Irelands first Railways

jonniebgood1

I am looking for information on the first Railway lines in Ireland. I have come across several websites for enthusiasts of train spotting types and photos of abandoned stations today without any background info.

What I am looking for is the system at full flow, trains blaring along their new routes as they were meant to before their slow decline. Many smaller towns that are now considered backwaters were connected by railways giving them better public transport over 100 years ago than they have today. I know that Railways in Ireland may not have the appeal that it does in some countries but there are still impressive achievements to be uncovered. If anyone can help with this in way of articles or photos or opinions or experiences of the system before it closed (1960's) it is appreciated and may be of general interest.

I'll begin with the Athlone Viaduct:

The single greatest engineering feat during the construction of the Dublin-Galway line, was the construction of the railway bridge across the Shannon at Athlone.

The bridge, which was 542 ft. long, was designed by G.W. Hemans, and built with an opening central span to accommodate the tall superstructures of sailing craft.

The contractors were Messrs. Fox and Henderson, who shipped the massive iron-work to Limerick and transferred it from there to Athlone by barge.

The twelve cylindrical pillars, each ten foot in diameter, made engineering history in December 1850, when the chief engineer, Mr Milner, demonstrated how they could be placed in position by means of compressed air.

The first commercial train to cross the railway bridge in Athlone did so on Monday 21st July, 1851.

Opposite bank.


The Viaduct from Athlone station.



The Viaduct nowadays

Ostrom

Colin Rynne's book [http://www.amazon.co.uk/Industrial-Ireland-1750-1930-Archaeology/dp/1905172044] has a chapter on railways - I think he is supervising a project on the narrow gauge network also.

jonniebgood1

Thanks for book link.

Was looking at more of these and could'nt believe that the first commercial mono-rail passenger train in the world was built in Ireland. I had never heard of this before.

The Listowel - Ballybunion Railway opened on March 1, 1888. This particular line is reputed to be the first passenger carrying monorail in the world. A "monorail" railway has just a single track and the train is wider than the track.

The concept for the monorail came from a French engineer named Charles Lartigue. He was inspired by the camels he saw in Algeria which carried heavy loads in baskets on either side of their backs. He designed a single raised rail upon which a specially designed train would travel. The train's carriages were slung either side of the rail like baskets being carried by a camel. The line opened in 1888 and ran for thirty-six years until it closed in 1924. It had been severely damaged during the Civil War. The train carried freight and passangers.

Many of those taking the journey were making their way to the beach resort of Ballybunion.

It looks amazing in photos (maybe I should say IMO):







The pictures are taken from http://www.lartiguemonorail.com/ and it shows a museum that seems to have plenty more information about the train and its renovation.

Ostrom

Brian McAongusa's book is worth a look also, Broken Rails - each chapter covers an accident and gives some history of the time.

Where did you get those photos?

jonniebgood1

The photos of monorail are from the site linked under them and here http://www.lartiguemonorail.com/

The site is for a museum dedicated to the monorail, I think it is now a tourist destination and looks very interesting.

Qualitymark

I noticed in the programme about Kathleen Lynn on TG4 the other night that she took the train from Dublin to Glenmalure for the weekend!

There's a historic map here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rail_transport_in_Ireland#History but it's of the whole country so you can't really see what goes where. There's also a wiki on Irish rail history here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_rail_transport_in_Ireland

jonniebgood1

The Owencarrow Viaduct disaster took place in 1925 on one of the more spectacular Irish routes operated by the (London)derry and Lough Swilly Railway Company.

The viaduct was built to carry the train over the broad valley of the Owencarrow river. The worst accident in the history of the Lough Swilly Railway happened on the viaduct near Creeslough on Friday 31st January, 1925.
The Lough Swilly Train left Derry as usual at 5:30 PM on this fateful day with 13 passengers, 8 goods wagons and 2 bread vans. The driver was Mr. Robert Mc Guinness, the fireman was John Hannigan and the guard was Neily Boyle. It left Letterkenny at 7:05PM with about 36 passengers on board.

