Various (1990-2009)

Various views of Society trains and locomotives.

1990s: No.461's black paintwork glistens in the sun on Inchicore turntable. (B. Carse)

6/4/1991: 2-6-0 No.461 with a well filled firebox(!) departing Killucan station. (B. Pickup)

13/6/1992: No.461 on a Royal Canal Festival train climbing through Liffey Junction. (R. Joanes)

13/6/1992: No.461 with a Royal Canal Festival train, returning from Enfield, is waiting for a Sligo train to cross at Maynooth. (R. Joanes)

14/2/1993: No.171 at Bridgend, hauling No.800 "Maedhbh" and No.74 "Dunluce Castle" from Central to the rail gallery at Cultra. An NIR GM is acting as brake at the rear. (P. Dunne)

14/2/1993: No.171, No.800 and No.74 pass Central Services Depot. (P. Dunne)

14/2/1993: No.171 hauling No.800 and No.74, plus NIR diesel, through Holywood. The crowds were massive all along the route.

31/7/1993: No.171 having her smoke box cleaned at platform 3 at Portrush. (I. Smyth)

11/9/1994: Greystone Shuttle - Wearing the 30th Anniversary headboard, No.461 is ready to depart Dublin Connolly. (D. Humphries)

17/9/1994: No.171 worked the "Atlantic Coast Express" to York Road. While it turned, No.85 propelled the coaches into Yorkgate after which No.171 coupled on front. This was the last steam departure from Yorkgate as a terminal station. (J.A. Cassells)

17/9/1994: No.171 and No.85 pass Bleach Green Junction with the Atlantic Coast Express. (C.P. Friel)

17/9/1994: Later the return journey saw the double-headed No.85 and No.171 at Ballymena. (J.A. Cassells)

16/9/1995: No.171 during a water stop at Ballymena on a return “Atlantic Coast Express” from Derry. In GNR black and bereft of its name for the 'Michael Collins' film. (S. Martin)

1/10/1995: The Phoenix - No.85 has arrived in Great Victoria Street for the first time in many years. This tour celebrated the re-opening of the station.

1/10/1995: The Phoenix - No.85 backs its train out of GVS. (W. Johnston)

1/10/1995: The Phoenix - No.85 running around its train in the newly re-opened Great Victoria Street.

30/6/1996: No.171 in 'Michael Collins' film livery, leaving Heuston on an Irish Rail race charter to the Curragh. (B. Pickup)

30/6/1996: No.171, on the return Irish Rail race charter, waiting in the middle road at Kildare. (J.A. Cassells)

30/3/1996 (probably): No.171 "Slieve Gullion", in the black livery applied for the "Michael Collins" film, passes Craigavad. (C.P. Friel)

20/3/1997: Two weeks of driver training were run between Connolly and Mullingar. No.171 is arriving at Mullingar and is signalled into the Down Galway platform. (R. Newman)

February 2001: No.4 nears the end of her extensive 10 year overhaul. She is seen here in the RPSI's locomotive workshop at Whitehead. (P. Lockett)

9/6/2001: A special was operated from Belfast GVS to Antrim and return to mark the re-opening of the line from Bleach Green to Antrim and the new Mossley West station. (J. Tilly)

9/6/2001: No.4 and train call at Mossley West on the return from Antrim. (J. Tilly)

An interior view of the RPSI's restored TPO (Travelling Post Office) carriage. (B. Pickup)

21/4/2002: A spotless No.171 runs through Sidney Parade with the Greystones Shuttle. (B. Pickup)

16/4/2003: Driver Tony Renehan chats to the footplate team on No.4. The train is at Killucan during a week of driver training runs between Enfield and Mullingar. (B. Pickup)

21/6/2003: No.4 at MP34¼ (Canal Bridge east of Hill of Down) with the "Midsummer Steam" train. (B. Pickup)

28/6/2003: No.4 and 9 Cravens at MP 25 (near Gormanston) on the "Northern Enterprise". (B. Pickup)

28/6/2003: No.4 and 9 Cravens at the site of the former Castlebellingham station, beside the M1. The train is the "Northern Enterprise". (B. Pickup)

28/6/2003: No.4 and 9 Cravens climbing the 1 in 100 bank out of Dundalk past Mount Pleasant (MP 58¾) on the Northern Enterprise. The photographer was able to hear No.4 a good five minutes before it appeared! (B. Pickup)

28/6/2003: No.85 and 9 cravens in Platform 4 at Dublin Connolly having arrived on the return leg of the Northern Enterprise. (B. Pickup)

