Ernies Massive Irish 1930's to 2005 Photo Archive

[Andy Cundick]

Very useful set of photos,Ballinascarthy being on the to do list,Andy.

[the Bandon tank]

Interesting  to see the GNR open wagons that far south.

[jhb171achill]

8 minutes ago, the Bandon tank said:

Interesting  to see the GNR open wagons that far south.

More common than you'd think!

Once the GNR fleet was split between the UTA & CIE (October 1958), for about four years there were GNR wagons all over the place, with GNR markings, but with an "N" after the number. Coach 114 becomes 114N, wagon 3452 becomes 3452N, etc. Often the older number was still there too.

By 1963, numbers of ex-GNR wagon stock had become almost extinct due to CIE's modernisation of their fleet - even building a whole fleet of new cattle wagons, so older types vanished rapidly or (for the few that remained) repainted properly in CIE livery.

Older GSWR & MGWR types also vanished largely at this time - DSER & WLWR stuff had had their own pogroms in the 1950s, and CBSCR items were almost without exception just scrapped there when that system closed.

[Galteemore]

On the whole, wagons were fairly widespread in a way that carriages and locos were not. Although partition had a huge effect here, it was quite common to see ‘alien’ wagons far away from home. Particularly vans, the staple of the Irish goods stock. Linen piece goods from Belfast, for instance, would travel the length of the land in a GN van.

Edited March 3, 2022 by Galteemore

[jhb171achill]

14 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

On the whole, wagons were fairly widespread in a way that carriages and locos were not. Although partition had a huge effect here, it was quite common to see ‘alien’ wagons far away from home. Particularly vans, the staple of the Irish goods stock. Linen piece goods from Belfast, for instance, would travel the length of the land in a GN van.

Correct.

And it wasn't just when the GNR ceased to be. In "Rails to Achill", I have a photo of not just a GSWR wagon, but a DSER one as well - at ACHILL in 1934!

I am aware of during the short period before the UTA stopped running goods trains, there were (albeit exceptionally rare - maybe one-off!) instances of UTA goods vans south of Dublin.

As you say, wagons could end up anywhere. Consign a wagonload of linen from the Derry central to Cork, and you've a BNCR van in Penrose Quay.

Not just wagons, though they seemed to have most wanderlust. In GSR & CIE days, MGWR six-wheelers migrated in huge numbers to Dublin suburban services, becoming regulars on the Harcourt Street line from the late 1920s. Larger numbers of them again went to Cork, where they were all over the West Cork system, Youghal and Cobh services, and the Valentia branch. There were a few in Limerick too. On the other hand, the MGWR and DSER became infested with GSWR stock - many Midland branchlines having lengthy residencies of GSWR composite bogie vehicles; these were regularly to be seen on the Ballinrobe and Ballaghaderreen branches for years, Loughrea in the 1950s, and Ballina on and off. Only Clifden seemed to stay true to old MGWR six-wheelers throughout its entire life. GSWR bogies and six-wheelers were regulars in Wisht Caark too.

A GNR coach was seen on the Loughrea branch about 1960 and also as far away as West Cork - could have been the same one, an old wooden clerestorey-roofed one, and still in GNR brown livery to boot!

Locos - Loughrea, Ballinrobe and Achill had visitors from the WLWR and GSWR with regular slots rather than occasional appearances. And one of the D16 "Achill bogies" worked the GSR Portarlington - Athlone line for a while in the late 30s, while a WLWR G3 (think it was 291) worked for years out of Waterford - and don't forget the three J26 MGWR 0.6.0Ts which emigrated to the Waterford and Tramore, with 560 ending up in Cork (Glanmire), West Cork and the Fenit branch before it was scrapped in the early 60s!

Many, many, many other examples. 

[Galteemore]

This image from the big island shows how weird it could get. GW loco and Southern van - in the far north of Scotland! This isn’t to say ‘anything goes’ on a layout if you’re trying to be prototypical, but there are some interesting movements out there, as JB describes. 

Edited March 3, 2022 by Galteemore

[Mike 84C]

But where on the Far North line was the photo taken? Inverness?

[Galteemore]

Dornoch. They had a succession of panniers there, which proved ideal. https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/5418
 

Just as the Beattie well tanks, designed for London suburbia, proved a natural fit for the Deep South West!

Edited March 3, 2022 by Galteemore

[Irishswissernie]

9 hours ago, Mike 84C said:

But where on the Far North line was the photo taken? Inverness?

Its at Dingwall probably taken after the Dornoch branch closed. 2 16xx panniers 1646 & 1649 were transferred to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch branch which had very restricted weight/axle  loading after the last Highland Railway tank 55053 broke an axle and there was nothing else light enough to work the line. The 16xx tanks were almost new having been built in BR days.