As the Train approached the Owencarrow Viaduct a strong gale was blowing, the train driver slowed down to 10m.p.h. but the gale was so strong that it blew the carriage nearest to the engine off the rails. The roof was ripped off and four passengers dropped forty feet to their death. They were Philip and Sarah Boyle from Arranmore Inland, Una Mulligan from Falcarragh, Neil Duggan from Meenbunowen Creeslough, Duggan home was only a stones throw from the crash. The fireman John Hannigan walked (ran) three miles to Creeslough to raise the alarm. The local doctor Dr. Charley Coll and newly ordained priest Fr. Barney Gallagher attended the dead and injured .Lots of local people helped out. Six of the injured were taken to Letterkenny Hospital. At the inquest the Jury recorded the bravery of two men James Mc Fadden Kilfad and Pat Mc Fadden Terlin who rescued two women from a carriage hanging by it's chains.

http://homepage.eircom.net/~dmcfadden/Historical.html

jonniebgood1

The Boyne valley viaduct in Drogheda:
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/315651

The Boyne Viaduct opened in 1855, was the final connection of the railway line between Dublin and Belfast. The original structure was a continuous girder bridge 550ft 4ins overall, in three spans. The two outer spans are 141ft 8ins, and the centre span 267ft 0ins. The structure is approx 100ft above the River Boyne.
In 1932 the centre span was reconstructed to allow the heavier GNRI Steam Engines to work Express trains from Belfast to Dublin.

ejmaztec

There was a 6 part series done on TG4 back in February covering some old railway routes, but I only half-saw one of them. I can't find them on the catch-up section of the website, but on the following link, the production company was obviously trying to recruit people for the project:

http://irnirishrailwaynews.yuku.com/topic/1615/Proposed-TG4-Irish-Railway-Program-Enthuasist-Required-

The site itself seems to cater for all things Irish rail, and includes a lot of historical stuff.

uch

Have a look at these, second one is the UK but it has some Irish stuff on it


http://www.eiretrains.com/

http://www.disused-stations.org.uk/sites.shtml

zinzan

Not one of the first railways in Ireland, but probably one of the most unusual is the Dalkey atmospheric railway - always found it somewhat fascinating/amusing!


Dalkey Atmospheric Railway

another link

and another

link with pics


Wiki description of the concept

brianthebard

Ironing the Land is another book on the history of the railways, I don't know how good it is but I've seen over people use it.

Manic Moran

Don't forget the West Clare Railway.

"Are you right there, Michael, are ye right?
Do you think that we'll be there before it's light?"
"Tis all dependin' whether
The ould engine howlds together -"
"And it might now, Michael, so it might!"

http://www.traditionalmusic.co.uk/folk-song-lyrics/Are_Ye_Right_There_Michael.htm

(The link is wrong. The loco preserved at Ennis Station was Slieve Callan, and it was removed in 1996 for restoration)

Mr Whelan had secured agreement from the CIÉ to remove the Slieve Callan in April 1996 with the aim of running it on the restored 2.5km of west Clare railway track at Moyasta for tourists.

However, protesters opposed to the removal stood in his way and occupied the Slieve Callan. Gardaí were called and the protesters said that they would not vacate the engine.

Gardaí told Mr Whelan that he could not touch the Slieve Callan with the protesters inside without a court injunction. The operation was costing Mr Whelan £1,000 an hour. He recounted yesterday: "I said 'are they breaking the law there, Sergeant?' 'Oh, they are', he says. 'Well, sure I can break it as well,' I says, and we then lifted up the Slieve Callan."

He added: "We lifted it up a few feet and three got scared and jumped out. Oliver Moylan stayed on and stood his ground."

From http://irnirishrailwaynews.yuku.com/topic/1526/West-Clare-Railway

I don't know why anyone would object to restoring an old steamer.

