South Wexford Railtour 1978

[carlwebus]

Hi

Can anyone tell me the location of the train in the attached pic? It is undoubtedly an Irish NCC WT 2-6-4T on a long passenger train.

I believe it is the South Wexford railtour - but what is the location?

I also attach a scan of the back of the photo - which may be of help if it can be deciphered!

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

Based mainly on the style of the bridge (in particular the abutments), I was wondering whether it could be the A6 at Templepatrick, east of Antrim - probably looking west. (The present-day Google Street View is at https://www.google.com/maps/@54.704...4!1scS6ZsI6hVSbwCb_4avFVxA!2e0!7i16384!8i8192; there's also a close-up of the bridge at https://www.geograph.ie/photo/4115135). Additionally, the itinerary at https://www.steamtrainsireland.com/members/galleries/93/south-wexford-railtour-1978 says WT no. 4 worked the relevant leg of the tour, from Dublin Pearse to Whitehead on Monday 12th June (but see the comment regarding dates below).

However, there are a few issues with this - the parapet seems too low in the photo (but it could have been raised since 1978, especially given that the line was extensively rebuilt before it reopened to passengers around the turn of the millennium, and it's possible that the entire bridge deck was replaced), the Street View shows a stone wall on the right that looks as though it should have been there in 1978 but doesn't seem to be in the photo, and the handwritten date looks more like 10/6/78 than 12/6/78 (though I wouldn't rule out the latter, or a mistake - particularly given that the 10th was the first day of the tour).

According to the above itinerary, no. 4 was hauling the tour on the 10th (Dublin Connolly - Dublin Heuston ECS, then Dublin Heuston - Limerick Junction - Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford - Rosslare Strand - Wexford South), but I'm having trouble finding a location that fits with the photo (beam-type underbridge crossing what looks like a fairly important road by the standards of either part of Ireland in 1978, not in a built-up area at the time) on those routes.

 

[Gloster]

Looking at the photos on the steamtrainsireland site, I would reckon that this was most likely taken on the Limerick Junction-Pearse leg. Reasons: only 4 is on the train and the first coach is not the GSWR saloon, which was at the head for much of the trip, but the silver-roofed one is behind the brake.

 

[carlwebus]

Hi Gloster.

Much obliged for your assistance.

Looking at the references you show, I reckon its the A6 at Templepatrick where there have been changes to the infrastructure in the last 40 odd years.

Whoever took the photo must have ben a real fan of WT No.4 as I have more than several of this loco.

 

[OVS Flatbottom]

I think @Gloster's point about the formation is a good one and probably rules out it being Templepatrick on the homeward leg.

I haven't so far been able to come up with a good location between Limerick Junction and Pearse. I suppose there is the possibility that it's actually the southbound ECS working on 8/6/78 at Templepatrick, viewed from the other side (i.e. the west). The houses now standing on either side of the road there seem to be post-1978, but the pre-existing ground levels seem to be higher than in the photo (see https://www.google.com/maps/@54.704...4!1sKmy3pj_YDx-p88FcfNFV0w!2e0!7i16384!8i8192).