Mount Elliot Railway Tunnel

DWCommuter · 14-05-2010 2:10pm #1

Anyone here know where the northern portal of the mount elliot tunnel is near New Ross. I know the soutern one down by the bridge.

Stonewolf · 14-05-2010 2:53pm

Not sure since I'm not familiar with the line but is it here?:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.420518,-6.924713&spn=0.002405,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Can't find any trace of an alignment further North but this looks likely. Apparently the Northern end looks like: http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/N/New%20Ross/slides/Mt%20Elliot%20Tunnel%20001_2.html

EDIT:
According to the internet it's West of this just on the West side of the road where it runs North and a bit South of the right hand turn. You can actually make out the alignment a bit over to about where I posted a link to from which point it looks like it's annihilated by the N30 for a km or two and then veers off North from that alignment. I'd provide a link but google is being moody.

Judgement Day · 14-05-2010 3:49pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

Anyone here know where the northern portal of the mount elliot tunnel is near New Ross. I know the soutern one down by the bridge.

Thinking of starting a preservation society - you're wasting your time....:D

DWCommuter · 14-05-2010 4:12pm

Judgement Day wrote: »

Thinking of starting a preservation society - you're wasting your time....:D

No. Im smuggling guns. Thought it might be a handy place to stash them.:D

Run_to_da_hills · 14-05-2010 4:20pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

No. Im smuggling guns. Thought it might be a handy place to stash them.:D

Or "head shop" products.

DWCommuter · 14-05-2010 6:13pm

Stonewolf wrote: »

Not sure since I'm not familiar with the line but is it here?:
http://maps.google.com/?ie=UTF8&ll=52.420518,-6.924713&spn=0.002405,0.004823&t=h&z=18

Can't find any trace of an alignment further North but this looks likely. Apparently the Northern end looks like: http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/N/New%20Ross/slides/Mt%20Elliot%20Tunnel%20001_2.html

EDIT:
According to the internet it's West of this just on the West side of the road where it runs North and a bit South of the right hand turn. You can actually make out the alignment a bit over to about where I posted a link to from which point it looks like it's annihilated by the N30 for a km or two and then veers off North from that alignment. I'd provide a link but google is being moody.

Its most likely in this area. (inside yellow box on aerial view)

mount elliot tunnel northern portal.jpg

paulm17781 · 14-05-2010 8:30pm

What is it, disused alignment? Where did it go to?

Judgement Day · 14-05-2010 8:57pm

Waterford/Macmine Junction line. DW is thinking of reopening it for steam trains.

lord lucan · 14-05-2010 9:00pm

There's a couple of pics on Eiretrains here:http://eiretrains.com/Photo_Gallery/N/New%20Ross/slides/Mt%20Elliot%20Tunnel%20001_2.html

Stonewolf · 14-05-2010 9:05pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

Its most likely in this area. (inside yellow box on aerial view)

mount elliot tunnel northern portal.jpg

I think it might actually be on the other side of the road, you can see the alignment continues. This site also seems to suggest that: http://wikimapia.org/10160006/Dismantled-Railway-Line

Cookie_Monster · 14-05-2010 9:09pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

No. Im smuggling guns. Thought it might be a handy place to stash them.:D

for a reasonable cut I will show you the exact location

Judgement Day · 14-05-2010 9:14pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

for a reasonable cut I will show you the exact location

Maybe DW will let you be President of his new society if you show him the portal into his railway world.......:D

Victor · 14-05-2010 9:34pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

Its most likely in this area. (inside yellow box on aerial view)

mount elliot tunnel northern portal.jpg

The double line of trees appears to extend towards the N30, so perhaps a little west of the yellow box.

Hungerford · 14-05-2010 10:26pm

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

for a reasonable cut I will show you the exact location

It might not be treasure. Maybe IE's illusive care and maintenance crew for the line are trapped in the tunnel and Derek's planning to rescue them.

Anyway, the precise path of the alignment should still be on Ordnance Survey maps. It was never formally closed. It won't help with finding the tunnel though but should reduce your reliance on guesswork from aerial photos.

Roryhy · 14-05-2010 10:32pm

The n30 seems to run on the old rail route, if you follow the route out a bit you can see where they diverge again in the area of Ballintober.

Victor · 14-05-2010 10:45pm

Actually, its about 40m west of the N30 http://ims0.osiemaps.ie/website/publicviewer/main.aspx#V1,672293,630261,7

On this map you can just make out the steep ground above the portal. http://wikimapia.org/#lat=52.4191042&lon=-6.9373083&z=18&l=0&m=s&v=9

Roryhy wrote: »

The n30 seems to run on the old rail route, if you follow the route out a bit you can see where they diverge again in the area of Ballintober.

Not quite if you move your mouse over the various boxes here, it will trace the route for you. http://wikimapia.org/#lat=52.4174454&lon=-6.9279957&z=14&l=0&m=s&v=9

NedNew2 · 15-05-2010 12:44am

I can confirm all of the above by Victor as I have been through the tunnel myself. The northern end is just before the ferry bridge. The old New Ross - Enniscorthy road (N30) was realigned inthe 1980's along the old railway route. Beforehand it was a windy twisty route - you can see it from the aerial photos (it follows the river).

