Colm Creedon Archive - Cork railways as well as former GSWR, DSER and GNR lines.

[Flying Snail]

I came across a fascinating collection of digitised notebooks compiled by Colm Creedon in the Cork Digital Archive (link below). I believe Colm wrote a number of books on Cork railways so its no surprise that there’s a strong Cork flavour, but Colm also included the former GSWR, GNR and DSER lines too. Also covered are the preserved and tourist railways as they were in the early 90s such as Stradbally, Tralee & Dingle etc.

There’s 18 note books in all. Each notebook consists of newspaper clippings, photographs and Colm’s commentaries. The list of Colm's notebooks is: 

• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 06.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 05.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 03.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 02.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album.
• Irish Tourist Railways - New Lines, Preserved Lines, Restored Lines and Stations (1991).
• GSWR Album Vol 3 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992.
• GS&WR Album Vol 2 1955 -1987.
• G. S. & W. R. Album Vol 1.
• Great Northern Railway (GNR).
• D and S. E. R. Album.
• Cork, Youghal and Queenstown Railway Vol. 2, July 1991-.
• Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway 1850 - 1932.
• Cork, Bandon and South Cork Railway Volume 2.
• Cork, Bandon and South Cork Railway Volume 1.
• Cork and Youghal Railway Album.
• Cork and Muskerry Light Railway.
• Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Album, 1866 -1955.

Link to the collection here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/items/browse?collection=8
(note terms of use on the bottom of the page – permission required for publication but free for private/research use)
 

You'll also find the Dermot McCarthy Railway Photograph Collection of almost 250 photos of Cork railways from the middle part of the 20th century on the Cork Digital Archive too.

Link here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/collections/show/9

Edited 18 hours ago by Flying Snail
edited for clarity and spelling

[Mol_PMB]

Wonderful - some more rabbit holes for me to explore. Thank you!

[Flying Snail]

5 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

Wonderful - some more rabbit holes for me to explore. Thank you!

Yes - have a gander at the GSWR albums ... you'll find a mill of interest in there (Webbs Mill in Mallow, which I recall you are interested in)

Edited 17 hours ago by Flying Snail

[Mol_PMB]

1 minute ago, Flying Snail said:

Yes - have a gander at the GSWR albums ... you'll find a mill of interest in there

Ooooh - you're right. And not just the railtour, but a 1970s bitumen working too. That shows that a brake van was used on the branch, which was something I was wondering about.

I've also found several groups of very nice Fenit photos too, that I hadn't seen before.

That lot will keep me busy for a few evenings!

[Westcorkrailway]

37 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

I came across a fascinating collection of digitised notebooks compiled by Colm Creedon in the Cork Digital Archive (link below). I believe Colm wrote a number of books on Cork railways so its no surprise that there’s a strong Cork flavour, but Colm also included the former GSWR, GNR and DSER lines too. Also covered are the preserved and tourist railways as they were in the early 90s such as Stradbally, Tralee & Dingle etc.

There’s 18 note books in all. Each notebook consists of newspaper clippings, photographs and Colm’s commentaries. The list of Colm's notebooks is: 

• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 06.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 05.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 03.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album No. 02.
• The Railways of West Cork - Illustrated Album.
• Irish Tourist Railways - New Lines, Preserved Lines, Restored Lines and Stations (1991).
• GSWR Album Vol 3 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992.
• GS&WR Album Vol 2 1955 -1987.
• G. S. & W. R. Album Vol 1.
• Great Northern Railway (GNR).
• D and S. E. R. Album.
• Cork, Youghal and Queenstown Railway Vol. 2, July 1991-.
• Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway 1850 - 1932.
• Cork, Bandon and South Cork Railway Volume 2.
• Cork, Bandon and South Cork Railway Volume 1.
• Cork and Youghal Railway Album.
• Cork and Muskerry Light Railway.
• Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Album, 1866 -1955.

Link to the collection here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/items/browse?collection=8
(note terms of use on the bottom of the page – permission required for publication but free for private/research use)
 

You'll also find the Dermot McCarthy Railway Photograph Collection of almost 250 photos of Cork railways from the middle part of the 20th century on the Cork Digital Archive too.

Link here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/collections/show/9

These are my holy bible. I swear by them. Every time I open them up I find something new. Unfortunately some of these albums were damaged beyond repair in the 2009 cork floods. Regardless I find it more handy then the IRRS archive, and had completely forgotten to make a thread about it on here. 
 

it’s pure raw unedited notebooks. I know here like to criticise his books on the CBSC for there quality of edition but reading some of these you can see why somone with such passion found it hard to edit down. Look how much he had to cut out! 

