Cravens, Mk2, Mk3 & Mk3 Push/Pull stock on passenger workings in Sth Kilkenny (Mar - Apr '97)

Irish Rail's General Motors built 071 & 201 class locos hauling BREL Mark 2, Mark 3 & Mark 3 Push/Pull stock on Dublin Heuston - Waterford - Dublin Heuston passenger services in the Thomastown, Bennettsbridge & Lavistown areas of Co. Kilkenny between March & April of 1997. 141 class no. 147 also makes an appearance on a permanent way working.
1: 215 "River Avonmore" on a Dublin bound service passing south of the former Bennettsbridge Station
2: Mk3 Push/Pull set 6105 with a 201 propelling on a Waterford bound service passing Killarney Crossing (0:27​)
3: 229 "River Maine" & Cravens stock with "Dutch" van on a Dublin bound service crossing Thomastown Viaduct (0:47​)
4: 147 on a southbound PW working crossing Thomastown Viaduct (1:16​)
5: 215 "River Avonmore" & Cravens stock with "Dutch" van on a Waterford bound service @ Thomastown Station (1:50​)
6: The return service passing Killarney Crossing (3:17​)
7: 225 "River Deel" & Mk2 stock on a Dublin bound service passing south of the former Bennettsbridge Station (3:30​)
8: 211 "River Suck" & Mk3 stock on a Waterford bound service passing Kilbline Bridge (4:07)
9: 227 "River Laune" & Mk3 stock on a Dublin bound service @ Lavistown Junction (4:32​)
10: Mk3 Push/Pull set 6105 with a 201 propelling on a Waterford bound service passing the former Bennetsbridge Station (5:12)
11: 202 "River Lee" & Mk3 stock on a Waterford bound service passing the former Bennetsbridge Station (5:39​)
12: 203 "River Corrib" & Mk2 stock on a Waterford bound service passing the former Bennetsbridge Station (6:11)
13: 071 class & Mk2 stock on a Dublin bound service passing Killarney Bridge (6:33​)
14: Mk3 Push/Pull set 6101 with a 201 propelling on a Waterford bound service passing Killarney Bridge (7:00​)
15: 215 "River Avonmore" & Mk2 stock on a Waterford bound service passing Kilbline Crossing (7:26)
16: 223 "River Anner" & Mk2 stock on a Dublin bound service passing Kilbline Crossing (7:50)
17: Mk3 Push/Pull set 6101 with 218 "River Garavogue" propelling on a Waterford bound service passing Kilbline Bridge (8:05)
18: 082 & Mk2 stock on a Dublin bound service passing Kilbline Crossing (8:31)

[@trainsinireland5063]

Lovely Scenes you Filmed from the Good Years Danny!😃.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Thanks Alan

[@gerlingus1812]

these sure were the good old days my good friend

[@TheIrishMainline]

It was a golden age Ger and we didn't even know it.

[@scuderia2000]

Great to see the 201s at work, I must say I really miss the sound of the row of 201s and 071s idling that used fill the shed at Heuston at rush hour.

[@HSTHoward]

Great footage! Love the jointed track at speed

[@TheIrishMainline]

Cheers Howard 👍

[@Timstravels01]

Fabulous to view and listen to as always.

[@TheIrishMainline]

Thanks for watching Tim, appreciated.

[@patcoen1113]

Apart from one covid 201 down the Sligo line for weight tests on brides and another being towed, I never saw another one on the Sligo line. I collected my sister at Castlebar where her friends were getting a train to Dublin on a cravens train hauled buy a 201 in March-1996. #

[@TheIrishMainline]

You were blessed you didn't have them Pat. Never liked them from the first day I clapped eyes on them, no character whatsoever. Was a big comedown from the 71s and baby GMs.

[@patcoen1113]

@@TheIrishMainline They still had their own unique sound in the early days like brake cylinders? hissing regularly and an even higher whine than the 071s. My first trip behind a 201 was on "The Radio Train" to Killarney behind No 222, in 1995. 1995 was the year that the double headed 121's or 121/141 or 181s?: locos were taken over by 071's. You could nearly hear them climbing upthe Kilfree bank, from Boyle, and coasting not far past the back of our house and a good few miles again towards Ballymote. A sadly deceased neighbor of mine told me that she knew the times of the day with the 071/mk2 trains passing. She said that she could never hear the 22,000s.

[@TheIrishMainline]

@@patcoen1113 They were different alright but I just couldn't warm to them (and still haven't tbh). At full pelt they could fairly scream but I preferred the thump of the 71s. Mind you in the short time a couple had their silencers removed they sounded much better but that experiment didn't last long unfortunately. My secondary school was directly next to the line near Legan bridge and classes would often pause as the roar of a 71 or baby GM/121 passed by. Not the case nowadays...

[@joeykn9014]

Musicalably enjoyable as always dan 😊

[@TheIrishMainline]

Thanks Joe, the way we like it.

[@stephenh4965]

Lovely footage Danno back when real trains ruled

[@TheIrishMainline]

Thanks Ste 👍

[@irelandbloke]

Great video Danny. It makes the 22000 class ICRs look soooo boring in comparison :)

[@TheIrishMainline]

Night and day Rob, I don't even refer to icrs as trains, they're just glorified buses on rails!

[@irelandbloke]

@@TheIrishMainline LOL true enough 😁

[@AndreiTupolev]

A 201 class on Cravens stock is something I've only ever seen on specials. Also I think that's the first time I've seen a Mk 3 Push pull set actually working in push mode

[@TheIrishMainline]

They didn't show up very often in this combo on passenger workings. The short set in these clips was due to engineering works between Kilkenny and Bagenalstown where bus transfers were in place at the time. Push/Pull operation became more of a common occurrence in the late 90s and early 2000s on the line due to the time saved on runarounds at Kilkenny.

[@emeraldislevideography4484]

Great footage Danny! Hope your doing well!

[@TheIrishMainline]

Cheers Adam. I'm not too bad thanks, kept busy with these old tapes.