West of Ireland railway stations, old film footage.

[minister_for_hardship]

Short compilation of railway station footage.

 

[jhb171achill]

I love the one at Westport.......he's pulling into the Achill platform.

 

I wonder is that a D16 - if it is, the film is earlier than 1940 (1937 at least). It could be a G2 coming to the end of a journey if it's 1940 or more. I can't make it out too clearly.

 

The colour clip shows a carriage in (very heavily weathered!) GSR maroon. Paint was comparatively expensive then and many carriages in secondary use and most wagons rarely saw a lick of paint.

 

Who was the priest who filmed it, I wonder? Does he have any other material?

[minister_for_hardship]

From same youtube poster...

 

WESTPORT QUAY, The Lifting Of The Railway Track in 1977

 

[Mayner]

I love the one at Westport.......he's pulling into the Achill platform.

 

I wonder is that a D16 - if it is, the film is earlier than 1940 (1937 at least). It could be a G2 coming to the end of a journey if it's 1940 or more. I can't make it out too clearly.

 

The colour clip shows a carriage in (very heavily weathered!) GSR maroon. Paint was comparatively expensive then and many carriages in secondary use and most wagons rarely saw a lick of paint.

 

Who was the priest who filmed it, I wonder? Does he have any other material?

 

The film at Westport is likely to be in late GSR days, the loco is a 2-4-0 she still has laminated springs above the leading axle rather that the volute springs fitted to the class in CIE days, an Achill Bogie is hiding behind the station sign at Manulla Junction.

 

I wonder was the train departing Claremorris the Limerick-Sligo train, the coach panelling looks GSWR in style and the WLWR line continued/s to be operated as a GSWR branch in Midland territory right up to the ending of passenger services with Limerick responsible for supplying locos and stock.

 

In GSR & CIE days pre-amalgamation locos stuck pretty much to their territory with few exceptions. GSWR & Midland locos replacing withdrawn DSER locos on the South Eastern, a Midland Cattle Engine & Standard Goods on long term loan to Waterford. Occasional trails of ex Midland D6&7 4-4-0s on Kingsbridge-Nenagh-Limerick trains and GSWR D4s on the Sligo Road

 

Midland locos sometimes worked ballast trains over the Burma Road from Lecarrow to stations on the Sligo Road as an alternative to Athlone-Mullingar

I

[jhb171achill]

The "Achill Bogie" D16s were to be seen on the Ballina branch from the closure of the Achill line (1937) until mid 40s quite often.

[Mayner]

Fayles Bulletin recorded 15 ex MGWR locos on shed in Athlone including 4 members of the Class 531,532,533 & 535 on a mid-week day excursion to Athlone in September 1937.

 

533 the last of the class to remain in service (1953) seems to have worked in the Galway area and the Loughrea Branch there is a LGRP photo of her on shed in Galway and a JP O'Dea photo of her opposite the signal cabin possibly in CIE days.

 

The Achill Bogies were originally built as D Class 2-4-0s in 1880 and rebuilt into 4-4-0s after 20 years service. The 4-4-0s had smaller cylinders and were not as powerful than the K Class 2-4-0s (GSR G2) introduced in the 1890s.

 

531,534 & 535 were later rebuilt with superheated boilers and larger cylinders which theoretically would have brought the locos into line with the 2-4-0s in terms of tractive effort. The closing of branches and less frequent passenger services during and after the emergency would have pretty much made the Achill Bogies redundant. The G2s were preferred to the larger MGWR D6 & 7 4-4-0s for passenger services on the Mayo & Sligo roads having a reputation of being being steadier at speed and easier on the track than the larger locos

[jhb171achill]

The late Billy Lohan (Galway driver) recalled one of them being temporarily stationed in Athlone shortly after the Achill line closed. With a shortage of locos one day of the Ballinasloe cattle fair, they hitched one onto a cattle train. Despite just being empties from Athlone to Ballinasloe, Billy recalled it slipping like mad, being hopelessly underpowered for such work. By the time it arrived in Ballinasloe, common sense prevailed and it was recalled to shed, travelling light. He didn't remember what was sent out to take the loaded train, let alone where they got the replacement engine from! His overall analysis was as might be expected: suitable for a two or three coach local, with maybe half a dozen wagons; maybe a heavier load on an all-level line (which Achill most certainly wasn't!)