Irish cab rides, 2002

Thanks to “MIB” for these epic cabbing tales

Monday 15 April 2002

I had done 187 on the 1710 Limerick Junction into Limerick on 2 cravens and a van vice the three piece push pull. Much to my pleasure 157 + 129 dropped onto the other end to form the 1755 to the Junction and 1833 return. 

Back in Limerick I was not surprised to see 155 + 187 in the bay waiting to go to Ennis as this was obviously the reason why the mixed pair took over from 187. What I didn’t expect was the mixed pair to shunt release and drop onto the 1930 giving me a bit of a dilemma, as the Ennis pair were a new pairing but it’s not everyday that the 1930 shuttle is a pair. I hadn’t had a pair on the 1930 since 130 + 166 in October 1995. 

155 and 187 awaiting the Ennis at Limerick on April 15th 2002

My mind and dithering was decided for me when the driver of the 1930 invited me to join him in 157 + 129 for the Junction run. I could hardly decline even though the mixed pair were both dud for cabbing. However, St Blazey turned down the cab ride for his winner to Ennis. I suppose if you are a driver than cab rides don’t bother you.

A mixed pair on the 1930 Limerick – Limerick Junction shuttle with 157 and 129 on April 15th 2002

At the Junction the driver went for his brew in the staff hideaway as I wrote up my notes in the sizzling cravens. The others did the gratuitous violence move to Thurles and back as a fill-in but in no time at all the hour had passed and I rejoined the driver in the cab of 129 for the 2128 return. Half way back and the speedo died on 129 so the driver decided he would have to request fresh power for the 2240 but this decision had already been made for us although we did not know it. 

On arrival back early into Limerick 183 was about to shunt the Ennis stock to release 155 + 187 from the blocks. As the driver knew they would be my 136th pairing he ejected the shed man from the babies as we jumped off 129 straight onto the running board of 155. We took this pair onto the shed and the driver asked to have the pair on the 2240 Junction working but permission was refused as 189 was allocated to the train so I had to make do with insect mileage for my new pairing. 

We hopped on 189 and returned to the station to drop onto the stock releasing the mixed pair for fitter’s attention. At least 189 was required for cabbing. The driver accompanied me to the burger bar across the road and bought my food and drink that was very admirable of him and much appreciated. I took my fodder back to Mrs Murphy’s and told her not to lock up, as I would be in later than expected.

189 at Limerick with the 2240 to the Junction on April 15th 2002

I returned to the station and photted 189 on the 2240 being my 62nd shot of the day, possibly a new record. Again I was called into the cab as Suty looked on impressed as to how I do it and just before departure St Blazey arrived and he was also invited up and this time he didn’t refuse. I sat back and relaxed and let the two drivers compare notes as to how things are done in our two countries. It all sounded fascinating but somebody had to keep an eye on the track ahead!

As I had told everyone who had been prepared to listen I had a hunch 167 would be on the 1935 from Rosslare and it was as we crossed at Dromkeen. At the Junction we ran round and left on time with the 2320 and we were informed all of the line to Limerick will be doubled in due course and not before time. Hardly any time seemed to elapse before we were rolling into platform 3 and we said goodbye to St Blazey who went for some z’s, as my next move was to walk across the tracks to the Freightliner terminal.

Thursday 12 December 2002

Once again 169 sat on the 0800 to Mallow as a whimpering mess displaced 145 on the Mallow empties. The 0705 was rank as the front two coaches were shrouded in mist and the whole of the third coach was reserved for school brats. Much to my chagrin the dirty 078 was on our 36 beet empties again. We left early again with a bit of wheelslip as we crossed onto the mainline and the driver wound me up by saying he had 129 + 177 on this train on Monday. Par for the course I thought. The one-day I’m not on it the train is a pair and the three days I do it I’m bullied out.

078 at Carrick-on-Suir with the 0800 Waterford – Mallow V558 beet train on December 12th 2002

It was a good unchecked run again to the Junction and once again my driver unhooked 078 from the train rather than wait for the shunter and we had already run round by the time he appeared. We were so early we had gone long before the 0825 from Limerick had appeared. I was given the privilege of having a quick blast at being the driver for the Milltown Crossing to Tipperary section. We had an adverse signal on the approach to Tipp and I applied the brake too hard and early and we stopped well short of the signal on a bend. I don’t think my mate was too impressed but I was quick to remark that he had stalled 078 yesterday. It took a while for all the brakes to be released and the driver regained the controls for the token exchange at the station. We had to come to a stop anyway as the gates were shut on us as I returned to exchanging tokens being my usual role in the cab.