Back to Ireland now!

CIE 1958-09-11 Galway station G2 654 

The last 2 are at Castlefinn on the Donegal. CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 10.45 Stranorlar- Strabane 'Erne' (6)

CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 11.10am Strabane-Killybegs (10)

 

[airfixfan]

Like both the colour photos of Castlefinn as predicted!

[Irishswissernie]

Castleisland today, 15 Sept 1960.

 

[Andy Cundick]

On 4/3/2022 at 8:00 AM, Irishswissernie said:

Its at Dingwall probably taken after the Dornoch branch closed. 2 16xx panniers 1646 & 1649 were transferred to Helmsdale to work the Dornoch branch which had very restricted weight/axle  loading after the last Highland Railway tank 55053 broke an axle and there was nothing else light enough to work the line. The 16xx tanks were almost new having been built in BR days.

Back to Ireland now!

CIE 1958-09-11 Galway station G2 654 

The last 2 are at Castlefinn on the Donegal. CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 10.45 Stranorlar- Strabane 'Erne' (6)

CDRJC 1959-12-04 Castlefinn 11.10am Strabane-Killybegs (10)

 

If its any help its Railcar 12,Andy.

[Irishswissernie]

I have 31 colour views of the Valentia Island line so have made a separate album covering this long scenic branch and am adding other views already on flickr to it. The colour images are from 1960-61 when the line was being dismantled.

Click on the photo below and the album should open.

 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Irishswissernie

[Westcorkrailway]

10 minutes ago, Irishswissernie said:

I have 31 colour views of the Valentia Island line so have made a separate album covering this long scenic branch and am adding other views already on flickr to it. The colour images are from 1960-61 when the line was being dismantled.

Click on the photo below and the album should open.

 

What is the livery on the wagon nearest the J15 with an almost creme snail in the side. I saw one of these lift the bantry line too, is that the colour they used for maintainance back then?

[Galteemore]

Yes. Permanent Way dept. The 1960s version of yellow!  Worth zooming in on some of the other shots. These are spectacular photos - having cycled that route I know that it’s the equal of the Scottish west coast routes for scenery, and these show that. Just wish he’d visited Ireland ten years earlier! 

Edited March 5, 2022 by Galteemore

[airfixfan]

Yes Railcar12 now imprisoned inside the Foyle Valley Railway Centre

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Westcorkrailway said:

What is the livery on the wagon nearest the J15 with an almost creme snail in the side. I saw one of these lift the Bantry line too, is that the colour they used for maintainance back then?

It was painted brown, but a one-off. Departmental stuff was generally all grey, including carriages for transporting staff and used as crew quarters, except steam cranes which I am nearly sure were plain black all over. That particular crew van was seen all over the south west at the time when Valentia, Kenmare and West Cork were being lifted. I believe it was a purpose-built maintenance train van, not (as was more usual) a conversion of an old coach. It has a normal number rather than an "A" series number.

In later years, departmental vehicles received several liveries. An old GSWR third, No. 837, was painted a brown colour, and while most other old converted coaches got standard wagon grey, albeit with all sorts of one-off markings, some old coaches were painted in old green paint, probably to use it up, with red ends. One old WLWR third, which had been briefly used as a camping coach in the early 60s, retained the Donegal-esque red and cream (which actually looked very well) into its departmental days and eventual scrapping at Mullingar.

[minister_for_hardship]

23 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Castleisland today, 15 Sept 1960.

 

The only thing left standing in 2022 in those scenes is the stationmaster's cottage, just visible in the first photo.

Edited March 6, 2022 by minister_for_hardship

[Irishswissernie]

Waterford 14 January 1961

 

[Irishswissernie]

Coach C90N at Clara on IRRS Spl 18March1963

BAC 1958-09-06 BAC Larne works 3 P1357'14 z110

 

 

[Galteemore]

Sad view at Larne. Her two sisters are with us at least!

[airfixfan]

9 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Coach C90N at Clara on IRRS Spl 18March1963

BAC 1958-09-06 BAC Larne works 3 P1357'14 z110

 

 

Love the Larne photo

[Lambeg man]

13 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

Coach C90N at Clara on IRRS Spl 18March1963

Built in 1931 by the GNR and classified G 6 (Brake/First/Second). This view is of the side corridor side with the Brake compartment furthermost from the camera.

Where coaches classified G had by 1931 been intended for either main line work or as part of branch services ‘Slipped’ on occasions from main line trains, this series of Brake/1^st/2^nd vehicles (3 in total) were produced for suburban services. They had a side corridor layout with a Driving/Brake compartment at one end. Recorded in 1936 as seating 12 – 1^st class in the two compartments away from the Brake end and 40 – 2^nd class in the remainder, it is to be noted that all seven compartments were built 7' 0" between the partitions. Although like some main line stock, each compartment had an exterior access door and a sliding door access to the side corridor, there was unusually also a matching door to each compartment on the exterior of the side corridor.

