Interesting Early Irish Railway photos

[Westcorkrailway]

I found that thread about the oldest Irish railway photos spurring me to find some photos of Pre-1930s railway photos in Ireland. Some of which I have found fascinating. I hope a few more can contribute to this thread 

This one was posted on Facebook a few months ago. A MGWR on a Wexford train…can’t be too long after the amalgamation!

another MGWR train at castlebar. The straight sided coaches are particularly old. Did this train run all the way to achill? Or did Westport act as a terminus? 

a CMDR Goods train, probobly just outside capwell terminus.  (Nunn collection)

 

[Flying Snail]

Also from the Ken Nunn Collection - this is in the UK Science Museum archive, a 1895 Kitson and Co built 0-4-4T: 52 Brian Boru.

https://zoom.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/iiif/3/316%2F70%2FWaterford.ptif/full/max/0/default.jpg

Link to collection here: https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/objects/co8362459/ken-nunn-collection

Edited yesterday at 10:38 by Flying Snail

[Flying Snail]

There's a few more sources of early photos closer to home, such as the National Library of Ireland. Robert French took a number of railway photos around Ireland, such as this one of Achill taken some time in the early 1900s or the late 1890s (I think the staton opened around 1895):

Link to original here: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058755

Edited yesterday at 15:26 by Flying Snail

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

There's a few more sources of early photos closer to home, such as the National Library of Ireland. Robert French took a number of railway photos around Ireland, such as this one of Achill taken some time in the early 1900s or the late 1890s (I think the staton opened around 1895s):

Link to original here: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058755

This one was taken just after the line opened in 1895.

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

I found that thread about the oldest Irish railway photos spurring me to find some photos of Pre-1930s railway photos in Ireland. Some of which I have found fascinating. I hope a few more can contribute to this thread 

This one was posted on Facebook a few months ago. A MGWR on a Wexford train…can’t be too long after the amalgamation!

another MGWR train at castlebar. The straight sided coaches are particularly old. Did this train run all the way to achill? Or did Westport act as a terminus? 

a CMDR Goods train, probobly just outside capwell terminus.  (Nunn collection)

 

From top; one of mine, I think, and immediately post-1925. The loco is still in MGWR livery.

Middle - that’s the one I was initially referring to. Only to / from Westport; the opening of the Achill line was then over forty years into the future.

 

 

[Flying Snail]

There's also quite a few early photos on these forums, such as Rob R's thread on the WLW:

 

or JHB's thread on the GSWR here:

and that's just a sample of what you can find on here! 

Edited yesterday at 14:01 by Flying Snail

[Rob R]

You sometimes need to be a bit creative with the search terms at the NLI. I usually search by location as the usual "train" "station" "railway" only brings up a limited selection.

One of the best early photos I have found on the NLI is this one of Portrush:-

Portrush Station

At the other end of the BNCR is Larne:-

Larne

or just a bit different:-

Enniskillen

 

[Westcorkrailway]

Another one from the nunn collection. Clonakilty mixed train 1924 just outside of Cork.

[Rob R]

Last post on this subject for a bit (SWMBO is home soon......)

Another aspect of the NLI colection is a quantity of Photograph Albums. For the most part the only way to find any railway photos is to trawl through the hard way. Unfortunately, railway views are few and far between but there is so much more in there, the whole spectrum of Irish life from 1880's to 1940's.

Here are some that I have managed to re-find - I had just copied for my own use and didn't note the exact source, doh!

The links go to the albums so you will have to click through to the pages noted.

Haffield Harbour Album page 20 and 22

 

Haffeild Drogheda Album pages 86,87,88

When you are in the NLI page, click on the photo and zoom in to the level you want, then shift+print screen and paste it into good old MS paint and save - unless you are using a Mac, then you are on your own.

Happy Browsing.

 

PS. Does anyone have a GSWR freight diagram book? With 4 running numbers for those single plank wagons it would be worth drawing and printing some......

 

[Killian Keane]

 

This must be a very early photo, it shows one of the early series of outside cylinder 2-2-2 tanks owned by the Dublin and Kingstown (Princess et al) which would have started out on 4' 8 1/2" gauge

[GSWR 90]

A classic – No. 90 (then known as "C") in as-built condition, with attached first-class compartment and guard's/freight van. Some time between the 1870s-1900s approx.

