Two 'Derry Road' Bridges

[Patrick Davey]

Here are two fine stone bridges, which stand as a memorial to the loss, 61 years ago, of a fine railway. 

One is an underbridge, the other an overbridge, and both are located on or near the Lurganeden Road, to the south of Pomeroy in Co. Tyrone.  Both bridges are well preserved. 

The overbridge carries the Lurganeden Road across the former trackbed of the GNR’s ‘Derry Road’:

The underbridge would have carried the Derry Road over a private lane off the same road:

The last service trains passed under and over these bridges in February 1965.

The OB still has a function, but the UB hasn’t, and it’s quite remarkable that the embankments on either side have been removed but the bridge itself has been left in place - we probably have someone to thank for that. 

It’s also remarkable to think that in addition to generations of GNR steam trains and diesel railcars, these bridges would also have witnessed the passing by of some of CIE’s modern diesel locomotives, including members of the 141 class as they headed north with Lough Derg pilgrimage trains.  More knowledgeable contributors than I will be able to advise if the CIÉ A class or 121s ever operated on this route.

If the line had lasted just 2 more years, going into NIR ownership, it might have survived a bit longer, and had it lasted a further 3 years, it might well have witnessed the appearance of NIR’s Hunslet locomotives in their fine maroon livery:

And what of Pomeroy station itself?  Best not ask.

Edited yesterday at 11:34 by Patrick Davey

[jhb171achill]

5 hours ago, Patrick Davey said:

Here are two fine stone bridges, which stand as a memorial to the loss, 61 years ago, of a fine railway. 

One is an underbridge, the other an overbridge, and both are located on or near the Lurganeden Road, to the south of Pomeroy in Co. Tyrone.  Both bridges are well preserved. 

The overbridge carries the Lurganeden Road across the former trackbed of the GNR’s ‘Derry Road’:

The underbridge would have carried the Derry Road over a private lane off the same road:

The last service trains passed under and over these bridges in February 1965.

The OB still has a function, but the UB hasn’t, and it’s quite remarkable that the embankments on either side have been removed but the bridge itself has been left in place - we probably have someone to thank for that. 

It’s also remarkable to think that in addition to generations of GNR steam trains and diesel railcars, these bridges would also have witnessed the passing by of some of CIE’s modern diesel locomotives, including members of the 141 class as they headed north with Lough Derg pilgrimage trains.  More knowledgeable contributors than I will be able to advise if the CIÉ A class or 121s ever operated on this route.

Interesting survivors…. The “A” class never got that far, and while I don’t think a 121 did either, I couldn’t swear to it. But 141s - yes, over a period of about 18 months they made several appearances.

Goods trains saw many a CIE wagon - flying snails were no strangers to this route, and in the last couple of years, a few “roundels” too!

Worth adding, other than the still-existing GNR lines, the “A” class did make it to some other closed GNR places. I think they got to Warrenpoint, and they certainly got to Monaghan (via Cavan). 

Edited 23 hours ago by jhb171achill

[Westcorkrailway]

CIE liveried versions of those GNR Railcars did make it out that way on a GAA special too 

[Haulier]

I think an A Class used to do an  odd turn to   St. JOHNSTON/PORTHALL  on summer Sunday excursions in the late 50's from Amiens Street

There may have been an A Class based in Carrickmacross in the late 50's also.

Edited 18 hours ago by Haulier

[jhb171achill]

An IRRS jaunt over the INWR remnant just before it closed (1960) saw CIE green (albeit on an GNR railcars) tread the rails of Dundalk - Clones as well. A green "A" plus green laminates also made it to Ardee with the IRRS.

14 minutes ago, Haulier said:

I think an A Class used to do an  odd turn to   St. JOHNSTON/PORTHALL  on summer Sunday excursions in the late 50's from Amiens Street

There may have been an A Class based in Carrickmacross in the late 50's also.

Wasn't aware of that, but possible, of course. The Carrickmacross CIE locos were based in Dundalk.

Had the Wisht Caark section survived even to 1965, black'n'tan would have been regularly seen there on something other than the lifting trains!

The West Clare also just narrowly escaped the start of the black'n'tan era. Imagine a black "F" or black'n'tan Walker railcars!

[Patrick Davey]

Page 24 of Eric Challoner's excellent 'Farewell to Derry Road' shows a green A class at Beragh, mystery solved!

[jhb171achill]

11 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

Page 24 of Eric Challoner's excellent 'Farewell to Derry Road' shows a green A class at Beragh, mystery solved!

I'd assume it likely went on to Derry to stable? Tin vans got to Derry laden with newspaper traffic!

[Patrick Davey]

5 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I'd assume it likely went on to Derry to stable? Tin vans got to Derry laden with newspaper traffic!

If they were on the Lough Derg traffic, didn't the buses (boo) meet the pilgrims at Omagh?  Would there have been any need for the locos to go beyond Omagh I wonder?  Very interesting traffic!  Worthy of an article in the IRRS journal!

[jhb171achill]

3 minutes ago, Patrick Davey said:

If they were on the Lough Derg traffic, didn't the buses (boo) meet the pilgrims at Omagh?  Would there have been any need for the locos to go beyond Omagh I wonder?  Very interesting traffic!  Worthy of an article in the IRRS journal!

Possibly Omagh, yes. Separately, I have seen a pic somewhere of a railcar set in UTA livery at Strabane with a CIE "tin van" in tow..... the Belfast Newspaper Train used to drop CIE fitted vans of various sorts at Portadown which were added to the first down Derry Road service. In GNR days, these would have been the GNR's "V" vans, but after the 1958 breakup, those which stayed south were very quickly replaced by new CIE stock (tin vans). The UTA retained a few GNR vans for traffic from Belfast until the mid-60s. Thus, quite a few ended up in UTA dark green, but as far as I know only a single one ever got CIE (light, obviously) green.

As an aside, the GNR's 1940-era bogie "P" vans, of which the last survivor is at Whitehead, ended up in CIE green and even (in one, or possibly two cases) black'n'tan, and those that ended up north seem to have avoided UTA green but were repainted maroon by NIR for postal traffic between Belfast and Portadown. Two, I think, were still doing that into the early 1970s.

As a further aside, the whole subject of what the Americans call "tail traffic" at the back of passenger services is a whole arena of variation, and thus major modelling interest.