Earl Of Desmond Railtour (2006)

Saturday 29th April: (186) Whitehead- Belfast - Dublin Connolly. Saturday 6th May: (4) Dublin Heuston - Mallow; (186) Mallow - Tralee. Sunday 7th May: (186) Tralee - Mallow; (4) Mallow - Dublin Connolly. Monday 8th May: (4) Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central - Antrim - Crumlin - Belfast Central - Whitehead.

29/4/2006: The positioning trip the week prior to the railtour. Four miles south of Dundalk, No.186 and train passes the site of Dromiskin level crossing, the GNR's first automatic barrier protected crossing. (B. Pickup)

29/4/2006: Having taken water at the north end of the Down platform, the train waits at Drogheda. (N. Kelly)

29/4/2006: The train stopped in Mosney to be overtaken by an Up Enterprise. Having restarted, No.186 steams downhill past Milepost 25, just north of Gormanston. (B. Pickup)

6/5/2006: No.4 worked the tour train from Dublin Heuston as far as Mallow, where No.186 took over for the run to Tralee. No.186 had worked 3 Cravens and a van to Mallow 2 days previously. (C. McLeod)

6/5/2006: Another view of the two locomotives at Mallow. (A. Williamson)

6/5/2006: The locomotives in detail. (A. Williamson)

6/5/2006: The two engines stand at Mallow, the loco swap completed. (M. Walsh)

6/5/2006: Driver Dan Renehan stands ready to take the tour train out of Mallow and west to Tralee. (L. Maher)

6/5/2006: Leaving Farranfore for Tralee. (W. Maher)

6/5/2006: No.186 under the roof at Tralee. (D. Carse)

7/5/2006: On the Sunday morning, No.186 waits in the headshunt in Tralee for the incoming railcar from Mallow before going for water. (M. Walsh)

7/5/2006: No.186, having filled her tender, makes her way along the loop to couple on to her train in the bay platform. (A. Williamson)

7/5/2006: No.461 makes its way out of the yard. (A. Williamson)

7/5/2006: A stop was made at Farranfore to allow a Down train to pass and to let the photographers have a chance to take pictures of the engine. (M. Howkins)

7/5/2006: GM 203 roars into the Farranfore Up platform with a train of Mk3 carriages. The Valentia Harbour branch left from beyond the fence on the right of the picture. (M. Walsh)

7/5/2006: Climbing up to the crossing at Ballyhar between Farranfore and Killarney, Milepost 45, on a 1 in 150 gradient. (G. Lockley)

7/5/2006: In bright sunshine, No.186 tackles the last of the 1 in 106 climb near Milepost 28, between Headford Junction and Rathmore. (G. Lockley)

7/5/2006: No.186 and train set off from Banteer. (D. Moran)

7/5/2006: Crossing the Blackwater River, Mallow. (G. Lockley)

7/5/2006: locomotive swap at Mallow. (D. Carse)

7/5/2006: At Mallow No.4 again took charge of the train for the run back to Dublin. (M. Howkins)

7/5/2006: On the last part of the run into Dublin Connolly, No.4 has just passed North Strand Road Junction. The tower of the church of St. Mary's, Caledon Road, peers over the roofs of the coaches. (M. Walsh)

8/5/2006: Early on Monday morning, No.4 and her train were delivered to Amiens Street by 184. (M. Walsh)

8/5/2006: Driver Noel Playfair waits for departure from Connolly's Platform 1 while Train Manager Henry Ritchie looks on. (B. Pickup)

8/5/2006: Carriage Officer Francis Richards enjoys a joke with the crew. (A. Williamson)

8/5/2006: Mark Walsh trying to keep dry from the water crane at Drogheda. (A. Williamson)

8/5/2006: The RPSI crew looking serious as the tank fills at Drogheda - Bill White (his back), David Orr and Sullivan Boomer. (A. Williamson)

8/5/2006: RPSI volunteers Sullivan and Ben water No.4 at Dundalk from hydrants. (B. Pickup)

8/5/2006: The train reached Belfast Central and has run through to Antrim, where driver Gary Moore is about to uncouple the engine. (A. Williamson)

8/5/2006: Changing ends at Antrim. The train will return to Belfast and Whitehead via the branch to Lisburn. (A. Williamson)

9/5/2006: On Tuesday it was the heritage bus tour, and a Routemaster bus in faux UTA livery was the transport for the day. (A. Williamson)

9/5/2006: The first stop was at NIR's Fortwilliam depot. (A. Williamson)

9/5/2006: An NIR CAF railcar getting attention in the depot. (A. Williamson)