 

Edited 20 hours ago by GSWR 90

[Galteemore]

13 hours ago, Rob R said:

Last post on this subject for a bit (SWMBO is home soon......)

Another aspect of the NLI colection is a quantity of Photograph Albums. For the most part the only way to find any railway photos is to trawl through the hard way. Unfortunately, railway views are few and far between but there is so much more in there, the whole spectrum of Irish life from 1880's to 1940's.

Here are some that I have managed to re-find - I had just copied for my own use and didn't note the exact source, doh!

The links go to the albums so you will have to click through to the pages noted.

Haffield Harbour Album page 20 and 22

 

Haffeild Drogheda Album pages 86,87,88

When you are in the NLI page, click on the photo and zoom in to the level you want, then shift+print screen and paste it into good old MS paint and save - unless you are using a Mac, then you are on your own.

Happy Browsing.

 

PS. Does anyone have a GSWR freight diagram book? With 4 running numbers for those single plank wagons it would be worth drawing and printing some......

 

These are very interesting, as they show sailors (rather than Royal Artillery troops) with field guns. Might be something to do with the Royal Navy Brigade and the Boer War….the album dates fit.

[Irishswissernie]

Amongst my Casserley acquisitions there is this glass negative taken by an R Mclaren at Killarney apparently CA 1905.

[Mol_PMB]

16 hours ago, Rob R said:

Last post on this subject for a bit (SWMBO is home soon......)

Another aspect of the NLI colection is a quantity of Photograph Albums. For the most part the only way to find any railway photos is to trawl through the hard way. Unfortunately, railway views are few and far between but there is so much more in there, the whole spectrum of Irish life from 1880's to 1940's.

PS. Does anyone have a GSWR freight diagram book? With 4 running numbers for those single plank wagons it would be worth drawing and printing some......

 

Many thanks for the NLI tips - I'll have a look.

As for a freight diagram book, I haven't found anything for the GSWR, or indeed the GSR. There are some CIE wagon diagram books in existence but not in the public domain, and they tend to be 1970s or later. 

I do have a copy of the reprinted GSWR carriage diagram book, which includes NPCCS such as carriage trucks. So the GSWR Motor/Fish Vans are shown on page 104 - one of these is the nearest vehicle in Ernie's photo just above.

Your single plank wagons are also for carrying vehicles - note that the sides are fixed but they have drop ends - but are not vacuum brake fitted and are numbered in the wagon series, so they don't appear in the carriage diagrams. The carriage diagram books do include some other types of open carriage truck. 

 

[Westcorkrailway]

I since made a Facebook page on this subject. The wider audience of that platform should unearth some gems 

 

in the meantime here are a few more 

a railway station under construction! The BBSC station on Bantry pier built for the transfer of goods, and supposedly passengers to the Bantry bay steamship companies services to glengarrif, adrigole and Castletownbere. (The roads during this time were appalling) Would be in the early 1890s

allegedly this was taken in Abbyleix. If it was then it would be similar to that of the Wexford service posted earlier. An early example of GSR travels. The “M” in the background gives me good reason to doubt though! 
 

[Mol_PMB]

23 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

allegedly this was taken in Abbyleix. If it was then it would be similar to that of the Wexford service posted earlier. An early example of GSR travels. The “M” in the background gives me good reason to doubt though! 
 

The wagon just visible on the left is interesting - very low and with a peaked roof. 

In GB, wagons of this shape were sometimes used for minerals which had to be kept dry, such as lime, some types of ore, or loco sand. Salt too, but salt wagons were normally much taller in the sides so that people could handle the product in sacks. Does anyone know more about the use of these low peaked-roof wagons in Ireland?

[LNERW1]

42 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

I since made a Facebook page on this subject. The wider audience of that platform should unearth some gems 

 

in the meantime here are a few more 

a railway station under construction! The BBSC station on Bantry pier built for the transfer of goods, and supposedly passengers to the Bantry bay steamship companies services to glengarrif, adrigole and Castletownbere. (The roads during this time were appalling) Would be in the early 1890s

allegedly this was taken in Abbyleix. If it was then it would be similar to that of the Wexford service posted earlier. An early example of GSR travels. The “M” in the background gives me good reason to doubt though! 
 

Re the Abbeyleix one- I have seen many comments under that photo on FB all seeming to corroborate that is indeed an MGWR loco, probably at Athlone. However, it was a while ago so I could indeed be misremembering the specifics, other than it is probably not Abbeyleix. As a Laois man myself (and I can say that now because as of recently I’ve been here the majority of my life) it certainly would be interesting to see such an early photo though.

