Harcourt Street - Working Timetables -1958 or earlier.

[Old Blarney]

High gang,

 

Would anyone out there in our "World of Knowledge" happen to have a CIE Working Timetable covering the Harcourt Street line prior too its closure as of January, 1st, 1959. Last day of services, December, 31, 1958. Ideally, I would like to have details of the train movements for 1958. Know there were restrictions during the "Emergency" and the Drumm Trains were the regular performers during this time. Also know the year 1947, restricted services due to coal shortages because of the severe weather. So any year from 1950 would be great, but ideally 1958.

 

Often try to imagine how this lost line would be today were it operational.

 

I try to imagine a fifteen minute service in both directions covering the line from Bray to Harcourt street.

 

Would Harcourt Street still have has its single platform of 598 feet to serve such a service?

 

Might the former Goods Platform, immediately outside the Train Shed, have been converted for use by passenger trains or, would the third line in the train shed have been removed and a platform built where it once stood?

 

Where would the crossovers have been placed to allow the use of a second platform?

 

Harcourt Street trains arrived and departed from the single platform, there was no direct access to the storage sidings in the UP direction, thus, all movements to these sidings required the stock to first enter the station and then be propelled to the down line. The stock was then shunted to the various storage sidings. What a palaver? After the Valentines day accident this type of movement was meant to cease but it never did. The UP trains simply stopped at Ranelagh before proceeding to Harcourt Street.

 

What a model this station would make?

 

Regards to all,

 

David J. White.

[jhb171achill]

I'd see it as the dreaded navy and lime green things seen about Connolly - prob a half hourly service. It would be extremely interesting though, and I often thought of a model of it too.

 

Albert Quay would be another interesting one for modern times - prob lots of 2-car 26's and little else! Maybe a stray 141 still.....

[leslie10646]

High gang,

 

Would anyone out there in our "World of Knowledge" happen to have a CIE Working Timetable covering the Harcourt Street line prior too its closure as of January, 1st, 1959. Last day of services, December, 31, 1958.

 

In a word "YES"!

 

Next question?

 

Leslie

[Mayner]

No pubic o WTT Railway Byelines Annual No 5 incudes a 12 page Des Coakham article on the Harcourt Street Line in the 1950s. Excellent selection of high qualty photos of steam and diesel (railcar) trains on the line, photos of Harcourt Street inside and outside the train shed and some of the intermediate stations.

 

Services in the end do not appear to much different than what we would expect on a similar line today 100% railcar worked. Park Royal and Inchacore built AEC railcars, 3 car sets mainly with Park Royal and Laminate intermediate coaches.

 

I had a look around Harcourt Street in the mid-1990s, at the time apart from the track lifting and removal of the Adelaide Rd bridge there was remarkably little change to the buildings or structures in the station or goods yard.

[Old Blarney]

John.

 

Thank you for your help, located a copy (Railway Byelines Annual No 5 ) this afternoon and it should be wending its way to me in tomorrows post. I'll phone the bold Leslie later today. Can discuss the train times from his copy of the WTT and have a general chat with him.

 

I travelled on the Harcourt Street line prior to its closure, just wish I had taken photographs that day of the station and its yard. There are some excellent photographs on the O'Dea pages which were taken immediately after the closure of the line. Was it not you who drew our attention to these photographs?

 

Remember the lifting of the line too. Always thought it a great mistake that this line was abandoned, but by then, the thoughts were that railways were no longer a necessary form of transport in Ireland - the private car and bus would be the preferred methods of transport. I remember reading an article in the "Sunday Times", early 60's? It stated there was the possibility that all railways within the Island of Ireland would be abandoned once the existing rolling stock and infrastructure became life expired by the 1980's.

 

Again, thank you for pointing me in the direction of information re this railway line,

 

David.

[Niall Tier]

Did you ever get your

Timetable

i Have it if you still need it