Considering Fenit Harbour

[jhb171achill]

Wonder what that tank loco is............

[Mayner]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

Wonder what that tank loco is............

Original Tralee & Fenit Harbor Commissioners loco which may not have passed to the GSWR.

Recall seeing a photo somewhere an 0-6-0WT with outside cylinders and outside Stephensons valve gear

[minister_for_hardship]

Possibly this.

[Mol_PMB]

Regarding Fenit locos, this is what I have pieced together from a variety of sources including photos, 'Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway' (Shepherd), 'The North Kerry Line' (O'Rourke) and 'Tralee to Castleisland, Dingle and Fenit' (O'Meara, IRRS Journal 179).

The line was opened in 1887 by the Tralee & Fenit Railway but operated by the Waterford & Limerick Railway, whilst the pier and harbour were the responsibility of the Tralee & Fenit Harbour Commissioners. 

The W&LR also operated the pier on behalf of the T&FHC between 1887 and 1899.

Until 1901, the branch was usually worked by W&LR 42, an 0-6-0WT built by Hawthorns in 1862, and originally 4'8.5" gauge. That is probably the loco pictured here:

As early as 1892,  were disagreements between the W&LR and the T&FHC, and the situation deteriorated until the T&FHC acquired their own loco secondhand in 1899. This was Hunslet 557 of 1892, an 0-6-0ST. In 1901 it became GSWR and GSR 299, and after reboilering in 1937 it continued to work Fenit pier until it was closed in 1941. 299 latterly worked in the Cork area, surviving until 1957:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511909775/

A similar Hunslet loco GSWR 300 was also used at Fenit for a while in the late 1920s.
GSWR 100 also worked at Fenit for a while in the 1930s, probably covering for 299's absence.

As well as the closure of the pier (owing to its poor condition) in 1941, traffic on the branch in the 1940s was badly affected by the fuel shortages during the Emergency and with traffic dwindling to a few wagons of beet, complete closure was considered in early CIE days. However, Fenit Pier was heavily rebuilt and reopened in 1955, giving the line another lease of life. 

CIE's initial plan was to overhaul 299 and return it to Fenit. However, there was a change of plan and MGWR 0-6-0T 560 was transferred from the Waterford & Tramore. 560 became the main loco at Fenit until 1963.

Until the end of the 1950s, if a smaller loco was unavailable, the loco from the Limerick-Tralee goods was used on the Fenit branch. This was most often a J15, and there are reports or photos of 100, 102, 105, 182 at Fenit.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53510358262/

However, the diesels were coming, and Fenit was no exception. From 1964 the branch was considered a suitable use for a small Deutz loco and this came to pass. In 1957, G602 was allocated to Tralee primarily to work the Castleisland branch and stayed in the area for several years. During this time it also operated to Fenit and was photographed there in 1960. Colour-Rail FIE05083 and FIE05084 show the loco clearly, it's also just visible at the end of the rake of vans here in Ernie's photo:

In 1958, E410 was trialled on the branch. Photos indicate that this loco was based in Cork in 1958/59.

Trials of a C class on the pier were also considered but this did not take place. However, at busier times the C class worked freight trains on the Fenit branch, with a smaller loco working the pier itself.

It seems that 560 remained in charge on the pier until 1963 when G617 arrived. As with G602, it seems to have been used on the Castleisland branch too. There are lots of photos of G617 at Fenit in 1963/64.

As yet I haven't found any photos of other members of the G class at Fenit - only G602 and G617. However, there are photos of G611 at Castleisland in 1967 so it's quite possible that other members of the G class did work to Fenit.

 

Meanwhile, from 1959 to 1970 there were summer Sunday passenger services to Fenit, which used the loco and stock from Cork-Tralee services. There could be up to 3 round trips to Fenit on a busy day, and sometimes two train sets were used.

