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

[Galteemore]

5 minutes ago, cheesy_peas said:

Never knew they had a "balloon" water tank there. Relatively rare in Ireland.

More common in NI perhaps 

[Irishswissernie]

Londonderry & Lough Swilly ca 1950-1953

26J084  L&LSR Buncrana ca1953.

26J078  L&LSR Buncrana ca1953.

26J082 L&LSR Graving Dock sdgs with exit over road to Pennyburn ca1953.

26J079  L&LSR Pennyburn yard ca1953 Coach 10.

 

 

[airfixfan]

Some unusual views there. Great stuff as always

[west_clare_wanderer]

On 12/7/2026 at 7:52 AM, Colonel said:

That second photo is so dramatic - just look at the gradient!

What an incredible shot!

Edited July 15 by west_clare_wanderer

[jhb171achill]

On 12/7/2026 at 9:32 AM, Galteemore said:

More common in NI perhaps 

Not so much, no. The GNR had a few, though, but on both sides if the border (as it didn't exist when these things were put up). Lisburn still has one.

[jhb171achill]

On 17/3/2026 at 8:13 AM, Galteemore said:

Think they were - with special piping to allow lubrication on the curves !

Yes, almost entirely J15s for most of its life.

 

[Galteemore]

6 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

Not so much, no. The GNR had a few, though, but on both sides if the border (as it didn't exist when these things were put up). Lisburn still has one.

Ballymena had 2, including an unusual one with double arms ; one SG and one NG.

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Ballymena had 2, including an unusual one with double arms ; one SG and one NG.

Plus the oddball torpedo-shaped one at Ballycastle….

One or two in West Cork, I think. 

[Andy Cundick]

16 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Plus the oddball torpedo-shaped one at Ballycastle….

One or two in West Cork, I think. 

The "torpedo shaped" one was actually a second hand egg ended boiler repurposed.Andy

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Andy Cundick said:

The "torpedo shaped" one was actually a second hand egg ended boiler repurposed.Andy

From where?

[leslie10646]

On 22/6/2026 at 6:56 AM, Paul 34F said:

A wonderful shot of Bundoran Junction.  It would make an interesting layout, due to the arrangement accessing the Bundoran line, plus the associated shunting and splitting of trains.

Paul

Yes, Paul, what a remarkable place to make a layout of - it would take up an impressive amount of space with its sweeping curves and dealing with THREE entrances / exits, more or less at right angles. A challenge for someone with a very large house?

The late Norman Johnston and Charls Friel gave it ten pages in their brilliant book Fermanagh's Railways in Colour. COLOUR photographs of it should appear in a forthcoming book.

A couple of years ago you could have bought the building for under £200,000. The former tea room would have been perfect for a layout! The sale included the entire area of the triangular junction! I couldn't persuade my other half to up sticks - too far from the ROH, Covent Garden!

See:

https://www.eadiemcfarland.co.uk/bundoran-junction-station-house-43-old-junction-road-kilskeery/580626/slideshow/photo-2

Edited July 16 by leslie10646

[Paul 34F]

Leslie,

I had a look at the link.  It’s wonderful to see it as it now is.  It’s 69 years since the last train passed!

Paul

[lucas]

On 12/7/2026 at 9:26 AM, cheesy_peas said:

Never knew they had a "balloon" water tank there. Relatively rare in Ireland.

There's one still standing in the far corner of Kent station in Cork.

Picture taken from the Lower Glanmire Road earlier today. Had I been 30 seconds earlier with the camera you would've seen 2601/02 pass by in the background.

[Irishswissernie]

A couple of interesting prints from my collection, as I do not have copyright I won't upload them to flickr. The prints were in John Dewings' collection but I know that they were taken on a trip to Ireland in April 1940  with his quote 'my oldest friend Frank Jones away  from war torn Britain before both joind up' The prints have the initials FKHJ on the reverse, I wonder whether the negatives and/ or Mr Jones survived.

Castlegregory Junction , No 6 on Tralee bound goods train 11 April 1940.

Tralee station same date.

[Mayner]

22 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

A couple of interesting prints from my collection, as I do not have copyright I won't upload them to flickr. The prints were in John Dewings' collection but I know that they were taken on a trip to Ireland in April 1940  with his quote 'my oldest friend Frank Jones away  from war torn Britain before both joind up' The prints have the initials FKHJ on the reverse, I wonder whether the negatives and/ or Mr Jones survived.

