Irelands first Railways

crowther15

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

Any link to it?

Sadly no, Im going to be re-doing it for my new course for college so i'll have to extend it and or make another on Irish railway heritage and make a series for radio I dont know yet, but I do want to do more work on it! I will try and upload it or put it on sound cloud or something soon

jonniebgood1

1916 is remembered for obvious reasons in Irish history. The Kiltimagh railway disaster is generally not one of them.

By 1900 the safety systems on Irish Railways were well developed to avoid collisions and to produce safe transport for passengers. Despite this, one of the worst accidents on Irish Railways occurred just outside Kiltimagh Station, on the Swinford side, in December, 1916, in which 6 railway staff were killed and ten injured, some very seriously.

Two goods trains collided head on, about three quarters of a mile from Kiltimagh station on a damp foggy December evening at about 5.45 p.m. One of the trains had left Limerick at 8 a.m. that Monday, 19th, en route to Tubbercurry a distance of 124 miles. It consisted of 21 flat wagons with drop sides each full of gravel sand and chippings (ballast), and a brake van at each end. In addition to the crew of driver, fireman, conductor and brakeman there were twelve permanent way workers in the front van.

The other train was a special from Sligo consisting of empty cattle wagons picked up at all stations along the route to be returned to Tuam for washing and disinfecting. The ballast train had already crossed trains at Ennis, Gort, Athenry, Tuam and Claremorris. The goods special up from Sligo was held at Swinford to allow the ballast to cross down to Tubbercurry. The ballast got stuck on the hill out of Claremorris skidding on the wet rails and had to be banked up the gradient (it got a push from another engine from behind). With the delay caused at Claremorris, it was decided to allow the special up to Kiltimagh and cross the trains there.

The Swinford staff would be exchanged at Kiltimagh to show that the section was clear. Unfortunately the ballast driver missed the danger signal at Kiltimagh and went through the station. He was from Limerick as were all the others, and was unfamiliar with the line. In addition the evening was damp, foggy and dark as he approached Kiltimagh so it is perhaps understandable that he missed both the danger signals. Five men in the front brake van died at the scene and another died on his way to hospital. Miraculously none of the crew of either train was badly injured. Some of them were able to jump out. The van was smashed so badly however, that heavy lifting gear had to be borrowed from M.G.W.R. and brought from Broadstone in Dublin to get the injured released and re-rail the damaged engines.

The dead were brought to Kiltimagh Station and laid out in the waiting room from where a special train brought the remains to Limerick. The line was repaired and opened for traffic on Wednesday, 21st, just two days later. An inquest was held in Swinford on the 28th December and found no blame attached to any of the staff of Kiltimagh Station but added there was neglect, not yet defined, of some official or officials of the company. http://www.westontrack.com/history06.htm

SlimCi

My great granfather worked for the Great Northern (I think) railway in Carrickmacross in 1911 and in Bundoran years later and then my grandfather was a wheel tapper in Omagh with the Great Northern Railway. I do know there was a serious accident in Omagh station in the twenties or thirties I think. I think the records for the Great Northern are still available somewhere up North in Antrim.

jonniebgood1

SlimCi wrote: »

My great granfather worked for the Great Northern (I think) railway in Carrickmacross in 1911 and in Bundoran years later and then my grandfather was a wheel tapper in Omagh with the Great Northern Railway. I do know there was a serious accident in Omagh station in the twenties or thirties I think. I think the records for the Great Northern are still available somewhere up North in Antrim.

There was an accident in Omagh on 2nd March 1933 that involved a train derailment injuring 30 people.
http://www.railwaysarchive.co.uk/eventsummary.php?eventID=8429

EDIT- I came across a newspaper article detailing this event. It seems it may have been due to a sabotage attempt according to the article. http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/48422863

BELFAST, March 2.


What is alleged to bo a diabolical attempt to throw a train into the River Strulc outside Omagh, Northern Ireland, resulted to-duy in the wrecking of several carriages and 20 passengers being injured. Only the engine and tender of thc train kept to the rails.
Enginedriver James Hobson, who
refused to participate in the Ulster railway strike, said he drove- the train across a bridge at 40 miles un hour when suddenly ho noticed that the points were set for'a branch line into the goods station. He jammed on the brakes and the engine and tender took the branch line, but the carriages -kept to the main line breaking the couplings behind the tender. Then all tho coaches, two of them somersaulting, plunged to the bottom of the em- bankment from the tom and twisted track. Many passengers crawled from the windows, and ambulance workers rescued, others. Trucks full of prize cattle wero not damaged and the cattle were unharmed

SlimCi

Yep thats the one my Grandfather told me about....think he was there.:)

hotmail.com

Just on the subject of train crashes, one of the worst train disasters in Europe happened in Armagh in 1889. 80 people, one third of them children, died in the disaster.

The Armagh rail disaster happened on 12 June 1889 near Armagh, Ireland when a crowded Sunday school excursion train had to negotiate a steep incline; the steam locomotive was unable to complete the climb and the train stalled. The train crew decided to divide the train and take forward the front portion, leaving the rear portion on the running line. The rear portion was inadequately braked and ran back down the gradient, colliding with a following train.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster

This seems to have been completely wiped off the collective memory.

jonniebgood1

hotmail.com wrote: »

Just on the subject of train crashes, one of the worst train disasters in Europe happened in Armagh in 1889. 80 people, one third of them children, died in the disaster.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armagh_rail_disaster

This seems to have been completely wiped off the collective memory.

It has'nt been wiped from memory here. I'm not trying to be smart as all contributions are welcome but it was mentioned already in this thread in this post http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=72102638&postcount=14

pedroeibar1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That explains what the bit of wasteland is next to the metals then. I wondered what that was.

