Tralee to Dingle Railway.

stevielenihan

The Tralee to Dingle Railway was a 51km (32mi) narrow gauge railway running between Tralee And Dingle. It operated between 1891 and 1953. It also had a 10km (6.2 mi) branch from Castlegregory Junction to Castlegregory. It was the most Westerly Railway line in Europe. Anyone who has info or any photos of the line in the olden days or some of today's photos they can be posted here.

ofcork

Does the bit from tralee to blennerville still operate?

stevielenihan

ofcork wrote: »

Does the bit from tralee to blennerville still operate?

It will operate again for the 2013 season and will include a new station for the Wet Lands Centre.

stevielenihan

Anyone got any news on the railway line?

si_guru

I have some old photos at home I bought of ebay.. most are also in this clip.
http://youtu.be/_gSse_QBLT8

stevielenihan

si_guru wrote: »

I have some old photos at home I bought of ebay.. most are also in this clip.
http://youtu.be/_gSse_QBLT8

Great video. Its nice the way it shows the old line working and showing the parts of the line left today.

stevielenihan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWrhCl0DL50&feature=player_detailpage Here is vide of the Blennerville section operation in 2002


http://irishantiquities.bravehost.com/kerry/lispole/lispole02.JPG plus here is a image of the Lispole Viaduct.


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Irl-TraleeDingleRailViaduct.jpg I also managed to get this photo of the disused Curraduff Viaduct.

I will find more pictures or videos when I get a chance.

si_guru

There is another BBC clip here:

http://youtu.be/nUIwZquH8xA

stevielenihan

si_guru wrote: »

There is another BBC clip here:

http://youtu.be/nUIwZquH8xA

Another great video keep them coming. http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/grove512a.jpg hers another photo of the old steam train at Derrymore in 1935.

stevielenihan

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/2tsos512px3.jpg Plus here is a train at Glenagalt.


http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/dingle512fayle.jpg The old Dingle stastion.

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/2tsos512px8.jpg Train at the Ballinaclare Crossing keeper cottage in 1952.

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/joemaher310510b.jpg Cattle train at thw eyard at Dingle stastion.

carchaeologist

Go to Blennerville windmill, into the reception and for the princely sum of €1 you can buy a great little 36 page booklet that has all the history of the line, some photos and excellent period advertisements for local businesses like Revingtons, McCowens and the Munster Warehouse.

I just picked one up today while at the Vintage show and am reading it tonight.
Huge value for a quid!

si_guru

Oh... I'm going to do that. Only passed thru' today on my way to Cork Airport.

I have a book on it to...

Seen on this page http://www.tdlr.org.uk/davidrowlands.htm .. another ebay purchase from a few years back.

Also I have a DVD that feature many narrow guage line.. with a bout 5 mins on the TDR... many just b/w film cut to video.

Juts along the fields from us in the bridge that replaced the curraduff bridge.. loads of barn round here made from rails... any my father in laws pillars for the porch are metal rails if you peel off the Upvc..

carchaeologist

Is the replacement bridge in Curraduff lower down the road so than the one that collapsed in 1893 killing the pigs. This steel bridge was built in 1907/08 so that would mean Curraduff would have been in use after the accident?

My own shed has rail track in the roof, I'm not sure where from though...

savagecabbages

stevielenihan wrote: »

It will operate again for the 2013 season and will include a new station for the Wet Lands Centre.

Will that be the real Steam train, or the Bord na Móna diesel runabout they used when it was last open?

stevielenihan

savagecabbages wrote: »

Will that be the real Steam train, or the Bord na Móna diesel runabout they used when it was last open?

Well they say it will be the real train as I think they have got a new engine for it.

savagecabbages

That sounds like good news, though I' wonder how/where they have found this engine??

AFIK the existing engine is the last one, and had to be sourced from the USA in the 90s. Maybe its an engine from another narrow gauge railway somewhere else.

(i have also heard about the new engine, but suspect its just wishful thinking)

kingdumb

I don't think there was any talk about getting a new engine for the line. There is an issues with the boiler and it needs to be fixed, for which funding is required. I also suspect the even if the engine was up and running again there will be further issues with the line as bits of it look in need of repair.