They were built to act as one half of the two-coach ‘Push-Pull’ sets which were operating on the Dublin-Howth services in the 1930’s. The 3^rd class accommodation was provided by a classification L 11 (Brake/Third). The locomotive ran between the two coaches and the coaches were equipped with sanding gear and ‘Klaxon’ horns. Small high level windows were fitted into the driving end of the coach. No toilets were provided and the ‘Push-Pull’ operation of these trains was discontinued in the early 1940’s. After this the windows in the former Driving compartment (now a solely a Brake compartment) were boarded over and at some stage after 1944 (possibly January 1951) they were re-classed as Brake/1^st seating 42 and with one exception, armrests were fitted to the former 2^nd class seats. In his original Journal article, Norman McAdams stated that these three carriages, along with two classification F 2’s (First/Second) provided the 1^st class accommodation on almost all locomotive hauled trains from Dublin in the latter days of the GNR (and into 1959).

C90N was altered to a Brake/Second in April 1965 and withdrawn from service in January 1967. 

[Irishswissernie]

West Clare Railway 7 June 1961, dismantling the line post closure.

First two at Miltown Malbay and the last one near Kilmurry.

 

[Galteemore]

Sad but wonderful pics. With that red roof, the last photo almost has a north German air about it.

[leslie10646]

Galteemore said, ref the Valentia line: These are spectacular photos - having cycled that route I know that it’s the equal of the Scottish west coast routes for scenery, and these show that. Just wish he’d visited Ireland ten years earlier! 

My visits to the line were as a Tour Manager (I bet JHB has done it loads of times for the same reason!) - as you begin The Ring of Kerry you follow the railway for miles. I even noted that the famous sheep farmer who demonstrates his dogs at work had the line high on the hillside behind his farm. Then, of course, as you enter the town, a quick right turn down to the old station and a view of the viaduct at Cahirciveen.

What a tourist run it would have been if it had survived!

Thank you "Ernie" for this unending flow of delights.

Edited March 9, 2022 by leslie10646

[Mayner]

16 minutes ago, Galteemore said:

Sad but wonderful pics. With that red roof, the last photo almost has a north German air about it.

The big skyscape and the neat intensively worked farms definitely has a Dutch, north German look to it.

I was struck by the intense nature of dairy farming and prosperity along the fertile coastal strip between Kilkee and Lahinch in contrast to North Clare when I visited Ireland in 2018 not as I remembered it as a teenager on holidays in the 70s.

Though it was good to see Moyasta other remains of a railway that had become barely relevant by the 1950s

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, leslie10646 said:

Galteemore said, ref the Valentia line: These are spectacular photos - having cycled that route I know that it’s the equal of the Scottish west coast routes for scenery, and these show that. Just wish he’d visited Ireland ten years earlier! 

My visits to the line were as a Tour Manager (I bet JHB has done it loads of times for the same reason!) - as you begin The Ring of Kerry you follow the railway for miles. I even noted that the famous sheep farmer who demonstrates his dogs at work had the line high on the hillside behind his farm. Then, of course, as you enter the town, a quick right turn down to the old station and a view of the viaduct at Cahirciveen.

What a tourist run it would have been if it had survived!

Thank you "Ernie" for this unending flow of delights.

Indeed! The farmer you mention is Brendan Ferris - a true gentleman. As you say his sheep demo business is right ON the track bed!

[Irishswissernie]

County Donegal Railways today.

Donegal Town 4 December 1959 Railcar 20 and Strabane 5 December 1959

 

[Irishswissernie]

A couple of ex NCC views today of Magherafelt station 16May1959

 

[Lambeg man]

6 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

A couple of ex NCC views today of Magherafelt station 16May1959

Hi Ernie, do you know who the photographer was? LM

[Irishswissernie]

I'm pretty sure it was Roy Dennison, although I am not certain.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Irishswissernie

[airfixfan]

Love the CDR Colour photos which are well timed 2! JHB?

[Lambeg man]

5 hours ago, Irishswissernie said:

I'm pretty sure it was Roy Dennison, although I am not certain.

Looks likely. Another photo of his showing No. 84 on the Kilrea goods and shunting at Magerafelt on the same date appears in one of the printed colour albums. He was at Lisburn and Goraghwood the previous day. It would appear he was travelling in the company of Chris Gammell who was also photographing on the Derry Central on the same date.

Edited March 11, 2022 by Lambeg man

[Irishswissernie]

At Bandon on the CBSCR 13 Jan 1961