ERNIE's Irish Railway Archive, photos from ca 1900 to the 2000's

[Irishswissernie]

The first view is Waterford coal stage which was the sheds somwhat less elaborate version of that at Cork with its overhead gantry and Pat delivering coal from the wharf. Here the railway ran adjacent  to the River Suir with a number of landing stages and the coal stage appears to have had an elevated passage from the river landing and coal storage deck.

CIE 1964-xx CA Waterford Coal stage 186 yj059.

2nd view Enniskillen , note the bread container at the rear of the Omagh train on the left.

GNRI 1957-09-03 Enniskillen 196 arrives from Derry. PFF228.

3rd view Killybages station with a view looking through the train shed..

CDRJC 1957-09-27 Killybegs  train shed interior lkg W. PFF331.

last view.

CBSC 1959-06-02 Clonakilty Junction C225 Bantry - Cork goods. PFF063

 

[Mol_PMB]

In the last photo, note the 3 cattle wagons with sheets over them. 

My understanding is that horses are more skittish than cattle and didn't like watching the scenery go by at speed, so it was normal to sheet over a cattle wagon carrying horses. No doubt @Horsetan will tell us more!

On the other hand, they might just be carrying general freight if there was a shortage of vans.

[airfixfan]

Rare view of Killybegs 

[Andy Cundick]

For the record its Railcar 20 on the turntable at Killybegs Andy

[Horsetan]

15 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

In the last photo, note the 3 cattle wagons with sheets over them. 

My understanding is that horses are more skittish than cattle and didn't like watching the scenery go by at speed, so it was normal to sheet over a cattle wagon carrying horses. No doubt @Horsetan will tell us more!

The general wisdom is that horses travel better if they don't see the scenery or other traffic going past, which is why horseboxes and trailers tend to be mostly solid wall, with vents higher up.

That said, some equines don't really mind having a look out. I've followed trailers where the horse or pony is enjoying a haynet whilst watching out of a window, and at least one converted Renault Trafic van which had a pony facing the rear, watching me through the rear windows!

[David Holman]

Another fine set of photos, not least Killybegs train shed with all that interior detail.

[leslie10646]

I must agree with then others - a remarkable quartet of photos, Ernie.

I was totally unaware of that coaling stage at Waterford, so that adds to the fund of human knowledge, as the folk who would ever have seen it may no longer be with us;

Enniskillen views are always of interest - even one of my bread containers!

The Killybegs shot is one of those  - "write an essay" shots! A lot to see, generally unseen - like the Waterford shot - adds to our knowledge;

The CBSCR goods is another illumination - twenty wagons and the brake van not in view. More traffic than perhaps we might have expected. I bet the little C Class made a lot of noise. Our West Cork brethren will have to increase the length of the loops on their layouts!

A really Four Star posting, thanks.

[Irishswissernie]

I have a couple more of the Killybegs station interior; its different wagons in the photos. It's probably best to upload these to flickr now to make its easier to find them.

Also a a view of the Donegal Town Goods shed road side.

CDRJC 1957  Killybegs Trainshed interior. PFF276.

CDRJC 1957  Killybegs inside station roof. PFF305.

CDRJC 1957 Killybegs Goods shed. PFF275 EDITED now corrected to Donegal Town

 

 

Edited July 31 by Irishswissernie

[airfixfan]

Great photos 

[Mayner]

22 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

The CBSCR goods is another illumination - twenty wagons and the brake van not in view. More traffic than perhaps we might have expected. I bet the little C Class made a lot of noise. Our West Cork brethren will have to increase the length of the loops on their layouts!

Goods traffic appears to have been fairly heavy on the West Cork main line right up to closure, two daily C Class hauled goods trains were scheduled over in the 1960s WTT one return Cork-Bantry and one Cork-Drimoleague and plus C Class hauled goods/mixed and passenger working on the Skibereen/Baltimore and Clonakilty branches. 

There was a comment to the effect that passenger traffic was considered less important than goods on the West Cork in a Railway World Annual article by enthusiasts that visited Ireland in the late 1940s.  Plenty of variety of motive power in steam days while the Bandon Tanks seem to have worked the goods, pre-amalgamation tanks of GSWR,WLWR, DSER worked passenger and branchline services during the CIE steam era, the MGW tanks were relative latecomes mainly used on the T&C section

 

[Andy Cundick]

4 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

I have a couple more of the Killybegs station interior; its different wagons in the photos. It's probably best to upload these to flickr now to make its easier to find them.

Also a a view of the Goods shed road side.

CDRJC 1957  Killybegs Trainshed interior. PFF276.

CDRJC 1957  Killybegs inside station roof. PFF305.

CDRJC 1957 Killybegs Goods shed. PFF275

 

 

Its actually Donegal goods shed been there done that modelled it,Andy

[leslie10646]

Thanks again, Ernie for this latest lot from the Donegal. A nice piece of social history captured.

Killybegs looked after its waiting passengers well with a bench (complete with the photographer's bag - that probably had in it everything for a week's trip in those days!) AND a Waiting Room - better than 99% of stations these days?

The road transport outside Donegal's goods shed makes an interesting contrast.

[Irishswissernie]

1 hour ago, Andy Cundick said:

Its actually Donegal goods shed been there done that modelled it,Andy

Thanks, I had my doubts about the original details on the negative sleeve that it wasn't Killybegs but I couldn't find any other views, Title amended.

