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

[airfixfan]

Great photos the Letterkenny goods always heavily loaded until closure 

Edited September 29 by airfixfan

[leslie10646]

They are a wonderful set of photos, Ernie. I particularly liked the human one of the queue at the booking office.

I agree with Jim that the goods photo is wonderful, BUT:

Were all those vans well-loaded, I think not. Probably a lot of air being moved around, for if i'm not mistaken, if there was a single bulky object for somewhere, it was loaded in a van and the van dropped off there. That was a big problem for the common carrier railway, lots of goods which did NOT pay its way.

Jim Edgar's brilliantly-researched talk to the IRRS London Area on the demise of Ulster's railways really brought this unhappy point to the fore. Without the legal requirement to carry the goods, we might have had a lot of lines still there usefully carrying passengers and keeping cars off the roads!

 

[Irishswissernie]

I'm off to the Ffestiniog Gala on Thursday for 5 days so, as Madame has gone off to Beamish with our youngest daughter and  year old twin grandchildren  today;  and I have done my chores, I will upload some more Casserley negs from 1955.

I am supposed to be plastering  in the kitchen however as it was ca 1978 the last time I got plastered I seem to have lost the knack!

Claremorris to Ballina.

CIE 1955-04-19 Claremorris 229 RMC26113 RMC 83480.

CIE 1955-04-20 Ballyvary 599. RMC26101 RMC83488a.

CIE 1955-04-20 Foxford RMC83487 Cas25180.

CIE 1955-04-19 Ballina.  RMC26106 RMC83484.

 

Edited September 29 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

After consultation with the Household Authority in view of the weather forecast for this weekend the trip to the Ffestiniog Gala was called off and cancelled at 2am on Tuesday.

An exciting alternative was then proposed that one should plaster up some holes in the living room wall where a radiator was removed a couple of years ago. However how about uploading a few more images!.

These are from the early / mid  1960's.

CIE 1967 CA Killarney  25j+092.

CIE 1967 CA Killarney 25j+088.

CIE 1967 ca Waterford 25j+077.

CIE 1967 ca Mallow 25j+096.

 

[Horsetan]

22 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

...An exciting alternative was then proposed that one should plaster up some holes in the living room wall where a radiator was removed a couple of years ago.

I can just feel the excitement 

[Irishswissernie]

Ex Midland & Great Western Railway at Broadstone today. 3 somewhat poor negatives and one copyright print where the negative has been destroyed.

CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y001.

CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y015.

CIE 1959- CA Dublin Broadstone y002.

CIE 1958-07-06 Broadstone shed B2a 401 coprint25j+067b

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

I have uploaded to Flickr, 10 Richard Casserley photos taken on 4 June 1964. Here are 3, there are over 50 Guinness images in this Album. The first image taken at an earlier date by A Ford, if you click on it is a link to the Album.

1964-06-04 Guinness Conv ags +No 2  RMC 20893 26A009.

1964-06-04 Guinness Conv ags +No 2  RMC20892 26A008.

1964-06-04 Guinness 2 RMC 20887 scan 26A002.

 

Edited October 12 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

CIE 1955-04-21 Claremorris 613 RMC83497a Cas25184.

CIE 1955-04-20 Roscommon 542 RMC83477 Cas25178.

CIE 1955-04-19 Balymoe  RMC26111  RMC 83478.

 

 

[Galteemore]

On 12/10/2025 at 8:02 AM, Irishswissernie said:

I have uploaded to Flickr, 10 Richard Casserley photos taken on 4 June 1964. Here are 3, there are over 50 Guinness images in this Album. The first image taken at an earlier date by A Ford, if you click on it is a link to the Album.

1964-06-04 Guinness Conv ags +No 2  RMC 20893 26A009.

1964-06-04 Guinness Conv ags +No 2  RMC20892 26A008.

1964-06-04 Guinness 2 RMC 20887 scan 26A002.

 

Great shots. Must be almost at the end of the Guinness broad gauge operations, certainly steam-wise. Presumably some of this traffic was northern bound given the UT wagon- very different to the Guinness trains I remember ! 

