Irish Railway Trivia

[minister_for_hardship]

Irish loco unofficially named after a monarch, but not an Irish or British ruler....and not even European...but very much in the news of the time?

[Riversuir226]

Tutukamun;)

[jhb171achill]

Yip!

 

And - which narrow gauge loco, despite being the most powerful on its system, was so unpopular with enginemen it was nicknamed "The Beast

 

And - what led to the Cavan & Leitrim's No. 8 being nicknamed the "Sinn Fein Engine"?

[Garfield]

Yip!

 

And - which narrow gauge loco, despite being the most powerful on its system, was so unpopular with enginemen it was nicknamed "The Beast

 

And - what led to the Cavan & Leitrim's No. 8 being nicknamed the "Sinn Fein Engine"?

 

1 - C&L number 9, King Edward (had a nasty habit of spreading the rails, too)

2 - the loco's tricolour lining

 

Edited September 26, 2013 by Garfield

[jhb171achill]

Correct on (2); and partly correct on (1) - the C & L staff certainly didn't like "King Edward" - though the PW folk liked her less. The "Beast" was the Ballymena & Larne's Beyer Peacock 2.6.0ST which worked mainly on the Ballyboley - Doagh line until the withdrawal of passenger services and closure of the ballyclare - Doagh section.

 

Having said that, I expect that both locos were called many things............

[jhb171achill]

With regard to C & L No. 8, it was due a repaint. The livery was a quite dark green with red and white lining. Locos 1 - 7 were named after the daughters of the directors of the original line, but since there were seven daughters, but eight locos, and the C & L management were of unashamedly unionist affiliation, No. 8 was called "Queen Victoria".

 

So when the repain became due, about 1916 or so, Ballinamore removed the nameplates and painted it a shade of green more akin to that in the tricolour - lighter than the C & L green - and put orange and white lining on it. The nameplates were hidden, but turned up later!

[minister_for_hardship]

The nameplates were hacked off at by a patriotic staff member and buried, but were found some time later by a stationmaster's son and reattached.

The plates came off for a second time and this time round it was made sure of that were never found again.

[RedRich]

I'm really loving this thread. Loads of information, and answers to some questions I have had also.

 

Rich,

[Garfield]

The nameplates were hidden, but turned up later!

 

Aye, and then they went missing again. There's a rumour that they were thrown into a well supplying water for one of the C&L's water towers.

[minister_for_hardship]

and the C & L management were of unashamedly unionist affiliation,

 

Even so, think around the 1900's, a C&L driver who had decorated his loco with 'party colours' for the Twelfth was instructed to remove them.

[jhb171achill]

My grandmother, who hailed from Ballina, lived as a child in Ballinamore between about 1910 and 1920. She made friends with the daughter of the Traffic Manager, one William Henry McAdoo. The children - minus dayglo jackets or PTS, let alone trespass permission - played daily among the locomotives at Ballinamore shed, sharing their playground with 4.4.0Ts, enginemen and hens. Lots of hens.

 

As a teenager, Flanagan's history of the C & L was the second or third railway book I ever got; precursor to a room full of them.My grandmothere was still alive then and lived with us, and I lent her the book which she read from cover to cover. She said she remembered the nameplates business, and sectarian wrangling between the railway management and the rank and file railwaymen; the first being staunchly unionist, the latter equally staunchly republican.

 

She heard that the nameplates were initially hidden by the loco crew, but they turned up in the station yard after being revealed by scratching hens. After restoration to the dismay of the locomen, No. 8 had a spell as a regular on the Arigna branch. The loco had remained in the "flag" shade of green, with orange and white lining, but the plates had been put back. One day, the train reappeared in Ballinamore off the branch without the plates again, and they were never found again. The word at the time, which she heard, was that they had been hidden in a bog. Apparently the crew had stopped the train at some remote spot, having hacked the plates off again while it was in Arigna, and buried them in bogland they knew.

 

So those plates may well still be there; if the story is true, and I have no reason to doubt it - someone with knowledge of the Ballinamore - Arigna road may well get their shovel out!

 

Those plates would fetch about €5000 each at auction....

 

Where's me wellies?

Edited September 27, 2013 by jhb171achill

[heirflick]

great story about no 8....could be the makings of a film yet:)

[jhb171achill]

Another aspect of the sectarian tension between the staff and management involved a recently appointed station master being ordered out of his bed in the night by masked gunmen and frog marched 12 miles to Killeshandra, and told never to appear in the area again!

 

 

Next question: Name a few places which had one station built when the line opened, only to be replaced by a second station nearby on a subsequent date? To start: Tullymurry, Co Down; Mulrany, Co Mayo, LLSR Terminus in Derry................

[minister_for_hardship]

Cork (Penrose Quay/Summerhill/Glanmire Rd) and Cork (old and new CB&PR termini)

Dunleary and Kingstown (Dun Laoghaire) think were two different locations.

Old and new Newrys.

Bandon once had two stations, before the WCR one closed, likewise Bantry.

Waterford Newrath/Waterford South and Waterford North.

[Riversuir226]

Cork kilbarry open till the tunnel was finished, Ballinhassig served cork till the viaduct and tunnel was finished. Kilmacow served Waterford for a while. Ballineen and Enniskeane originally had separate stations and were later replaced by one.

[jhb171achill]

Good stuff, folks - didn't know about Enniskeane & Ballineen having separate stations originally!

