Closures anniversary

[jhb171achill]

Today marks the 46th anniversary of the last significant "round of closures", when, on 3rd November 1975, train services ended on the following lines:

Dromin Junction - Ardee

Claremorris - Collooney

Listowel - Ballingrane Junction

Attymon Junction  - Loughrea.

All but the last were goods only; Ardee since about 1931 and the other two since 1963. Loughrea was also the last place in Ireland to handle cattle traffic to Dublin, and the last in Ireland by some twelve years or so, to have mixed trains. The last traditionally operated Irish rural branch line, in fact. And of course, the last place (and only one of two ever) where a "G" class loco ever hauled passenger trains in public service!

RIP the lot of yiz.

[Patrick Davey]

Always wondered why the Ardee line was relatively unsuccessful - with virtually direct access to Dublin?

[jhb171achill]

17 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Always wondered why the Ardee line was relatively unsuccessful - with virtually direct access to Dublin?

It was only 4.5 miles from Dromin Junction, with no intermediate station to generate passenger revenue. In the later days of the Loughrea line, more people drove to Woodlawn or Ballinasloe to get the train to Galway or Dublin than travelled on the line. It is likely that more people went even on foot to Dromin, with more trains there to choose from - plus a lower fare than if they went all the way on the train. Every penny counted in those days to most people.

I wonder if Ardee had been twice or three times the distance from the main line, would the passenger service have survived?

Edenderry was another. Quite big town, but no passenger train since the early 1930s, and even a modest enough amount of goods given its size, in later years.

Same with Moate. In its later years it only had one train each way stopping there, and even that in late evening; light years beyond utterly useless as anything approaching a public service - but Athlone station was (and is) just up the road.

I daresay the majority of people travelling by rail from Tipperary town today just hop in the car up to Limerick Junction which is only 3 miles away, where you have an hourly service, compared to the L Jct - Waterford route which seems to have two trains per decade, provided there's a good wind and they can find a driver.

[Galteemore]

I suspect Ardee would also have been an early target for the GNRI bus service. 

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

I suspect Ardee would also have been an early target for the GNRI bus service. 

Exactly - and it was!

[Mayner]

Branch lines feeder branch lines close to large cities and towns such as Dublin, Cork and Drogheda tended to loose their passenger service or completely once the railways established their bus and road delivery services. Macroom lost its passenger services in the early 30s and the Passage and Muskerry lines were closed completely during the same era, I suspect the Muskerry hung on until the Government Baronial Guarantee payments ceased in 1934 otherwise the GSR would have closed the line earlier. The GSR & CIE seem to have operated a sparce passenger service on the Tullow Branch, the Meath line and Cavan Branches, it was cheaper to serve Naas, Navan and Cavan by bus direct from Dublin with the bonus of GSR/CIE operating a direct Dublin-Navan-Kells-Cavan service something that was impossible to do by rail.

The Ardee goods service appears to have survived because it could be worked as a Drogheda shunting or pilot duty in a similar manner to the Tralee Pilot working the  Castleisland, Listowel and Fenit shunts rather than an allocated locomotive. The principal applied on a larger scale before the 1963 Closures with the Liffey Junction Pilot (G 611 Class) working the weekly Edenderry Goods and trip workings to Kilmessan and Drumree when Clonsilla-Navan closed to through freight workings, the Clara Pilot (G601) worked the Banagher Goods in addition to shunting the goods yard, Ranks/RF Hall and LF Goodbody Jute factory sidings, during the 1930s the Mallow pilot worked the Kanturk Newmarket goods allowing a Sentinel Railcar replace a locomotive and coaches on the branch passenger service.

[Patrick Davey]

Fascinating insight - thanks all!

[B141]

On 3/11/2021 at 7:07 PM, jhb171achill said:

Today marks the 46th anniversary of the last significant "round of closures", when, on 3rd November 1975, train services ended on the following lines:

Dromin Junction - Ardee

Claremorris - Collooney

Listowel - Ballingrane Junction

Attymon Junction  - Loughrea.

All but the last were goods only; Ardee since about 1931 and the other two since 1963. Loughrea was also the last place in Ireland to handle cattle traffic to Dublin, and the last in Ireland by some twelve years or so, to have mixed trains. The last traditionally operated Irish rural branch line, in fact. And of course, the last place (and only one of two ever) where a "G" class loco ever hauled passenger trains in public service!

RIP the lot of yiz.

Where was the other place where a G hauled passenger services?

[Galteemore]

Limerick-Foynes mixed 

[jhb171achill]

35 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Limerick-Foynes mixed 

Yes, just for two months before it closed. Must have worn out a G over an undulating line that length!

 

46 minutes ago, B141 said:

Where was the other place where a G hauled passenger services?

Limerick - Foynes daily mixed, the only train on the line when the passenger service ended in 1963. The passenger accommodation was an old MGWR six-wheel brake third. There are colour pics of it in my North Kerry book.

[Westcorkrailway]

On 4/11/2021 at 3:33 AM, Mayner said:

Branch lines feeder branch lines close to large cities and towns such as Dublin, Cork and Drogheda tended to loose their passenger service or completely once the railways established their bus and road delivery services. Macroom lost its passenger services in the early 30s and the Passage and Muskerry lines were closed completely during the same era, I suspect the Muskerry hung on until the Government Baronial Guarantee payments ceased in 1934 otherwise the GSR would have closed the line earlier

Railways in Cork In between 1931-35 were an utterly miserable

kinsale branch closed

CMLR closed

CBPR closed 

Macroom line closed for passenger services 

Cork-bandon commuter service cut 

 

On the plus side, the bulletproof Clayton railcars were introduced

[Mayner]

I did not realise that the GSR operated a Cork-Bandon local passenger service, I was under the impression that Bandon was served by Cork-Skibbereen & Clonakilty trains in CBSCR and GSR days.

The Muskery is an odd one the GSR received a 5% Baronial Dividend on the CMLR share capital for 10 years following the Amalgamation, the GSR operated a skeleton service of one or two trains daily in its final years until the dividend payments ceased in 1934. Presumably the payments would have ceased if the GSR closed the line earlier.

According to Shepherd the GSR wanted to close the Timoleague and Courtmacsharry line in 1925 but continued to operate the line possibly in order to continue receiving a dividend under the Baronial Guarantee scheme but was worth while keeping open for goods and excursion traffic. 

[flange lubricator]

Another anniversary the closures in 1977

RTÉ Archives | Environment | Railway Stations Close (rte.ie)