Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway

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Waterford, Limerick & Western Railway
Map of Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway 1895.jpg
1895 map of the railway
Overview
HeadquartersLimerick
Dates of operation18481900
Successor Great Southern and Western Railway
Technical
Track gauge 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Length342.5 miles (551.2 km) [1]

The Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway (WL&WR), formerly the Waterford and Limerick Railway (W&LR) up to 1896, [2] was at the time it was amalgamated with the Great Southern and Western Railway in 1901 the fourth largest railway in Ireland, with a main line stretching from Limerick to Waterford and branches to Sligo and Tralee.

Contents

Inception

Limerick and Waterford Railway Act 1826
Act of Parliament
Coat of arms of the United Kingdom (2022, variant 1).svg
Citation 7 Geo. 4. c. cxxxix
Dates
Royal assent 31 May 1826
Text of statute as originally enacted
Waterford and Limerick Railway Act 1845
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act for making and maintaining a Railway from the City of Waterford to the City of Limerick, with Branches.
Citation 8 & 9 Vict. c. cxxxi
Dates
Royal assent 21 July 1845

The Limerick and Waterford Railway Act 1826 (7 Geo. 4. c. cxxxix) was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 31 May 1826 and had the distinction of being the first act authorising an Irish railway. [3] No construction followed and it was 1845 before the Waterford and Limerick Railway was authorised by the Waterford and Limerick Railway Act 1845 (8 & 9 Vict. c. cxxxi), the first section of the line being opened from Limerick to Tipperary on 9 May 1848, the remainder of the main line being opened in stages, finally reaching Waterford in 1854. [4]

Secondary lines

The company eventually operated two long branch lines which extended from Limerick, north west to Sligo and south west to Tralee.

Branch lines

By 1900, there were a number of branch lines:

Waterford and Limerick Railway Act 1873
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act to confer further powers on the Waterford and Limerick Railway Company in relation to their own Undertaking and the Undertakings of other Companies; and for other purposes.
Citation 36 & 37 Vict. c. clxxviii
Dates
Royal assent 21 July 1873
Text of statute as originally enacted

Under the Waterford and Limerick Railway Act 1873 (36 & 37 Vict. c. clxxviii) the W&LR took over the Limerick and Foynes Railway, the Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction Railway, the Limerick and Ennis Railway, the Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway, and the Athenry and Tuam Railway.

People

The W&LR was generally short of cash to maintain rolling stock and most locomotive superintendents who were typically did not stay long. [6] Incumbents included:

Amalgamation

Great Southern and Western, and Waterford, Limerick and Western Railways Amalgamation Act 1900
Act of Parliament
Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (1837).svg
Long title An Act for amalgamating the Waterford Limerick and Western Railway Company with the Great Southern and Western Railway Company and for other purposes.
Citation 63 & 64 Vict. c. ccxlvii
Dates
Royal assent 6 August 1900
GSWR Ireland route map circa 1902
(thick black lines) Great Southern and Western Railway - 1902 Ireland routemap - Project Gutenberg eText 19329.jpg
GSWR Ireland route map circa 1902
(thick black lines)

On 6 August 1900, the Great Southern and Western, and Waterford, Limerick and Western Railways Amalgamation Act 1900 (63 & 64 Vict. c. ccxlvii) was passed by the House of Commons and the WL&WR finally lost its independence on 1 January 1901.

Livery

The WL&WR locomotives were painted a medium green until 1876 and was replaced by a brown livery with blue and yellow lining. In the late 1880s, J.G. Robinson introduced a crimson lake livery with gold lining for both passenger locomotives and coaching stock, very close to that of the Midland Railway of England. Goods engines were painted black with red and white lining.

Present day

The former WL&WR lines operational in 2010 are owned by Iarnród Éireann. The main line route from Limerick to Waterford and the line to Ennis remain open to passenger traffic. The extension of the line from Ennis to Athenry (for Galway) was officially re-opened on 29 March 2010. These lines are part of the Western Railway Corridor.

See also

References

  1. Ahrons (1954), p. 28.
  2. Casserley (1974), p. 78.
  3. Fryer (2000), p. 7.
  4. Fryer (2000), p. 13, 20, 22.
  5. Ahrons (1954), p. 29.
  6. 1 2 Shepherd (2009), p. 37.
  7. Shepherd (2009), pp. 37–38.
  8. Shepherd (2009), pp. 37–38, 47.

Sources

Further reading