[airfixfan]

Especially as the remains of the Donegal Tiwn Goods shed survives today 

[Irishswissernie]

C&M 1934-07-09 Blarney Castle 8K, 12.05 from Cork. HCC11061 Cas25145.

CIE 1955-04-26 Palace East 111 RMC83677 Cas25202.

CIE 1955-04-26 Macmine Junction, RMC83675 Cas25201.

CIE 1962-09-xx DFublin Amiens St B124 on Radio Train j155.

 

 

[David Holman]

Nice. Very nice indeed.

[Irishswissernie]

GMK038 GNRI Connolly 1961-04-xx S4.

GMK037 GNRI 1955-07 Connolly Shunt signals.

GMK039 CIE 1961-04-xx Inchicore ex GNRI JT 91 L25.

 

 

[Galteemore]

Fabulous. 91 had an unexpected new lease of life post 58, and seems to have  become something of a pet loco around  south and west Dublin. In the bizarre way of things though, it was 93 - withdrawn as long ago as 1955 - which made it into preservation ! F6 no42 seems to have been similarly useful right up until 1963 - clearly a well designed 2-4-2T stands the test of time. 

Edited August 6 by Galteemore

[Irishswissernie]

Irish Sugar 1960-xx-xx Thurles K12663'35 JGD600610.

L&LSR 1949 CA Owencarrow viaduct after closure JGD5415 ref25j+006.

L&LS 1952-06-16 Pennyburn, Derry 15 Mck025

 

 

[David Holman]

Lovely stuff.

What is the large warehouse structure behind Pennyburn shed?

[Irishswissernie]

6 hours ago, David Holman said:

What is the large warehouse structure behind Pennyburn shed?

I think it was a Power Station but the only reference I can find is a sentence in Patterson's L&LSR book which mentions that the railway originally had a signal box at the level crossing into Pennyburn . This stood on the North East side and was demolished to make way for a Power Station. 

[Galteemore]

 Certainly looks more like a power station than a shirt factory, which was Derry’s staple industry 

[Irishswissernie]

Enniskillen today.

GNRI 1957-09-03 Enniskillen U 201 comes off train from Dublin.PFF234.

GNRI'SLNC 1957 ca Enniskillen AL probably No 59 shunting. Railbus  2A PFF217 Not sharp unfortunately.

GNRI 1957-09-26 Enniskillen 204 ,PFF009.

 

[airfixfan]

Great stuff and working on the Pennyburn question 2

[Patrick Davey]

On 11/8/2025 at 2:02 PM, Galteemore said:

 Certainly looks more like a power station than a shirt factory, which was Derry’s staple industry 

David was that an off-the-cuff remark?  No doubt you will tell me to button it before I get collared......

Love those GNR U Class locos - pure elegance!

More fantastic selections Ernie.

[Galteemore]

2 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

David was that an off-the-cuff remark?  No doubt you will tell me to button it before I get collared......

Love those GNR U Class locos - pure elegance!

More fantastic selections Ernie.

Just winging it Patrick, but knew you’d cotton on to it. 

[Broithe]

A-hem.

Things are not always what they seam.

Let's get back on thread here now...

[Galteemore]

Nice view of SLNC bay. Unusual to capture a GN shunt over there. Notice it’s a mixed rake with SLNC stock. The pic will have been taken early afternoon as the 1115 goods from Sligo has arrived - this is probably the 1:45 railbus. The combat indicator for this timing is the coach sitting in the bay. This means that the 7:20 to Sligo will be steam tonight 

[Northroader]

You’ll be needing another track on the front of your diorama then?

[Galteemore]

35 minutes ago, Northroader said:

You’ll be needing another track on the front of your diorama then?

Already got one! 

[Northroader]

Bob, pay more attention.

[Irishswissernie]

A 'Special' post this week on Drimoleague ex CB&SCR station as I have acquired a fair number of 'new' negatives. I have got out the coloured felt tips and done a track plan useing the Geohive IE old 25" map to to provide a footprint  so everything is in the right place. It would make an interesting model layout but now I have been evicted from the Loft I don't have the room or the will to start again.

The way the tracks and points are positioned means that one could actually build the layout as a double track 'roundy-roundy' by utilising the long sidings at the Banty and Cork ends to double the tracks. 

On examing photos I can't locate a signal controling the middle platform road which was used as a terminal line for trains to and from Skibbereen/Baltimore - possibly there was only a ground signal here. Photos to follow.

[Irishswissernie]

CBSC 1959 ca  Drimoleague, C224 after arrival on service from Baltimore & Skibbereen.  PFF396.

BELOW. 

.CBSC 1959 ca  Drimoleague, Goods & Skibbereen trains in main platforms  Railcar on right. PFF387. Goods shed line behind platform line on left.

Below.

CBSC 1959 ca  Drimoleague, Railcar for Bantry on right, Baltimore  C224 on left. PFF397.

Signal is down for the railcar to go to Bantry.

 

Below.

CBSC 1957 - + Drimoleague C202 on goods.PFF204.

Photo taken from the footpath which appears to have been the only access for passengers to the station. The official route to the lefthand platform would have been over the footbridge but no doubt many people would just use the foot crossing in front of the loco.

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

A few images from steam days.

CB&SC 1954-09-04 Drimoleague shed 470 KC. Track and turntable removed on dieselisation.

second photo. CBSCR 1954-xx-xx  Drimoleague 35   ref036 The branch train from Baltimore.

third photo. Nameboard. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited 7 hours ago by Irishswissernie