Limerick Works - Building Usage in the 1970-1990s?

[Mol_PMB]

I'm mulling over the idea of a small shunting layout in 21mm gauge. I have strong memories of Limerick in the 1980s and although the railway has a vast sprawl aound the city, there are opportunities for smaller cameo scenes. With my main interest being wagons and locos, the wagon works and stabling point seem like they might be a good place to model. But the usage of these buildings has changed over time, and I'd like to make sure my plan is plausible. I'm most interested in what each of the buildings was used for in the 1970s-1990s period.

 

Some photos from Ernie on Flickr show the array of buildings in the wagon works area, from left to right...

Bus depot on the far left, then the Foynes line, then older and newer buildings part of the wagon works:

Just visible on the right-hand edge of the photo above is the original WLWR works:

Further to the right, the stabling point:

And the main lines are beyond that further to the right:

There's a fascinating mix of ancient and modern buildings here, and a mix of locos and wagons with a main line passing too.

There are also some interesting links here showing a traverser, and some present-day interior views of the buildings:

https://irishrailwaymodeller.com/topic/11551-limerick-wagon-works-traverser/#comment-178608

https://thewandererphotos.smugmug.com/2024-Photos/July-2024/i-qMBP3WJ

Here's a present-day aerial image from Google maps, on which I've drawn some coloured outlines:

Working upwards from the bottom:

The bus depot shown in purple is, I think, on the site of the former loco shed? The Foynes line runs just north of that.

The green building is presently the wagon works, the blue buildings are derelict and I'm not sure what they originally were, or when they fell out of use.

The old WLWR works/shed is shown in orange, and I assume the red part behind was also part of the works as it was built in a similar style. These buildings are presently used for railcar servicing. Were they part of the wagon works at one time, or was this always a loco facility? Ernie's photo above shows a wagon in the left-hand road and a loco in the right-hand road. This 1980s photo shows a lot of wagons, and what might be a carriage in the middle road:

Finally, the small brick building with the bay windows, shown in yellow on the map. What was its history and purpose?

I'm thinking that for a small wagon shunting layout, the yard in that last photo might be a nice place to model. 3 sidings for shunting wagons, a fourth track behind the brick building to stable spare locos. Some characterful buildings, and a place that I remember well.

But there are other interesting areas of the works too, like the traverser, the loco stabling point and the buildings nearer the Foynes line. I can't fit it all in!

I'd welcome any info on the history of the works buildings and activities here, or pointers towards articles on the topic.

 

Cheers,

Mol

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

I scanned a couple of old maps and plans from my books.

This is Limerick in 1858 (as built), which shows the original shed. It looks like the smaller buidlings at the back of the shed are original:

This is Limerick in 1900, and some aspects of this track layout may still be the same today:

 

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Mol_PMB
correcting typo

[minister_for_hardship]

Interestingly, one of the old buildings has the Masonic compass and square symbol carved into a keystone.