 

Edited 17 hours ago by Westcorkrailway

[Flying Snail]

They are wonderful - hand drawn maps and annotations, long lost clippings and his own photos. Colm has left a real legacy.

[Flying Snail]

Actually @Westcorkrailway - if you or any of the other members on here can provide a little background in this thread on Colm and give a sense of him as a rail enthusiast, it might provide some nice context for those of us just discovering his work now.

[Westcorkrailway]

Can’t say I knew the man personally. He died in 2001 and I was born in 2003. He was a transport enthusiast for basically all his life. He wrote articles for railway magazine, had his own magazine called “the west cork railway observer” and essentially watched over the railway in its last years. 
 

post west cork closure he focused on the IRRS Munster area and essentially transformed it into the version we know today. All the info that @mol_PMB has is because of Colm organising that tour in 1966. He organised all of them.
 

many of the photos you see are his, and his 2 running buddies Walter McGrath who wrote loads of railway articles and has 2 books “industrial railways of Ireland” and “cork trams” to his name. And the famous Joe st ledger.

 

he did another magazine in the 1980s and started writing books then too. His Macroom book in 1960 was the first. Then a book about GAA excursions in 1984, then 3 books about the CBSC (1986, 1989, 1991) before his final book about the CBPR in 1993. He was working on an updated Macroom book, unfortunately this book never released. Cork enthusiasts often remember staying at his house in magazine road into the early hours purely discussion railways. 
 

he was at the centre of SORA, the attempt to save the west cork railway and he set up the CRRS to try and save Bandon tank 464 (£240 pounds short!) and tried for years to set up a heritage line in West Cork. 
 

I could go on. For me he’s simply the most interesting and single most important man when it came to railway enthusiasm in the far south.

 

if the people want. I can make a guide to these manuscripts. What’s in each of them. Because the names don’t really line up with what’s inside sometimes! 

[Flying Snail]

3 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

if the people want. I can make a guide to these manuscripts. What’s in each of them. Because the names don’t really line up with what’s inside sometimes! 

I think that would be very helpful!

Also thanks for the bio - it really is great to know something of Colm as I flick through his notebooks.

[Westcorkrailway]

Cork and Macroom railway

Album covers the Macroom railway. Probably corks most obscure railway line. it includes some of his articles for railway magazine and newspapers amongst the most definitive collection of images on the line amongst a pletera of drawings and notes about the line 

 

Cork and muskerry light railway 

Coveres the muskerry line, another railway somewhat neglected by literature, again with a definitive collection of photos of the former railway line as well as relevant newspaper clippings. 

 

Cork and Youghal railway 

Vol 1. Covers the railway company that eventually became part of the GSWR. Some very nice early images as well as a savage documentation of its downgrade and eventual closure of all branches and mini railways of that line. there is also a lot of information about summerhill station. Also includes the railtour he helped make in 1985. 

 

Vol.2 shows newspaper clippings calling for upgrades, photos of the line during the 1990s including Youghal branch. Pretty definitive look at railways during the early 1990s 

 

Dublin an south eastern railway album

Not much within ths one. Showing some of his own photogarphsof the harcourt street line, amongst other DSER lines during the early 1960s updates on the Dart and suburban services in the 1980s and a piece about cork at the end (this happens often!)

 

Great northern railway abum

Contains not as much GNR material as the title suggests. Really it’s a miscelanous of railway companies not covered in other albums Has clogher valley, C&L, SLNC, Lartigue, CDR, west clare, lots about bord na mona, British rail, preservation schemes in the UK and beyond (looking for inspiration for his own plans for a cork heritage line)

 

Irish tourist railway album. 

Again, looking for inspiration. This album looks at heritage schemes I Ireland in the early 1990s. some beautiful old photographs of heritage railways in there early days including the construction of the Tralee and Blennerville, the DCDR opening ceremony and Cahir Rail Museum.

