Irish Diesel Locos: 039 Asahi Coal and Oil 1986

[@trainsinireland5063]

Lovely Footage!😃.

[@SouthernYard]

Nice footage on the now disused Claremorris to Athenry line. 039 now preserved by ITG in Downpatrick

[@paddyblaney6792]

Driver Hughie Dawson on both occasions.

[@ianghose1]

Interesting. Thats the 5'3" Irish gauge, isnt it?

[@OscarOSullivan]

It is.

[@FrankDawson-t4y]

The opening scene is near Belville Athenry where there was once a beet loading siding. Then 039 is shown in its element on the steep climb just north of Ballyglunin. A few days later 039 with the return empty service is shown with a few strays tagged on for Limerick, climbing Crumlin Bank south of Ballyglunin.The closing scene is of the northbound passing the then recently closed Tuam Sugar Factory. Dessie Gallagher Ballina was a regular driver of this service, as were Claremorris and later, Athlone drivers. On this occasion it was indeed my dad Hugh. Martin O'Mara who was one of the last Tuam drivers, and who transferred to Athlone was another regular. The traffic was rerouted via Portarlington and Athlone in May 1991 with Johnny Molloy Athlone and guard John Timlin Ballina working the last Coal&Oil north with 017. The traffic returned to the route in September 1994 following the reopening of the line for rail freight traffic to ease traffic demands on other lines on the railway network. The traffic ceased completely in November 1997 following the closure of Asahi. In final years Limerick crews were assigned to work the train. Locos 133 & 123 hauled the final empty train from Claremorris to Limerick. Asahi chemicals were never carried on this route. The acrylonitrile was routed from Dublin Port via Mullingar and later Portarlington and was worked by Connolly 2, Athlone, and Claremorris crews.