It is a bit sad to see over all, quite like other project, Tralee tc are great at getting projects like this off the ground, and then forgetting all about them and moving onto the next big thing !

carchaeologist

The old/original/existing engine is still in Blennerville. But i doubt it is ready for steam, or even close to being certified as such.

Indeed its a pity its not operating, but i suppose its not a viable operation costings wise?

kingdumb

No, it is up stream from the viaduct.

carchaeologist wrote: »

Is the replacement bridge in Curraduff lower down the road so than the one that collapsed in 1893 killing the pigs. This steel bridge was built in 1907/08 so that would mean Curraduff would have been in use after the accident?

stevielenihan

I heard they were getting a new engine for it.

kingdumb

Not too sure why they would do that, most of the draw of the attraction is due to it being one of the original engines from the t&d railway.

The last thing I heard about it was talk about converting it from coal to bio fuel !

stevielenihan wrote: »

I heard they were getting a new engine for it.

savagecabbages

I also heard that bio fuel story, but the boiler needs to be fixed first and foremost...

Why don't the politicians/local heroes who come up with all these projects stick with them??? As mentioned they are great to get something off the ground then move on to the next ribbon cutting fanfare and let what they started fizzle out...

The Windmill itself - Seems to be on a constant slope downwards
The Geanology centre - Dont know if anyone ever actually used this hugely expensive attraction
The Ashe Hall (Geraldine experience) - Last i heard you had to walk around on foot
The Train - as discussed here
The Jeannie Johnson - prob the most infamous project of them all, is sitting on the Quays in the Liffey gathering dust.
The Wetlands Park - goodness knows what this will be like in 5 years...

All these attractions, if properly run could make huge money for the town -rather than slowly soak up money with little or no return! The potential is there.

stevielenihan

Someone from the wetland park said it will be runing again in 2013 with a new station for the Wetlands.

kingdumb

Amen to that,

Just to add another one to the list,

Tralee Ship canal -
restoration project #1 [80's] - Lock gates reconstructed, then forgotten they still lie rotting in the area.

restoration project #2 [2000's] - Locks Replaced, bridge replaced, canal reinstated - then quickly forgotten about !

savagecabbages wrote: »

I also heard that bio fuel story, but the boiler needs to be fixed first and foremost...

Why don't the politicians/local heroes who come up with all these projects stick with them??? As mentioned they are great to get something off the ground then move on to the next ribbon cutting fanfare and let what they started fizzle out...

The Windmill itself - Seems to be on a constant slope downwards
The Geanology centre - Dont know if anyone ever actually used this hugely expensive attraction
The Ashe Hall (Geraldine experience) - Last i heard you had to walk around on foot
The Train - as discussed here
The Jeannie Johnson - prob the most infamous project of them all, is sitting on the Quays in the Liffey gathering dust.
The Wetlands Park - goodness knows what this will be like in 5 years...

All these attractions, if properly run could make huge money for the town -rather than slowly soak up money with little or no return! The potential is there.

savagecabbages

The only people who use the basin are the rowing club (great to see), and a certain ethnic group who use it to wash their piebald horses!!!

The proposed marina in there could draw huge money for the town, provided whoever own it dont drop it once the headlines have died away...

stevielenihan

Its nice to see some viewing my thread. Click the thanks button so i will see how many are viewing.

carchaeologist

What's the deal with the geaneology centre?

savagecabbages

carchaeologist wrote: »

What's the deal with the geaneology centre?

Funny the first hit on google links back to the tralee thread. What I was referring to seems to have vanished almost entirely, but it is mentioned here: (4th paragraph dated 2000!!!)
http://www.focuskerry.com/jeanie/sculptures.html
Seems the project is still in the pipework/never got off the ground. AFIK the geanology centre was launched upstairs in the Windmill visitors centre to much fanfare a while back, but the information was never input into the computers and they sat there doing nothing... Kinda like the e-voting macines:p
The project was dropped, and nobody held responsible.

The computers may still be there.

I know nothing about the geanology 2.0 which people seem to to be talking about in the tralee thread.

Bigfellalixnaw

I wonder is the rest of the Tralee-Dingle railway going to be converted into a walkway/cycleway like the walkway in West Limerick and Mayo? There would be some views off of it if it was.

stevielenihan

Bigfellalixnaw wrote: »

I wonder is the rest of the Tralee-Dingle railway going to be converted into a walkway/cycleway like the walkway in West Limerick and Mayo? There would be some views off of it if it was.