Turns out neither did he.
http://www.clarepeople.com/wordp5/20090709629/return-of-the-slieve-callan-ends-old-row/

On Sunday, thousands viewed the Slieve Callan at the National Truck Show at Clare Marts in Ennis where one of the first to view it was Oliver Moylan, the Ennis businessman who tried to prevent its removal from Ennis railway station 13 years ago.
On that occasion, Mr Whelan gave the order that the steam engine – with Mr Moylan inside – be hauled 40 ft high in the air in front of a stunned crowd.
With gardaí looking on and the knowledge that he may have been breaking the law in raising the Slieve Callan by crane with protesters inside, Mr Whelan placed the engine on a truck and headed for Moyasta in west Clare to a restored piece of the West Clare railway.
Admitting to being “absolutely bowled over” by the Slieve Callan, Mr Moylan said: “It is an outstanding achievement. I have to take back everything I said about Jackie in 1996 because I always thought he was bluffing. He has achieved what I thought he wouldn’t.”
Shaking hands with his one-time adversary, Mr Moylan told Mr Whelan: “The People in Clare should never forget you for this. I thought I would never see this day. It’s one of the most outstanding pieces of conservation I have ever seen. What is done here is authentic, real and is exactly the way the Slieve Callan was before.”

NTM

jonniebgood1

Thanks for all the Posts folks- I had never heard of the atmospheric railway.

Another accident here:

In Armagh, Ireland, in 1889, 50-year-old operating procedures, possible tampering, an engine that failed to pull the weight of the train and a staff argument all combined to make the worst ever rail accident in the history of Ireland and a radical change in law dictating railway safety standards.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A62221466




http://www.nmni.com/acm/collections/transport/railway-disaster

On 12th June1889, 89 people died and hundreds were injured in Ireland’s worst railway disaster.

That morning almost 1200 people crammed into 13 carriages at Armagh Station - about 400 more passengers than expected. At 10.15am, the train departed for Warrenpoint on the Methodist Sunday School excursion, despite concerns as to whether engine No.86 could cope with so many passengers.
Twenty minutes later, these concerns proved well-founded. The engine stalled on a steep hill three miles outside Armagh. The decision was taken to divide the train and pull the front four carriages into Hamiltownsbawn. The remaining nine carriages were secured with a handbrake and by wedging stones under the wheels. However, when moving off, the main engine nudged the separated carriages and jolted them backwards.

ejmaztec

I wonder where the old railway employee records are kept? One of my ancestors was listed as a "railway official" on his son's marriage cert back in 1879. Whichever rail company operated in Limavady would most likely be the one that he worked for, although "railway official" could mean anything.

jonniebgood1

ejmaztec wrote: »

I wonder where the old railway employee records are kept? One of my ancestors was listed as a "railway official" on his son's marriage cert back in 1879. Whichever rail company operated in Limavady would most likely be the one that he worked for, although "railway official" could mean anything.

Perhaps here could help http://www.irrs.ie/Common%20Files/archive.htm
some info on these records is here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055809630

If it was Limavady then his company would likely have been the 'Limavady and Dungiven railway company'. There were many small unamalgamated companies involved in rail transport (29 in Ireland in 1906- Industrial Ireland 1750-1930, colin Rynne). The line was then sold to the Northern counties committee in 1907.

From the late 1850’s there had been numerous rumours of extending the Limavady line to Dungiven but it was the late 1870’s before that became a reality........

Engineers on the line failed to keep a close enough eye on the construction of Limavady Station as indicated by the opening day debacle. The first train carried many dignitaries from near and far to be greeted by a brass band on arrival. However, they had not bargained on the station platform being some inches higher than bottom of the carriage doors. As a result the passengers had to dismount in an undignified manner unto the track from the other side of the train.

LIMAVADY – DUNGIVEN OPENING DAY.

Another disaster! On its first journey, in beautiful weather, the train was filled with those from the higher echelons of society. Because of the fine conditions they travelled in open carriages with the ladies attired in summer dresses. They had not bargained on the engine producing so much black soot which made a sorry mess of their finery.

jonniebgood1

Can an image of a train crash be fantastic??? I think so>

evening of February 14th 1900 when a steam locomotive went out of control and broke through the end wall of Harcourt Street Station, finishing up hanging up over Hatch Street where it remained in this precarious position until it was taken down. It is one if not the main event associated with the Station.
Uniquely Harcourt Street Station which was opened in 1859 was at the foot of a gradient that sloped downwards from Ranelagh and this meant that locomotive drivers had to exercise care when approaching the station.