Edited 10 hours ago by LNERW1

[Mol_PMB]

I just remembered that I have a book 'Transport in Ireland 1880-1910' (Flanagan, 1969) which presents many photos from the NLI Lawrence collection. 

Of course the book was published long before the internet, and Lawrence's photos now form a key part of the NLI's online archive:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Author/Home?author=Lawrence, William, 1840-1932

There are thousands of images, and only a fraction of them relate to railways or other transport. Probably worth a ferret through though...

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Author/Home?filter[]=digitised%3A"Digitised"&filter[]=format%3A"Photo"&filter[]=topic_facet%3A"Railroads"&author="Lawrence%2C+William%2C+1840-1932"&type=Author

A few nice ones I stumbled on:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000057129

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000339660

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000747316

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000317183

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000317056

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000318850

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058724

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000333490

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058720

 

One for @Darius43 showing his latest model festooned with advertisements:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000317163

[Westcorkrailway]

32 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

 

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058720

 

 

This one is allegedly before the line opened…the train is for GSWR directors

[leslie10646]

5 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

This one is allegedly before the line opened…the train is for GSWR directors

That seems the most likely situation. Everything looks new and tidy.

The directors would have been admiring "their own" handiwork, as the GSWR built the railway themselves, not a contractor.

Great set of thought provoking photos, so thanks for sharing them.

The Lawrence Collection has ever been a go-to source for early Irish railway photos.

[Mol_PMB]

There are couple of GSWR-era images at Glanmire Road here, with some early wagons and a clean and shiny 101 class (I think):

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168904

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168906

 

http://www.nli.ie/digital/vtls000168906.jpg

http://www.nli.ie/digital/vtls000168904.jpg

Also in the J J Clarke collection, a DNGR through train to Bundoran, it would seem:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000168902

[Rob R]

2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

The wagon just visible on the left is interesting - very low and with a peaked roof. 

In GB, wagons of this shape were sometimes used for minerals which had to be kept dry, such as lime, some types of ore, or loco sand. Salt too, but salt wagons were normally much taller in the sides so that people could handle the product in sacks. Does anyone know more about the use of these low peaked-roof wagons in Ireland?

I know Irish wagons are a bit wider than uk wagons but the peaked roof wagon seems a bit low for lime wagon, unless it's only a 6 tonner. I have seen similar (welsh) wagons for lead ore. This may or may not help to pin it down. It also looks a bit clean for a lime wagon. I am not too hot on Irish geology, are there/were there many rail connected limestone quarries?

[Flying Snail]

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

 

allegedly this was taken in Abbyleix. If it was then it would be similar to that of the Wexford service posted earlier. An early example of GSR travels. The “M” in the background gives me good reason to doubt though! 
 

The 'Abbeyleix' photo appears in the Poole Collection on the NLI. The caption is that it was 'commissioned by Mr. John Gorry, Derrykearn, Abbeyleix'. So to be fair, it doesn't actually claim to have been taken in Abbeyleix. It almost certainly wasn't, thats a MGWR loco.

Original link here: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000595074

Edited 7 hours ago by Flying Snail

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, Rob R said:

I know Irish wagons are a bit wider than uk wagons but the peaked roof wagon seems a bit low for lime wagon, unless it's only a 6 tonner. I have seen similar (welsh) wagons for lead ore. This may or may not help to pin it down. It also looks a bit clean for a lime wagon. I am not too hot on Irish geology, are there/were there many rail connected limestone quarries?

In CIE times there was rail traffic in gypsum, shale, barytes, magnesite and dolomite, also in lead and zinc ores. I'm not sure how early some of these mines were developed - I think in many cases they were 1960s developments and the rail traffic was won then. So I think the geology would be OK, it's more a question of when the minerals were first exploited on a scale that would use dedicated wagons to transport the output by rail.

[Flying Snail]

Returning to Abbeyleix, this early 20th century picture of the station is a favourite of mine:

Its in the Eason Photographic Collection on the NLI website: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000047930

 

Edited 6 hours ago by Flying Snail

[Broithe]

11 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

Returning to Abbeyleix, this early 20th century picture of the station is a favourite of mine:

Its in the Eason Photographic Collection on the NLI website: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000047930

 

As can be seen in a large-print format from the Old Cork Road.

