A brief look at the eastern end of the "main line" the busiest section of the North Kerry between Carey's Road and Ballingarne. Definitely worth including this section of the line possibly including both Patrickswell & Ballingarne in an American style possibly two level "walk around" style layout.

The stations buildings on the original Limerick & Foynes line at Patrickswell, Adare and Askeaton are to a common attractive cut stone design, the track layouts very simple. Patrickswell and Adare closed to freight in 1974, the signal cabin closed in 83, Knock Pilgrimage and GAA specials continued to call into the late 1980s. A crippled CIE 20t brake and a GNR standard van with one end pulled out seems to have been permanent features until the siding was removed in the early 1980s.

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Adare looking west.

Patrickswell was the junction between the North Kerry and Croom Branch or more grandly named Cork-Limerick Direct Railwayt line from Charlesville originally a GSWR stalking horse to access Limerick the CLDR had running powers over the W&L to Carey' Road Junction where the GSWR had its own separate goods yard which handled freight traffic for Cork and Kerry, Guinnes, Grain & catte until the end of loose coupled freight.

The station layout at Patrickswell was odd in that the Croom Branch and North Kerry were worked as two separate single lines through the station, no crossover was provided at the western end between the two lines, crossing two North Kerry or Croom Branch trains involved a shunt.

The Croom branch lost its passenger service in the 1930, but the line remained an important freight link until Limerick Junction was re-modelled in 1967. The Croom Line had a nightly freight service to and from Cork, plus Castlemunget-Cork cement specials. Patrickswell closed

The platform is a good example of Irish railway approach to regulation low and without ramps.

A glimpse of Newcaste with the one time rather church like entrance to the station platform

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View along the platform from the stop block, difficult to guess what is original & what is re production. Terrance of houses on the right are on the site of the Goods shed and yard. North Kerry Yard was on the left hand side behind the station building.

Next piece we will look at common features among larger North Kerry & Burma Road stations and a possible design for the layout.