Manic Moran

It happens.

France 1895


I've no idea


Los Angeles 1948.


Hartford, 19?

Uniquely Harcourt Street Station which was opened in 1859 was at the foot of a gradient that sloped downwards from Ranelagh and this meant that locomotive drivers had to exercise care when approaching the station.

Isn't Cork station at the bottom of a steep grade through the tunnel?

NTM

jonniebgood1

Good images

Manic Moran wrote: »

It happens.

France 1895


I've no idea

There was a woman killed in this one. I must be a nerd as I read about it recently:

All on board the train survived, five sustaining injuries: two passengers (out of 131), the fireman and two conductors; however, one woman on the street below was killed by falling masonry.[4] The accident was caused by a faulty Westinghouse brake and the engine drivers who were trying to make up for lost time.[5] A conductor incurred a 25 franc penalty and the engine driver a 50 franc penalty.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_Montparnasse

Aelfric

The first proper railway in Ireland was of course, the Dublin & Kingstown Railway, which opened in 1834, and is still served by DART and some Commuter services.

The best book for Irish railway history to date (and I have many) is by Tom Ferris (2008) and is entitled 'Irish Railways: A New History'. It is by far the most comprehensive account of the birth of Irish Railways, and has tons of anecdotes and accounts of railway life.

jonniebgood1

Aelfric wrote: »

The first proper railway in Ireland was of course, the Dublin & Kingstown Railway, which opened in 1834, and is still served by DART and some Commuter services.

Some further info about it here together with a good all round introduction summary ; http://mikes.railhistory.railfan.net/r051.html

The first railway in Ireland was the Dublin and Kingstown Railway, which was opened to the public on December 17, 1834. It connected the capital with the port of Kingstown, now called Dun Laoghaire, and was about six miles in length.

The project had to overcome considerable opposition. One opponent, Mr. O'Hanlon, told a Railway Committee of the House of Commons in 1833 that it "would be a monstrous thing that the solid advantages of commerce, manufactures, and all the blessings resulting therefrom, should he sacrificed to a few nursery maids descending from the town of Kingstown to the sea at Dunleary, to perform the pleasures of ablution.

A sketch of the first railway-

Fratton Fred

Don't forget as well the later addition of the Atmospheriic Railway to Dalkey.

I read somewhere that a landowner in Booterstown refused to let the railline cross his land, so they effectively built it through the sea, creating the Booterstown nature reserve.

jonniebgood1

We had the Atmospheric railway Fred- twas an amazing contraption. Alot of imagination and development in that one!

Fratton Fred

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

We had the Atmospheric railway Fred- twas an amazing contraption. Alot of imagination and development in that one!

How did I miss that??

The Dalkey one is finally getting covered in by the way.

jonniebgood1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

How did I miss that??

The Dalkey one is finally getting covered in by the way.

I know nothing about this- Do you mean the station is still there? Is there a museum about the system ?

Judgement Day

Interesting snippet here: http://redfellow.blogspot.com/2009_02_01_archive.html



The old Atmospheric Station in Dalkey was in an area north of the present station bounded by Castlepark Road and Barnhill Road. The location still exists in behind the embankment on the left (down) side travelling from Glenageary towards Dalkey. The later standard gauge line from Dun Laoghaire/Kingstown followed a new alignment slightly more inland from the Atmospheric. As recently as the late 1970's a 'catch point' north of Dalkey led into the Atmospheric station site.

Fratton Fred

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

I know nothing about this- Do you mean the station is still there? Is there a museum about the system ?

No, sorry I wasn't very clear.

I believe the line was originally intended to be underground, but the line between Dun Laoghaire kept collapsing so they made do with a deep cutting.

DL council are now covering in the line up towards the Sandycove station.

Fratton Fred

Judgement Day wrote: »

The old Atmospheric Station in Dalkey was in an area north of the present station bounded by Castlepark Road and Barnhill Road. The location still exists in behind the embankment on the left (down) side travelling from Glenageary towards Dalkey. The later standard gauge line from Dun Laoghaire/Kingstown followed a new alignment slightly more inland from the Atmospheric. As recently as the late 1970's a 'catch point' north of Dalkey led into the Atmospheric station site.