 

Belfast Central Junction briefly served the area that would now be covered by City Hospital, and then there was the old Maysfields Terminus, many many moons before Central Station.

 

Next Question: Which 5ft 3 line used pubs adjacent to the line as "stations" in several locations, where people bought tickets / waited for the train?

[Train model]

1. A railway junction in Ireland that was officially named in honour of a woman?

 

2. Name Ireland's only private (1:1, not fun size!) steam loco builder, and is known to have built one for export?

 

3. What does a 'spoiled basket' refer to?

 

4. What locos, other than the 800's and ex GNR locos, carried names in CIE days?

 

5. Also can you think of any stations in Ireland that have changed names more than once?

1 Clare Morris

[Riversuir226]

Good stuff, folks - didn't know about Enniskeane & Ballineen having separate stations originally!

 

Belfast Central Junction briefly served the area that would now be covered by City Hospital, and then there was the old Maysfields Terminus, many many moons before Central Station.

 

Next Question: Which 5ft 3 line used pubs adjacent to the line as "stations" in several locations, where people bought tickets / waited for the train?

 

The stations were seperate from 1866 to 1891. They were within a mile of each other so it kinda made sense to bring the two together Enniskeane at 29.4 miles and Ballineen at 3O.4 miles the new station was at 3O miles & was offically called Ballineen & Enniskeane from 1891 to 1961 but in later years it was known as Ballineen.

[Riversuir226]

Bandon had 5 stations at one stage or anotherPIMP

Bandon WC junction 1876 to 188O

Bandon low level 1849 to 1961 used for goods from 1894 to 1961

Bandon high level 1894 to 1961

Bandon WCR 1866 to 1874

Bandon West 1874 to 188O

Within 4 miles there was a private station at Castlebernard and Clonakilty Junction.

[jhb171achill]

Pubs as stations: The answer is the Dublin & Blessington.

 

Now, TrainModel's questions....

 

Named locos on the GSR / CIE apart from those mentioned - Sir William Goulding 4.4.0, and "Pat" in the Cork coaling stage; "Jumbo" and "Sambo", the shunters at Waterford and Inchicore respectively. Also "Argadeen" and "St Molaga" on the T & C line in West Cork.

[jhb171achill]

Steam loco builder - Manisty's, Dundalk?

[Train model]

Is Claremorris the only station to have 5 routes Tuam Castlebar Sligo Ballinrobe Dublin,?

[jhb171achill]

Claremorris was known in days of yore as "The Crewe of the West". Strabane had five routes also: broad gauge to Derry and Omagh, narrow gauge to Derry, Letterkenny and Stranorlar.

[jhb171achill]

Not one of the various termini in Belfast, Dublin and Cork combined had five routes leaving from them....

[Glenderg]

Limerick - nenagh, castlemungret, foynes, ennis, lmk jct, and cork via charleville? Dats 6 kid....

[Riversuir226]

Waterford

Rosslare

Macmine junction

Limerick

Mallow

Dublin

You could also add portlaoise, bagnalstown via palace east

[Mayner]

Waterford

 

1.-Mallow/Killarney

2.-Kilkenney/Dublin via Carlow or Portlaoise

3.-Limerick Junction/Limerick

4.-Macmine Junction/Wexford/Dublin.

5.-Rosslare/Wexford.

[minister_for_hardship]

Even so, think around the 1900's, a C&L driver who had decorated his loco with 'party colours' for the Twelfth was instructed to remove them.

 

Rain-checked the Flanagan book...'Mr Lawder was particularly incenced in Aug 1902 over the actions of Driver Kealagher and Fireman Shanley..had torn down flags with which James Ormsby (Lawder) had dressed Engine No 8 Queen Victoria, for Coronation Day. The board was, no doubt, in a bit of a quandry here; the 'political' atmosphere being what it was, the idea of dressing the engine was surely a good one; on the other hand, Lawder was undoubtedly a nuisance. Eventually the directors decided to have a crack at him and wrote to tell him that no one had the right to put up flags or emblems without their permission.'

[minister_for_hardship]

Steam loco builder - Manisty's, Dundalk?

 

Not listed in Irish Steam Locos book as being a builder of any loco, ironwork, cast columns and footbridges was their main business.

[minister_for_hardship]

Mystery station..

 

Opened 1 Nov 1853 and closed 17th Oct 1976.

 

A branch line from this station opened on 1st July 1885 and closed on 1st Oct of the same year. It was worked by horse.

[heirflick]

Mystery station..

 

Opened 1 Nov 1853 and closed 17th Oct 1976.

 

A branch line from this station opened on 1st July 1885 and closed on 1st Oct of the same year. It was worked by horse.

 

Fintona junction?

[minister_for_hardship]

Fintona junction?

 

No, dates don't fit...and the horse tram to Fintona lasted a lot longer than a few months!

[Glenderg]

Mystery station..

 

Opened 1 Nov 1853 and closed 17th Oct 1976.

 

A branch line from this station opened on 1st July 1885 and closed on 1st Oct of the same year. It was worked by horse.

 

Magilligan Railway Station in Derry, with a horse drawn tram to Magilligan Point? R

[minister_for_hardship]

Magilligan Railway Station in Derry, with a horse drawn tram to Magilligan Point? R

 

Spot on.

[Glenderg]

 

What is the only station in Ireland with an O' in its name?