From 1959 the traction was either a C class or an AEC railcar, sometimes one of each. Here's C212 and a railcar set; the railcar numbers are harder to read but I think I have confirmed 2601 and 2606 on other photos.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252073152/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253392935

1962 the B141s took over and remained in charge until the early 1970s when these trains ceased. Locos included B151, B153, B156, B162, B169

Freight services remained in the hands of the C class, such as C218 here:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307571

But increasingly the A class made appearances, both before and after rebuild. These did not venture onto the pier.

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000307414

Of course there were railtours as well, featuring G617, 560 and 186 (both before and after preservation by the RPSI)

 

My planned layout will only feature the pier in its post-1955, which rather restricts the suitable motive power. I'm taking the view that if it went to Fenit at least once, that's good enough for me.

So I have made E410, I have a G class kit to build (I'll probably need 2 eventually), and I'm in early stages of planning a model of 560. When IRM make a C class I'll have to bend the rules a little.

To help me decide which G611 class to model, Has anyone got photos of G611 class at Fenit, other than G617?

There are loads of photos of G617 but they are almost all from two dates in 1963/64 when railtours visited Fenit. I suspect that others of the class also worked there but I can't prove it.

 

9 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Possibly this.

Definitely that. Thanks!

Here's an anonymous G611 class at Fenit in 1968, but which one is it?

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/e425c297-bf48-42a6-9969-ae1f6b7d7378

[Noel]

Great idea for a layout project And the L shape may suit a room.  Been to Fenit many a time, a surreal little place of awesome beauty surrounded by tralee bay and the kerry mounts. Amongst the finest beaches in Europe.  Was struck by the vast size of the Leibherr Cranes exported from the quay transported by road from the Killarney Factory.  Can you imagine if such was possible by rail instead (no bridges would be possible).  The concrete pier at sunset is awesome in silluette as brilliant bronze sun washes through the vertical pier support structure.  We’ve cycled along part of the old track bed.

Brendan the navigator pointing west past Little Samphire light house island.

 

Warning on a gate nearby along the old track bed.

Will watch this space with interest.

[Mol_PMB]

14 minutes ago, Noel said:

Great idea for a layout project And the L shape may suit a room.  Been to Fenit many a time, a surreal little place of awesome beauty surrounded by tralee bay and the kerry mounts. Amongst the finest beaches in Europe.  Was struck by the vast size of the Leibherr Cranes exported from the quay transported by road from the Killarney Factory.  Can you imagine if such was possible by rail instead (no bridges would be possible).  The concrete pier at sunset is awesome in silluette as brilliant bronze sun washes through the vertical pier support structure.  We’ve cycled along part of the old track bed.

Thanks! I have only visited Fenit once, about 30 years ago, but I plan to go again in a few weeks time while I'm over in Cork for the railtour. The plan is train to Tralee, bus to Fenit, explore and photograph, then walk back to Tralee along the trackbed.

Back in the 1960s/70s the Liebherr cranes did go by train to Dublin Port, though they seem to have gone by road to Fenit. It's not bending reality too far for me to model a train like this at Fenit:

The Kennelly Archive has a superb selection of over 1000 photos on Fenit Pier from the 1950s to 1970s period. Very few locomotives appear in them, but plenty of ships, wagons and all the buildings etc.

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/?search=fenit

[minister_for_hardship]

On 5/3/2025 at 5:17 PM, Mol_PMB said:

I've been busy busy at work recently and not much time to focus on modelling, though a bit of time for research. Still interested in Fenit as a prototype, I've been delving into that rabbit hole.

I found this image of a rather interesting early bogie wagon, apparently a 30 ton high side open goods wagon for the Tralee & Fenit Harbour Commissioners, body 34' long, built by the Lancaster Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Ltd. It doesn't carry a number; I wonder how many wagons the T&FHC had? There are some odd technical details such as the long 5-link coupling, the buffers spaced on blocks, handbrakes acting on all wheels. The top plank of the body seems to run the full length of the wagon. It appears to be iron or steel-framed with T-bulb section for the solebars. Bogies are a rather lightweight diamond-frame 3-piece type. Some details may have been lost in retouching the photo to hide the background.