That explains what the bit of wasteland is next to the metals then. I wondered what that was.

jonniebgood1

For anyone who is interested in the history of railways the yesterday channel is showing railway related programmes all week- 'railway week'. Some good shows on steam to diesel in UK and also some classic routes. This channel is on freeview for some people (i get it on freeview but it could be blowing in to me from NI).

crowther15

I did a radio documentry in April for college on the Dalkey Atmospheric railway... It's such an interesting piece of Irelands industrial heritage, and again it was the first of its kind in the world! Sadly it has been lost over the years but reminents of it still exist...barely ha

jonniebgood1

crowther15 wrote: »

I did a radio documentry in April for college on the Dalkey Atmospheric railway... It's such an interesting piece of Irelands industrial heritage, and again it was the first of its kind in the world! Sadly it has been lost over the years but reminents of it still exist...barely ha

Any link to it?

crowther15

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

Any link to it?

Sadly no, Im going to be re-doing it for my new course for college so i'll have to extend it and or make another on Irish railway heritage and make a series for radio I dont know yet, but I do want to do more work on it! I will try and upload it or put it on sound cloud or something soon

jonniebgood1

1916 is remembered for obvious reasons in Irish history. The Kiltimagh railway disaster is generally not one of them.

By 1900 the safety systems on Irish Railways were well developed to avoid collisions and to produce safe transport for passengers. Despite this, one of the worst accidents on Irish Railways occurred just outside Kiltimagh Station, on the Swinford side, in December, 1916, in which 6 railway staff were killed and ten injured, some very seriously.

Two goods trains collided head on, about three quarters of a mile from Kiltimagh station on a damp foggy December evening at about 5.45 p.m. One of the trains had left Limerick at 8 a.m. that Monday, 19th, en route to Tubbercurry a distance of 124 miles. It consisted of 21 flat wagons with drop sides each full of gravel sand and chippings (ballast), and a brake van at each end. In addition to the crew of driver, fireman, conductor and brakeman there were twelve permanent way workers in the front van.

The other train was a special from Sligo consisting of empty cattle wagons picked up at all stations along the route to be returned to Tuam for washing and disinfecting. The ballast train had already crossed trains at Ennis, Gort, Athenry, Tuam and Claremorris. The goods special up from Sligo was held at Swinford to allow the ballast to cross down to Tubbercurry. The ballast got stuck on the hill out of Claremorris skidding on the wet rails and had to be banked up the gradient (it got a push from another engine from behind). With the delay caused at Claremorris, it was decided to allow the special up to Kiltimagh and cross the trains there.

The Swinford staff would be exchanged at Kiltimagh to show that the section was clear. Unfortunately the ballast driver missed the danger signal at Kiltimagh and went through the station. He was from Limerick as were all the others, and was unfamiliar with the line. In addition the evening was damp, foggy and dark as he approached Kiltimagh so it is perhaps understandable that he missed both the danger signals. Five men in the front brake van died at the scene and another died on his way to hospital. Miraculously none of the crew of either train was badly injured. Some of them were able to jump out. The van was smashed so badly however, that heavy lifting gear had to be borrowed from M.G.W.R. and brought from Broadstone in Dublin to get the injured released and re-rail the damaged engines.

The dead were brought to Kiltimagh Station and laid out in the waiting room from where a special train brought the remains to Limerick. The line was repaired and opened for traffic on Wednesday, 21st, just two days later. An inquest was held in Swinford on the 28th December and found no blame attached to any of the staff of Kiltimagh Station but added there was neglect, not yet defined, of some official or officials of the company. http://www.westontrack.com/history06.htm

SlimCi

My great granfather worked for the Great Northern (I think) railway in Carrickmacross in 1911 and in Bundoran years later and then my grandfather was a wheel tapper in Omagh with the Great Northern Railway. I do know there was a serious accident in Omagh station in the twenties or thirties I think. I think the records for the Great Northern are still available somewhere up North in Antrim.

jonniebgood1

SlimCi wrote: »

My great granfather worked for the Great Northern (I think) railway in Carrickmacross in 1911 and in Bundoran years later and then my grandfather was a wheel tapper in Omagh with the Great Northern Railway. I do know there was a serious accident in Omagh station in the twenties or thirties I think. I think the records for the Great Northern are still available somewhere up North in Antrim.

