West Clare Railway
Encyclopedia
The West Clare Railway originally operated in County Clare
, Ireland
between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town
of Ennis
, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini
, at Kilrush
and Kilkee
(the routes diverging at Moyasta Junction). The system was the last operating narrow gauge passenger system in Ireland and connected with the mainline rail system
at Ennis
, where a station still stands today for bus and train services to Limerick and Galway
. Intermediate stops included Ennistymon, Lahinch
and Miltown Malbay
. A preservation society maintains a railway museum, and has successfully re-opened a section of the railway as a passenger-carrying heritage line.
and Miltown Malbay was built a few years' earlier than the South Clare Railway. The first sod was cut on 26 January 1885 at Miltown Malbay by Charles Stewart Parnell
, M.P., although actual work on the line had begun in November 1884. The line was opened on 2 July 1887.
, Cappagh Pier (Kilrush Pier) and Kilrush docks with a branch to Kilkee
from Moyasta, with work starting on the extension in October 1890 and opening on 11 May 1892. The extension was worked by the West Clare Railway and was initially dogged by poor service and time keeping, but this later improved.
, are ye right?" (written in 1902), deriding the poor timekeeping and poor track quality of the time. Though amusing, some complained that this jesting nevertheless did little to further the cause for keeping the line open. French wrote the song after successfully prosecuting the railway company for loss of earnings, when a late running train prevented him from attending a performance on time. The company, in turn, appealed the ruling, but French was over an hour late for the court hearing in Ennis
. He informed the judge that his lateness was because "I took the West Clare Railway here, your honour". The railway company's appeal was unsuccessful.
Many myths have arisen concerning the Percy French incident. The facts are that French had arrived in Kilkee four-and-a-half hours after the scheduled time for a show he was due to give at Moore's Hall on August 10th 1896. He had been due there at 3.25pm, having begun his journey at Broadstone Terminus in Dublin that morning. The show was late starting as a result, and with a much reduced audience. French won his case at the Ennis Quarter Sessions in January 1897, and was awarded £10 plus expenses. The Clare Journal’s headline for the court hearing was, 'An Hour With Percy French “free of charge”'. His award was subsequently upheld in a reserved judgment when the railway company appealed the case two months later at the Clare Spring Assizes, before HL Chief Baron Palles, by which time French had the germ of a song in his head: the line, ‘If you want to get to Kilkee, you must go there by the sea’ was repeated in court although it failed to make it in the song’s final version.
. In 1945 the GSR was taken over by Córas Iompair Éireann
. In the same year, a survey of local businesses was conducted with a view to the possible replacement of the railway by road services. Local campaigners urged that the railway be converted to the Irish standard gauge of , but CIÉ rejected this on cost grounds.
, England (almost identical to units built for the County Donegal Railways). These were followed by three diesel locomotives (also built by Walkers). The use of diesel traction reduced operating costs, yet the investment in new rolling stock would largely be wasted by the early closure of the line.
Despite the dieselisation
of passenger services in 1952 and freight in 1953 the system was still closed. On 27 September 1960, CIÉ
gave notice of its intending closure with effect from 1 February 1961. CIÉ said that the West Clare was losing £23,000 (€1.2M 2006 equivalent) per year, despite the considerable traffic handled. In December it was announced that the line would close completely on 1 January 1961. Eventually the line closed on 31 January 1961 with CIÉ starting work on dismantling the line the day after closure on 1 February 1961.
By the time of its closure the West Clare Railway was the last narrow gauge railway in Ireland offering a passenger service; various lines operated by Bord na Móna
continue to operate in connection with the peat industry.
construction work hauled the trains.
On 5 July 2009 the West Clare Railway's original steam locomotive No 5 Slieve Callan was returned to the West Clare Railway at Moyasta Junction following restoration in England by Alan Keef
Engineering Ltd of Ross-on-Wye
. This engine had previously been a static exhibit at the mainline railway station in Ennis. The locomotive was steamed for the first time on July 14 marking the return of steam to the West Clare railway after an absence of over 57 years.
The railway has since acquired a number of redundant diesel locomotives, mostly from the Irish Bord na Móna; these are being gradually restored and returned to service.
Two passenger coaches are in service, and assorted maintenance vehicles including a tank wagon, four flat trucks, and four tipper wagons.
ex-Irish Rail 001 class
diesel loco, No.015 (formally A15), was acquired for static display.
There are also three standard gauge passenger coaches on site as static exhibits. One of these is used as a reception centre and cafeteria for visitors, and another as a lecture theatre for group visits.
A collection of mainline diesel locomotives owned by the Irish Traction Group
has subsequently been located to the preserved railway (during 2009 and 2010) for storage, or as static exhibits. These locomotives include:
County Clare
-History:There was a Neolithic civilisation in the Clare area — the name of the peoples is unknown, but the Prehistoric peoples left evidence behind in the form of ancient dolmen; single-chamber megalithic tombs, usually consisting of three or more upright stones...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
between 1887 and 1961, and has partially re-opened. This gauge narrow gauge railway ran from the county town
County town
A county town is a county's administrative centre in the United Kingdom or Ireland. County towns are usually the location of administrative or judicial functions, or established over time as the de facto main town of a county. The concept of a county town eventually became detached from its...
of Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
, via numerous stopping-points along the West Clare coast to two termini
Terminal Station
Terminal Station is a 1953 film by Italian director Vittorio De Sica. It tells the story of the love affair between an Italian man and an American woman. The film was entered into the 1953 Cannes Film Festival.-Production:...
