Westcorkrailway

Who remembers tracking the ship the IRM A class container was on around Covid time

I don’t see those….would love to see em!

They needed that gunpowder to deliver Guinness to cork…all the protection was needed

This is true!

Some of his other works GAA excursions (I don’t have one. If anybody has a copy lying around please may I have it) the CMDR book from 1960 2 copies of the West Cork Railway Observer. I’ve only seen a handful of these survive to this day. There was at least 12 or 14 different issues produced…. No idea how many were made of each issue either

Colm Creedon on the GSRPS/IRRS Munster Area tour to youghal in 1985.

Similar to before. Some views of Colm’s records to give a taste to encourage even a brisk viewing wedgeheads bullied AEC railcar under construction at Inchicore Colm made Christmas cards during this time! The west cork lines had a fan base! D class at work in the Quays of cork. (He’s gonna have lots of fun running around his train by the looks of things the only photo of an A class in the West cork lines as part of 1 of 2 trials that took place. It’s too bad that time has Hammered this photo, though the negative may still exist.

Not going to unload the entire Colm creedon stuff here. But just a taster of what you can find within his archive regarding old interesting stuff. Again, I strongly encourage to go and browse yourself! 1890s CBSC mainline train 1933 cashel service the following 2 locos are of pike and Carlisle. 2 original cork and youghal railway tank engines Clayton railcar trials in the Newmarket and kanturk and finally. A CMDR 4 wheel coach

If anyone would like to read the first volume of the CBSCR series of books. The first one is on the internet. Although I find the following volumes to be much better https://durrushistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1986-colm-creedon-history-the-cork-bandon-and-south-coast-railway-vol-1-1849-1899.pdf

Yes I forgot that one, it’s in the following post. That was his 2nd book!

Cork and Macroom railway Album covers the Macroom railway. Probably corks most obscure railway line. it includes some of his articles for railway magazine and newspapers amongst the most definitive collection of images on the line amongst a pletera of drawings and notes about the line Cork and muskerry light railway Coveres the muskerry line, another railway somewhat neglected by literature, again with a definitive collection of photos of the former railway line as well as relevant newspaper clippings. Cork and Youghal railway Vol 1. Covers the railway company that eventually became part of the GSWR. Some very nice early images as well as a savage documentation of its downgrade and eventual closure of all branches and mini railways of that line. there is also a lot of information about summerhill station. Also includes the railtour he helped make in 1985. Vol.2 shows newspaper clippings calling for upgrades, photos of the line during the 1990s including Youghal branch. Pretty definitive look at railways during the early 1990s Dublin an south eastern railway album Not much within ths one. Showing some of his own photogarphsof the harcourt street line, amongst other DSER lines during the early 1960s updates on the Dart and suburban services in the 1980s and a piece about cork at the end (this happens often!) Great northern railway abum Contains not as much GNR material as the title suggests. Really it’s a miscelanous of railway companies not covered in other albums Has clogher valley, C&L, SLNC, Lartigue, CDR, west clare, lots about bord na mona, British rail, preservation schemes in the UK and beyond (looking for inspiration for his own plans for a cork heritage line) Irish tourist railway album. Again, looking for inspiration. This album looks at heritage schemes I Ireland in the early 1990s. some beautiful old photographs of heritage railways in there early days including the construction of the Tralee and Blennerville, the DCDR opening ceremony and Cahir Rail Museum. The railways of West Cork Illustrated album no.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 These are the diary of Colm Credon tracking the end of the west cork railway. Some of these have not surived the flood as is evident when you open volume 1 which picks up in 1954 and is basically unreadable No. 1. Covers 1954 to 1957, the detail it goes into cannot be described. That driving trailer no.2 covers the early 1950s so it predates no.1 for some reason. Again, an unreasonable amount of detail which I have never fully read through due to the condition of the pages no. 3 covers 1957 to around 1960. One of the last slides showing the CIE closure announcements. Includes another pile of notes, statistics and photograph number 4 is missing. Probably destroyed in the flood no.5. shows a huge array of anti closure and closure related articles. The 2nd half also shows some of the traffic towards the end of the railway including the last GAA exurion and a decent account of the IRRS farewell special aswell as the last weeks of the railway. Also shows the strong opposition to the railways closure, which colm was a huge part of no.6 shows the early lfiting process and the beginning of crrsattempts at a heritage line. the end of the album looks at the railway line pre 1930s including the kisale branch, a full grade map and early photos for some reason. The naming changes to Cork bandon and south coast Railway CBSCR volume 1. Is full of the state of the west cork railway thoughtout the 1980s and also looks at some pre CIE era photos of the lne CBSCR volume 2 continues on from No.6. documenting the lifting of the line throughout the mid 1960s finally concluding in 1970 with only albert quay left. Also shows he munster area railtour he held in 1965. An album called cork city railways is not present. Likely destroyed. Great southern and western railway albums VOL.1 starts about 1967. Documents the closure ad lifting of the mallow to Waterford railway line as well as some weird odd explorations of strange lines. Including pats withdrawal, fenittrip, Fethard line lifing. Also documents the IRRS munster area tour to Castlemungret and webbs mills which he organished. Also some interesting pictures at the end of 90 and the kanturkbranch VOL.2 steps back in time and contains photos of some lines closed in the 1950s on the system, particulary on the Kerry road. His IRRS tours to castleisland and Waterford north are documented. He also had a railtour on the north Kerry road which simply attached a coach to the goods train!. There is also some superb photos of CIE in general from the 50s to the 80s mixed in there VOL.3 onl a few pages long. Showing GSRPS special at gortand a piece on railway accidents overall I would recommend everyone read the GSWR series . There is something there for everyone Cork blackrock and passage railway I suspect was one Colm’s favourite lines. his notes and photos in this album are once again pretty definitive particulary on the subject of the multiple terminus’s which he did a book on in approimatly 1985 I cannot go into more detail than this. If you want to find out what is in them for yourselves. Go and read/Look through them!

