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.
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.
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.
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:
Jonathan Pim, son for James Pim, locomotive superintendent from 1857 to 1861.[7]
Martin Atock was locomotive superintendent from 1861 until 1871.[8]
John G. Robinson was locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent of the railway from 1889 till 1900 when he moved to a similar position with the Great Central Railway.
Amalgamation
United Kingdom legislation
Great Southern and Western, and Waterford, Limerick and Western Railways Amalgamation Act 1900
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.
Ahrons, E. L. (1954). L. L. Asher (ed.). Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century. Vol.six. W Heffer & Sons Ltd.
Casserley, H.C. (1974). Outine of Irish Railway History. Newton Abbot: David & Charles. ISBN0715363778.
Fryer, C.E.J. (2000). The Waterford & Limerick Railway. The Oakwood Press. ISBN0-85361-543-8.
Shepherd, Ernie (2009). The Atock/Attock Family: A Worldwide Railway Engineering Dynasty. Vol.150. Oakwood Library of Railway History. ISBN978-0853616818.
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