Collooney Junction

[jhb171achill]

Puzzle for “SLNCR Heads”!

The layout of the Collooney / Carrignagat / Ballysodare area is shown here.

On OLD maps of the area, the unmistakable shape of a railway formation can be seen where I have marked it in red, as a DIRECT curve from the WLWR “Back siding” which ran under the Midland to connect the WLWR station with the SLNCR one.

Sprinks’ book does not mention it, nor show it on the diagram, as seen in the illustration shown.

This curve appears to be trackless by the 1920s at least.

Anyone know if it was ever even completed?

Google Earth shows traces of hedge today clearly following a little bit of it but the whole site is largely obliterated.

[Mayner]

The formation is shown but no track on the 1888-1914 historic map. 

Its possible a connection may have been put in for construction purposes or even to allow WLWR trains to run to Sligo if the MGWR & WLWR were in dispute over the provision and use of Collooney Junction.

The MGWR would not have been exactly happy about the WLWR and later GSWR incursion into its territory and may have attempted to block the WLWR accessing the MGWR line at Collooney Junction.

In Dublin fighting broke out between rival groups of workers at the "Battle of Newcomen Bridge" when contractor attempted to enter MGWR property to install the junction between the MGWR Liffey Branch and the  Loop Line from Amiens Street Station.

A triangle would have been extremely useful for turning locos during pre-amalgamation days when the WLWR/GSWR and SLNCR interchanged goods traffic at Collooney and avoided the WLWR/GSWR paying for light engine mileage over the Midland to Sligo.

Traffic between the Southern & SLNCR was interchanged at Sligo Quay following the Amalgamation and Collooney Southern down graded in status, but the SLNCR & MGWR stations appear to have remained a major shipping points for cattle traffic until the SLNCR closed and the traffic ceased on CIE.

 

[Irishswissernie]

posted in error

 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Irishswissernie