 

[Mayner]

I don't remember seeing Guiness steam locos but vaguely remember seeing the riverside Wharf on Victoria Quay before it was removed and seeing the Hudswell Clarke diesel parked at the brewry entrance every time we passed along St Johns Rd would have been 7-8 when the tramway closed.

[Irishswissernie]

CIE ca1965-7 Coach 1130.

CIE ca 1965-67 Waterford Coach 1319S.

CIE 1967-09-ca Cork, B154 from Cobh.

CIE 1967-09-09 Dundalk 186 SPL

 

[Mol_PMB]

Great photos.

Coach 1130 was a kitchen car, originally built by the GSWR in 1914 and it survived until 1968. Seen in your photo sandwiched between two of the 1497-1503 series open standards which were built at Inchicore in 1962, just before the Cravens. 

Coach 1319 S was an 8-compartment corridor third built by the GSR in 1926. It was in front-line service in 1961 but the S suffix indicates that it had been demoted to secondary stock by the date of the photo (1965). In 1969 the secondary stock was renumbered in the 4000 series and 1319 became 4035. 

The coach to its right appears to be one of the 1119-1131 series, also 8-compartment corridor thirds built by the GSWR in 1914/15. These were also demoted to secondary stock and some survived until 1969/70.

[Irishswissernie]

County Donegal Railways at Donegal Town Station today.

 

CDRJC 1957 Donegal Town PFF307.

CDRJC 1957 Donegal Town PFF317.

CDRJC 1957 Donegal Town Coach 15. PFF319.

CDRJC 1957 Donegal Town from west. PFF279

 

[airfixfan]

Perfect way to start the day! Thanks

[Irishswissernie]

 

As mentioned yesterday in the topic on Working Timetables, last night I attempted to photograph the GNRI 1 July 1917 WTT, however the photography has to be done in natural light otherwise you will get a large shadow across the image from the camera etc..

This morning I have managed to do the Dundalk to Carrickmacross, Cootehill Bundoran & Omagh section which hopefully is shown below and is readable. The double pages are scanned on their sides to make the image larger. If anyone wants them as portrait rather than landscape I hopefully can send them via a PM.

I have also copied the 'contents' page to show how the GNRI broke the lines into sections i.e. Portafown -Belfast  and Dublin - Portadown. PM me if you would like a copy of a section. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 28 by Irishswissernie

[Flying Snail]

6 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

This morning I have managed to do the Dundalk to Carrickmacross, Cootehill Bundoran & Omagh section which hopefully is shown below and is readable. The double pages are scanned on their sides to make the image larger. If anyone wants them as portrait rather than landscape I hopefully can send them via a PM.
 

 

Thanks for sharing Ernie - I think those pictures are all very readable - the resolution is good enough to zoom in and read individual entries.

[Irishswissernie]

Hopefully the pages are in the correct order.

[airfixfan]

Thanks

[Irishswissernie]

4 R M C views at Bantry Town  on 13 April 1955. I think the Bandon Tank is 470 as I have other views showing the patch along the bottom of the Tank side.

CB&SC 1955-04-13 Bantry 41 RMC26052 RMC 83232.

CB&SC 1955-04-13 Bantry  41 on shedRMC26053 RMC 83233.

CB&SC 1955-04-13 Bantry RMC26055 RMC 83236.

CB&SC 1955-04-13 Bantry RMC26054 RMC 83235.

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

IR 1982-03-15 Tralee 002 yj246.

IR 1982-06-27 Mallow 087 yj247.

CIE 1964-CA Portarlington yj249.

CIE 1964-06-xx Geashill yj248.

 

 

[airfixfan]

On 28/9/2025 at 7:40 AM, Irishswissernie said:

County Donegal Railways at Strabane today.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane 14 with Phoenix adding wagons to its Letterkenny service. PFF372.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane No 6 'Columbkille'. PFF293.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane No 5 on Finn Vally goods. PFF298.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane long goods arriving from Letterkenny. PFF287.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane Booking Office. PFF295.

