[17-8-2007] Inbound to Heuston

[Mark Gleeson]

It is interesting to note the different style of notices coming from the Southern and Western Division, actual real info

Problem is somewhere between Limerick Junc and Portlaoise

But still no notice of the charter entitlements

Travel Alerts
Cork & Limerick service delays by Corporate Communications

17th August - UPDATE 08.55Hrs

Services from Cork and Limerick to Dublin are experiencing significant delays due to a locomotive fault on the 05.15hrs service from Cork to Dublin.

Estimated delays are:

05.15hrs Cork-Dublin - 130 minutes

06.30hrs Cork-Dublin - 60 minutes

06.35hrs Limerick-Dublin - 100 minutes

07.35hrs Limerick-Dublin - 50 minutes

07.30hrs Cork-Dublin - 20 minutes

Iarnród Éireann apologises for the inconvenience caused.

[ooleary]

http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0817/train.html

Train services have been disrupted from Cork and Limerick to Dublin following an engine fault.

The fault was on the 5.15am train from Kent Station, Cork, to Heuston Station in Dublin.

It has lead to delays of to 90 minutes on trains, which left both Cork and Limerick for Dublin before 7.30am.

[comcor]

I assume we're seeing knock-on delays because of equipment and drivers being out of position?

[Mark Gleeson]

Not really since the 5:15 doesn't run the 9:00 am from Dublin and there is a spare train to cover the 10am to Cork

The Limerick services are the ones to watch for delays

[Derek Wheeler]

I was bored tonight and came across this bit of video. In it you will see the gloriously failed 5.15 ex Cork, being hauled to Dublin by its rescue locomotive.

The video claims that both locos were running and judging by the sound, it would appear to be true. Much discord was caused by this failure on the date in question, so what was the actual cause? Certainly the original loco was running and therefore the cause may lie elsewhere. Any ideas? Because we all assume that a breakdown stops the loco from moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iyfo3chaCI

[Mark Gleeson]

Sounds like a push pull control failure, the Mk4 pointy end has a reputation for short circuits in the push pull system so some of the electrical signals don't reach the locomotive so it doesn't respond. In this case suspect is wire 6. This has happened to me but we had an engineer on board who applied a temporary fix

Its quicker get the rescue locomotive than trying to swap the locomotive to the front

Strangely enough never seen or heard of Dublin Cork Mk4 service breaking down in this way, only Cork Dublin

If someone sees a Mk4 in the next few months, running on time with a locomotive either end its Irish Rail's cheap answer to the UK HST, its a test not a breakdown

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Mark Gleeson

If someone sees a Mk4 in the next few months, running on time with a locomotive either end its Irish Rail's cheap answer to the UK HST, its a test not a breakdown

Have they got clearance to change the rules to allow this?

[Mark Gleeson]

Rule forbid a second locomotive in the train under the control of a different driver, eg top and tail

Once both are controlled from the same cab its fine, note NIR did this for over ten years on the old enterprise, NIR and IE have the same rule book

[Thomas J Stamp]

Originally Posted by Derek Wheeler

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5iyfo3chaCI

If this becomes the norm then IE management should be shot.

That said would love to see the Craig Doyle ad showing this monstrosity.

FFS, stop arsing about and get the power-cars that should have been got when the CDE order went in.

[Mark Gleeson]

On paper this two locomotive setup would be able to out accelerate the proper 125mph two power car solution but limited to 100mph

Didn't take long for passengers to cop the dodgy marketing IE used