Castlegregory Junction , No 6 on Tralee bound goods train 11 April 1940.

Tralee station same date.

 

Nice one Ernie, first photo I have seen of Castlegregory Junction viewed from the road side! Although passenger services ceased in 39 the daily goods complete with passenger brake appears to have continued to run until the 1947 fuel crisis. 

[Irishswissernie]

26J178 CBSC Clonakilty shed,  F6 33, 1954-09-03. K Cooper ORIG.

NCC 1959-05-07 Randalstown, 13 on Cookstown Goods JGD591101.

GMK077 CIE 1955-xx Cobh Cler Lav Brake Compo semi open DTC'3'3'L BK 854 . ref324.

GMK082 CIE 1955-xx Cork, 6 whl 3rd 244.

 

 

[GSWR 90]

I wonder what the stickers in the window of the coach are for? Non-smoking?

[Mol_PMB]

28 minutes ago, GSWR 90 said:

I wonder what the stickers in the window of the coach are for? Non-smoking?

They identify smoking compartments (rather than non-smoking). They also advertise Wills Gold Flake tobacco. 

Early to mid 1950s period, some were still around in 1960. Some Park Royals had them. 
I have had some custom transfers made for them!

[Mol_PMB]

Lovely photos by the way - thanks again!

The clerestory brake (tri-) compo 854 is a super vehicle - would make a lovely model and it would fit my 50’ underframe. Built in 1901, there were 5 of these with the last withdrawn in 1959. Although not gangwayed, all compartments had access to a lavatory. Early 1950s plain dark green livery.

Note that some of the wheelsets have been replaced with newer all-steel ones; they would originally have been partly wooden Mansell wheels.

The 6-wheel third might be 655. Not many of these survived so late; this one has been partly re-panelled and retains the elaborately lined green livery of the late 1940s.
Note also 211D on the left. 

Edited July 19 by Mol_PMB
Wheels

[Irishswissernie]

CIE 1967  241a PW van.CA 25j+084.

yj180 CIE 1982-xx Ballina 158sa yj180.

yj185 CIE 1981-06-05 Waterford 152 yj185.

yj182 CIE 1982-06-28 Athlone MGW, 141 yj182.

 

 

[Patrick Davey]

Super photo of Randalstown, only a few months left when this was taken.  Thankfully the station survives in good condition.

[Irishswissernie]

CIE 1955-04-14 Cobh, coach 9m RMC83249 Cas25093.

26J005 CIE 1955-04-25 Dublin Harcourt St 603 on Bray train RMC83640.

26J143  CIE Dublin Harcourt Street ca1957.

26J145 CIE Dundrum ca1957.

 

[Irishswissernie]

26J182 CBSC Skibbereen 432 1954-09-04 KC orig..

26J185 CIE Enniscorthy 124+poss132 +027s   1987-06-24

26J184 CIE Enniscorthy 124+poss132   +027s  1987-06-24.

 

[Irishswissernie]

Kenmare & Headford Junction today.

26J126 CIE Kenmare 130 ca 1957..

26J128 CIE Kenmare 130 ca 1957.

26J125 CIE Headford Junction 130 ca 1957.

26J127 CIE Headford Junction 130 ca 1957.

 

[leslie10646]

Ernie

Who took the Kenmare branch shots. I have very similar colour ones!

Thanks

Leslie

[Colonel]

Lovely stuff, as always. Photos of Kenmare always seem to focus on the platform area, with the attractive background of the town itself, but presumably the must have been a goods yard and loco facility? Are there any pictures of these?

[leslie10646]

David

I've had a look at photographs from Henry Casserley (a 1934 photo of "Palms" - obviously on a family-oriented holiday!), David Soggee and Lance King.

There was a turntable, as seen in Ernie's photo, I have even one of No.156 being turned on it (there was obviously  one at Headford as well as the the loco was always chimney-first. My CIE WTTs are at my other residence, but those show TURNTABLES, but not about other facilities.

Kenmare had a sheaf of sidings, a loading bank is visible in one photo, but neither goods shed or loco shed appears.  The same applies to photographs I have seen of Headford as well. When I get my hands on a WTT, I'll be able to check if the day's work began at Headford or Kenmare (which would point to some kind of shed?). 

We need a track diagram and I am unaware of a publication with such. Time for one of you younger guys to do that as book - a good research project and would sell well, I think.

