Great Southern Railway Records

Wyldwood · 25-01-2010 11:30pm #1

Here's hoping someone can help. I am trying to trace my paternal family line. I know my great-grandfather worked on the Cork -Youghal/Cobh line in the early 1900s as stationmaster. I can't get back any further and can't find where he was before that (hopefully 1901 census will help when released on line). I've written twice to the Railway archives office in Heuston Station and had no reply. Has anyone had any luck with railway archives?

Victor · 26-01-2010 12:42am

Wyldwood wrote: »

I've written twice to the Railway archives office in Heuston Station and had no reply.

Its a voluntary organisation. they may not have the time.

I don't know if they have access to personnel records.

pinkypinky · 26-01-2010 12:33pm

A man in my genealogy course has been into the Heuston Station archive. They open on Tuesday nights or something. It is voluntary but you can look at personnel records.

Wyldwood · 26-01-2010 10:37pm

thanks Pinky, I feel a trip to Heuston coming on!

Do you know if an appointment is needed?

pinkypinky · 27-01-2010 12:05am

I don't believe so but ring them to check their opening times.

Sundew · 27-01-2010 9:51am

hopefully 1901 census will help when released on line

Wyldwood can you not get a chance to drop into the National Archives in Dublin to have a look at the 1901 census. Depending on where you are, your own local archives may also have the 1901 census on microfiche!

By the way my own Grandfather was a gatekeeper on the Great Southern Railwayline. I actually have a weekly timetable in excellent condition belong to him! I had to contact the archives in Heuston about 10 years ago regarding a particular incident on the railway and had some luck finding an exact rural location from the letter they sent me.They did write back but the info was pretty minute. When I visited the area it turned out there was a fantastic historian living there (who had written many local books) and was able to fill me in on some amazing facts about the local railway and my Grandfather!
I have passed the archive office a few times down in heuston and have often see the door open during the week.

pinkypinky · 27-01-2010 11:08am

Wyldwood wrote: »

I can't get back any further and can't find where he was before that (hopefully 1901 census will help when released on line).

He can't use the microfilm if he doesn't have an address.

I am waiting for the 1901 too - I have lots of ancestors in Dublin but I don't know what street in 1901!

Sundew · 27-01-2010 2:10pm

pinkypinky wrote: »

He can't use the microfilm if he doesn't have an address.

I am waiting for the 1901 too - I have lots of ancestors in Dublin but I don't know what street in 1901!

Well looking for relatives in rural areas is a lot less hassle then looking for ancestors in Dublin! I would agree that finding relatives in Dublin is like looking for a needle in a haystack and a Grand-Aunt & her next of kin who left for Dublin is the only branch of the family I have not been able to trace!

The 1901 census returns have been available for years and I certainly found all my information on them (one county had to be trawled through to find the info) . I will admit I had it narrowed down to a few areas but in the early 90's some of my research was done not on microfilm but using the original census return papers!
Sometimes taking with older family members can bring out the most extraordinary pieces of info and can often be the key to opening the box. Railway workers did move around as my Grandfather did but older relatives who I got in touch with gave me loads of leads in the 90's and with all the info I was able to piece it together.
You can't beat going out and digging for info from other people first!
Of course this applies more to rural areas and towns and Dublin and larger cities are a different kettle of fish due to people moving around and people been moved out to the suburbs!
I found a relative in Dublin 10 years ago by my Dad remembering the name of the pub his Uncle drank in!!!! He remembered after visiting him as a small boy from the country. I found the pub in a Dublin suburb, told the barman what I was doing and he pointed me in the direction of somebody who had worked with him. Bingo lead me right to my relatives door!
Sorry for the rant it's just time ticks and older people "pop their clogs" while you wait for records to be released and you should at least be making enquiries to find out what ya can. There are loads of railway enthusiast's /historians around who should be able to give the OP some leads .

Wyldwood · 27-01-2010 8:08pm

Thanks for the replies. As Pinky says I can't pin point where my ggrandfather was in 1901 so not as simple as popping into the library. I have spent many hours trawling through the microfilms for 1901 for all the areas where there were stations on the Cork - Cobh/Youghal line with no luck. It looks like he may not have been on that line in 1901. I have a lot of research done on his early years but I'm missing a large chunk of his working life. He was Station Master in an East Cork station in 1911 census. Unfortunately, there are no older generation folks left to quiz.

Sundew, I'm not sitting here waiting for someone to drop the info into my lap I have done serious work on tracing all 4 lines of my family and am back to late 1700s/1800 on all 4 lines but am missing a chunk on this one!

shanew · 28-01-2010 9:35am

I may be able to help with station-masters in slightly earlier years, if that helps ... i.e. 1894 and earlier..

Shane

pinkypinky · 28-01-2010 10:19am

Wyldwood,

I got some more information on the archive in Heuston for that man in my class who has used it. He says:

"The Railway Records Society (I think that's their name) are in Heuston Station near the car park on the river side of the road and are open on Tuesday nights from 8 to 10. Their office is up a dingy stairs on the first floor where you sign in."

Sundew,
3/4 grandparents are from Dublin - I too have spent years searching various records (let's face it, I'm nerdy enough to be doing a 3 year part time course in genealogy). The oldest generation is sadly long departed, and despite having gotten information from them, it's not enough and I have searched all obvious addresses in Dublin. I don't have the time to search street by street in the Liberties.

The latest is word that the 1901 will be June...which is depressing.

Sundew · 28-01-2010 11:49am

Apologies about my rant. It was not meant as personal just a general statement. I was lucky in that I started compiling information and interviewing elderly relatives whilst still in secondary school.

I hope you have success with the Railway Records Society and no doubt will eventually find the info you are looking for.:)

Wyldwood · 28-01-2010 11:58am

PinkyPinky thanks for that information. Unfortunately, I live in the far south so will have to plan a trip to Dublin on a Tuesday in the near future. You've no idea how frustrating it is not to have easy access to records available in Dublin. I lived on the train and in the National Library & Joyce House in the early years of research. It has become easier with the online census/LDS prototype/IFHF (albeit at a price). I eagerly await the 1901 census and the church records for Cork city which are due to come online in the next few months on irishgenealogy.ie. I have been researching my family for many years, including a branch that led me to the Scottish Borders. Pinky you seem to have a great handle on records, when I go to Dublin next I would like to try to see the land records for some farming ancestors I had in order to establish when they changed from being annual tenants of the squire to owning the land. Is the Irish Life Building the place to go?

shanew thanks very much for the offer of help but I know that my ggrandfather wasn't a stationmaster until 1902 so he was probably just a porter or the like somewhere before that.

Sundew no worries, unfortunately I didn't start reseaching until most of the older generation were gone and I really regret that now.

pinkypinky · 28-01-2010 1:46pm

Wyldwood,

Thanks

It's almost as difficult when you live in Dublin and work full-time!
Only the National Library recognises that people might like to visit outside business hours, and even at that, the extra hours are not great when microfilm searches are involved!

You're right, the land valuation office holds the cancellation books that follow on from Griffiths (which I presume you've seen) and it's in the same Irish life building as the GRO reading room.

Sundew,
I too am researching since secondary school. Glad to know I wasn't the only kid!!

Pinky

Great Southern Railway Records

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