TONY GRAY
Owners Boliden announced on June 13 that Tara Mines – Europe’s largest zinc mine, near Navan in Ireland – would be mothballed with immediate effect as the price of the metal has fallen by about a third since the start of the year. The mine is an important freight customer of Iarnród Éireann, which operates up to three trains a day to Dublin Port, but these are expected to continue for several weeks while stockpiles are exhausted. One such train is seen on May 29 as retro-livered GM No. 073 operates an early running 18.50 Dublin North Wall to Drogheda empties working across Laytown Viaduct (south of Drogheda on the Dublin to Belfast line). The train overnighted in Drogheda before continuing as the 06.00 Drogheda-Tara Mines the following day.