There was an accident in Omagh on 2nd March 1933 that involved a train derailment injuring 30 people.
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=8429

EDIT- I came across a newspaper article detailing this event. It seems it may have been due to a sabotage attempt according to the article. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/48422863

BELFAST, March 2.


What is alleged to bo a diabolical attempt to throw a train into the River Strulc outside Omagh, Northern Ireland, resulted to-duy in the wrecking of several carriages and 20 passengers being injured. Only the engine and tender of thc train kept to the rails.
Enginedriver James Hobson, who
refused to participate in the Ulster railway strike, said he drove- the train across a bridge at 40 miles un hour when suddenly ho noticed that the points were set for'a branch line into the goods station. He jammed on the brakes and the engine and tender took the branch line, but the carriages -kept to the main line breaking the couplings behind the tender. Then all tho coaches, two of them somersaulting, plunged to the bottom of the em- bankment from the tom and twisted track. Many passengers crawled from the windows, and ambulance workers rescued, others. Trucks full of prize cattle wero not damaged and the cattle were unharmed

SlimCi

Yep thats the one my Grandfather told me about....think he was there.:)

hotmail.com

Just on the subject of train crashes, one of the worst train disasters in Europe happened in Armagh in 1889. 80 people, one third of them children, died in the disaster.

The Armagh rail disaster happened on 12 June 1889 near Armagh, Ireland when a crowded Sunday school excursion train had to negotiate a steep incline; the steam locomotive was unable to complete the climb and the train stalled. The train crew decided to divide the train and take forward the front portion, leaving the rear portion on the running line. The rear portion was inadequately braked and ran back down the gradient, colliding with a following train.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster

This seems to have been completely wiped off the collective memory.

jonniebgood1

hotmail.com wrote: »

Just on the subject of train crashes, one of the worst train disasters in Europe happened in Armagh in 1889. 80 people, one third of them children, died in the disaster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster

This seems to have been completely wiped off the collective memory.

It has'nt been wiped from memory here. I'm not trying to be smart as all contributions are welcome but it was mentioned already in this thread in this post http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=72102638&postcount=14

pedroeibar1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That explains what the bit of wasteland is next to the metals then. I wondered what that was.

Are you describing the piece of land to the north of the bridge on Castlepark Road? The Glenageary side was in-filled in the 1960's and a house built on it; the Dalkey side had tracks leading into it and the end near the bridge was at that time a marsh, with huge bullrush clumps.

I heard that the reason for the 'cut' between Sandycove - Dunlaoghaire was twofold, huge local opposition by landowners/residents, and gradient. Lord Cloncurry who owned Maretimo House in Blackrock moved out as a result of losing part of his garden and access to the sea. Blackrock House also lost sea access (but built a nice footbridge) and its private harbour (Vance's harbour.)
FWIW
P.

Judgement Day

The buildings (bridge and bathing pavilion) at Maretimo are in a deplorable state - a monument to CIE, An Taisce and Fingal (?) County Council. I have repeatedly raised the issue with them but have now given up as they just don't give a damn and neither do I anymore.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f6c251bc-af6c-401e-ae41-924fffc26435

pad180

here,s a good book on the work that went on in irish railways in the early days up to the present day , some good history you might find interesting and some awesome photos in it too , www.andalus.ie/permanentway.html

jonniebgood1

I was recently in west Kerry and was amazed at the abandoned line to Valentia as it cut through the side of the rugged mountains. The engineering involved in constructing this must have been massive. Is there any information on the construction of this line?
Here is a link to a nationwide (I think) piece on the line that shows some of the tunnels which are accessible as well as a viaduct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpEx3xGppEQ

The Lispole viaduct remains are also close to the road in Dingle and can be viewed there although I was unable to get onto the remains of the bridge as it is behind a house in a field. Again the size of the construction and the quality of engineering is clear.

