Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway
Encyclopedia
Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CB&SCR), was an Irish gauge
railway in Ireland. It opened in 1851 as the Cork and Bandon Railway, changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Southern Railway
in 1924.
The CB&SCR served the south coast of County Cork
between Cork
and Bantry
. It had a route length of 94 miles (151.3 km), all of it single track. Many road car routes connected with the line, including the route from Bantry
to Killarney
.
) and built between 1849 and 1851 by Fox, Henderson and Co, which also built the Crystal Palace
in London. It was in use until the line was closed in 1961.
The viaduct is 91 feet (27.7 m) high, has four 110 feet (33.5 m) spans, each span composed of four cast iron arched ribs, carried on masonry piers 20 feet (6 m) thick and 30 feet (9 m) wide. The overall span between end abutments is 500 feet (152.4 m).
The 100 feet (30.5 m) cast iron ribs were cast on site. When in situ they had transverse diagonal bracing and lattice spandrels that supported a deck of iron plates. These in turn supported the permanent way.
The structure was seriously damaged in the Irish Civil War
in 1922, but was subsequently repaired. The decking was removed after closure in 1961.
in 1945. CIÉ introduced diesel multiple units to the railway in the 1950s, which reduced operating costs.
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....
railway in Ireland. It opened in 1851 as the Cork and Bandon Railway, changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway
Great Southern Railway can refer to:* Great Southern Railway - tourism and rail operator* Great Southern Railway - Former railway serving the South Gippsland region in Victoria, Australia...
in 1924.
The CB&SCR served the south coast of County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
between Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Bantry
Bantry
Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
. It had a route length of 94 miles (151.3 km), all of it single track. Many road car routes connected with the line, including the route from Bantry
Bantry
Bantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
to Killarney
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
.
The Chetwynd Viaduct
The Chetwynd Viaduct carried the line over a valley and the main Bandon road (now the N71) about 2 miles (3 km) southwest of Cork city. It was designed by Charles Nixon (a former pupil of I.K. BrunelIsambard Kingdom Brunel
Isambard Kingdom Brunel, FRS , was a British civil engineer who built bridges and dockyards including the construction of the first major British railway, the Great Western Railway; a series of steamships, including the first propeller-driven transatlantic steamship; and numerous important bridges...
) and built between 1849 and 1851 by Fox, Henderson and Co, which also built the Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace
The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Great Exhibition of 1851. More than 14,000 exhibitors from around the world gathered in the Palace's of exhibition space to display examples of the latest technology developed in...
in London. It was in use until the line was closed in 1961.
The viaduct is 91 feet (27.7 m) high, has four 110 feet (33.5 m) spans, each span composed of four cast iron arched ribs, carried on masonry piers 20 feet (6 m) thick and 30 feet (9 m) wide. The overall span between end abutments is 500 feet (152.4 m).
The 100 feet (30.5 m) cast iron ribs were cast on site. When in situ they had transverse diagonal bracing and lattice spandrels that supported a deck of iron plates. These in turn supported the permanent way.
The structure was seriously damaged in the Irish Civil War
Irish Civil War
The Irish Civil War was a conflict that accompanied the establishment of the Irish Free State as an entity independent from the United Kingdom within the British Empire....
in 1922, but was subsequently repaired. The decking was removed after closure in 1961.
Extensions to the Railway
- The Cork and Kinsale Junction Railway (C&KJR), 11 miles (17.7 km), opened in 1863 and was bought by the Cork and Bandon in 1879.
- The West Cork Railway (WCR) (Bandon to DunmanwayDunmanwayDunmanway is a town in County Cork, in the southwest of Ireland. It is the geographical centre of the region known as West Cork. It is probably best known as the birthplace of Sam Maguire, an Irish Protestant republican, for whom the trophy of the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship is...
), 17.5 miles (28 km), opened June 1866 and bought by the Cork and Bandon in 1879. - Ilen Valley Railway (IVR) (Dunmanway to SkibbereenSkibbereenSkibbereen , is a town in County Cork, Ireland. It is the most southerly town in Ireland. It is located on the N71 national secondary road.The name "Skibbereen" means "little boat harbour." The River Ilen which runs through the town reaches the sea at Baltimore.-History:Prior to 1600 most of the...
), 16 miles (25.7 km), opened 1877 and bought by the Cork and Bandon in 1879. In 1886 Skibbereen became an interchange with the narrow gaugeNarrow gaugeA narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...