There was talk of it but this is unlikely because most of the line has be widened on by the road and the viaducts would need a lot of repairs if this was to happen. Unlikely to happen in the foreseen future. Also the trackbed is in a very bad state in many parts.

Bigfellalixnaw

But surely it would be possible to convert whatever is left of the railway into a walkway, I understand that the whole line won't be converted but at parts of it could be converted over time.

Ait Eile

Not quite the most westerly in Ireland/Europe. Just pipped by the Valential Harbour branch on the Cahirciveen line. Definitely the most westerly NG line however.

stevielenihan

Bigfellalixnaw wrote: »

But surely it would be possible to convert whatever is left of the railway into a walkway, I understand that the whole line won't be converted but at parts of it could be converted over time.

Possible but currently there are no plans to convert to walkway and cycle path. We will just have to wait and see.

kingdumb

Valentia Harbour Station is closed, Blernerville now holds the title, well it would if the train was running !

Ait Eile wrote: »

Not quite the most westerly in Ireland/Europe. Just pipped by the Valential Harbour branch on the Cahirciveen line. Definitely the most westerly NG line however.

kingdumb

Au contraire Stevie,

There is currently a €69 million project to renovate the road from camp to Dingle including a cycleway/walkway !

This is a scheme to encourage tourists, but the NRA/Kerry CoCo plans have the path running right along side the road !

Yes that's right in one of the most picturesque parts of the country the plan is to encourage tourist to walk and cycle right beside speeding traffic on a boring main road. This despite the fact that there is an existing walking route, one of the nicest you will find, [which is in need of a few bob for upkeep] an old railway alignment with a lot of lovely old infrastructure bridges/viaducts etc. and a network of bothareens which could all be combined to make a world class route at a fraction of the cost.

The mind, it boggles !

stevielenihan wrote: »

Possible but currently there are no plans to convert to walkway and cycle path. We will just have to wait and see.

stevielenihan

kingdumb wrote: »

Au contraire Stevie,

There is currently a €69 million project to renovate the road from camp to Dingle including a cycleway/walkway !

This is a scheme to encourage tourists, but the NRA/Kerry CoCo plans have the path running right along side the road !

Yes that's right in one of the most picturesque parts of the country the plan is to encourage tourist to walk and cycle right beside speeding traffic on a boring main road. This despite the fact that there is an existing walking route, one of the nicest you will find, [which is in need of a few bob for upkeep] an old railway alignment with a lot of lovely old infrastructure bridges/viaducts etc. and a network of bothareens which could all be combined to make a world class route at a fraction of the cost.

The mind, it boggles !

Does this plan include developing a walk and cycle path on some sections of the former railway line?

kingdumb

No just a path right beside the road !

All details here:
http://www.kerrycoco.ie/en/allservices/roads/n86dingletoannascaulgortbreagogetocampris/
it is currently with an bord pleanala so hopefully some sense will be seen.

stevielenihan wrote: »

Does this plan include developing a walk and cycle path on some sections of the former railway line?

stevielenihan

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/2tsos512px9.jpg T and DR 260 at Glenmore.

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/5tsos512px2.jpg T and Dr 2 6 2 no 5 at Tralee.

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/joemaher010610c.jpg Tralee bound no 6 drops down to Blennerville for the short run along the road before the station.

http://www.tdlr.org.uk/gallery/joemaher310510a.jpg Picture of Tralee train station from 1890

gobnaitolunacy

stevielenihan wrote: »

It will operate again for the 2013 season and will include a new station for the Wet Lands Centre.

Wet Lands Centre? Pfffft. Do we really need another centre to 'interpret' a bog?

Re: the railway. The loco would have been better off being sent to the Isle of Man or somewhere else in the UK where they can actually run a real preserved railway rather than the glorified train set that is/was the T&BSR. It was all well and good having getting it back from the US, putting it going, having a few photoshoots for the launch and the Lovely Girls Festival, but what follows that up?

One steam loco is not enough, it needs another for failures/scheduled repairs and I'm afraid an ex- Bord Na Mona diesel no matter how rare it may be is not of interest to folks who want to see a 'Thomas'.

The line runs from nowhere to, well, nowhere, far too short and the lineside could hardly be described as scenic.