Judgement Day

The GSWR line to Valencia Harbour was well engineered but the Tralee & Dingle was anything but. Even the Lispole Viaduct in your pic was a disaster waiting to happen and the other curves at Curraduff were far too sharp and the scene of a serious accident in 1893. The directors of the company spent more on opening ceremonies than they did on the construction - or so contemporary accounts would have you believe. At the time of its opening the directors boasted that it had cost less per mile to construct than many of its competitors - and it's easy to see why - curves instead of tunnels etc.etc. The bridge at Lispole was condemned for double heading as far back as the 1930's and how it's still hanging together is a miracle. There is a serious gradient approaching the bridge and it ends on the centre span - have a look at this gradient profile.



An earlier thread here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67541632

The Curraduff bridge is here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67576986&postcount=45

Fratton Fred

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Are you describing the piece of land to the north of the bridge on Castlepark Road? The Glenageary side was in-filled in the 1960's and a house built on it; the Dalkey side had tracks leading into it and the end near the bridge was at that time a marsh, with huge bullrush clumps.

I heard that the reason for the 'cut' between Sandycove - Dunlaoghaire was twofold, huge local opposition by landowners/residents, and gradient. Lord Cloncurry who owned Maretimo House in Blackrock moved out as a result of losing part of his garden and access to the sea. Blackrock House also lost sea access (but built a nice footbridge) and its private harbour (Vance's harbour.)
FWIW
P.

That's it, along by atmospheric road.
Was Maretimo house where Seapoint nature reserve is? I believe that was created by the railway.

jonniebgood1

Judgement Day wrote: »

. The bridge at Lispole was condemned for double heading as far back as the 1930's and how it's still hanging together is a miracle. There is a serious gradient approaching the bridge and it ends on the centre span - have a look at this gradient profile.

I think I remember reading about an accident adjacent to the Lispole Viaduct due problems with the gradient. The view of the remaining bridge is impressive (although my OH did not get out of car!!!). The Valentia line at Kells should be converted into a tourist route if any endeavour was shown by tourist organisations as the route is there in many places, i.e tunnels and even an impressive viaduct as shown in the previous video around the Kells area.

Judgement Day

Map of the 1907 goods train derailment at the east end of Lispole viaduct below.



http://www.narrowgauge.nl/site/english/tdsurvey.htm

Very good UK based website dedicated to the Tralee & Dingle here: http://www.tdlr.org.uk/

pedroeibar1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That's it, along by atmospheric road.
Was Maretimo house where Seapoint nature reserve is? I believe that was created by the railway.

No, Maretimo was knocked in the 1960's to make way for a block of flats (or apartments as they are called in Blackrock.) They are on the one-way system about half way between the Town Hall and what was Europa Motors.
Rs
P.

pedroeibar1

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

I was recently in west Kerry and was amazed at the abandoned line to Valentia as it cut through the side of the rugged mountains. The engineering involved in constructing this must have been massive. Is there any information on the construction of this line?

I've no info on its construction, but there are plans to develop it as a walking route. It ran past Cahirciveen, down to Reenard, mainly to service the fishing industry. I know several 'older' guys from Ballinskelligs area who took the train from there up to Dublin for All Irelands.
Rs
P.

crowther15

Some great heritage stuff on this thread.

I would like some help if some of you dont mind, as I mentioned before I had done a little piece in college on the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway, it was so interesting researching about Irelands rich and diverse railway heritage, iv decided to continue it again for my Media project for my final year.

What im hoping to do is create a mini series about Irelands more obscure railway heritage, using the Dalkey Atmospheric railway as one, and make two more on top of this to give it more depth.

Im just curious is there any other more obscure railways in ireland? Im thinking of doing another piece on the Lartigue Monorail, which seems to be different in its own way but I cant seem to find anything else compelling.

Any information would be greatly appreciated

jonniebgood1

Crowther15, a friendly warning that using the forum for homework type research is frowned on. This is clearly stated in the charter
Feel free to add any information you come across in relation to the railways to this thread. If you have any query on this PM me.
Thanks