DWCommuter · 15-05-2010 12:25pm

NedNew2 wrote: »

I can confirm all of the above by Victor as I have been through the tunnel myself. The northern end is just before the ferry bridge. The old New Ross - Enniscorthy road (N30) was realigned inthe 1980's along the old railway route. Beforehand it was a windy twisty route - you can see it from the aerial photos (it follows the river).

So coming out of the northern end of 6the tunnel it crossed the N30 on a bridge?

DWCommuter · 15-05-2010 12:30pm

Judgement Day wrote: »

Waterford/Macmine Junction line. DW is thinking of reopening it for steam trains.

No. Big smelly diesels and I'll run them in pairs. Jaysus I love them in pairs.:D

NedNew2 · 15-05-2010 10:50pm

DWCommuter wrote: »

So coming out of the northern end of 6the tunnel it crossed the N30 on a bridge?

No, it goes under the N30. The train used to come out of the tunnel and about 30 metres later it went under the N30 (the tunnel/bridge under the N30 is still in place but fairly well covered by bushes at this stage). The tunnel under the N30 is only about 20 metres long.

DWCommuter · 16-05-2010 12:17am

NedNew2 wrote: »

No, it goes under the N30. The train used to come out of the tunnel and about 30 metres later it went under the N30 (the tunnel/bridge under the N30 is still in place but fairly well covered by bushes at this stage). The tunnel under the N30 is only about 20 metres long.

Thanks for that. You've filled in the last missing section of this line for me.

Ledger · 02-03-2011 1:49pm

never had a huge interest in trains or anything but have always been really interested in the red bridge (barrow rail bridge) and the mile tunnel (mount elliot rail tunnel).

I know the Waterford to New Ross section of the line was never officially closed, but was the enniscorthy route closed officially?

I've been on the bridge many times, i know its a rust bucket.

But would the tunnel still be structurally sound?

topnotch · 02-03-2011 2:05pm

If you go onto the osi map viewer and use press 8 for the 25" map you should be sorted.
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,672205,630192,7,9

Carawaystick · 03-03-2011 12:20am

NedNew2 wrote: »

No, it goes under the N30. The train used to come out of the tunnel and about 30 metres later it went under the N30 (the tunnel/bridge under the N30 is still in place but fairly well covered by bushes at this stage). The tunnel under the N30 is only about 20 metres long.

No, the rail line passed over the old route of the New Ross to Clonroche road, twice. (it wasn't the n30 in them days)
in the 80's sometime, the road was realigned to run its current straight alignment.

The old road was well below the existing road level as it wound below the old-rail-line/existing-road

topnotch · 03-03-2011 1:22am

here's a pic of the north entrance.
http://irishrailwaynews.multiply.com/photos/album/203/Mount_Elliot_Tunnel_and_Bridge#photo=2

Ledger · 03-03-2011 11:03am

Carawaystick wrote: »

No, the rail line passed over the old route of the New Ross to Clonroche road, twice. (it wasn't the n30 in them days)
in the 80's sometime, the road was realigned to run its current straight alignment.

The old road was well below the existing road level as it wound below the old-rail-line/existing-road

the old road is still there, you can turn off the main road and it will bring you back onto it a mile or two down after you go under the two bridges where the rail line crossed.

NedNew2 · 03-03-2011 10:32pm

Carawaystick wrote: »

No, the rail line passed over the old route of the New Ross to Clonroche road, twice. (it wasn't the n30 in them days)
in the 80's sometime, the road was realigned to run its current straight alignment.

The old road was well below the existing road level as it wound below the old-rail-line/existing-road

No to your "No".

I was referring to the exit of the northern portal of the tunnel, as I mentioned earlier, 30 metres after exiting the tunned the trackbed goes under the N30 for about 20 metres. Always did.

A few kilometres further on towards Clonroche/Enniscorthy it crosses over the old road twice as you mentioned (was the N79 I think before the N30).

But it goes under the N30 straight after the tunnel as I said earlier.

I know the area intimately and have seen it with my own eyes. Ok?

flazio · 06-03-2011 12:57pm

topnotch wrote: »

If you go onto the osi map viewer and use press 8 for the 25" map you should be sorted.
http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,672205,630192,7,9

Just make sure you zoom in as far as the highest or second highest zoom level otherwise you'll see the wrong map.

Doublechinlolz · 07-05-2011 3:01pm

Hate to bring this up again but to get into the tunnel you have to go in somebodys driveway, just saying.

Ledger · 07-05-2011 3:04pm

MarkD09 wrote: »

Hate to bring this up again but to get into the tunnel you have to go in somebodys driveway, just saying.

no you dont, if you go in from the rail bridge side, you can just go in, if you go from the other side you just climb down from the road

Eugbug · 13-11-2011 10:51pm

Is it possible to walk through the Mount Elliot railway tunnel near New Ross or has it been sealed ?

Mount Elliot Railway Tunnel

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