 

The railways of West Cork Illustrated album no.1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6

These are the diary of Colm Credon tracking the end of the west cork railway. Some of these have not surived the flood as is evident when you open volume 1 which picks up in 1954 and is basically unreadable 

No. 1. Covers 1954 to 1957, the detail it goes into cannot be described. That driving trailer 

no.2 covers the early 1950s so it predates no.1 for some reason. Again, an unreasonable amount of detail which I have never fully read through due to the condition of the pages

no. 3 covers 1957 to around 1960. One of the last slides showing the CIE closure announcements. Includes another pile of notes, statistics and photograph

number 4 is missing. Probably destroyed in the flood 

no.5. shows a huge array of anti closure and closure related articles. The 2nd half also shows some of the traffic towards the end of the railway including the last GAA exurion and a decent account of the IRRS farewell special aswell as the last weeks of the railway. Also shows the strong opposition to the railways closure, which colm was a huge part of

no.6 shows the early lfiting process and the beginning of crrsattempts at a heritage line. the end of the album looks at the railway line pre 1930s including the kisale branch, a full grade map and early photos 

 

for some reason. The naming changes to Cork bandon and south coast Railway 

 

CBSCR volume 1. Is full of the state of the west cork railway thoughtout the 1980s and also looks at some pre CIE era photos of the lne

CBSCR volume 2 continues on from No.6. documenting the lifting of the line throughout the mid 1960s finally concluding in 1970 with only albert quay left. Also shows he munster area railtour he held in 1965. 

An album called cork city railways is not present. Likely destroyed. 

 

 

Great southern and western railway albums

VOL.1 starts about 1967. Documents the closure ad lifting of the mallow to Waterford railway line as well as some weird odd explorations of strange lines. Including pats withdrawal, fenittrip, Fethard line lifing. Also documents the IRRS munster area tour to Castlemungret and webbs mills which he organished. Also some interesting pictures at the end of 90 and the kanturkbranch

VOL.2 steps back in time and contains photos of some lines closed in the 1950s on the system, particulary on the Kerry road. His IRRS tours to castleisland and Waterford north are documented. He also had a railtour on the north Kerry road which simply attached a coach to the goods train!. There is also some superb photos of CIE in general from the 50s to the 80s mixed in there 

VOL.3 onl a few pages long. Showing GSRPS special at gortand a piece on railway accidents 

overall I would recommend everyone read the GSWR series . There is something there for everyone 

 

Cork blackrock and passage railway

 

I suspect was one Colm’s favourite lines. his notes and photos in this album are once again pretty definitive particulary on the subject of the multiple terminus’s which he did a book on in approimatly 1985 

 
I cannot go into more detail than this. If you want to find out what is in them for yourselves. Go and read/Look through them! 

[Andy Cundick]

1 hour ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Can’t say I knew the man personally. He died in 2001 and I was born in 2003. He was a transport enthusiast for basically all his life. He wrote articles for railway magazine, had his own magazine called “the west cork railway observer” and essentially watched over the railway in its last years. 
 

post west cork closure he focused on the IRRS Munster area and essentially transformed it into the version we know today. All the info that @mol_PMB has is because of Colm organising that tour in 1966. He organised all of them.
 

many of the photos you see are his, and his 2 running buddies Walter McGrath who wrote loads of railway articles and has 2 books “industrial railways of Ireland” and “cork trams” to his name. And the famous Joe st ledger.

 

he did another magazine in the 1980s and started writing books then too. His Macroom book in 1960 was the first. Then a book about GAA excursions in 1984, then 3 books about the CBSC (1986, 1989, 1991) before his final book about the CBPR in 1993. He was working on an updated Macroom book, unfortunately this book never released. Cork enthusiasts often remember staying at his house in magazine road into the early hours purely discussion railways. 
 

he was at the centre of SORA, the attempt to save the west cork railway and he set up the CRRS to try and save Bandon tank 464 (£240 pounds short!) and tried for years to set up a heritage line in West Cork. 
 

I could go on. For me he’s simply the most interesting and single most important man when it came to railway enthusiasm in the far south.

 

if the people want. I can make a guide to these manuscripts. What’s in each of them. Because the names don’t really line up with what’s inside sometimes! 

Another  book he did was Cork City Railway Stations 1849-1985,mines the third edition so there must be a few around  .Andy

[Westcorkrailway]

1 minute ago, Andy Cundick said:

Another  book he did was Cork City Railway Stations 1849-1985,mines the third edition so there must be a few around  .Andy

Yes I forgot that one, it’s in the following post. That was his 2nd book! 

[Westcorkrailway]

If anyone would like to read the first volume of the CBSCR series of books. The first one is on the internet. Although I find the following volumes to be much better 

 

https://durrushistory.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/1986-colm-creedon-history-the-cork-bandon-and-south-coast-railway-vol-1-1849-1899.pdf

[Newtoncork]

I used to see Colm on Magaine Road in Cork when I was a teenager. Didn't know at the time about his railway knowledge, which is a shame as it's obvious he was a fountain of information. 

