The "Eagle" has landed: “The Hunslet Farewell” railtour.
12th August 2019
"The Hunslet Farewell" Railtour.
Saturday 21st April 1990.
50 years after the first moon landing I look back and remember my own “Eagle” landing, far away from any sea of tranquillity.
Above: Tranquillity at the end of the line? No. 101 ”Eagle” has arrived at Londonderry.
My first Irish railtour was "The Hunslet Farewell", run to mark the end of main line running for the small and unique 101 Class locomotives, built for Hunslet under contract by BREL Doncaster in 1970. With just three built, these 1350hp locomotives, powered by an English Electric 8CSVT power plant, were destined to operate the revamped "Enterprise Express" service between Belfast and Dublin using BR-style Mark II coaches. They were all adorned with names once used on preceding steam locomotives: Eagle, Falcon and Merlin. From my recollections, by the time of my visit for this tour possibly only two were still in service and their time was almost up. They were short in stature, and characterful engines, and I wanted to see at least one in service. This tour presented the perfect opportunity.
The tour for me actually started in Devon, taking a late-afternoon service train up to Waterloo, and a tube train to London Euston, and then the evening "Irish Mail" to Holyhead to catch the Dun Laoghaire ferry. It all seems a blur now but I do remember being sat in subdued lighting on the "Irish Mail", fitfully sleeping in the crowded train and wondering why on earth they had not kept sleeper coaches on this route. Arrival in the early hours at Holyhead and a blurry-eyed transfer onto the ferry "St. Columba" was followed by a very comfortable reclining seat in the first class area, complete with complimentary tea, coffee and snacks. Don't ask me how I ended up in there, I'm sure I didn't pay for first class, but it did make up for the uncomfortable train journey from London. By the time we arrived in Ireland I found my “second wind”, the weather was bright and sunny, and prospects were good for a grand day out!
111 Class no. 113 "Belfast & County Down" brought our tour train of 7 coaches in from Bray and we left on time, heading for Dublin and points north. However, somewhere north of Howth Junction the train hit a tree, and after a long, long wait we limped to Malahide, where a damaged coach was removed from the train. Then there was a reported security alert (this was still at the time of the "troubles"), so further delays ensued before we made a late arrival at Lisburn. Here a replacement coach was added, no. 113 was taken off the train and no. 111 "Great Northern" added, and we departed around 80 minutes behind schedule.
On to Coleraine, where at last our Hunslet locomotive was waiting to meet us. Which one? Well, no. 111 was removed, and low and behold no. 101 "Eagle" backed on to the stock for the onward leg to Londonderry. This was the highlight of the day, and our engine galloped across country to the end of the line.
Above: Cleared for take off! Our train rushes across the runway at Ballykelly.
One part of the route that I definitely did not want to miss was the crossing of the runway at what was once RAF Ballykelly, now closed, but still intact. I poised myself at a vestibule window in anticipation, camera in hand. Famously this location had a signal box controlling both trains and planes. I still can't quite work out in my mind how on earth that worked safely but nevertheless it did seem a rather typically eccentric and unique arrangement for Ireland. How very odd to see our train scoot across the runway! Nothing like it anywhere else to my knowledge.
Above:”Eagle” and the River Foyle.
Arrival into Londonderry was at 13.41, nearly one and a half hours late. A 40-minute turnaround and we were out of town! Bye bye Derry City!
Above: “Eagle” runs around the stock at Londonderry.
Above: Close-up of the cab of no. 101. The large headlight wasa distinctive feature of these locos.
Above: No. 101 "Eagle" manoeuvres the empty coaching stock at Londonderry.
Because of all of the problems our planned visit to the Portrush branch on the return journey was cancelled (the railtour was going to form a replacement for the service train!) so we headed on to Belfast Central behind no. 101 "Eagle", a bonus as I don't think that was the original plan. Extra mileage for no extra cost.
Above: Service train and railtour combined at Belfast Central. Northern Ireland Railways 111 Class locomotives nos. 111 "Great Northern" and 113 "Belfast & County Down" are multi-ed up for a historic run to the Republic.
Belfast was reached 40 minutes down, but departure was on time, this time behind a pair of 111 Class locos, nos. 111 and 113, the first time these engines had ever worked in multiple on a passenger train. What had actually happened was that our train had been combined with a service train, hence the two locos, and the load was now 12 coaches. No. 111 was removed at Dundalk and the train terminated at Dublin Connolly behind no. 113 just 10 minutes late, the rest of us having to take a Dart EMU to Dun Laoghaire and the return ferry crossing on board "St. Columba".
Above: no. 113 and the combined service train and tour at Dublin Connolly.
I can't remember much about the rest of the journey home, and wonder now how I did it as there would not have been time to get back that night, so I presume that it was by a return overnight train to London and a morning train home to Devon. What I do remember was a great day out on a rail network unfamiliar to me, with plenty of twists and turns but ultimately a successful trip.
No. 101 "Eagle" did not make it in the end, being used as a source of spares to help with the restoration of no. 102 "Falcon" and a return to service. That never came about in the end and “Falcon” was eventually preserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra. It doesn't operate, it's just a static exhibit.
