Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Railway | |
---|---|
Overview | |
Owner | Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Extension Light Railway |
Locale | ![]() |
Termini | Timoleague Courtmacsherry |
Service | |
Type | Light railway |
History | |
Opened | 21 April 1891 |
Closed | 1960 |
Technical | |
Line length | 9 mi (14 km) |
Number of tracks | Single track |
Track gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) [1] |
The Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Railway was a 9 miles (14 km) long light railway connecting Timoleague station and Courtmacsherry station. It was the last roadside railway operating in Ireland.
The railway was incorporated in October 1888 and opened on 21 April 1891. It was originally considered to be built as a 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge track but then executed as a standard gauge light railway, partly running along a road. There were two companies, the Timoleague & Courtmacsherry Light Railway and the Ballinascarthy & Timoleague Junction Light Railway which were both worked by the Timoleague & Courtmacsherry Extension Light Railway. It became a constituent of Great Southern Railways in 1925. [2] It was originally operated by two locomotives, both from the Leeds works of the Hunslet Engine Company, named Slaney and St. Molaga . These two were joined in 1894 by a third locomotive, again from Hunslet, with the name Argadeen .
Passenger services were withdrawn on 24 February 1947 [3] due to the coal shortages. Thereafter it operated only for summer excursions and the winter beet harvest. Summer passenger excursions operated every Sunday from Cork Albert Quay railway station and they were well supported from the small stations on route. The leisurely pace at which the trains rounded the sharp curves of the roadside track contributed to the relaxed and jovial atmosphere for which these excursions were renowned. Alas the entire West Cork Railway terminated without warning in the autumn of 1960. [4]
The history of rail transport in Ireland began only a decade later than that of Great Britain. By its peak in 1920, Ireland had 3,500 route miles (4,200 km). The current status is less than half that amount, with a large unserviced area around the border area between Northern Ireland and The Republic of Ireland.
Rail transport in Ireland is provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.
Courtmacsherry, often referred to by locals as Courtmac, is a seaside village in County Cork, on the southwest coast of Ireland. It is about 30 miles southwest of Cork, and 15–20 minutes drive east from the town of Clonakilty. The village consists of a single long street on the southern shore of Courtmacsherry Bay, with thick woods on rising ground behind. The woods continue beyond the village eastwards to the open sea, ending at Wood Point. Between the village and "The Point" the trees run right to the water's edge and there are several natural bathing coves along the way.
Timoleague is a village in the eastern division of Carbery East in County Cork, Ireland. It is located along Ireland's southern coast between Kinsale and Clonakilty, on the estuary of the Argideen River. Nearby is the village of Courtmacsherry. It is about 17 km (11 mi) south of Bandon and 48 km (30 mi) from Cork on the R600 coastal road.
The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway (GC&BR) is a 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railway operating between the Giant's Causeway and Bushmills on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The line is two miles (3.2 km) long.
The West Lancashire Light Railway (WLLR) is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway that operates at Hesketh Bank, situated between Preston and Southport in North West England. The distance between the stations on the railway is 430 yards (393 m), though track extends eastwards beyond Delph station on ledge above the old clay pit which is too narrow to contain a run round loop. An extension of up to 435 metres (1,427 ft), running along the north bank of the fishing lake has been proposed. The railway has seven steam locomotives, three of which are in operating condition; two are currently being rebuilt and another is on static display. There are also two electric locomotives and many IC locomotives.
The Bala Lake Railway is a narrow-gauge railway along the southern shore of Bala Lake in Gwynedd, North Wales. The line, which is 4+1⁄2 miles (7.2 km) long, is built on a section of the former standard-gauge Ruabon–Barmouth GWR route that closed in 1965. Another section of the former permanent way is used by the Llangollen Railway. The Bala Lake Railway, which runs on 600 mm -gauge preserved rolling stock, is a member of the Great Little Trains of Wales.
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CB&SCR), was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland. It opened in 1849 as the Cork and Bandon Railway (C&BR), changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Southern Railway (GSR) in 1924.
The Giant's Causeway Tramway, operated by the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Railway & Tramway Company Ltd, was a pioneering 3 ft narrow gauge electric railway operating between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The line, 9+1⁄4 miles (14.9 km) long, was hailed at its opening as "the first long electric tramway in the world". The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway today operates diesel and steam tourist trains over part of the Tramway's former course.
The Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a 3 ft narrow gauge railway in the counties of Leitrim and Cavan in northwest Ireland, which ran from 1887 until 1959. Unusually for Ireland, this 3 ft narrow gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at Arigna. It outlived most of the other Irish narrow-gauge lines, giving a further lease of life to some of their redundant engines.
The Sumpter Valley Railway, or Sumpter Valley Railroad, is a 3 ft narrow gauge heritage railroad located in Baker County, in the U.S. state of Oregon. Built on a right-of-way used by the original railway of the same name, it carries excursion trains on a roughly 5-mile (8.0 km) route between McEwen and Sumpter. The railroad has two steam locomotives and several other pieces of rolling stock. Passenger excursion trains operate on weekends and holidays from Memorial Day through the end of September.
The Great Southern and Western Railway Class 90 is a class of 0-6-0T steam locomotive. They were one of the smallest steam locomotives to be inherited by the CIÉ on its formation.
The Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Light Railway, opened in April 1891, was originally operated by two locomotives, both from the Leeds works of the Hunslet Engine Company, named Slaney and St. Molaga. These two were joined by a third locomotive, again from Hunslet in 1894. This third locomotive carried the name Argadeen and under the classification adopted by the Great Southern Railways on amalgamation in 1925 became the sole representative of Class K5.
The Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Light Railway, Ireland, opened in April 1891, was originally operated by two locomotives, both from the Leeds works of the Hunslet Engine Company. The first of these was an 0-6-0ST named Slaney, built in 1885 it did not survive to the 1925 amalgamation, being scrapped five years previously.
The Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway (CB&PR) was a 3 ft narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The line originally opened in 1850 as a 5 ft 3 in Irish standard gauge railway between Cork and Passage West and operated steam feeder ferries to other locations round Cork Harbour. The company was heavily dependent on summer tourist traffic for a considerable proportion of its revenue. The railway was converted to 3 ft narrow gauge in 1900 in conjunction with extensions southwards to Crosshaven which were completed in 1904. The railway closed in 1932 and has since been replaced by a public pathway and nature area.
The Cork and Muskerry Light Railway was a 3 ft narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. The first part of the railway opened in 1887 and closed in 1934. A major reason for building the railway was to exploit tourist traffic to Blarney Castle.
The Cork City Railways were constructed in 1911 and opened in 1912 to connect the Irish standard gauge systems north and south of the River Lee in Cork, Ireland.
The Amberley Museum and Heritage Centre Railway is a 2 ft narrow gauge railway based at the Amberley Museum & Heritage Centre, Amberley, West Sussex. It has a varied collection of engines and rolling stock ranging from 18 in gauge to 5 ft 3 in gauge. It operates passenger trains at the museum using a mixture of steam, internal combustion and battery-electric locomotives.
Timoleague railway station was on the Ballinascarthy and Timoleague Railway and on the Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Railway. It was located in Timoleague, County Cork, Ireland.
Media related to Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Railway at Wikimedia Commons