23/8/2003: No.85 easing away from Drogheda on the northbound leg of the Northern Enterprise. (D. Reddy)

23/8/2003: No.85 at Drumbanagher on the southbound leg of the Northern Enterprise. (N. Slocombe)

23/8/2003: No.85 at Drogheda heading south with the Northern Enterprise. (P. Cox)

1/5/2004: No.85 captured with the first test run (of many) of the newly-acquired Mk2 carriages, here seen near Antrim. (U. McLeery)

4/7/2004: One of the few movements that the public don't see - No.85 sneaks southwards light engine through Lambeg. (M. Walsh)

22/7/2004: No.186 was formally returned to traffic with a press launch at Whitehead. Here the locomotive basks in the glory having broken through the launch ribbon. (Belfast Telegraph)

24/7/2004: No.85 at Dromin on the Northern Enterprise. (N. Slocombe)

24/7/2004: No.186 was being steam tested at Whitehead as the passengers off the Northern Enterprise look on. The 80-class DEMU had brought passengers from Belfast Central. (B. Pickup)

15/8/2004: On its first visit to the Bangor branch since overhaul, No.186 is cruising through Sydenham. (M. Stevenson)

15/8/2004: Later on the same day, No.186 takes water at Lisburn, before backing on to the RPSI's Mk2 carriage set. (M. Walsh)

21/8/2004: No.85 looks stunning with the "Sláinte" at Portlaoise. This operation spanned two days - Dublin to Cork on 21st and Cork to Dublin on the 22nd. (D. Reddy)

2/9/2004: No.85 and Cravens looking very smart at Newtownbridge on the Thursday Excursion. (N. Slocombe)

2/9/2004: Heading north on the Thursday Excursion is No.85, here making a splendid sight through Moira. (N. Slocombe)

2/9/2004: The opportunity was taken to swap No.4 and No.85 by running a "Thursday Excursion". No.4 is seen here at Drumbanagher heading south. (N. Slocombe)

26/9/2004: No.85 pounds towards Whitehead from Belfast Central with the "Causeway Express". (B. Murphy)

12/12/2004: During the early morning prepartion for a Santa Special steam train, the steamraiser takes the opportunity to scrub some ingrained dirt from No.186's buffer beam. The fire was lit at 4am that morning. (M. Walsh)

29/1/2005: Billed as a celebration of the HRA's Coiley Award for No.186, but actually a trip to Bangor for driver assessment, an unusual view from beneath Crawfordsburn viaduct. (T. Ragg)

29/1/2005: Another view of the Coiley Award train near Crawfordsburn. (T. Ragg)

29/1/2005: Another in the sequence of Coiley Award views near Crawfordsburn. (T. Ragg)

25/3/2005: No.4 looking very clean near Merrion on the Good Friday Dublin-Arklow return train. (D. Reddy)

3/5/2005: No.186 makes a fine sight crossing the new bridge over the M1 motorway north of Dundalk during the "3 Cities" railtour. (B. Pickup)

13/11/2005: No.4 near Newcastle, hauling the "Greystones 150" train from Greystones to Wicklow. (B. Pickup)

13/11/2005: The setting sun strikingly catches the "Greystones 150" after leaving Wicklow. The train is approaching Five Mile Point, one mile south of Newcastle. (B. Pickup)

14/4/2006: No.4 glints in the spring sunshine as she brings the Good Friday Special over the M50 at Blanchardstown. Three Cravens coaches directly behind the engine are making their first trip in Society ownership. (B. Pickup)

22/1/2006: On the first day back from the stay at Lisburn, No.186 and her train coast into Whitehead (NIR) Station to check platform clearances on the newly-relaid line.

16/6/2006: No.186 simmers in the late evening light at Carrickfergus Platform 2. She has just brought in the first Steam and Jazz train of the year. (L. Smyth)

13/8/2006: A local trip from Rosslare to Enniscorthy and return to celebrate the Harbour's centenary had to be diesel when No.4 failed the previous day. 142 (still then a company engine) and 170 are running round at Enniscorthy. (R. Joanes)

16/9/2006: No.186 rumbles over the Lagan canal and onto the level crossing at Moira, hauling one of the "Country Comes to Town" trains from Portadown to Lisburn. (B. Goodfellow)

2006: Ex Londonderry Port & Harbour Commisioners 0-6-0 No.3 "R.H. Smyth" on a demonstration goods train when on loan to our Downpatrick colleagues. (Courtesy DCDR)

6/11/2007: A swap of locomotives during IÉ driver training saw No.186 and No.4 at Dundalk. (W. Adams)