We very nearly killed a black and ginger cat near Cahir but 078 just avoided cat killer status. It was a very dull morning and by the time we reached Clonmel it was raining and the light was too dismal at Carrick for a photo of the bully pulling away after I had been dropped off. She certainly made a fine racket as the wheels continually slipped as the train disappeared out of sight round the bend. It was time to get another breakfast but this time I had to get wet walking from the station. The café woman was withered to see me for the third day in a row as I cleaned myself up first before tucking into my fry up. I rang my mate and he told me he had just arrived into Sally yard as he had been held outside and that our loaded beet was not there yet. He told me there was a mixed pair on the 1134 Limerick cement so I deduced these to be 129 + 177 after doing the 0335 from Limerick.

After another cup of coffee I returned to Carrick station and went to the far end of the platform to phot the cements passing through in the rain. I was there just 5 minutes and I could see the high level headlight of the 121 through the trees. With the camera pressed to my face I nearly missed taking the phot because it was 129 + 177 but the wagons were beets and not tubbies! He’d been pulling my leg that they were doing the cements because I had told him not to return without a pair. They had been swapped back over from cements to beet not that I was complaining as they became my fourth this week. 177 was required for the year and both would be scored for track from the Junction to Mallow.

129 and 177 with the beet train from Waterford at Carrick, December 12th 2002

The rain continued to fall but I didn’t care as I had got what I wanted and it’s not often I can say that. I could thank 135 for that as it was playing up again with 167 so the two mixed pairs swapped diagrams with 135 + 167 working to Limerick on the cements so it could receive fitter’s attention. As we had got the path in front of the 1134 Limerick cement we now had a clear run to Tipperary so again there would be no refreshment stop at Clonmel. This mixed pair was better than Tuesday’s and they needed to be on the uphill slog from Clonmel on wet rails. 121’s are not conducive to conversations with the controls in the middle of the cab so I found myself often standing up to converse. With the low bonnets of the 121 you have an unobstructed view of the clag behind you.

177 and 129 their trip over, rest in the bay at Mallow on December 12th 2002

There was another scenario for our Cork driver on the diagram behind us as he had to wait for his engine to appear from the factory and the 1045 Cork to Heuston was delayed by 20 minutes in front of him through a door fault in keeping with the bad timekeeping experienced all week. This all meant that by the time he got to Tipperary he had to wait for us to clear the section. We took delight in sending him a message over the radio criticising him for swapping turns and I was well pleased when we reached Tipp to see his luck had further run out by having 076 light engine thereby making it 3 each for pairs. We had no impediment to thwart our progress at the Junction as we reversed into the station and a speedy run round had us pulling away in the rather basic cab of 177 that didn’t even have leather arm rests on the second man’s side.

Once again the Cork to North Wall cement went by with a brick for the third day running so that’s one way to utilise the spare CoCo the clowns at Cork. Running not far behind was 147 light engine with a Cork crew. At Mallow a different shunter to the day before greeted us as we again made our way to the beet factory. Today the rats were scurrying around gnawing at the spilt beet littering the track at the factory entrance as we deposited our train and climbed back into the cab of 129 for the light engine move back to Mallow. Today we first went into the recess siding and then dropped into the bay. I said my farewells and gave my thanks to the driver as I wanted to do something different the following day before he got a lift from the shunter to his relations. The same beet services were ridden on all three days V558 for V561 and the same loadings.

We were so early that I had to fester in the waiting room for the 1455 Cork to Tralee to arrive and today it produced 169 so I thought I might as well do the same move as yesterday. My fester turned out to be rather longer than I had anticipated as River Suir on the 1320 Heuston to Cork was running a disgraceful 40 minutes late. Whilst the cravens stock was ex-works and looked good from the outside it was a shame the heating was woefully ineffective. Again I found myself at Banteer at 1655 and arriving into Killarney at 1740 which didn’t seem credible but my blind luck failed me today as rotten 228 was poised to snare me on the 1831 so it was either that or the bus back to Cork. I should have perhaps gone to cover the Rosslare but I expected 148 to be on that and either 145 or 190 on one of the Kerry diagrams hence my decision to do 169.

Many more cab ride tales to follow, thanks again to MIB for the text and phots..