Anyone know more about these or other T&FHC wagons?

 

Quite a find. What the yanks would call 'gondola cars' would have been extremely rare here. I'm assuming they had extremely short working lives, not passing to the GS&WR.

A few actual US gondolas did actually run here on the self contained 4' 8 1/2" Irish Steel system on Hawlbowline Island, still carrying US RR insignia.

[Flying Snail]

6 hours ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Quite a find. What the yanks would call 'gondola cars' would have been extremely rare here. I'm assuming they had extremely short working lives, not passing to the GS&WR.

A few actual US gondolas did actually run here on the self contained 4' 8 1/2" Irish Steel system on Hawlbowline Island, still carrying US RR insignia.

There's one 'gondola car' pictured here in Waterford in GSWR markings, pre 1910 as the timber bridge (aka Timbertoes) is still in situ. The GSWR lettering is blurry, but when I zoom in I can make it out

Original picture is in the NLI archive here https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000326744

 

Edited March 20 by Flying Snail

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

There's one 'gondola car' pictured here in Waterford in GSWR markings, pre 1910 as the timber bridge (aka Timbertoes) is still in situ. The GSWR lettering is blurry, but when I zoom in I can make it out

Original picture is in the NLI archive here https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000326744

 

An excellent find! Well done!

[Flying Snail]

There's some interesting stock there, including a butter van thats out of shot in my screen grab above, but to the lefthand side of the original image.

[minister_for_hardship]

1 hour ago, Flying Snail said:

There's one 'gondola car' pictured here in Waterford in GSWR markings, pre 1910 as the timber bridge (aka Timbertoes) is still in situ. The GSWR lettering is blurry, but when I zoom in I can make it out

Original picture is in the NLI archive here https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000326744

 

It's a beast of a wagon next to the 4 wheel yokes.

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

It's a beast of a wagon next to the 4 wheel yokes.

I wonder how it behaved around the sharp curve onto Fenit pier? I reckon it was about 65m / 3 chains radius. Bogie rotation wouldn't have been a problem but I'd imagine that bufferlocking could be an issue.

Maybe one day I'll find out in model form?

[Rob R]

Zoomed in a bit.

I will have to keep a look out when browsing the NLI

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Rob R said:

Zoomed in a bit.

I will have to keep a look out when browsing the NLI

That is a very exceptionally rare beast indeed. I wonder was it the only one they had? Is it the same one seen at Fenit? I am unaware of a solitary example, anywhere else in Ireland, at any time, of a wagon even remotely similar. And I have been intently poring over every photo I can get my hands on for almost sixty years by now. In this pic it has "G S W R" on it, rather than Fenit Pier markings, so obviously it was taken into GSW stock. I suspect that most of the time it simply shuttled coal between Fenit and Tralee, which doubtless will be why we never see or hear much of it. An excellent find. Note the rust on the ironwork of the right-hand wagon, appearing so much darker, and faded grey paintwork on the timber bits. GSWR wagons were painted a very much darker shade of grey (I have a sample) than this photo would suggest; as seen on the bogie, and the four-wheeler on the left, of course!

Edited March 20 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

The wagon appears identical to the T&FHC one, though the only photo of that in T&FHC livery appears to be a maker’s photo before delivery. I have no idea if there was more than one. 
The T&FHC had fallen out with the W&LR to the extent that they bought their own loco, so perhaps no surprise they bought one or more wagons too. 

[Mayner]

On 6/3/2025 at 6:17 AM, Mol_PMB said:

I've been busy busy at work recently and not much time to focus on modelling, though a bit of time for research. Still interested in Fenit as a prototype, I've been delving into that rabbit hole.

I found this image of a rather interesting early bogie wagon, apparently a 30 ton high side open goods wagon for the Tralee & Fenit Harbour Commissioners, body 34' long, built by the Lancaster Railway Carriage & Wagon Co. Ltd. It doesn't carry a number; I wonder how many wagons the T&FHC had? There are some odd technical details such as the long 5-link coupling, the buffers spaced on blocks, handbrakes acting on all wheels. The top plank of the body seems to run the full length of the wagon. It appears to be iron or steel-framed with T-bulb section for the solebars. Bogies are a rather lightweight diamond-frame 3-piece type. Some details may have been lost in retouching the photo to hide the background.