Are you describing the piece of land to the north of the bridge on Castlepark Road? The Glenageary side was in-filled in the 1960's and a house built on it; the Dalkey side had tracks leading into it and the end near the bridge was at that time a marsh, with huge bullrush clumps.

I heard that the reason for the 'cut' between Sandycove - Dunlaoghaire was twofold, huge local opposition by landowners/residents, and gradient. Lord Cloncurry who owned Maretimo House in Blackrock moved out as a result of losing part of his garden and access to the sea. Blackrock House also lost sea access (but built a nice footbridge) and its private harbour (Vance's harbour.)
FWIW
P.

Judgement Day

The buildings (bridge and bathing pavilion) at Maretimo are in a deplorable state - a monument to CIE, An Taisce and Fingal (?) County Council. I have repeatedly raised the issue with them but have now given up as they just don't give a damn and neither do I anymore.

http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.aspx?guid=f6c251bc-af6c-401e-ae41-924fffc26435

pad180

here,s a good book on the work that went on in irish railways in the early days up to the present day , some good history you might find interesting and some awesome photos in it too , www.andalus.ie/permanentway.html

jonniebgood1

I was recently in west Kerry and was amazed at the abandoned line to Valentia as it cut through the side of the rugged mountains. The engineering involved in constructing this must have been massive. Is there any information on the construction of this line?
Here is a link to a nationwide (I think) piece on the line that shows some of the tunnels which are accessible as well as a viaduct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpEx3xGppEQ

The Lispole viaduct remains are also close to the road in Dingle and can be viewed there although I was unable to get onto the remains of the bridge as it is behind a house in a field. Again the size of the construction and the quality of engineering is clear.

Judgement Day

The GSWR line to Valencia Harbour was well engineered but the Tralee & Dingle was anything but. Even the Lispole Viaduct in your pic was a disaster waiting to happen and the other curves at Curraduff were far too sharp and the scene of a serious accident in 1893. The directors of the company spent more on opening ceremonies than they did on the construction - or so contemporary accounts would have you believe. At the time of its opening the directors boasted that it had cost less per mile to construct than many of its competitors - and it's easy to see why - curves instead of tunnels etc.etc. The bridge at Lispole was condemned for double heading as far back as the 1930's and how it's still hanging together is a miracle. There is a serious gradient approaching the bridge and it ends on the centre span - have a look at this gradient profile.



An earlier thread here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=67541632

The Curraduff bridge is here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=67576986&postcount=45

Fratton Fred

pedroeibar1 wrote: »

Are you describing the piece of land to the north of the bridge on Castlepark Road? The Glenageary side was in-filled in the 1960's and a house built on it; the Dalkey side had tracks leading into it and the end near the bridge was at that time a marsh, with huge bullrush clumps.

I heard that the reason for the 'cut' between Sandycove - Dunlaoghaire was twofold, huge local opposition by landowners/residents, and gradient. Lord Cloncurry who owned Maretimo House in Blackrock moved out as a result of losing part of his garden and access to the sea. Blackrock House also lost sea access (but built a nice footbridge) and its private harbour (Vance's harbour.)
FWIW
P.

That's it, along by atmospheric road.
Was Maretimo house where Seapoint nature reserve is? I believe that was created by the railway.

jonniebgood1

Judgement Day wrote: »

. The bridge at Lispole was condemned for double heading as far back as the 1930's and how it's still hanging together is a miracle. There is a serious gradient approaching the bridge and it ends on the centre span - have a look at this gradient profile.

I think I remember reading about an accident adjacent to the Lispole Viaduct due problems with the gradient. The view of the remaining bridge is impressive (although my OH did not get out of car!!!). The Valentia line at Kells should be converted into a tourist route if any endeavour was shown by tourist organisations as the route is there in many places, i.e tunnels and even an impressive viaduct as shown in the previous video around the Kells area.

Judgement Day

Map of the 1907 goods train derailment at the east end of Lispole viaduct below.



http://www.narrowgauge.nl/site/english/tdsurvey.htm

Very good UK based website dedicated to the Tralee & Dingle here: http://www.tdlr.org.uk/

pedroeibar1

Fratton Fred wrote: »

That's it, along by atmospheric road.
Was Maretimo house where Seapoint nature reserve is? I believe that was created by the railway.

No, Maretimo was knocked in the 1960's to make way for a block of flats (or apartments as they are called in Blackrock.) They are on the one-way system about half way between the Town Hall and what was Europa Motors.
Rs
P.

pedroeibar1

jonniebgood1 wrote: »

I was recently in west Kerry and was amazed at the abandoned line to Valentia as it cut through the side of the rugged mountains. The engineering involved in constructing this must have been massive. Is there any information on the construction of this line?

I've no info on its construction, but there are plans to develop it as a walking route. It ran past Cahirciveen, down to Reenard, mainly to service the fishing industry. I know several 'older' guys from Ballinskelligs area who took the train from there up to Dublin for All Irelands.
Rs
P.

crowther15

Some great heritage stuff on this thread.

I would like some help if some of you dont mind, as I mentioned before I had done a little piece in college on the Dalkey Atmospheric Railway, it was so interesting researching about Irelands rich and diverse railway heritage, iv decided to continue it again for my Media project for my final year.

What im hoping to do is create a mini series about Irelands more obscure railway heritage, using the Dalkey Atmospheric railway as one, and make two more on top of this to give it more depth.

Im just curious is there any other more obscure railways in ireland? Im thinking of doing another piece on the Lartigue Monorail, which seems to be different in its own way but I cant seem to find anything else compelling.

Any information would be greatly appreciated

jonniebgood1

Crowther15, a friendly warning that using the forum for homework type research is frowned on. This is clearly stated in the charter
Feel free to add any information you come across in relation to the railways to this thread. If you have any query on this PM me.
Thanks