Train Dates for 1988.
(Note: Belfast YR = Belfast York Road; Belfast CSD = Belfast Central Services Depot; Belfast GVS = Belfast Great Victoria Street; ECS = Empty Coaching Stock; LE = Light Engine; GM = Railway company diesel locomotive; Whitehead generally means the RPSI's own Whitehead Excursion Station.)
| Date | Train/Operation | Loco | Itinerary/Route | Special Notes |
| Curtain Raiser | Whitehead - Belfast YR - Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast Central ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
Evening supper special. | ||
| Bangor Belle | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Bangor & return (x3) LE: Belfast Central - Lisburn & return Belfast Central - Bangor & return ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
The Lisburn visit was for water. | ||
| Empty Carriages | Belfast CSD - Dublin Connolly | |||
| Empty Carriages | Mullingar - Killucan & return | Test run. | ||
| Shannon | ECS: Mullingar - Athlone Athlone - Clonnydonnin & return ECS: Athlone - Athenry - Limerick ECS: Limerick - Limerick Junction & return |
The Limerick Junction visit was with one coach to turn. | ||
| Shannon | 184: Limerick - Birdhill & return Diesel ECS: Dublin Heuston - Ballybrophy 4: Dublin Heuston - Ballybrophy 4: Ballybrophy - Limerick 4: Limerick - Roscrea 4 ECS: Roscrea- Ballybrophy - Portarlington 4: Portarlington - Galway 184: Limerick - Tipperary & return |
No.184 worked a local trip to Birdhill. RPSI wooden coaches banned on Cork line so worked empty to Ballybrophy. Hired Cravens were used on the main line. Passengers bussed between Roscrea and Portarlington. Passengers could overnight with No.184 in Limerick or with No.4 in Galway. |
||
| Shannon | 4: Galway - Athenry & return (x2 local trips) 184: Limerick - Athenry - Athlone 85: Whitehead - Belfast YR - Antrim - Lisburn - Dublin Connolly 4: Galway - Athenry - Athlone 184: Athlone - Clara & return (local trip) 4: Athlone - Mullingar - Dublin Connolly 85: Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central 85 ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
No.85 ran to Dublin with one coach. | ||
| Shannon | Belfast Central - Lisburn - Portrush - Belfast YR - Whitehead | |||
| Carnival Coaster | Whitehead - Belfast YR - Carrickfergus - Larne Harbour - Carrickfergus - Belfast YR - Whitehead | Public charter in connection with a Carrickfergus medieval carnival. | ||
| Shunting | Mullingar | No.184's last steaming to date to shunt stock for the Dublin summer season specials. | ||
| Cooley | Dublin Connolly - Dundalk - Drogheda - Dundalk - Dublin Connolly | First in a series of public excursions in connection with the Dublin Millennium celebrations. | ||
| Sunday Afternoon Tea Special | Whitehead - Belfast YR - Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast Central ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
|||
| Mafeking Express | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Lisburn - Antrim - Portrush & return ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
Public charter by South Belfast District Scout Group. Engine ran light from Portrush to Coleraine to turn. |
||
| Clonsilla Shuttle | Dublin Connolly - Clonsilla & return (x4) | Train ran empty to Grand Canal Street sidings to run round and service. | ||
| Portrush Flyer | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Castlerock - Coleraine - Portrush - Belfast Central ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
This year's trains ran from Belfast Central due to carriage shed work at Whitehead. The train remained at Castlerock while the engine ran to Coleraine to turn. |
||
| Shannon | Dublin Connolly - Carrick-on-Shannon - Boyle - Carrick-on-Shannon - Dublin Connolly | |||
| Portrush Flyer | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Castlerock - Coleraine - Portrush - Kellswater |
The train remained at Castlerock while the engine ran to Coleraine to turn. No.85's tender became derailed between Kellswater and Cookstown Junction on the return trip. |
||
| Engine Transfer | Kellswater - Belfast CSD | Tender rerailed by NIR and train worked empty into Belfast around 03:00. | ||
| Lough Ree | Dublin Connolly - Mullingar - Athlone - Ballinasloe - Athlone - Mullingar - Dublin Connolly | The train was hauled from Athlone MGWR to Athlone GSWR station by a diesel locomotive while the engine was being serviced. | ||
| Engine Transfer | 85: Belfast CSD - Lisburn - Antrim - Belfast YR - Whitehead 171: Whitehead - Belfast YR - Antrim - Lisburn - Belfast CSD |
No.85 picked up coach 861 at York Road. No.171 had coach 50 in tow. |
||
| Portrush Flyer | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Castlerock - Coleraine - Portrush - Belfast Central ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
The train remained at Castlerock while the engine ran to Coleraine to turn. | ||
| Tara | Dublin Connolly - Drogheda - Navan - Mosney - Navan - Drogheda - Dublin Connolly | The first known working of this class of engine on the Meath branch. | ||
| Portrush Flyer | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Castlerock - Coleraine - Portrush - Belfast Central ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
The train remained at Castlerock while the engine ran to Coleraine to turn. | ||
| Boyne | Dublin Connolly - Drogheda - Navan - Drogheda - Dublin Connolly | |||
| Steam Enterprise | 171 ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central 4 LE: Dublin Connolly - Dundalk 171: Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly - Dundalk 4+171; Dundalk - Belfast Central 4+171 ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
|||
| Steam Enterprise | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly & return ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
|||
| Steam Enterprise | ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central Belfast Central - Dublin Connolly & return ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast CSD |
|||
| Larne Lough | 4+171 ECS: Belfast CSD - Belfast Central 4+171: Belfast Central - Lisburn - Antrim - Belfast YR - Whitehead 4: Whitehead - Larne Harbour - Belfast YR -Whitehead |