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Irelands first Railways
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25-04-2011 5:40pm#1I 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 nowadays3
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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.
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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.
http://homepage.eircom.net/~dmcfadden/Historical.htmlThe 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.
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The Boyne valley viaduct in Drogheda:
http://www.geograph.ie/photo/315651The 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.
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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.”
NTM0 -
Thanks for all the Posts folks- I had never heard of the atmospheric railway.
Another accident here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A62221466In 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.nmni.com/acm/collections/transport/railway-disasterOn 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.0 -
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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.0 -
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?
NTM0 -
Good imagesManic 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:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gare_MontparnasseAll 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.0 -
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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.htmlThe 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-
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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.0 -
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