The above titled talk will take place in Tullamore on 30th January 2023 at 8pm in the Offaly History Centre at Bury Quay. The presenter is James Scully and all are welcome.
Author: ewan.duffy
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An alternative Collooney Junction?
I was looking at the historical OS maps online just now as the maps produced for the SL&NCR greenway consultation erroneously showed the SL&NCR taking a route from Collooney to Sligo that it didn’t (the map producers seem to have mistaken internal estate trackways for a railway trackbed). Anyway, that is not the subject of this post.
Collooney had an interesting set of junctions between MGWR (Dublin to Sligo), SL&NCR (Enniskillen – Collooney – Carrignagat Junction) and WL&WR/GS&WR (Claremorris to Collooney to Collooney Junction).
Looking at the 25″ OS map online, this shows a distinct railway trackbed like curve running from the GS&WR/SL&NCR link (the Southern siding) to the SL&NCR line from their Collooney Station to Carrignagat Junction which, if it had been completed, would effectively duplicate the line from the GS&WR Collooney line to Collooney Junction albeit some 400 feet to the east (see diagram below):
This would have been an interesting alternative to the GS&WR/MGWR connection – if it had been built, the SL&NCR would have received a cut of all traffic to/from Sligo that passed over the GS&WR line. This would have been an economic bonus for the latter, which was never very prosperous. As it so happens, this line did not come into existence and the closed but in situ connection from Collooney South station (GS&WR) to Collooney Junction (MGWR) happened instead.
Unfortunately it is not possible to link to the Geohive website – however, anyone interested in seeing this for themselves can go to www.geohive.ie, select Map Viewer an on the top right, select the option for “Zoom to Coordinate”. Enter the Easting as “567780” and the northing as “826994”. You will need to change the Basemap Gallery (top left) to “Map Genie 25 inch” and zoom out a bit.
A consultation process in respect of a greenway along the former SL&NCR from Collooney to Enniskillen is underway and a website in respect of the project has been established.
Details of the public consultation process is here.
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Belfast Grand Central Station
I have previously reported on the plans to develop a new transport interchange in Belfast, to be called Belfast Grand Central Station.
I found a video on Youtube which explains what the whole plan is.
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Dundalk’s railway heritage
Dundalk Railway Heritage Society are holding the above titled talk on Saturday, January 21, in the Oriel Centre, Dundalk Old Gaol, Carrick Road at 3pm.
I don’t normally comment on trains on this site, however, there is always an exception to the rule.
Per the Offaly Express, a group of Transition Year students in Tullamore College are restoring a former Bord na Mona Wagonmaster locomotive and are seeking sponsorship for a number of items to enable them to do this, as follows:
To borrow a four-wheel trailer to move the bonnet and cab of the Wagonmaster in and out of our shed as we work on it.
A sponsorship or donation of 3M stripping discs so that we can remove the rust and old paint from our Wagonmaster.
A sponsorship or donation of red oxide metal primer. This will be used as a protective base layer to prevent the corrosion and rusting of our Wagonmaster as it is exposed to the elements.
Anyone in a position to assist should contact: wagonmaster@tullamorecollege.ie
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Design features of the Paris Metro
Anyone who has been to Paris is likely to have come across the Art Nouveau entrances to the Paris Metro.
The Smithsonian has an article about the designer of these, which also take a look at other work he carried out.
The Irish Independent reports that Fingal County Council are to undertake conservation works on the derelict Guinness bridge, which spans the Strawberry Beds in Dublin.
Unfortunately, these are just stabilisation works – the bridge will not be restored to permit passengers to access Farmleigh from south of the River Liffey.
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Niagra Falls power station
The decommissioned hydro electric power station on the Canadian side of Niagra Falls looks like the sort of place that would be interesting to visit in its own right.
The operators of the site have recently added a new attraction to the site – a walk through the former outflow tunnel culminating in a balcony below the Falls. CBC News have an article about it.
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Northern Ireland’s Mines
The BBC have a video article about mines in Northern Ireland.