[Westcorkrailway]

Colm Creedon on the GSRPS/IRRS Munster Area tour to youghal in 1985. 

[cheesy_peas]

5 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

Actually @Westcorkrailway - if you or any of the other members on here can provide a little background in this thread on Colm and give a sense of him as a rail enthusiast, it might provide some nice context for those of us just discovering his work now.

Called to his place a couple of times, a really nice gentleman. Gave me one of his leftover CB&PR books and signed it.

[jhb171achill]

8 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

These are my holy bible. I swear by them. Every time I open them up I find something new. Unfortunately some of these albums were damaged beyond repair in the 2009 cork floods. Regardless I find it more handy then the IRRS archive, and had completely forgotten to make a thread about it on here. 
 

it’s pure raw unedited notebooks. I know here like to criticise his books on the CBSC for there quality of edition but reading some of these you can see why somone with such passion found it hard to edit down. Look how much he had to cut out! 

 

Agreed entirely. His books were - well, somewhat unique....! But, the information in those and his notebooks is, as you say, gold dust, especially as this system, due to its remoteness, was very neglected by enthusiasts over the years. My dad travelled the whole system bar Kinsale, and included the Schull & Skib on his travels, and took but one photograph! (In Albert Quay!). Even people like Fry, Henry Casserley, Lawrence and others paid scant attention to it. More's the pity. Rough and / or amateurish material, if that be the case, is light years better, any day, than nothing!

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Colm Creedon on the GSRPS/IRRS Munster Area tour to youghal in 1985. 

Superb pic of him! And the carriage.....!

Edited 8 hours ago by jhb171achill

[jhb171achill]

9 hours ago, Flying Snail said:

Link to the collection here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/items/browse?collection=8
(note terms of use on the bottom of the page – permission required for publication but free for private/research use)
 

You'll also find the Dermot McCarthy Railway Photograph Collection of almost 250 photos of Cork railways from the middle part of the 20th century on the Cork Digital Archive too.

Link here: https://corkdigitalarchive.ie/collections/show/9

They don't actually own the copyright in the first place, interestingly - a lot of these photos are from the collections of Henry Casserley and James Boyd (whose wife may be seen in one of them...)!

[derek]

3 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Colm Creedon on the GSRPS/IRRS Munster Area tour to youghal in 1985. 

Is the guy reflected in the window about to take a sneaky wazz? 

[derek]

Just spotted the old Roches Stores carrier bag inside the carriage. Takes me back to my first part time job in the Limerick store. After school Friday and all day Saturday. £11 for that. (dec1980). Sorry for going off topic

[seagoebox]

[Westcorkrailway]

Some of his other works 

 

GAA excursions (I don’t have one. If anybody has a copy lying around please may I have it) 

the CMDR book from 1960
 

2 copies of the West Cork Railway Observer. I’ve only seen a handful of these survive to this day. There was at least 12 or 14 different issues produced…. No idea how many were made of each issue either 

[cheesy_peas]

The binding wasn't great on them. In common with the CB&SCR books, they have an unedited "scrapbook" feel to them, but some really interesting contents.

[leslie10646]

Hi @Westcorkrailway

I have the GAA book - you can have it for a pile of money (joke). it'll save me listing it on my new AbeBooks Shop.

I'll PM you - it's so thin that it might get past the Thought Police (aka An Post and the Customs).

Colm was a delight to correspond with, but when we tried to get him to publish his books "properly", he wouldn't budge.

I've only speed-read the CBSCR books twenty years ago, but I particularly liked his way of dealing with the history almost day by day. It gave an immediacy to the story. I'm unaware of too many railway histories following quite that approach.

Thanks @Flying Snail for bringing the archive to our attention.

Edited 4 hours ago by leslie10646

[jhb171achill]

21 minutes ago, leslie10646 said:

Colm was a delight to correspond with, but when we tried to get him to publish his books "properly", he wouldn't budge.

That's such a pity!

[Mayner]

9 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

Colm Creedon on the GSRPS/IRRS Munster Area tour to youghal in 1985. 

Two recently restored GSRPS coaches including a Buffet Car ran in the excursion to Youghal, possiby the only time GSRPS stock were used in passenger service. At the time I was an (armchair) GSRPS member had hoped to travel but unaable possibly work. Later David Parks told me that the paintwork on the recently restored coaches was damaged by overhanging vegitation on the branch, the coaches entered service without a final coat of varnish/lacquer and CIE had ceased trimming back overhanging vegitation on the branch.