Can’t say I knew the man personally. He died in 2001 and I was born in 2003. He was a transport enthusiast for basically all his life. He wrote articles for railway magazine, had his own magazine called “the west cork railway observer” and essentially watched over the railway in its last years. post west cork closure he focused on the IRRS Munster area and essentially transformed it into the version we know today. All the info that @mol_PMB has is because of Colm organising that tour in 1966. He organised all of them. many of the photos you see are his, and his 2 running buddies Walter McGrath who wrote loads of railway articles and has 2 books “industrial railways of Ireland” and “cork trams” to his name. And the famous Joe st ledger. he did another magazine in the 1980s and started writing books then too. His Macroom book in 1960 was the first. Then a book about GAA excursions in 1984, then 3 books about the CBSC (1986, 1989, 1991) before his final book about the CBPR in 1993. He was working on an updated Macroom book, unfortunately this book never released. Cork enthusiasts often remember staying at his house in magazine road into the early hours purely discussion railways. he was at the centre of SORA, the attempt to save the west cork railway and he set up the CRRS to try and save Bandon tank 464 (£240 pounds short!) and tried for years to set up a heritage line in West Cork. I could go on. For me he’s simply the most interesting and single most important man when it came to railway enthusiasm in the far south. if the people want. I can make a guide to these manuscripts. What’s in each of them. Because the names don’t really line up with what’s inside sometimes!

These are my holy bible. I swear by them. Every time I open them up I find something new. Unfortunately some of these albums were damaged beyond repair in the 2009 cork floods. Regardless I find it more handy then the IRRS archive, and had completely forgotten to make a thread about it on here. it’s pure raw unedited notebooks. I know here like to criticise his books on the CBSC for there quality of edition but reading some of these you can see why somone with such passion found it hard to edit down. Look how much he had to cut out!

Saw this on on Facebook too. It’s a shame the green livery didn’t last a bit longer, it was super

Another mix of liveries at Cobh around 1947

Photos post ww2 become much easier to come by. But the introduction of colour during that time is brilliant. Particularly of the earliest years of CIE. https://ifiarchiveplayer.ie/monsignor-reid-collection-castlerea-train-station/ 1947 Colour footage of an oil burning loco with GSR liveried Coaches

I didn’t know the D class ever got to cork either….interesting!

This one is allegedly before the line opened…the train is for GSWR directors

These 2 locos are currently about the same distance away now as they were in this photo. 1875 built 90 with future roommate 1958 built C231. i have a picture of 2624 working in west cork, which became 6111 also preserved in Downpatrick. Can’t find it though! both of these rustons have survived. One is in Belturbet and the other is in Clonakilty

I since made a Facebook page on this subject. The wider audience of that platform should unearth some gems in the meantime here are a few more a railway station under construction! The BBSC station on Bantry pier built for the transfer of goods, and supposedly passengers to the Bantry bay steamship companies services to glengarrif, adrigole and Castletownbere. (The roads during this time were appalling) Would be in the early 1890s allegedly this was taken in Abbyleix. If it was then it would be similar to that of the Wexford service posted earlier. An early example of GSR travels. The “M” in the background gives me good reason to doubt though!

Another one from the nunn collection. Clonakilty mixed train 1924 just outside of Cork.

Visiting places like Tuam, Wellintonbridge, navan and seeing Baby GMs and A class on the DCDR. One can only imagine what it was like. If/When these stations re-open a lot of the character will naturally be stripped back. I guess that’s why my railway layout and purchases tend to be historic, to recreate something I can’t just go out and see!

I’m gonna register for it. Try my hand at some of this stuff. No prizes for guessing what!

Not my finest work, but twill do! A 3rd brakevan for myself

I found that thread about the oldest Irish railway photos spurring me to find some photos of Pre-1930s railway photos in Ireland. Some of which I have found fascinating. I hope a few more can contribute to this thread This one was posted on Facebook a few months ago. A MGWR on a Wexford train…can’t be too long after the amalgamation! another MGWR train at castlebar. The straight sided coaches are particularly old. Did this train run all the way to achill? Or did Westport act as a terminus? a CMDR Goods train, probobly just outside capwell terminus. (Nunn collection)