THE BRANCH LINE SOCIETY 'ISLAND OF IRELAND' -- THE CORK STOPPER SUNDAY 19th MAY 2019

The Branch Line Society is delighted to announce its second unusual lines charter train in conjunction with Irish Rail. Traversing unusual lines in County Cork and County Kerry, there will be a leg stretch break in Tralee and a photo stop at Mallow. 

The society have already been travelling around Ireland with private BLS only tours but this one is open to non members too. Highlights of this tour include the Cork station avoiding line, the remains of the former line to Youghal at Midleton (and the rarely used non-preferred platform), Killarney avoiding line, engineer's sidings at Cobh / Banteer / Rathmore, and a number of other crossovers / little used platforms particularly at Tralee Platform 2.

The train will be formed of a Tokyu Car Corporation built Class 2600 DMU with free Wi-Fi and toilet. As usual, there will be an on-train raffle with proceeds donated to Railway Children. It is hoped there will be a trolley service of drinks and light refreshments. A souvenir map, ticket and route guide will be provided to all participants. The train is strictly limited to a maximum of 130 passengers. 

Our route, validated and bid by Irish Rail Operations Planning and Performance, is as follows: 

Cork P4 (PU 08.40) – Midleton P2 (rev) – Signal CE491 (rev) – Midleton P1 (above) – Midleton Siding, the extension on the Yougal side of the station which deviates off the former branch, (rev) – Cork P3 (rev) – Cobh P1 (rev) – Signal CE468 – Cobh Siding (rev) – Cork Loop (Station Avoiding Line) – Mallow P1 (rev) – Banteer Siding (rev) – Signal T203 (rev) – Banteer loop – Rathmore Dn Siding (rev) – Signal TL226 (rev) – Rathmore (main platform) – Killarney Check (avoiding the station) – Farranfore loop – Tralee P2 (rev) (lunch break 13.41/14.30) – Farranfore (main platform) – Killarney Check (rev) – Killarney P2 (rev) – Rathmore loop – Banteer (main platform) – Mallow P3 (rev / SD 15.58) – Cork P5 (SD 16.44) 

There are service trains to Dublin Heuston departing Tralee (P1) 13.45 (arrives Dublin Heuston 17.38) Mallow 16.49 (arrive 18.52) and Cork 17.25 (arrive 19.53). 

About the Branch Line Society
The Branch Line Society (BLS) is a UK-based voluntary association for railway enthusiasts. It is a nationally spread organisation with a membership of nearly 2,000 (including a few resident overseas). It was established in 1955 and is widely recognised as Britain's leading amateur group for the study of railway infrastructure and history of networks (and not nowadays, despite its title, just minor lines). It pursues its aims by a news service, mainline, heritage and private rail-tours and visits, and the production and distribution of publications.
The society place emphasis on the physical works and on operating arrangements, rather than motive power and rolling stock. Whilst seeking to record matters of history accurately for archive purposes, a prime aim is to publicise coming events and activities.