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Portarlington 1996

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Great stuff.

 

What is the strange little tower at the Port Laoise end of the Dublin platform? There'e a smaller one at Ballybrophy, that you could hardly stand up in. I've often wondered what they were for.

 

And why the big gap between the platforms? Was there a third track, like Kildare? The bridge doesn't seem wide enough for three...

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Great stuff.

 

What is the strange little tower at the Port Laoise end of the Dublin platform? There'e a smaller one at Ballybrophy, that you could hardly stand up in. I've often wondered what they were for.

 

QUOTE]

 

They may have been used as a bell towers, to announce a train arrival. A few locations had bells for this purpose, the only one I can think of that lasted into modern times was that attached to Mallow signal cabin.

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Great stuff.

 

What is the strange little tower at the Port Laoise end of the Dublin platform? There'e a smaller one at Ballybrophy, that you could hardly stand up in. I've often wondered what they were for.

 

QUOTE]

 

They may have been used as a bell towers, to announce a train arrival. A few locations had bells for this purpose, the only one I can think of that lasted into modern times was that attached to Mallow signal cabin.

Right. How quaint.
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And why the big gap between the platforms? Was there a third track, like Kildare? The bridge doesn't seem wide enough for three...

That's right, there was a middle track between the Up & Down lines, though it wasn't a through running line, but a loop for running around and stabling trains off the Athlone branch, think it remained in situ until the early 80s.

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I think the loop was removed with the first stage of the Cork Line CTC between Inchacore and Ballybrophy around 1975/76.

 

Around tha time Tullamore and Portarlington were served by a morning trip working from Athlone, a 001 one or two H Vans and Brake always seemed to be waiting in the Up CTC loop waiting a path as the early morning Cork Line and West of Ireland passenger trains passed.

 

With most intermedite stations closed the overnight Galway line loose coupled goods were altered only to call at Mullingar and Athlone with Ballinasloe and Roscommon served for a short time by day time trip workings from Athlone.

 

During this era I remember seeing a a 141 waiting at Ballinasloe with a short train made up of H Vans, Keg Flats and Back to Back fertiliser wagons and brake van.

 

John

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