I'm now trying to think of books which might offer a view of the place which we haven't seen!

More if I find them!

 

[Branchline121]

3 hours ago, Colonel said:

Lovely stuff, as always. Photos of Kenmare always seem to focus on the platform area, with the attractive background of the town itself, but presumably the must have been a goods yard and loco facility? Are there any pictures of these?

There's a photo of the engine shed on the IRRS archive: https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253416410/

 

 

[Irishswissernie]

There is this map copyright of Geohive, the trackplan probably didn't change over the years. The IRRS Archive has a number of photos by Graham Hoare.

[Mol_PMB]

All the ingredients of a classic branch line terminus - including the very spacious layout typical of rural areas where land was cheap. It's also notable that the only loop is at the platform, and the running line forms the shunting neck for the goods yard and loco shed. This would have been fine for the usual sparse traffic on the branch but awkward on fair days.

In model form it would be a challenge to compress it into a reasonable space without losing the character, and the operational restrictions would make it difficult to handle two trains at once.

[Mayner]

There are several 1950-51 photos of Kenmare including D19 Kerry Bogie No 13 on the Mixed in Ivo Peters "Lines of Character" (Ivo Peters Oxford Pub 1976) Includes the usual views plus D19No 7 on the turntable, backhead view of No 13 with partial view of loco shed & 3/4 front view of No13 departing with partial view of cattle bank and gable goods shed.

Don't know if Ernie has access to Ivo Peters collection, but I would be happy to scan if anyone would like a copy for their private use.

For those complaining about todays postal charges, import duty and Vat, I paid  charge, duty and VAT when I bought "Lines of Character" by mail order from IRRS London Area all those years ago but well worth while.

 

Edited 2 hours ago by Mayner

[airfixfan]

1 hour ago, leslie10646 said:

David

I've had a look at photographs from Henry Casserley (a 1934 photo of "Palms" - obviously on a family-oriented holiday!), David Soggee and Lance King.

There was a turntable, as seen in Ernie's photo, I have even one of No.156 being turned on it (there was obviously  one at Headford as well as the the loco was always chimney-first. My CIE WTTs are at my other residence, but those show TURNTABLES, but not about other facilities.

Kenmare had a sheaf of sidings, a loading bank is visible in one photo, but neither goods shed or loco shed appears.  The same applies to photographs I have seen of Headford as well. When I get my hands on a WTT, I'll be able to check if the day's work began at Headford or Kenmare (which would point to some kind of shed?). 

We need a track diagram and I am unaware of a publication with such. Time for one of you younger guys to do that as book - a good research project and would sell well, I think.

I'm now trying to think of books which might offer a view of the place which we haven't seen!

More if I find them!

 

Believe JHB 171 has that in his to do list.

[Mol_PMB]

I found a little more about Kenmare on the IRRS Flickr archive including an early signalling diagram (reminder - you'll need to be an IRRS member to see these):

TrackDiagrams_GSWR_Kenmare_04_July_1893 | [Track-Diagrams] T… | Flickr

Several 1957 photos by Graham Hoare include a good range of goods yard and loco shed views:

GJH_GSWR_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (3) | [Photographer: Graham J … | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_130_Kenmare_16_July_1957 | [Photographer: Graham J … | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_130_Kenmare_16_July_1957 | [Photographer: Graham J … | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (2) | [Photographer: Graham J … | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (4) | [Photographer: Graham J … | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_130_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (3) | [Photographer: Graha… | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_130_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (2) | [Photographer: Graha… | Flickr

GJH_GSWR_130_Kenmare_16_July_1957 (4) | [Photographer: Graha… | Flickr

There are also some 1955 shots away from the station itself, by Patrick Flanagan:

PJF_GSWR_Kenmare_July_1955 | [Photographer: Patrick J Flanag… | Flickr

PJF_GSWR_Kenmare_11_July_1956 | [Photographer: Patrick J Fla… | Flickr

From an earlier era, Robin Clements has this shot from 1938 of a mixed train in the goods yard:

RNC_GSWR_107_Kenmare_26_June_1938 | [Photographer: Robin N C… | Flickr

Not forgetting this 1890s view from Ernie:

 

[leslie10646]

Thanks, @Mol_PMB and Ernie. that's as clear as crystal!

All I have to do now is to work out how to use their software to get a map from around 1950!