Anyone know more about these or other T&FHC wagons?

 

Interesting the Tralee & Dingle acquired a bogie van from the "Tubular Frame Wagon Co" in 1892 the long horizontal framing member looks tubular in section in the Alamy photo where you would usually expect to see a steel channel or rectangular section solebar. The underframe bracing and archbar trucks (bogies) appear very light in section for a goods wagon. There is a photo and a drawing of the T&D Tubular Frame Bogie Van No40(t) in David Rowand's Tralee & Dingle album (Bradford Barton 1977)

Perhaps a sales rep trying to sell 'modern' high capacity wagons visited Tralee around the same time as the Harbor Commissioners fell out with the W&L.  Some railway companies including the BNCR experimented with 'high capacity" wagons around the turn of the Century and wagon builders like Lancashire C&W would have been building high capacity wagons for the 'Colonies"

The Lancashire wagon is quite different from American practice where Gondola's steel or timber framed usually have fixed sides and ends

[Mol_PMB]

A couple more Fenit photos I've come across recently.

Firstly, posted in a couple of different Facebook sites byTralee Railway Terrace Reunion, here is "Paddy McMahon down Fenit Pier with the Deutz 1962"At this date it was most likely G617 but I can't be sure.

 

Perhaps of more interest is this view from the Tralee & Dingle Railway Preservation Society on Facebook, entitled 'The DEUTZ shunting Fenit Pier, 1972'

Most photos of rail activity on the pier are from the 1960s so this is a welcome later image. Again the loco is unidentified but it's in the black livery which narrows it down to G611, G615 or G616. It's not G611 or G615 because they had their roundels higher up, immediately below the cabside window. So it must be G616 which had the roundel lower down as seen here. I'll add that to my list of locos to model! 

Note that the modern gantry crane has been installed but there's still at least one steam crane in action unloading the ship, and a lengthy rake of wagons along the pier.

 

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

I have been down a rabbit-hole looking at the rail-mounted cranes at Fenit, see the attached pdf:

Fenit_cranes.pdf

 

I also found this thread on a related subject from @David Holman which has a nice drawing of a typical crane:

This website has a nice selection of photos and drawings of small rail-mounted steam cranes built by Smith of Rodley:

https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/Thomas_Smith_%26_Sons_(Rodley)_Ltd

At first I thought the Fenit cranes might be by Smith of Rodley but after further study I think at least two of them were from Coles of Derby:

http://uploads.worldlibrary.net/uploads/pdf/20150311065744coles_vintage_3t_steam_rail_crane_1879_10_03_15_sm_c.pdf

https://tractors.fandom.com/wiki/Coles_Cranes

 

Whilst searching I found these official documents giving the harbour charges (including craneage) for Fenit. The first one is dated 1954 when the pier had been newly refurbished, and the second one is some additional clauses dated 1970 when the new gantry crane had just been installed:

https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/1954/si/266/made/en/print

http://www.legislation.ie/eli/1970/si/83/made/en/print

[Mol_PMB]

Inspired by some recent uploads to the IRRS Flickr archive, I thought I'd take another look at the summer Sunday excursion trains to Fenit.

Normal passenger services had ceased between the wars and the branch was on the verge of total closure in the 1940s. But after the pier and freight services saw a resurgence in the 1950s, the passenger services came back, with the first one running on 21 June 1959. On busy days (fine weather for the beach) there could be three round trips daily. They only ran on summer Sundays and ceased around 1973. Still, that's a 15-year period of regular, if infrequent, passenger traffic.

The 1967 working timetable (the oldest one I have) shows a 1015 Cork-Fenit arriving at 1330, then returning at 1815 to be back in Cork at 2135. This ran on Sundays from 18th June until 3rd September.