Schull and Skibbereen RailwaySchull and Skibbereen RailwayThe Schull and Skibbereen Railway was a minor narrow gauge railway in County Cork, Ireland. It opened in 1886 and closed in 1947. The track gauge was 3 feet . The formal name of the company was The West Carberry Tramways and Light Railways Company Ltd.-Route:The S&S' main line was 15½ miles long...
.- On 1 January 1880 the Cork and Bandon Railway took over the C&KJR, the WCR and the lease of the IVR including its proposed BantryBantryBantry is a town on the coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies on the N71 national secondary road at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for 30 km to the west...
extension. This completed the Cork and Bandon main line.
- On 1 January 1880 the Cork and Bandon Railway took over the C&KJR, the WCR and the lease of the IVR including its proposed Bantry
- The Bantry Extension Railway (from DrimoleagueDrimoleagueDrimoleague is a village on the R586 regional road at its junction with the R593 in County Cork, Ireland. It lies roughly halfway between the towns of Dunmanway and Bantry...
) opened for traffic 1 July 1881, 11 miles (17.7 km). In order to give the railway access to a deep water port, a further extension was opened which was opened in 1909 and closed in 1946. Eugene Hourihan (circa 1875–1963) from Ardra, Scart, Bantry recalled seeing the line laid as a child and removed as an old man. - The Clonakilty Extension Railway (from Clonalkilty Junction), 9 miles (14.5 km), opened 1886.
- The Baltimore Extension Railway (from Skibbereen), 8 miles (12.9 km), opened May 1893.
- The Bantry, Clonalkilty and Baltimore extension railways were three nominally separate companies whose lines were worked by the CB&SCR. All three were absorbed into the Great Southern Railways in 1925.
- The Shannonvale Horse Railway. The Bennett family ran a flour mill at Shannonvale, about 2 miles (3 km) north of ClonakiltyClonakiltyClonakilty , often referred to by locals simply as Clon, is a small town on the N71 national secondary road in West County Cork, Ireland, approximately 45 minutes away by road to the west of Cork City. The town is on the southern coast of the island, and is surrounded by hilly country devoted...
. In the early 1890s the CB&SCR agreed to provide a siding 0.5 miles (804.7 m) long to link the mill with the railway. Horse traction was used uphill, and trains were worked by gravity downhill.
The GSR and CIÉ years
The railway was became part of the Great Southern Railway in 1924, which became the Great Southern Railways in 1925. The GSR became part of Coras Iompair ÉireannCIE
-Organizations:* Cambridge International Examinations, an international examination board* Cleveland Institute of Electronics, a private technical and engineering educational institution — the International Commission on Illumination...
in 1945. CIÉ introduced diesel multiple units to the railway in the 1950s, which reduced operating costs.
Timetable
On the right is the Cork to Bantry passenger timetable that was operational from 1948 until the closure in 1961. A few points may be noted from it:- Travel time was about 2 hours. In 2008, a car journey (without the nine intermittent stops) is less than 10 minutes faster, according to the AAThe Automobile Association (Ireland)The Automobile Association has been operating in Ireland since 1910. Today, AA Ireland is Ireland’s leading motoring organisation and provider of rescue services. It is also one of Ireland’s leading personal lines insurance intermediary and a major provider of travel, technical and information...
website. - It was not possible to make a same-day return journey from Bandon to Dublin as the Cork express train left at 9:00 am (arriving at 12:00 pm) and departed at 2:25 pm from Heuston (which would have allowed the 6:00 pm connection to Bandon to be made though).
Closure
Due to economic problems, competition from road traffic and falling passenger numbers, the line closed on 1 April 1961. The tracks were later sold to Nigeria and the trackbed sold to local farmers.Statistics
- Rolling stock: 20 locomotives, 68 coaching vehicles, 455 goods vehicles
See also
- History of rail transport in IrelandHistory of rail transport in IrelandThe history of rail transport in Ireland began only a decade later than that of Great Britain. By its peak in 1920, Ireland counted 5,500 route kilometers...
- Durrus and District HistoryDurrus and District historyDurrus is an area of West Cork in Ireland. In the early history land ownership changes, and there are records of marine resources and mineral workings, agricultural development, communications, religious practices, schools and aspects of the 1901 Census.-Prehistory to 1600:A number of Neolithic ...
- Beneathesummergrowth.wordpress.com
Sources and further reading
- O'Donovan, Daniel, On removal of Bantry line Durrus, Bantry, (oral history)