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RPSI News

December 2008
Just some of what's been happening in the last few months.

Our thanks to everyone who has sent us pictures - don't be worried if you don't see them here, some of them have been held in reserve for possible use in the next issue of our annual publication 'Five Foot Three'

Return to Traffic of Coach 1142
In November coach 1142, built in 1921, returned to main line use after an extensive overhaul. Picture by G Mooney
	We have an extensive collection of wooden-bodied carriages which can no longer be used on Northern Ireland Railways. However Iarnród Éireann permits their use under strict conditions. 1142 has now re-entered our 'Heritage set' of coaches, joining other beautifully restored vehicles like No.351. Investing our time in vehicles with such limited route availability may seem odd - but the RPSI, unlike most of the world's railtour operators, is not out to make a profit. Using vehicles like this is not only a means to an end but also an end in itself! Picture by G Mooney
Charles was the driving force behind this project and looks justifiably proud with the final result of many hours' painstaking work. Charles and his fellow volunteers deserve hearty congratulations for the paint job alone - you can literally see your face in those varnished sides! Picture by G Mooney

Sheer Legs repairs
	The 'Sheer legs' - the two large outdoor cranes at our Whitehead base - are very useful machines. Their main purpose is to lift carriages off their bogies, but they have many other uses. Here, brake van 81 is being held by one of the cranes while new springs are fitted, on 12th July 2007. Picture by CP Friel
They were also invaluable in June 2007 when No. 186 suffered a hot axlebox due to a lubrication problem. One of the cranes lifted up the engine's front end, allowing the front axle to be removed. Repairs were carried out to the axle bearings and journals. The engine was reassembled just four days later. Picture by E Friel
	Imagine, then, our dismay when one morning in March, after a night of heavy winds, the Whitehead workers arrived to find this scene greeting them! Picture by CP Friel
The accident had its advantages - they were due to be painted anyway! After being dismantled, repaired and painted, the cranes were re-erected on Saturday 22nd November 2008 by a hired road crane. Picture by A Ragg
	The winch assemblies were then lifted back into position. The electrical squad sprang into action and had the cranes wired up again by the end of the day. Picture by A Ragg
They're not quite Harland and Wolff's famous 'Samson' and 'Goliath', but they will do anything we could reasonably ask of them, and it is a relief to know they will shortly be back in action. The cranes have been fitted with a new design of safety clamp which will prevent any repeat of the accident. Picture by E Friel

A Whitehead Shunt
	Our engines are in steam more often than you might realise! The little Guinness engine is often used at weekends to shunt the yard at Whitehead, as was the case on November 29th. Here the engine is being coaled up by pouring wheelbarrows into the bunker inside the cab. Picture by CP Friel
With the Santa trains season about to begin, it was important to arrange the Mark 2 carriages so that they could easily be assembled in the early morning shunt before each train. They were first all brought to the platform where... Picture by CP Friel
	...they were decorated appropriately! Picture by CP Friel
The shunt also involved moving No. 171 Slieve Gullion. 171 is highly popular with enthusiasts but has been out of use for several years. Disused steam engines must be moved every few months to prevent the weight of the engine from squeezing the oil out from between the wheel bearing and journal. This was particularly exciting for some of our youthful members who have rarely seen this handsome engine out in the daylight. Picture by E Friel

However, the nights are certainly drawing in and when the time came to put 171 away again darkness had already fallen.

186 is just visible in the background, no doubt somewhat disgruntled since she is being left outside for a whole week until the next train. Ideally she would have been brought outside the day before the train but it is very difficult to get a driver for the Carlow diesel on a weekday.

Video by A Lohoff

186's misfortune was the Guinness engine's gain! The little industrial engine usually has to sleep outside, but on this night she took over the empty space in the shed.

Picture by CP Friel

The Santa Season begins

At 2:30 AM on Saturday 6th December the 2008 Santa Steam season got underway with the lighting of No. 186's fire. A few hours later, just before dawn, the carriages were shunted to the platform before the train departed towards Belfast along the sun-soaked coastline.

The sheer legs are also a good vantage point for photography - is there anything they can't do?

Video by E Friel

Threading her way among the concrete and steel of the modern world, with her destination hidden in the mists of the distance, No.186 reminds us of another age. 186 turns 130 years old next year; she is the oldest main line engine in Europe - and as good as she ever was.

Picture by CP Friel

186 leaving Central Station tender-first. The sound of the diesel engine is coming from generator van 462, which provides electricity to the rest of the coaches but does not propel the train in any way - although a few of our passengers have accused us of having the engine pushed along by a disguised diesel locomotive!

Video by E Friel

	186 is apparently only as old as she feels! The engine made a respectable time despite an unusually heavy load of seven vehicles behind her. Picture by CP Friel
As the countryside rolled by outside, Santa and his helpers were kept busy giving out presents to all the children on the train. Picture by CP Friel
	Tender-first crossing the Bann as the train approaches Portadown. Picture by CP Friel
186 poses briefly on the bridge while running round her train at Portadown. This picture is from the other side of the bridge to the previous one; the old Portadown station is on the left, while the current one is on the right. Picture by CP Friel

Model Carriages and No. 461 Restoration
	This year in a new departure for the RPSI we commissioned Bachmann models to make 00 gauge maodel mark 2 carriages in the green livery used in the RPSI's Northern train. 500 sets of three were made, consisting of carriages 460, 180 and 301.

Video by wheeltappersvideo.

A few weeks ago we announced with mixed feelings that the last set had been sold - see here for the official announcement.

See here for the model carriages gallery.

Our feelings are mixed in that we're sorry if you missed out on owning some of these models...

	...but very pleased with the success of the venture! Here we see Gerry and Fergus, who organised the manufacture and sale of the carriages, handing over the profits to Locomotive Officer Peter. All €23,250 (nearly £21,000) will go towards the restoration of No. 461. Picture by CP Friel
The restoration of No. 461 has taken far longer than was originally envisaged due to the problems associated with welding together the inner firebox. The firebox must be very strongly built to resist the great steam pressure inside the boiler, and 461's firebox needed rebuilt to a greater extent than any engine we have worked on before. 461's boiler is seen here upside in the centre of the photograph during the long process of making the repairs. The cab of the engine can be seen on the left. Picture by CP Friel
	461's frames have been in a rolling condition for some time, in need of little more than for the boiler to be fitted to be brought back to life. Our thanks are due to everyone who brought the carriages and especially to Gerry and Fergus for helping to make this dream a reality. Picture taken in 2006 by J Friel
And the good news on 461 doesn't end there! On Monday 8th November momentous news was announced - at last the firebox welds are finished! Undoubtedly the most difficult and frustrating part of the resotration is over as our volunteers and staff turn their attention of reassembling the various parts of the boiler before reuniting it with the rest of the engine. YOU could help out with this important project - click here to find out how. With your support, we can all look forward to more scenes like this in the future. Picture taken in 2001 by E Friel

None of these things would happen without the hard work of a small number of volunteers. You have seen the achievements of volunteer painters and joiners; volunteer drivers, firemen and shunters; volunteer steam raisers; volunteer carriage marshals and caterers; volunteer administrators and accountants; volunteer boilersmiths.

All dedicated amateurs who nonetheless try to run - and succeed in running - an efficient, safe, professional operation, while having a lot of fun along the way!

Whatever your interests, talents, abilities or qualifications, you could make a big difference and
Be a part of something special!

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