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

[airfixfan]

8 minutes ago, 16miller said:

At the Tooban Jct picture, is that a right hand semaphore? 

Signals at Tooban Junction were unique

[Irishswissernie]

Looks like it, this is a better view.

 

[16miller]

I ask as on my garden railway I erroneously put a signal arm facing to the right. I was told that was incorrect, but it pleases me that I've found an example, and in Donegal as well! 

[airfixfan]

Must check my own collection of Tooban Junction

[Irishswissernie]

We returned from last weekends Ffestiniog Gala like drowned rats with only one day of sunshine and broke our journey at Ribblehead where the foul weather continued. Two stills from the video there and I will return to the good (?) old days with the next post.

2026-10-05 Blea Moor RHTT  66801 + 816. - Not sure that the rails needed the washing treatment !.

2026-10-05 Ribblehead 66695 Horton - Brin'Heath.

 

Edited October 8 by Irishswissernie

[Irishswissernie]

CBSC 1955-04-13 Bantry Town, RMC83237 Cas25089.

CBSC 1955-04-13 Bantry Town RMC83234 Cas25088.

CIE 1955-04-12  Blarney.  RMC26031 RMC 83199.

GNRI 1955-04-18 Clones 197 RMC83389 Cas25118.

SLNC 1950-05-18 Enniskillen Railcar A in yard HCC72980 Cas25066.

GSR 1934-07-17 Westport. 57 HCC11203 Cas25168.

 

[airfixfan]

Great photo of Enniskillen

[Ironroad]

8 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

CBSC 1955-04-13 Bantry Town, RMC83237 Cas25089.

CBSC 1955-04-13 Bantry Town RMC83234 Cas25088.

CIE 1955-04-12  Blarney.  RMC26031 RMC 83199.

GNRI 1955-04-18 Clones 197 RMC83389 Cas25118.

SLNC 1950-05-18 Enniskillen Railcar A in yard HCC72980 Cas25066.

GSR 1934-07-17 Westport. 57 HCC11203 Cas25168.

 

Interesting to note that the signage at Bantry and Blarney wasn't bi-lingual. How common was this?

[Galteemore]

Fab view of railbus A! 

[cheesy_peas]

3 hours ago, Ironroad said:

Interesting to note that the signage at Bantry and Blarney wasn't bi-lingual. How common was this?

Plenty places never got bilingual nameboards and kept their old English only boards up to closure. Off the top of my head Loo Bridge, Abbeyfeale, Lixnaw, Newmarket, Rathduff, Bruree and Tubber (still in place last time I passed!) never received any.

Bantry had one or two bilinguals seen in other photos, but were affixed to the signal cabin.

[leslie10646]

Interesting view of the "Old U" at Clones, thanks.

[Westcorkrailway]

6 hours ago, Ironroad said:

Interesting to note that the signage at Bantry and Blarney wasn't bi-lingual. How common was this?

Bantry did have a bilingual sign (see first pic). It seems that they were slow to just discard of the old signs in places, which makes sense. 
 

it was quite common in west cork to see the two side by side

[Colonel]

They are all great, but the 4-4-0 at Westport is a beauty. Shows I could do one for Northport Quay. It's on the list...

[Irishswissernie]

Strabane & Letterkenny railway today.

CDRJC 1957-09-04 Raphoe, R'Car 14 PFF378.

CDRJC 1957-09-04 Letterkenny R'Car14  PFF386.

CDRJC 1957-09-04 Letterkenny shed 6 & R'car14. PFF385.

CDRJC 1957-09-04 Letterkenny PFF382.

 

 

[airfixfan]

Like the photo with Columbkille

[Mayner]

On 10/10/2026 at 6:16 PM, Colonel said:

They are all great, but the 4-4-0 at Westport is a beauty. Shows I could do one for Northport Quay. It's on the list...

Its an interesting one an ex-GSWR loco firmly in Midland territory! Photos indicate that a an ex-MGWR D or D16 4-4-0 usually worked the Achill branch during this period, but also HC Casserley/SLS photos of 52 Class/D17 no 57 at Achill in 1934.

Did Athlone (shed) borrow the ex-GSWR loco usually used to work the Portarlington-Athlone branch (shedded Athlone) or somehow or other 'borrow' a and ex-GSWR loco from Tuam?

In his IRRS "Engineman's son" papers P J Currivan wrote about his father an Athlone based ex-GSWR driver, driving on the Achill branch during the GSR era, is it possible a 'by now senior) driver could select a loco for the job, the D/D16 Achill Bogie had a reputation of poor steaming particularly among "Southern' footplate men.

Once had the experience of a loco crew on a US Shortline specially firing up a pair of 3500hp SD45 locos to perform a shunt, after I called in at the office to ask about the SD45s. The crew hand planned to use a pair of smaller/less powerful 3000hp SD45.

[Colonel]

Some gems there, Ernie! Am I the only one here who didn't realise the Donegal station at Letterkenny had such a fine canopy? The town and all the trees make a fine backdrop to the station too.

Edited Tuesday at 06:11 by Colonel

[Irishswissernie]

L&LSR at Graving Dock ca 1949-53 & ex T&D stock on the West Clare ca 1954 no information with the negs unfortunately.

Off 'doon sarth' with Madame seeing relatives for a few days from Saturday.

26J064 L&LSR,L&BER 50 ca1953.

26J067 L&LSR 202 ca1953.

26J066 L&LSR 184, Graving Dock, Derry ca1953.

26J065 L&LSR  van133 ca 1953.

26J055 T&D Probably 9T at Ennis before  being re-numbered  51C ca1954.

26J057 West Clare ex T&D 16T converted to 41C in 1940 Kilrush ca 1954.

 

[airfixfan]

Photos of Swilly wagons are rare enough

[Colonel]

Gold dust, again. Being '53 no doubt all after closure of the Swilly, but interesting to see how well the lettering stands out on some of the wagons. Replicating the weathering on that T&D van would be interesting!