No original buildings, or an attempt at period structures. Just modern platforms with no character.

The workers were FAS drones who knew little or nothing about the original line.

stevielenihan

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

Wet Lands Centre? Pfffft. Do we really need another centre to 'interpret' a bog?

Re: the railway. The loco would have been better off being sent to the Isle of Man or somewhere else in the UK where they can actually run a real preserved railway rather than the glorified train set that is/was the T&BSR. It was all well and good having getting it back from the US, putting it going, having a few photoshoots for the launch and the Lovely Girls Festival, but what follows that up?

One steam loco is not enough, it needs another for failures/scheduled repairs and I'm afraid an ex- Bord Na Mona diesel no matter how rare it may be is not of interest to folks who want to see a 'Thomas'.

The line runs from nowhere to, well, nowhere, far too short and the lineside could hardly be described as scenic.

No original buildings, or an attempt at period structures. Just modern platforms with no character.

The workers were FAS drones who knew little or nothing about the original line.

Well I was told that it would be running again next year and that there be new station for wetlands centre.

stevielenihan

Model railway of Tralee to Dingle railway to be exhiibitied on 31st of may. http://www.radiokerry.ie/news/model-railway-of-tralee-to-dingle-line-to-be-exhibited-from-may-31st/

carchaeologist

stevielenihan wrote: »

Model railway of Tralee to Dingle railway to be exhiibitied on 31st of may. http://www.radiokerry.ie/news/model-railway-of-tralee-to-dingle-line-to-be-exhibited-from-may-31st/

Interestig, i wonder what the scale is?

Quaderno

Tralee Chamber Alliance wrote:

(Source)

You are cordially invited to the Opening of the new Tourist Product “The Model Railway” at the Windmill Blennerville.

By Minister Jimmy Deenihan

Friday the 31st of May from 6 o’clock. Also present the Mayor Johnny Wall.

This initiative is funded by the Tralee Town Council.

Set up by the Kerry Model Railway association.

Chairman Gene Lacey, Harry Kelliher, Martin Moore, Vincent Hayes, Eamonn O Reilly, Mick O Neill, Brendan O Brien, Mike O Donnell and Billy Nolan.

The Chester Tralee Dingle Railway will be the main exhibit with a Replica steam powered Engine (This should be very exciting) with our own Model Trains on show and an interactive set for Children.

http://www.chestermodelrailwayclub.com/dingle.htm - Plenty of information there. I think I will drop in with the little one and have a look

stevielenihan

They should redo the curradoff viaduct and lispole viaduct and place a walk and cycle path on them.

irishrail201

I hope everyone here knows that there is no such thing as the Kerry model railway association!!! completely made up! No public events nothing

I know this because I was involved to help out but was stabbed in the back!!

simonstarr

As a new member of this forum might I clear up a few misconceptions about the Kerry Model Railway Association. I have not hidden behind any pseudonym, so you know I am and I can be contacted via the Chester Model Railway Club website. Since 2005, when we exhibited our layout Dingle in the town, I have been in contact with Mike O'Neill. At the start of this year he contacted me about an offer we made of placing the layout on permanent display in Kerry. He said he and a few like-minded individuals were forming an association with a view of setting up a display in the Windmill and to restoring the 3ft line to working order. The result of these negotiations was our recent 'tour' over to Tralee and subsequent demonstration and donation of the layout.
Contrary to comments made on here:
1. The Association have their own OO Irish themed layouts, one of which was on display on Friday and Saturday last which had been put together in an incredibly short space of time. The guys who put that time in deserve all manner of plaudits for their efforts. Further to this they have spent their own time and money in doing not only this but in purchasing a number of 15mm scale T&D wagons, track and locos to haul them to add to the display. They have also commissioned myself and a colleague to build a couple of 4mm T&D locos to run the layout. They are looking into purchasing stock for Dingle so that it will be regularly run. We have also discussed the possibility (probably a bit more than that) of coming over annually to run the layout. The group want to try and extend it to the standard already created by us.
2. A diesel loco has been sourced (more details when this is finalised) and terms are being finalised for its loan. There is an outside chance that the train may run this year, but it is still more likely to be next. However, with the pace that they achieve things and the dedication that those in the association have I wouldn't be surprised to see things happen sooner rather than later.
3. 5T is unlikely to be restored to full working order for the next few years unless 2-300,000 Euros can be had. It needs about 70,000 for a new throat-plate and more for general repairs. Discussions are at an early stage with the Ffestiniog Railway in North Wales about the work that is needed - a visit by one of their staff has taken place very recently. I am sure that any fundraising that people are prepared to do would be well received!
4. In two weeks they have transformed the room at the back of the Windmill to an airy well decorated and secure area for the display of memorabilia and models. To open so successfully on Friday night where several hundred people listened to various talks by visiting members of the Irish parliament was a major achievement and shows, I hope, to any detractors, how committed they are. I also hope that any of you who are local made the effort to show your support and attend and donate to the funds.
Might I add, finally, that that the KMRA are far from a hidden group of business people, that they do have an interest in both model railways and the real thing and have the best interests and skills behind this project. I know they are real because I have worked alongside them and drank with them in the Meadowside Hotel (excellent food by the way) several times over the last week - they are a great bunch of ambitious and motivated enthusiasts. Please don't knock their efforts as they are probably the last chance that Tralee has of restoring the town's flagging tourist industry.
Simon Starr