CDRJC 1957 Strabane 18 + 20 in Letterkenny platform. PFF325.

 

 

Van behind the railcar in Strabane Booking Office photo has UT makings. Is it 1957?

[Irishswissernie]

UTA at Belfast York Road May 1964.

UTA345 196405-13 Belfast York Rd 54.

UTA351 1964-05-13 Belfast York Rd Coaches 240,394 + 392, DMU on 10.45 Larne Boat Train + 27 on right.

UTA350 1964-05-13 Belfast York Road 27.

UTA346 1964-05-13 Belfast York Rd 54.

 

 

[Galteemore]

Fab stuff Ernie. 27 still in her SLNC livery before the UTA makeover.

[popeye]

Just looking at those signal gantries, that would be a scary job going up there.

[Horsetan]

9 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

UTA at Belfast York Road May 1964.

UTA345 196405-13 Belfast York Rd 54.

UTA351 1964-05-13 Belfast York Rd Coaches 240,394 + 392, DMU on 10.45 Larne Boat Train + 27 on right.

UTA350 1964-05-13 Belfast York Road 27.

UTA346 1964-05-13 Belfast York Rd 54.

 

 

One of the very few photos to show the "pointer light" subsidiary signals governing the entrance to York Road. There's never been quite enough information about them, or close-ups showing them in operation, so anything like this is welcome. 

[jhb171achill]

On 17/8/2025 at 7:28 AM, Irishswissernie said:

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.

 

Middle picture, man with bicycle on platform - could very well be jhbSenior!

[jhb171achill]

On 21/5/2025 at 10:39 AM, Mol_PMB said:

Wasn't the first railway in Ulster a narrow-gauge industrial line? That's a snippet from memory, hope I'm not wildly wrong.

Guinness as well of course, and later the vast BnM networks which grew up around the time that the common carriers were closing. Lesser-known were the lines associated with major construction schemes and sometimes remaining in use later, such as Ardnacrusha PS and Marconi Clifden. I'm sure there were many more.

 

The first narrow-gauge was, yes, but the first railway in the pronince was the Ulster Railway Co. (1839)

On 1/6/2025 at 7:58 AM, Irishswissernie said:

CIE 1955-04-20  Ballina 599 RMC83486 Cas25179.

Limerick Junction 147 ca 2000.

GNRI 1950-05-17 Ballyhaise 156 HCC 72971 Cas25051.

GNRI 1929-09-19 Fintona Junction, Horse & Tram from ground HCC glass 6308 Cas25021.

 

Tram still in its original maroon - long before it got its navy blue and cream "railcar" livery!

[jhb171achill]

On 23/5/2025 at 8:13 AM, Irishswissernie said:

 

  

 

This just HAS to be the single most pig-ugly thing ever to run on rails in the world (joint worst with Sumatra's C33 class (steam)!).... was it designed by the company sports and social committee on a Friday afternoon, or a disgruntled employee on a wet February Tuesday morning? HIDEOUS!

[Patrick Davey]

Nice views of YR signal cabin - a very distinctive structure!

[jhb171achill]

44 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

This just HAS to be the single most pig-ugly thing ever to run on rails in the world (joint worst with Sumatra's C33 class (steam)!).... was it designed by the company sports and social committee on a Friday afternoon, or a disgruntled employee on a wet February Tuesday morning? HIDEOUS!

SECOND to the above abomination, here is the 2nd ugliest thing ever on rails. Highly reliable and long-lived though, some were working well into the 1980s hauling heavy coal trains on the West Sumatra system of the PJKA (Indonesian Railways)......

[Horsetan]

2 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

SECOND to the above abomination, here is the 2nd ugliest thing ever on rails. Highly reliable and long-lived though, some were working well into the 1980s hauling heavy coal trains on the West Sumatra system of the PJKA (Indonesian Railways)......

That looks like the upperworks - the cab, tanks and footplate - were intended for a standard gauge engine with a higher-pitched boiler, and adapted for narrow-gauge use.