I'll think about the railtours later - there were at least four.

 

The photos of the 'green era' Sunday services I've found so far are as follows:

 

1959: Alan O'Rourke's book 'The North Kerry Line' p.241 shows an AEC set headed by 2606 on the Fenit branch in summer 1959

 

21 August 1960: At least two excursion trains came to Fenit, and the station was quite congested! One was a 6-piece AEC railcar set including 2601 from Castleisland.

The other train from Cork was formed of C212 hauling 4 bogie coaches and a 6-wheel van. Fortunately a couple of IRRS members were there (on the train from Castleisland) to record the occasion and the shunt moves:

http://www.mainevalleypost.com/2021/02/12/castleisland-railway-reminescenses-from-august-21-1960/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253392935/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253392940/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252110532/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252073152/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253211714/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253198678/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253198698/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54252110497/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253391920/

 

22nd July 1962: C232 hauled the train from Cork with a tin van and 3 bogie coaches:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419865335

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419669699

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54418615712

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54256976078/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257001693

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419722693

 

I don't know the date of this one but it's likely to be early 1960s as well. A train of 4 bogies and 2 tin vans:

Each of the loco-hauled trains includes at least one old panelled coach among CIE stock and Park Royals, plus some sort of brake van.

That's all I've got for the green era, but I think it's enough to give a flavour of the trains; I'll do another post for the black and tan era.

[jhb171achill]

That wooden one is a GSWR non-corridor third of 1910-20 vintage.

[Mol_PMB]

Moving forward into the black and tan era, B141s became the preferred traction.

 

On 29th August 1965, B162 hauled a train of 4 bogies (2 green, 2 BnT) including a former GSWR panelled corridor third and a 1900 series brake standard; no separate van. This features in two different photos in the books Irish Traction in Colour (Huntriss) p84 and Rails Through North Kerry (Beaumont/Carse) p114. The caption notes that the train returned empty to Tralee to form a second excursion.

 

On 3rd September 1967, B156 hauled a train of 3 bogie coaches and a tin van, unusally with the tin van near the middle of the rake. The whole train was in BnT and included a Park Royal and other CIE-era stock.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53510250437/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53570446236/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53570445691/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53508784679/

 

On 29th June 1969, B153 had a train of 3 bogie coaches and a tin van, all flush-sided and in BnT livery but mostly (all?) compartment stock:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511462933/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511296941/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511296936/

 

On 9th August 1970, B143 hauled a train formed of 4 bogie coaches including a 1900 series brake standard and a Cravens number 1523. This train is pictured in Rails Through North Kerry (Beaumont/Carse) p112.

 

On an undated occasion in the early 1970s, the train was formed of B169, three Cravens, a CIE compartment coach and a tin van:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53446885166/

 

And the final undated photo shows B151 at Fenit, we can only see the first two coaches one of which is a brake standard:

 

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

That wooden one is a GSWR non-corridor third of 1910-20 vintage.

It has toilets at each end so isn't it more likely a corridor third? Or did the GSWR build some with internal corridors but no gangway? It's early one anyway, with an arc roof.

A similar vehicle in this train:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54418615712

For bonus points, what's this one with a birdcage on the roof? Pictures not so clear though.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253198698/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253211714/

 

[Mol_PMB]

Moving on to the railtours, I have identified four so far. There are many photos of most of these because they were packed with gricers! So I won't attach links to them all but just pick a few.

 

5 June 1961, MGWR tank engine 560 (which was at the time the regular freight loco on the Fenit branch) hauled a railtour. The train was formed entirely of CIE-era stock: a tin van, two laminates and a buffet car:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53468560926/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53468878174/

 

7th September 1963, G617 hauled a railtour to both Castleisland and Fenit. Whilst at Fenit it gave rides along the causeway to the pier, light engine. The train was formed of a tin van, a GSWR corridor third, and a Park Royal:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511154971/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511470444

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54419865290

 

8 June 1964, the grand tour visited Fenit behind 186 (before it was preserved). The train was formed of a 6-wheel van, Bredin corridor first, old panelled diner, two 1497-series seconds, and a tin van. It was too long for the loop and G617 was on hand to help shunt the train. 

