Dates 2004

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Train Dates for 2004.

(Note: Belfast YR = Belfast York Road; Belfast CSD = Belfast Central Services Depot; Belfast GVS = Belfast Great Victoria Street; ECS = Empty Coaching Stock; LE = Light Engine; GM = Railway company diesel locomotive; Whitehead generally means the RPSI's own Whitehead Excursion Station.)

Dates Page

Date Train/Operation Loco Itinerary/Route Special Notes
18/01
 First Steaming
186
 Whitehead First time in steam since 5 July 1980.
20/03
 Marble City
4
 Dublin Heuston - Kilkenny - Thomastown & return Engine turned on the Lavistown triangle.
09/04
 Good Friday Special
4
 Dublin Connolly - Mullingar & return  
12/04
 Easter Bunny
186
 Whitehead train rides  
14/04
 Clearance Run
85
 Whitehead - Belfast GVS - Bangor - Belfast GVS - Whitehead 4 Cravens picked up at GVS to gauge the Bangor line.
17/04
 Public Charter
85
 LE: Whitehead - Lisburn
ECS: Lisburn - Belfast Central
Belfast Central -Bangor - Lisburn - Bangor - Lisburn - Bangor - Belfast Central
ECS: Belfast Central - Belfast YR
LE: Belfast YR - Whitehead		 Titanic Festival .
The train operated with Cravens, picked up at Lisburn. Tickets sold from Central, but operated to Lisburn for water and run round.
All trains called at Cultra.
18/04
 Titanic Festival
85
 LE: Whitehead - Belfast YR
ECS: Belfast YR - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Cultra - Bangor & return (x2)		 All trains called at Cultra.
01/05
 Clearance Run
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Ballymena - Belfast Central - Whitehead Acceptance trials for 5 Mk2 coaches.
01/05
 Sea Breeze
4
 Dublin Connolly - Wexford - Rosslare Harbour & return  
02/05
 Clearance Run
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Bangor - Newry - Whitehead Acceptance trials for 5 Mk2 coaches.
08/05
 Slieve Kimalta
4
 Dublin - Connolly - Limerick Junction - Ballybrophy - Nenagh - Limerick  
09/05
 Slieve Kimalta
4
 Limerick - Limerick Junction - Dublin Connolly - Dundalk - Dublin Connolly Railcar connection from Dundalk to Belfast as Cravens had to return to Dublin and then Sligo.
10/05
 Slieve Kimalta
85
 LE: Whitehead - Dundalk
Dundalk - Bangor - Belfast Central - Whitehead - Belfast Central
LE: Belfast Central - Whitehead		 Railcar connection from GVS to Dundalk. No.85 picked up Cravens in Dundalk as RPSI Mk2 set not yet passed for traffic.
01/06
 Private Charter
Diesel
 Dublin Connolly - Arklow & return Charter for Institute of Railway Signal Engineers. No steam drivers available so 9 coach train (included 351) hauled by GMs 187 and 124.
06/06
 Approval Run
85
 85 LE: Whitehead - Carrickfergus - Whitehead
Whitehead - Belfast YR - Whitehead		 Acceptance trials for 5 Mk2 coaches. Brakes, lighting endurance and diesel recovery testing.
18/06
 Steam & Jazz
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Ballymena - Belfast Central - Whitehead First public operation with Mk2 coaches.
19/06
 Public Charter
4
 Dublin Heuston - Tullamore - Clara (x3) & return Tullamore 150 charter by Irish Rail.
20/06
 Clearance Run
85, 186
 186 LE: Whitehead - Carrickfergus - Whitehead
85: Whitehead - Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Castlerock - Belfast Central - Whitehead		 First running-in trip for No.186.
Mk2 approval run to Portrush and Castlerock.
25/06
 Steam & Jazz
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Carrickfergus - Lisburn - Belfast Central - Whitehead  
26/06
 Mid-Summer Night's Steam
4
 Dublin Connolly - Mullingar & return  
27/06
 Summer Steam
3BG
 Whitehead train rides  
03/07
 Engine Transfer
4, 85
 85: Whitehead - Dublin Connolly
4: Dublin Connolly - Whitehead		  
04/07
 Clearance Run
4, 186
 186: Whitehead - Carrickfergus - Whitehead
4: Whitehead - Carrickfergus - Whitehead
4 LE: Whitehead - Belfast GVS - Bangor - Lisburn - Belfast Central - Whitehead		 Approval testing for both locomotives, and track access for No.4.
22/07
 No.186 Launch
186
 Whitehead No.186 officially launched by Translink Chief Executive, Keith Moffatt.
24/07
 Northern Enterprise
85
 85: Dublin Connolly - Belfast central & return Train didn't operate to Whitehead as normal as IR Mk2s were used - not approved for Larne line.
25/07
 Engine Transfer
85
 Dublin Connolly - Whitehead No.85 moved to Whitehead to operate "Portrush Flyer" as No.4 had yet to be accepted by NIR approval process.
25/07
 Summer Steam
