train started. At 34 MPH for a 141 & 181, 121 at 28 MPH the motors are at saturation point they now need Voltage hence the different sound changing from amps to volts known as transition now the train is accelerating. This happens on all GM locos. Hope this answers you question. PS you were the first person to notice the change. You can here it much better on my cab run Wicklow to Rosslare Strand. Thanks for watching.
@@gerryconmy Thanks for clearing something up for me that's bothered me since the 70s. I worked in a sawmills in the eighties and I thought it was similar to the Start/ Run switches we had on the bigger bandsaws. I would love to learn more about how traction motors work, are they AC or DC, 3 phase etc... You're never too old to learn eh?
Hi the traction motors are DC try wickepida for more information as i to wondered about the engine sound changing the term used is transition, the traction motor wiring change from series to parallel.
What speed did they do in those days
From Ballina to Manulla Junction was 50 mph. From Manulla to Claremorris was 60 mph. 60 was the max speed main line except Dublin Cork was 70 mph.
@@gerryconmy thanks for the reply