Narrow gauge industrial railway in Wexford

[Wexford70]

Morning all,

Would anyone have come across any information on an industrial narrow gauge railway / tramway in Wexford?

The website:   https://www.railscot.co.uk/companies/W/Waterford_and_Wexford_Railway/ mentions a quarry and the Drinagh cement works being connected to the Wexford Rosslare line by narrow gouge.

I have never seen any other references to this. 

The Drinagh works were operational from 1881-1914 and 1919-1924 originally owned by H.J. Cooper (Cooper and Sons) until 1918. At one stage it was Ireland's only cement works.

This link mentions a private siding into Wexford South station https://www.cementkilns.co.uk/cemkilndoc028.html#drin

 

Edited October 6 by Wexford70

[Wexford70]

Update: according do Des Kiely a local author in Wexford, the siding was built one year after the cement works opened, circa 1884. The narrow guage works railway was horse drawn and had three spurs joined to a turn table. The company shipped line and cement made with limestone instead of chalk also using the mud from the local estuary.

A major dispute between the Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway and the Waterford & Wexford Railway erupted in May 1889. Services were threatened to be suspended if the W&WR did not guarantee to make immediate payments of monies owed to the DW&WR. At a meeting in the Town Hall in Wexford, the W&WR asked that the service be kept open at least during the bathing season but the line was duly closed. It remained so for the next five years.

With the loss of the important train service into Wexford, Harry Cooper came up with a solution. He built his own steam engine to run on the railway line between Drinagh and Wexford, calling his invention the ‘Puffing Billy’.

It had a boiler and a tall chimney, and ran on four wheels. It became known as the ‘Donkey Engine.’ 

(from ‘Fascinating Wexford History - Vol. 5)

Edited October 6 by Wexford70

[minister_for_hardship]

1 hour ago, Wexford70 said:

Update: according do Des Kiely a local author in Wexford, the siding was built one year after the cement works opened, circa 1884. The narrow guage works railway was horse drawn and had three spurs joined to a turn table. The company shipped line and cement made with limestone instead of chalk also using the mud from the local estuary.

A major dispute between the Dublin, Wicklow & Wexford Railway and the Waterford & Wexford Railway erupted in May 1889. Services were threatened to be suspended if the W&WR did not guarantee to make immediate payments of monies owed to the DW&WR. At a meeting in the Town Hall in Wexford, the W&WR asked that the service be kept open at least during the bathing season but the line was duly closed. It remained so for the next five years.

With the loss of the important train service into Wexford, Harry Cooper came up with a solution. He built his own steam engine to run on the railway line between Drinagh and Wexford, calling his invention the ‘Puffing Billy’.

It had a boiler and a tall chimney, and ran on four wheels. It became known as the ‘Donkey Engine.’ 

(from ‘Fascinating Wexford History - Vol. 5)

Any drawing or photo of it surviving?

[Wexford70]

13 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Any drawing or photo of it surviving?

None that I am aware of, would love to find one. I am sure it was an interesting device. Cooper was a trained engineer (TCD graduate) and the distance between Waterford South and Drinagh would be quite short, 3.5 km.

[Galteemore]

5 minutes ago, Wexford70 said:

None that I am aware of, would love to find one. I am sure it was an interesting device. Cooper was a trained engineer (TCD graduate) and the distance between Waterford South and Drinagh would be quite short, 3.5 km.

According to ‘Irish Imdustrial and Contractors Locos’ it was an 0-4-0 vertical boiler type, in operation c 1885-95

[Wexford70]

Des Kiely on Facebook has not seen a photo. Will keep looking.

The photo below is of the works after closure in the 1920s.

Edited October 6 by Wexford70