irishrail201

Simon I must applaud your efforts, and the work you have done.

but:

1) It is not possible to join the KMRA, there is no presence of it anywhere, no facebook page no website no membership no events etc.
2) Tralee town Council funded the majority of it
3) impossible to run this year due to a lot of deterioration in trackwork
4) No one can contribute or join it is an exclusive club or the members were "handpicked" as the leader of it says, there is no constitution, no company......... there is zilch democracy, your a decent chap simon but is that right? why cannot people contribute?

From sources NEKD don't have the grant aid available, and in the event 25% of this will have to come from somewhere? where? Also the grant aid is payable upon when the work is done so who carries the cash flow in the meantime? Also I have a number of contacts in a UK railway body which has some interesting comments about the whole debacle.

No one man can do that!!

gobnaitolunacy

Is this (full size) T&DR group working in conjunction with the Facebook T&DR restoration group or is it the same story as preservation efforts elsewhere with competing groups pulling against each other?

simonstarr

1. It is possible to join the association as several people were asking at the show over the weekend. However I believe at present the ruling is, what can you do for the association, not the other way round. If you have a skill or something you can offer then you would be welcome. I know of six new members of the group as a result of this last week!!
2. True, but why is this a problem? In the long run this is investing in Tralee's future so it should be spending money from whatever source possible!
3. The trackwork has been inspected and although doesn't look great (no doubt it needs some work) is not too awful - impossible? Only in the mind perhaps! Wait and see - if it doesn't open it wont be for want of trying.
4. At Chester Club there is a heirarchy - there has to be. Yes the original members are handpicked because of what they are able to offer, you'd expect little else. As for web presence etc, that was being discussed at the weekend. Refurbishing a room, and organising an event like Friday's, sort of took priority over spending time on a website, but it is coming soon. As for democracy, hmmm. You trying saying democracy in a successful organisation like Alan Sugar's. This is not a game to be playing. You are talking some serious money involved which has to be accounted for. People have criticised the Ffestiniog in North Wales (possible some of those organisations you have spoken to will have few kind words for the management of it) but at the end of the day it gets the job done even if a few people don't like it and wander off. The point being that the railway succeeds where other more 'liberal' organisations are failing. I always try to work with people even if I don't always agree with the way they are doing it because it often ends up with the job getting completed!
'Debacle' is your word and I have yet to see any evidence of that. All I can see is a great result in a short space of time. Stop knocking them and let them get on with it. We at Chester would not be donating the layout if we thought it was a waste of time and that our hard work was in any jeopardy!
Gobna - I think the facebook thing was set up by a member of this forum and is nothing to do with efforts to restore the line just a discussion group with potentialy negative overtones from what what I have seen. There is only one group who are on the ground working to achieve something and that is the KMRA.
Simon

kingdumb

Sorry are ye saying that a model railway group are taking over the running of the Blennerville steam railway, or have I got things mixed up here ?

kingdumb

... I wouldn't be at all surprised or concerned that a group of model railway enthusiasts have no facebook page and no website, but a town council with two major tourists attractions [the windmill and the steam railway] with no officail online presence that is a joke