186
 Whitehead train rides  
31/07
 Portrush Flyer
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Portrush - Ballymoney - Portrush - Belfast Central - Whitehead  
01/08
 Clearance Run
4
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Londonderry - Portrush - Coleraine Due to late running, out of driver hours (11) so engine stabled in Coleraine.
01/08
 Open Day
186
 Whitehead train rides  
05/08
 Clearance Run
4
 Coleraine - Belfast YR - Whitehead  
06/08
 Engine Transfer
85
 Whitehead - Belfast GVS - Whitehead Light engine trip to turn for following day's Flyer.
07/08
 Portrush Flyer
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Portrush - Coleraine - Portrush - Belfast Central - Whitehead Changed timings for driver hours led to Coleraine-only light engine to turn.
15/08
 Clearance Run
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Lisburn - Bangor - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Lisburn - Bangor - Belfast Central - Whitehead		 The empty carriages trip was a clearance run.
First passenger-carrying run since 5th July 1980.
16/08
 Engine Transfer
85
 Whitehead - Dublin Connolly  
21/08
 Portrush Flyer
4
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Portrush - Ballymoney - Portrush - Belfast Central - Whitehead  
21/08
 Sláinte
85
 Dublin Heuston - Cork 5 Cravens plus van.
22/08
 Sláinte
85
 Cork - Dublin Heuston 5 Cravens plus van.
28/08
 Bangor Belle
186
 Whitehead - Lisburn - Bangor - Lisburn - Bangor - Belfast Central - Whitehead All trains called at Cultra and Belfast Central.
02/09
 Thursday Excursion
4, 85
 85: Dublin Connolly - Belfast Central - Whitehead
4: Whitehead - Belfast central - Dublin Connolly		 Craven used.
12/09
 European Heritage Open Day
3BG, 186
 Whitehead train rides & site tours  
17/09
 Stock Movement
4
 Inchicore - Grand Canal Dock 4 (out of steam) and coaches towed by diesel.
19/09
 Bray 150
4
 Dublin Pearse - Bray - Wicklow - Bray - Wicklow - Bray - Wicklow - Bray - Dublin Pearse  
20/09
 Stock Movement
4
 Grand Canal Dock - Inchicore 4 (out of steam) and coaches towed by diesel.
26/09
 Causeway Express
85
 Whitehead - Belfast - Coleraine - Portrush & return Coach connection from Coleraine to Giant's Causeway.
29/09
 Empty Carriages
186
 Whitehead - Lisburn - Adelaide Position of train for 2nd October as Larne line closed for engineering on that date.
02/10
 40th Anniversary Special
186
 Adelaide - Lisburn - Belfast Central - Lisburn - Belfast Central - Cultra - Bangor - Cultra - Belfast Central - Lisburn - Adelaide Connection into 40th Anniversary dinner at UFTM.
06/10
 Clearance Run
186
 Adelaide - Lisburn - Crumlin - Lisburn - Belfast GVS - Whitehead Return from Adelaide - opportunity for some gauging of the Mk2 coaches.
31/10
 Broomstick Belle
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return (x2)
Belfast Central - Lisburn & return
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		  
27/11
 Santa Special
85
 Whitehead - Belfast Central - Coleraine & return
Coleraine - Ballymoney & return
Coleraine - Castlerock & return		 Billed as No.85's last run before expiry of current boiler certificate.
04/12
 Santa Special
4
 Dublin Pearse - Maynooth & return (x3)  
05/12
 Santa Special
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return (x2)
Belfast Central - Lisburn & return
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		  
05/12
 Santa Special
4
 Dublin Pearse - Maynooth & return (x3)  
11/12
 Santa Special
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return (x2)
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		  
11/12
 Santa Special
4
 Dublin Pearse - Maynooth & return (x3)  
12/12
 Santa Special
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return (x2)
Belfast Central - Lisburn & return
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		  
12/12
 Santa Special
4
 Dublin Pearse - Maynooth & return (x3)  
18/12
 Santa Special
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return (x2)
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		  
18/12
 Santa Special
4
 Dublin Pearse - Maynooth & return (x3)  
19/12
 Santa Special
186
 ECS: Whitehead - Belfast Central
Belfast Central - Whitehead & return
Belfast Central - Carrickfergus & return
Belfast Central - Lisburn & return
ECS: Belfast Central - Whitehead		 Due to a signal failure at Whitehead the second special ran only to Carrickfergus.