Hard Work Trip Today

[Patrick Davey]

Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the show in Dublin due to work commitments, but today’s work venue provided a certain degree of compensation!

This is, of course, The Station House Hotel, which is the former MGWR station of Kilmessan, which was also the junction for the Athboy branch.

I’ve had worse work days

Edited Saturday at 22:31 by Patrick Davey

[dropshort105]

Cool, I'm only down the road, it's a very interesting little spot, I'm actually contemplating building a model of it, when it was a station obviously.

Edited Saturday at 22:43 by dropshort105

[Moogie-69]

Beautiful spot.

[Colonel]

What a splendid way to repurpose an old station.

[Patrick Davey]

Interestingly, this location is on the route of the proposed reopening of the direct line to Navan, I think the potential new alignment has to make a diversion because it would be impossible to use the original alignment at this point.

[dropshort105]

1 hour ago, Patrick Davey said:

Interestingly, this location is on the route of the proposed reopening of the direct line to Navan, I think the potential new alignment has to make a diversion because it would be impossible to use the original alignment at this point.

Correct, it was the closest station to Dunshaughlin, but the plan is to put a station in Dunshaughlin now.

[Mayner]

19 minutes ago, dropshort105 said:

Correct, it was the closest station to Dunshaughlin, but the plan is to put a station in Dunshaughlin now.

Its good that the line may be re-opened. I am just about old enough to remember the bridges at Pace and Blackbull before the track was lifted and the main road re-aligned during the mid-late 60s

Drumree was the closest to Dunshaughlin. Railway bridge "disappeared" with road improvements possibly during the 70s.  Last revenue train on the Clonsilla Jnt -Navan line was a G611 Class worked cattle special to Drumree, loco ran light to Kilmessan to pick up a single wagon. (Article by "Spare Link" in a GSRPS 1980s newsletter). Not sure if the original station building remains

Walked a section of the line near Dunsaney before track was lifted as a child during the mid-60s, my father was an angler and we frequently visited during that era.

Even built an N gauge layout based on Kilmessan, Herbert Richards an IRRS member provided a collection of photos taken shortly before track was lifted (incl photo of ex-GN Railcar No1 as 'lifting train')

[Camas]

A lovely wedding destination. My nephew married there and the ceremony was held outdoors in the turntable well. The bridal suite in the signal box. Reception in the goods shed. Magical.

[dropshort105]

3 hours ago, Camas said:

A lovely wedding destination. My nephew married there and the ceremony was held outdoors in the turntable well. The bridal suite in the signal box. Reception in the goods shed. Magical.

Yeah, I was supposed to get married there back in 2017 but they made a balls of the booking.

[Broithe]

Getting married on a turntable might be a little too symbolic for some..?

[dropshort105]

45 minutes ago, Broithe said:

Getting married on a turntable might be a little too symbolic for some..?

People might even think you had been railroaded.

[Mol_PMB]

What goes around, comes around… 

[Patrick Davey]

Any further turntable jokes and I might hit the deck.

[Mayner]

The 'goods shed" has an interesting history originally the Dublin and Meath locomotive works from opening until MGWR took over operation of the line (1869). https://www.stationhousehotel.ie/weddings/the-carriage-suite/

The 'works" was later converted into a combined dwelling house and  goods shed. One distinctive feature was a tall brick chimney at the rear of the "works" near the turntable possibly in connection with the 'works' boiler house.

The large end doors seem to have been permanently closed during the combined dwelling house/goods shed era, wagons loaded/unloaded through doorways at the side of the goods shed (original workshop windows) and small domestic windows in partially infilled window opes in the dwelling house section.

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305244

As far as I recall the house/goods shed was in use as a dwelling up to the early 1980s

A model of Kilmessan set during the 1860s would be interesting and challenging, the Midland only buying No7 of the D&M fleet an 1862 Fossick & Hackworth 2-4-0 nicknamed "Drag all". Remaining locos and stock apparently picked up by the equally improvished Athenry & Tuam. David the "Colonel" picked up a D&M Brake Van from the late Richard Chowan's estate.

My father fished the "Skane" around Kilmessan and Dunsaney but I never got to check out/explore Kimmessan station, though walked the line near Dunsaney before track was lifted on a sunday afternoon with my parents most likely 63-64, next time we re-visited track was gone railway dismantled.

 

 

Edited 1 hour ago by Mayner