Garavogue Railtour (2007)

The main tour had the Dublin heritage set, including 351. GMs 152+190 beyond Mullingar due to weight restrictions on Shannon bridge. Friday 11th May: (4) Dublin Heuston - Limerick Junction; (GM) Limerick Junction - Limerick - Nenagh - Ballybrophy - Dublin Heuston. Saturday 12th May: (4) Dublin Connolly - Mullingar; (GM) Mullingar - Sligo. Sunday 13th May: (GM) Sligo - Mullingar; (4) Mullingar - Dublin Connolly - Bray - Dublin Connolly. Monday 14th May: (4) Dublin Connolly - Belfast - Whitehead.

11/5/2007: No.4 departed Dublin Heuston, and had its first water stop at Portarlington, then undergoing 'improvements'. (B. Robertson)

11/5/2007: No.4 in the bay platform of a very gloomy Ballybrophy. (B. Robertson)

11/5/2007: Thurles, and the lights definitely required. (B. Robertson)

11/5/2007: Arrival at Limerick Junction. (B. Robertson)

11/5/2007: No.4 has come off the train at Limerick Junction. (B. Robertson)

11/5/2007: 184+189 took the train from the Junction to Limerick and then on the Nenagh branch. At Ballybrophy, they propel the stock out of the branch platform in order to access the main line to run round. (J. Cottrell)

12/5/2007: Early on the Saturday, David tops up the oil in No.4's left-hand eccentric rod. Despite its relatively modern build date (1947), No.4's motion still boasts a variety of corks - you can see the one from this cup sitting on the rod. (P. Lockett)

12/5/2007: No.4 gets away from Dublin Connolly with the tour train which it will work as far as Mullingar. (P. Lockett)

12/5/2007: Cloncurry Bridge, at MP 25, or about a mile and a quarter before the water stop at Enfield. Here 2-6-4T No.4 heads the Society's Dublin-based train of wooden-bodied coaches. (B. Pickup)

12/5/2007: At the Up Sligo platform in Mullingar. Unfortunately, this was a far as No.4 could go due to weight restrictions further down the line. (J. Cottrell)

12/5/2007: No.4 in the bay at Mullingar, having come off the tour train . (A. Williamson)

12/5/2007: A miserable wet day in Mullingar. (A. Williamson)

12/5/2007: The rain is rather obvious as driver Ken Fox chats to an enthusiast at Mullingar. (A. Williamson)

12/5/2007: No.4 could not get to Sligo due to weight restrictions on the Shannon bridge at Carrick-on-Shannon. At Mullingar the train was handed over to a pair of IÉ diesels. No.4 was stabled in the now-disused Up Galway platform overnight. (M. Walsh)

12/5/2007: No.4 at Mullingar's disused Up Galway platform. (B. Robertson)

12/5/2007: A less than clean 152+190 call at Longford on the way to Sligo. (J. Cottrell)

13/5/2007: On Sunday, while the tour train was making its way back from Sligo, David and Ken were preparing No.4. Here Ken (right) is topping up the oil pots on the right-hand side slide bars. David seems to have an affinity with the NCC. (M. Walsh)

13/5/2007: David and Ken were just two of a team who looked after No.4. Here they take a quick break for a photograph before the train arrives from Sligo (l-r): Bill, Mark, James, Lar, David and, at the front, Ken and Phil. (M. Walsh)

13/5/2007: Inspector Tony is on the left of this group along with (from left) Gerry, Lar, James and Ken in the upper row and David, Phil and Mark in the lower row. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: On the Sunday, GMs 152+190 have stopped with the train at Dromod. (B. Robertson).

13/5/2007: A call was made at the Cavan & Leitrim heritage centre in Dromod. Peter Scott inspects No.1 "Dromad". (A. Williamson)

13/5/2007: Some visitors availed of a narrow gauge ride. (A. Williamson)

13/5/2007: The GM diesels which had worked the train from Sligo were used to place No.4 on the front of the train. With Mullingar's turntable out of action, No.4 worked the train bunker-first back to Dublin. (C.P. Friel)

13/5/2007: No.4 on the train for departure to Dublin. (B. Robertson.

13/5/2007: No.4 and train await departure time at Mullingar. The first coach on the right is Great Northern dining car 88 with open third laminate 1463 of 1958 beyond. 88 is in CIÉ green livery. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: As No.4 heads away from us at MP 40 on the Sligo line, we see (from left to right) bar car 2421 built in 1956, the state saloon 351 and brake third open (and generator car) 1916 built in 1957. (B. Pickup)

13/5/2007: No.4 and train pause at Connolly's Platform 5 before continuing south towards Bray. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: The train is now on the former City of Dublin Junction Railway, just south of Connolly and approaching the crossing of the river Liffey. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: No.4 is pictured alongside Bray's former signal cabin while running round the train - the station is to the left. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: No.4 is now ready to leave Bray's Down platform and make its way among the DART electrics on the return to Dublin. (M. Howkins)

13/5/2007: No.4 and train ready to depart Bray. (B. Robertson)

14/5/2007: Well before sunrise on Monday, a diesel-soaked rag catches fire. Soon, No.4's firebox, with its charge of scrap timber and plenty of coal, will come to life and preparations for another main line journey will get under way. (M. Walsh)

14/5/2007: The preparation crew had time to give No.4 a good clean. She looks splendid with steam drifting from the drain cocks and the tank sides reflecting the blue of the early morning light - a blue Jeep? (J. Friel)

14/5/2007: Train time approaches and No.4 is coupled to the Society's Mk2 carriages in Platform 3 at Amiens Street. The participants are safely aboard, ready for a prompt departure. (M. Howkins)

14/5/2007: No.4 ready to depart Dublin Connolly. (B. Robertson)

14/5/2007: This is near Milepost 25 - or just north of Gormanston - and No.4 has the job well in hand as she heads north with the five Mk2s. (B. Pickup)

14/5/2007: A water stop at Drogheda. (B. Robertson)

14/5/2007: After a quick water stop at Drogheda, No.4 and train climbed Kellystown bank. Here is the downhill stretch of 1 in 197 from Kellystown towards Dunleer at Milepost 40. (B. Pickup)

14/5/2007: At Portadown, Driver Noel Playfair chats with two of the train marshals during the brief stop at Platform 2. (M. Howkins)

14/5/2007: With St Mark's Parish Church and a crowded car park behind, No.4 prepares to leave Portadown en route to Whitehead. (M. Howkins)

14/5/2007: During the stop at Belfast Central, David uses a devilishly clever gadget to check the temperature of No.4's motion. The red spot identifies where the temperature reading is being taken from. For the record, all was well. (J. Friel)

14/5/2007: With the architecture of Berkeley Deane Wise all around, No.4 pauses in Carrickfergus on the way to Whitehead Excursion station - and we were still an hour ahead of the timetable. (M. Howkins)

14/5/2007: Journey's end - safely back at Whitehead. (A. Williamson)

14/5/2007: At Whitehead, No.90 was on test after overhaul and managed a bit of shunting. (B. Robertson)

15/5/2007: On the Tuesday morning, a visit was made to Downpatrick, where the Society's own No.3 "R.H. Smyth" heads a fine rake of DCDR carriages. (A. Williamson)

15/5/2007: Tuesday afternoon saw the tour bus at Drumawhey, where a less than impressed Jonathan Beaumont samples the rolling stock. (A. Williamson)

15/5/2007: Charles Friel is at the controls of one of the trains taking visitors around the fine layout of routes. (A. Williamson)