Pathfinder Tours: Balligo Divider 1988 Part 1

A lookback to Pathfinder Tours Balligo Divider railtour in Easter Sunday, 3rd April 1988. The footage capture the final leg of the journey from Claremorris to its destination at Ballina, Co.Mayo.

The vast majority of participants came across from Britain on the overnight "Irish Mail" train to Holyhead. 86 243 to Crewe, 47 463 to Holyhead. MV St Columba to Dun Laoghaire.

The tour actually started and finished at Bray and UK tour participants boarded the tour at Dun Laoghaire hauled by A class 009 to Dublin Connolly. 056 took over to Claremorris via Moate, although most passengers got off at Mullingar to look at the locomotive scrapyard, before catching 127 + 123 on a scheduled train service to Sligo, where they were met by a hired road coach for the passage to Ballina.

Hence the name of the tour “Balligo” - a play on words “Ballina” and “Sligo”.

Westrail’s E428 hauled the tour from Claremorris into Ballina and return where 056 rejoined and headed back to Dun Laoghaire (and onto Bray).

The driver of E428 on the day was Martin O’Mara from Tuam with Athlone loco inspector Paddy McCann.

At the time E428 was the only mainline privately owned diesel locomotive in Ireland or Britain.

Additional footage.

E428 LE movement from Tuam

   • Westrail: E428 LE to Claremorris - April 1988  

Railtour Part 2: Ballina to Claremorris (E428)

   • Pathfinder Tours: Balligo Divider 1988 - P...  

E428 LE movement returning home to Tuam

   • Westrail: E428 Claremorris - Tuam 1988