Finally (as far as I know) 186 visited again on 3 June 1972 whilst on a Limerick-Tralee (and branches) railtour. The set was formed of a 1449 series laminate, Park Royal, 1449 laminate, Cravens, and a tin van. The tin van was repositioned at the rear when the train reversed at Fenit.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53511662404/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/53510434637

 

I think that was the end for railtours to Fenit, unless anyone was lucky enough to blag themselves a trip on the weedspray trains!

 

[jhb171achill]

13 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

It has toilets at each end so isn't it more likely a corridor third? Or did the GSWR build some with internal corridors but no gangway? It's early one anyway, with an arc roof.

A similar vehicle in this train:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54418615712

For bonus points, what's this one with a birdcage on the roof? Pictures not so clear though.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253198698/

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253211714/

 

You're right - hadn't seen the toilets. Therefore, it is one of two types; (1) the 1119-31 series of 13 such built in 1914/5, all of which saw in the 1960s, with the first withdrawn in 1961 but the rest lasting until between 1967 and 1970. The latter would have ended up black'n'tan. Or, (b) the 877-896 series, 20 of which were built in 1907. Of these, 15 were still in use in 1961, though all were gone by 1964.

[mfjoc]

I was on that tour in 1972 and if I remember rightly the turntable was still working. I also visited the branch a year or two later on a local when the Cork- Tralee train was extended to Fenit on summer Sundays.

[Mol_PMB]

42 minutes ago, mfjoc said:

I was on that tour in 1972 and if I remember rightly the turntable was still working. I also visited the branch a year or two later on a local when the Cork- Tralee train was extended to Fenit on summer Sundays.

Nice! Do you have any photos of the trips that you could share here? 
 

I’m planning a Sunday trip from Cork to Fenit this weekend, but the last leg from Tralee will be by bus or on foot. 

[mfjoc]

Photography was never my strongpoint. Even now I am terrible at composing a subject. At the time I had a cheap AGFA camera and took awful photographs in black and white which I developed myself. I much preferred to wander around, observe and store memories. The photos in the IIRS archive or in Rails in Kerry are way better that any I took.

But on the subject of memories there was plenty of time to wander around and no restrictions on going anywhere. The loco was a 141 class, and after we arrived in Fenit the driver uncoupled from the train and drove it up the line and parked it in the cutting outside the station. He left it idling there unoccupied all afternoon. There was a very sad end to the day in that on the way back to Cork that evening the train crashed into a vanload of travellers at an accomidation crossing and several were killed.

[Mol_PMB]

Some information on the G class at Tralee from Andrew Waldron, after I asked a related question on the Industrial Railway Society group.

With relevance to John Langford's photos on Fenit Pier as reproduced in @jhb171achill's North Kerry book:

A ship load of timber was due that day for McGowan's merchants in Tralee, loaded into open wagons and taken over the branch to Tralee by a G class Dtz shunter. McGowan hired the second Tralee Dtz, the one in reserve to shunt the wagons at his site, while the first Dtz went back to Fenit, for the second load. The last shipping order was the one after this consignment in 1969, then the curtain came down.

I hadn't realised that Tralee had more than one G allocated, so I asked more about that, and Andrew responded:

G Class Dtz locos, allocated to Tralee in the period 1965 to 1970 were G 611, G 613, G 614 and G 617. McGowan hired 617 in 1967, again in 1968, he hired  613 in 1969. I will dig some photos out and send to you off group.

I'd already got my eyes on G611 after I found photos of that at Castleisland. Given that we also have photos of G602 and G616 at Fenit (outside the time period mentioned by Andrew) it seems that the majority of the Gs would have visited Fenit at one time or another. 

I'm beginning to wonder if a G class chassis etch would be worth doing to modern standards, and maybe a G601 cab to fit the Worsley Works model?