Ultimately "Eagle" was scrapped, in 2010, 20 years after this wonderful and memorable day out.
Saturday 21st April 1990.
50 years after the first moon landing I look back and remember my own “Eagle” landing, far away from any sea of tranquillity.
Above: Tranquillity at the end of the line? No. 101 ”Eagle” has arrived at Londonderry.
My first Irish railtour was "The Hunslet Farewell", run to mark the end of main line running for the small and unique 101 Class locomotives, built for Hunslet under contract by BREL Doncaster in 1970. With just three built, these 1350hp locomotives, powered by an English Electric 8CSVT power plant, were destined to operate the revamped "Enterprise Express" service between Belfast and Dublin using BR-style Mark II coaches. They were all adorned with names once used on preceding steam locomotives: Eagle, Falcon and Merlin. From my recollections, by the time of my visit for this tour possibly only two were still in service and their time was almost up. They were short in stature, and characterful engines, and I wanted to see at least one in service. This tour presented the perfect opportunity.
The tour for me actually started in Devon, taking a late-afternoon service train up to Waterloo, and a tube train to London Euston, and then the evening "Irish Mail" to Holyhead to catch the Dun Laoghaire ferry. It all seems a blur now but I do remember being sat in subdued lighting on the "Irish Mail", fitfully sleeping in the crowded train and wondering why on earth they had not kept sleeper coaches on this route. Arrival in the early hours at Holyhead and a blurry-eyed transfer onto the ferry "St. Columba" was followed by a very comfortable reclining seat in the first class area, complete with complimentary tea, coffee and snacks. Don't ask me how I ended up in there, I'm sure I didn't pay for first class, but it did make up for the uncomfortable train journey from London. By the time we arrived in Ireland I found my “second wind”, the weather was bright and sunny, and prospects were good for a grand day out!
111 Class no. 113 "Belfast & County Down" brought our tour train of 7 coaches in from Bray and we left on time, heading for Dublin and points north. However, somewhere north of Howth Junction the train hit a tree, and after a long, long wait we limped to Malahide, where a damaged coach was removed from the train. Then there was a reported security alert (this was still at the time of the "troubles"), so further delays ensued before we made a late arrival at Lisburn. Here a replacement coach was added, no. 113 was taken off the train and no. 111 "Great Northern" added, and we departed around 80 minutes behind schedule.
On to Coleraine, where at last our Hunslet locomotive was waiting to meet us. Which one? Well, no. 111 was removed, and low and behold no. 101 "Eagle" backed on to the stock for the onward leg to Londonderry. This was the highlight of the day, and our engine galloped across country to the end of the line.
Above: Cleared for take off! Our train rushes across the runway at Ballykelly.
One part of the route that I definitely did not want to miss was the crossing of the runway at what was once RAF Ballykelly, now closed, but still intact. I poised myself at a vestibule window in anticipation, camera in hand. Famously this location had a signal box controlling both trains and planes. I still can't quite work out in my mind how on earth that worked safely but nevertheless it did seem a rather typically eccentric and unique arrangement for Ireland. How very odd to see our train scoot across the runway! Nothing like it anywhere else to my knowledge.
Above:”Eagle” and the River Foyle.
Arrival into Londonderry was at 13.41, nearly one and a half hours late. A 40-minute turnaround and we were out of town! Bye bye Derry City!
Above: “Eagle” runs around the stock at Londonderry.
Above: Close-up of the cab of no. 101. The large headlight wasa distinctive feature of these locos.
Above: No. 101 "Eagle" manoeuvres the empty coaching stock at Londonderry.
Because of all of the problems our planned visit to the Portrush branch on the return journey was cancelled (the railtour was going to form a replacement for the service train!) so we headed on to Belfast Central behind no. 101 "Eagle", a bonus as I don't think that was the original plan. Extra mileage for no extra cost.
Above: Service train and railtour combined at Belfast Central. Northern Ireland Railways 111 Class locomotives nos. 111 "Great Northern" and 113 "Belfast & County Down" are multi-ed up for a historic run to the Republic.
Belfast was reached 40 minutes down, but departure was on time, this time behind a pair of 111 Class locos, nos. 111 and 113, the first time these engines had ever worked in multiple on a passenger train. What had actually happened was that our train had been combined with a service train, hence the two locos, and the load was now 12 coaches. No. 111 was removed at Dundalk and the train terminated at Dublin Connolly behind no. 113 just 10 minutes late, the rest of us having to take a Dart EMU to Dun Laoghaire and the return ferry crossing on board "St. Columba".
Above: no. 113 and the combined service train and tour at Dublin Connolly.
I can't remember much about the rest of the journey home, and wonder now how I did it as there would not have been time to get back that night, so I presume that it was by a return overnight train to London and a morning train home to Devon. What I do remember was a great day out on a rail network unfamiliar to me, with plenty of twists and turns but ultimately a successful trip.
No. 101 "Eagle" did not make it in the end, being used as a source of spares to help with the restoration of no. 102 "Falcon" and a return to service. That never came about in the end and “Falcon” was eventually preserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra. It doesn't operate, it's just a static exhibit.
Ultimately "Eagle" was scrapped, in 2010, 20 years after this wonderful and memorable day out.