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.9060615,-7.3534544,3a,15y,320.82h,84.55t/data=!3m7!1e1!3m5!1sCbvzOpCMQpLBvd1t7iLEhg!2e0!6shttps:%2F%2Fstreetviewpixels-pa.googleapis.com%2Fv1%2Fthumbnail%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26w%3D900%26h%3D600%26pitch%3D5.452206932572238%26panoid%3DCbvzOpCMQpLBvd1t7iLEhg%26yaw%3D320.820653124462!7i16384!8i8192?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MTAyOS4yIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

[Branchline121]

Wikimedia Commons has a few old ones, particularly from Robert French:

Same as above, but better quality; Castlebar, 1880

 

Aftermath of Armagh disaster, 1889

 

Clifden, c. 1898

 

Athboy, c. 1900

 

Achill, c. 1900

 

Armagh, 1909

 

Clifden, 1914

[Mol_PMB]

GSWR era at Cork, this is not really a railway photo but it has a lot of wagons in the background:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000337575

Two items of interest: on GSWR convertible vans, the sheet covering the hole in the roof is also lettered GSWR. And there's a butter van in shot too.

 

Also in Cork, and perhaps an even earlier era when the original station was still in use?

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000337571

Certainly some antiquated rolling stock, apparently on lines at right angles to each other (maybe lots of small turntables?).

And an early loco partly visible, just teasing us.

[Mol_PMB]

This is a beauty. Zoom right in on the NLI original to see the details of the elaborate lining and lettering on the rolling stock. The train crew make a lovely cameo too:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000251179

107 was built in 1881, but the line to Valentia Harbour wasn't opened until 1895. 

 

An unusual view of the Waterford coaling quay:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000036651

The loco is presumably 'Erin' as seen in this view:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000036650

 

No trains but what a delightful scene, asking to be modelled!

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058719

 

[Rob R]

Loo Bridge again but with train. There are a couple of other views as well.

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058711

Most of the best/most interesting railway views have very little railway in them which is why the search terms don't work on them.

For example:-

Lake Hotel, Killaloe, Co Clare

But in the backgound we have :-

The new loco shed, the wharf and goods shed on Loch Derg.

Not sure if this is dated after the GS&WR take over so they may not be WL&WR open cattle trucks.

Edited 3 hours ago by Rob R

[Rob R]

While we are on Killaloe, I can only find a couple of indifferent views of the old station, only showing the old loco shed (I think).

Edit:- I think the first one is actually the old goods shed.

Killaloe 02

Killaloe 03

 

Edited 3 hours ago by Rob R

[Mol_PMB]

5 minutes ago, Rob R said:

Loo Bridge again but with train. There are a couple of other views as well.

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058711

Most of the best/most interesting railway views have very little railway in them which is why the search terms don't work on them.

Lovely! I thought at first that the train at Loo Bridge was hauled by one of the single Fairlies, but on closer inspection it's one of the very similar-looking conventional 0-4-4Ts.

I agree there are some super 'Easter eggs' to be found in the background of non-railway photos. Although from a later era I'm still amazed by the photo I found earlier showing a 1000 (D) class diesel shunter working in Cork. 

[Flying Snail]

As early railways go, does it get any more interesting than the Lartigue Railway?

Robert French has a lot of photos of it including the one above: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000327321

There's also a few with the broad gauge railway in the background, such as this: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058573 

[Rob R]

There is a non-digitised collection as well...

"The Lawrence New Series is a sub-section within the Lawrence Collection that consists of images considered imperfect by Lawrence. "

Makes you wonder what else there is.

I need a week (or two) in Dublin...........

[Mol_PMB]

7 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

As early railways go, does it get any more interesting than the Lartigue Railway?

Robert French has a lot of photos of it including the one above: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000327321

There's also a few with the broad gauge railway in the background, such as this: https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000058573 

That last image you linked shows a VERY busy goods yard at Listowel - there must be about 50 wagons visible, no doubt plenty of WLWR types amongst them. Market day?

Going off on a small tangent, this parcel stamp is one of the rarer pieces in my railway philately collection:

And in a fine example of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', a parcel stamp of almost identical design from around 80 years later:

[Rob R]

Another Album with a fair bit of railway, mostly during the "troubles".

J J Greene Album

Page 15 is for MOL. Other railway bits pages 56/7/8 61/2/3/5/6/7 73