Athlone - Mullingar line

flyingsnail · 06-08-2013 03:38PM

dennis124wwr wrote: »

Is the Athlone Mullingar line to do with the Streamstown to Clara line because on the map you can see Streamstown near Moate and it is on the line.

Yes, the line diverged from the Athlone to Mullingar line at Streamstown Junction which is between Moate and Mullingar. It then went south through Horseleap to Clara.

dennis124wwr · 06-08-2013 03:42PM

And whats the story with castletown. Did it have a railway station.

flyingsnail · 06-08-2013 03:47PM

dennis124wwr wrote: »

And whats the story with castletown. Did it have a railway station.

There was a station between Moate and Mullingar called Castletown but it was about a one and a half miles from the town of castletown.

cml387 · 07-08-2013 09:17AM

flyingsnail wrote: »

There was a station between Moate and Mullingar called Castletown but it was about a one and a half miles from the town of castletown.

Full name (pedantic hat on) is Castletown Geoghegan

LoonyLovegood · 08-08-2013 07:58PM

cml387 wrote: »

Full name (pedantic hat on) is Castletown Geoghegan

Even more pedantic, it's a townland.

Is it possible to see the old stations, or have they been demolished? I'm regularly down near Streamstown, keep meaning to see if I can find the station.

Losty Dublin · 08-08-2013 08:35PM

CTYIgirl wrote: »

Even more pedantic, it's a townland.

Is it possible to see the old stations, or have they been demolished? I'm regularly down near Streamstown, keep meaning to see if I can find the station.

Castletown Geoghann station is still there but very overgrown. It's accessed on a road off the R 391 and R 390. Parking may be a bit awkward but you should find somewhere to pull up for a few minutes.

Streamstown station is little more than a shelter and a water tower. Stay on the R 391 and it's up a side road close to a school and a GAA pitch; I think the town land/village is called Cloughan. There is a disused trail down to the station that you can park in.

Moate is in the town itself; look for Station Road and there you are.

Eiretrains · 08-08-2013 08:36PM

CTYIgirl wrote: »

Even more pedantic, it's a townland.

Is it possible to see the old stations, or have they been demolished? I'm regularly down near Streamstown, keep meaning to see if I can find the station.

Yes Castletown Station still exists, but disused. Only traces of Streamstown left nowadays.

demanufactured · 09-08-2013 09:04AM

I think the growth around the level crossing in athlone was only cleared due to complaints from the council.. It did look terrible in fairness.

Temp101 · 09-08-2013 09:30AM

As Eiretrain's links show, the old stations at Castletown and Streamstown still have remains, Castletown being the more accessible and interesting, still retaining the signal cabin on one side of the level crossing. The concrete blocks base of the signal cabin is still there in the undergrowth at Streamstown - the wooden upper portions have long since disappeared.

The intermediate station on the Streamstown - Clara line is also readily visible from the old N4 at Horseleap.

dennis124wwr · 09-08-2013 11:39AM

demanufactured wrote: »

I think the growth around the level crossing in athlone was only cleared due to complaints from the council.. It did look terrible in fairness.

So they cleared it.

dennis124wwr · 11-08-2013 11:54PM

Did they clear it in some places more ?

demanufactured · 12-08-2013 05:04PM

Nope, just at the level crossing in athlone.

dennis124wwr · 12-08-2013 06:38PM

demanufactured wrote: »

Nope, just at the level crossing in athlone.

Can you send me a picture of the crossing

demanufactured · 12-08-2013 07:06PM

http://www.flickr.com/photos/be216cd1/8865817394/in/set-72157633759839850

flazio · 13-08-2013 12:16AM

ISTR that level crossing used to be a lot narrower so that it just took one gate either side to close the road and open the line, then late 90s perhaps they widened the road and footpath and put in a hump pedestrian crossing. But as I remember it, the line was already closed, so I don't think those gates that are there now have ever been used to close the road. I'm not even sure they are long enough.

demanufactured · 13-08-2013 12:52AM

flazio wrote: »

ISTR that level crossing used to be a lot narrower so that it just took one gate either side to close the road and open the line, then late 90s perhaps they widened the road and footpath and put in a hump pedestrian crossing. But as I remember it, the line was already closed, so I don't think those gates that are there now have ever been used to close the road. I'm not even sure they are long enough.

You're probably right
Though the weedspray train did run the line in 2003.

demanufactured · 13-08-2013 01:00AM

http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/62712/cycleway-approved-amid-confusion-over-railway

Seaneh · 13-08-2013 01:07AM

dowlingm wrote: »

The would also be a possible problem if Athlone West was painted by some as a "win" for Roscommon and a "loss" for Westmeath.

But Athlone West is in Westmeath, so that wouldn't be the case

.

dowlingm · 13-08-2013 10:23AM

demanufactured wrote: »

http://www.advertiser.ie/athlone/article/62712/cycleway-approved-amid-confusion-over-railway

So what is possible in the UK is completely impossible for Irish Rail :rolleyes:

dennis124wwr · 13-08-2013 10:32AM

In the news it said that the cycleway will be beside the railway tracks.
mullingar.ie

demanufactured · 13-08-2013 11:57AM

I took a spin out some of the backroads this morning between athlone and moate.
The bridges look perfectly intact.... The Level crossings are a terrible state though

Banjoxed · 13-08-2013 01:07PM

dowlingm wrote: »

So what is possible in the UK is completely impossible for Irish Rail :rolleyes:

Examples?

dregin · 13-08-2013 01:25PM

This looks like what the poster's talking about: http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/image_galleries/cycle_paths_gallery.shtml?8

dregin · 13-08-2013 01:26PM

and this: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avon_Valley_Railway_and_cyclepath_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1287738.jpg

Banjoxed · 13-08-2013 01:37PM

dregin wrote: »

and this: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Avon_Valley_Railway_and_cyclepath_-_geograph.org.uk_-_1287738.jpg

Any examples with a National Rail line? I can't see how a short enthusiast line with very limited speeds and occasional workings is a viable parallel with Athlone - Mullingar.

dregin · 13-08-2013 01:39PM

Ah

I just goolged "railway bike lane UK" and those images came back. I see the difference you talk about!

101sean · 13-08-2013 07:17PM

Feature on the One Show on BBC1 right now on the Bristol - Bath cycle way partly alongside the Avon line. Also interviewed John Grimshaw of Sustrans who started the whole thing.

dennis124wwr · 19-09-2013 08:02PM

Nobody has something to say about the line. I,m out of ideas of what to write

Sligo Quay · 22-09-2013 08:21PM

dennis124wwr wrote: »

Nobody has something to say about the line. I,m out of ideas of what to write

Thread has run to 12pages, so its probably run out of steam ''excuse the pun'';)

corktina · 22-09-2013 08:58PM

Not much else to say really....WoT take note

Athlone - Mullingar line

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