Cars on train at Rosslare

[Newtoncork]

Hi All,

Was talking to my Dad last week and he drove to oOme in 1962 with a couple of pals. One thing he did mention was that they went from Rosslare where the car was put onto a train, propelled out the pier and craned into the ferry! I must admit I had never heard of this. Does anyone have any info or photos on this?

Thanks,

Newtoncork

[leslie10646]

Cars for the ferry WERE indeed taken out onto the pier on flats for many years and craned onto  the ship, as you say. Oliver Doyle had photos of it when he gave a talk on the Railways of Wexford to the IRRS in London a few weeks ago.

If my memory serves, they were six wheel coach chassises with suitable decking - so two cars to a "wagon". 

The same process was used for a while with moving new cars from the Ford plant at Cork.

I see that Oliver wrote a paper in IRRS Journal Volume 8, so I'll have a look when home and see if I can extract a picture. 

 

[jhb171achill]

That is quite correct. From memory the practice ended in the mid or late 1960s. The "wagons" were indeed the chassis of old six-wheelers of various origins, many ex-DSER I think.

[Broithe]

I came over on a Honda 125 in September 1975.

I remember it being craned on and off at Holyhead, but I have no recollection of what happened at Dun Laoghaire 

I came again in September 1976, with a 400, and it was RoRo at both sides.

[jhb171achill]

It would have been ro-ro by 1975....

[Newtoncork]

So if anyone has any photos, I know that he would be delighted (and me too!)

[StevieB]

There’s a photo of a D17 working the train in Pat Whitehouse’s Branch Line Album published by Ian Allan in, probably, the 1960’s. The caption describes it as one of the shortest branches in Eire and the passengers ride in the ‘sax whaler’!

Stephen

[Wexford70]

This a photo courtesy of the Martine Heritage Centre in Rosslare. A car being loaded onto the Saint David in the 1950s. From the Ron O'Rourke collection. 

You can also see the rail link over the water from the same period in the following link:

https://www.gettyimages.co.uk/detail/news-photo/rosslare-harbour-wexford-04-09-53-photograph-by-alexander-news-photo/533285922

Edited April 28, 2019 by Wexford70
Added detail

[jhb171achill]

I would have thought the 1960s...... not sure that model of Rover car was about in the 50s....... any car experts like to comment?

[WRENNEIRE]

Looks like a P4, early 50's to mid 60's, cant make out the letters in the reg

I think they were known as Auntie Rovers, because of their use by the Royal Family.

[jhb171achill]

Ah - didn’t know they were 50s too.

 

The registration appears to be MNV 125. Or M something V.

[WRENNEIRE]

NV was Northampton, not sure of the year

[Wexford70]

Found another photo showing the rail link to the ferry. Slightly earlier, believed 1910 ish.

[leslie10646]

Hi Wexford

Super photo. It should be easy to date thanks to having the name of the ship?

I have a copy of "Edwardian Enterprise" at home re GWR's early 20th century improvements, which included Fishguard - or Ernie Shepherd's book?

 

[Wexford70]

Was speaking with the guys in the Rosslare Maritime Centre.

St David III was the first ferry cars could drive onto. A deck of cabins was removed and a door created in the side of the ship. Max car height was 6 feet.

May 1965 was the first service. Max 62 cars.

Previously, another ship,, Slieve Dromod (will check the spelling) used take cars only. Passengers went on a separate ship. 

Photos and details available in Justin Merrigan's

"Let Go Fore and Aft: History of the Fishguard and Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company"

ISBN-13: 978-0952848608

Have attached some photos from the web. The last one is a post card that seems to show the construction of the pier. Compare it to the second one where all the tracks are in place.

Edited June 16, 2019 by Wexford70
spelling

[Wexford70]

Hi guys, one last photo kindly supplied by the guys in Rosslare Maritime Centre from a book by J Merrigan and B Clearers - 'Let Go Fore and Aft' A History of the Fishguard & Rosslare Railways and Harbours Company p26.

According to the guys who were working ion the port at the time, cars were driven on to flat loaders at the land side, pushed by train to ramp where the last carriage can be seen and driven off by staff to be lifted onto the boat by crane.

There were few cars transported in reality compared to today's traffic given a) the service was quite expensive and b) there was not the same volume of car ownership.