, at Kilrush
Kilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
and Kilkee
Kilkee
Kilkee is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town, one of the most famous resorts in Ireland, is particularly popular as a seaside resort with people from Limerick City...
(the routes diverging at Moyasta Junction). The system was the last operating narrow gauge passenger system in Ireland and connected with the mainline rail system
Rail transport in Ireland
Rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland.Most routes in the Republic radiate from Dublin...
at Ennis
Ennis railway station
Ennis railway station serves the town of Ennis in County Clare, Ireland. The station forms part of the Western Railway Corridor, the name given to a group of lines in the west of Ireland between Limerick and Sligo...
, where a station still stands today for bus and train services to Limerick and Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
. Intermediate stops included Ennistymon, Lahinch
Lahinch
Lahinch or Lehinch is a village on Liscannor Bay, on the northwest coast of County Clare, in northern Munster, Ireland. It lies on the N67 national secondary road....
and Miltown Malbay
Miltown Malbay
Spanish Point Airfield is an privately owned airfield between Milltown Malbay and Spanish Point. The airfield, located on Sandhill Road in the townland Leagard South, was established by three local pilots in 1991, and the original clubhouse was opened by then Irish Minister for Defense Mr...
. A preservation society maintains a railway museum, and has successfully re-opened a section of the railway as a passenger-carrying heritage line.
Construction
The Famine was over and there was a new growth in local businesses. The British Government determined that an improved railway system was necessary to aid in the recovery of the West of Ireland. The West Clare Railway and the South Clare Railway were built by separate companies, but in practice the West Clare Railway operated the entire line. The lines met at Miltown Malbay. In due course the entire line became known as the West Clare Railway.West Clare Railway
The 43.4 km (27 mi) West Clare Railway between EnnisEnnis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
and Miltown Malbay was built a few years' earlier than the South Clare Railway. The first sod was cut on 26 January 1885 at Miltown Malbay by Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell
Charles Stewart Parnell was an Irish landowner, nationalist political leader, land reform agitator, and the founder and leader of the Irish Parliamentary Party...
, M.P., although actual work on the line had begun in November 1884. The line was opened on 2 July 1887.
South Clare Railway
The South Clare Railway built the extension from Miltown Malbay to KilrushKilrush
Kilrush is a coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located near the mouth of the River Shannon in the south-west of the county. Kilrush is a town of great historical significance, being one of the listed Heritage Towns of Ireland.-History:...
, Cappagh Pier (Kilrush Pier) and Kilrush docks with a branch to Kilkee
Kilkee
Kilkee is a small coastal town in County Clare, Ireland. It is located midway between Kilrush and Doonbeg on the N67 road. The town, one of the most famous resorts in Ireland, is particularly popular as a seaside resort with people from Limerick City...
from Moyasta, with work starting on the extension in October 1890 and opening on 11 May 1892. The extension was worked by the West Clare Railway and was initially dogged by poor service and time keeping, but this later improved.
Operation and timekeeping
The West Clare Railway was the topic of Percy French's song "Are Ye Right There MichaelAre Ye Right There Michael
Are Ye Right There Michael is a song by the 19th-century and early 20th-century Irish composer and musician Percy French, parodying the state of the West Clare Railway system in rural County Clare...
, are ye right?" (written in 1902), deriding the poor timekeeping and poor track quality of the time. Though amusing, some complained that this jesting nevertheless did little to further the cause for keeping the line open. French wrote the song after successfully prosecuting the railway company for loss of earnings, when a late running train prevented him from attending a performance on time. The company, in turn, appealed the ruling, but French was over an hour late for the court hearing in Ennis
Ennis
Ennis is the county town of Clare in Ireland. Situated on the River Fergus, it lies north of Limerick and south of Galway. Its name is a shortening of the original ....
. He informed the judge that his lateness was because "I took the West Clare Railway here, your honour". The railway company's appeal was unsuccessful.
Many myths have arisen concerning the Percy French incident. The facts are that French had arrived in Kilkee four-and-a-half hours after the scheduled time for a show he was due to give at Moore's Hall on August 10th 1896. He had been due there at 3.25pm, having begun his journey at Broadstone Terminus in Dublin that morning. The show was late starting as a result, and with a much reduced audience. French won his case at the Ennis Quarter Sessions in January 1897, and was awarded £10 plus expenses. The Clare Journal’s headline for the court hearing was, 'An Hour With Percy French “free of charge”'. His award was subsequently upheld in a reserved judgment when the railway company appealed the case two months later at the Clare Spring Assizes, before HL Chief Baron Palles, by which time French had the germ of a song in his head: the line, ‘If you want to get to Kilkee, you must go there by the sea’ was repeated in court although it failed to make it in the song’s final version.
Amalgamation and nationalisation
In 1925 the company was merged into the Great Southern RailwaysGreat Southern Railways
The Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...
. In 1945 the GSR was taken over by Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
. In the same year, a survey of local businesses was conducted with a view to the possible replacement of the railway by road services. Local campaigners urged that the railway be converted to the Irish standard gauge of , but CIÉ rejected this on cost grounds.
Steam locomotives
The West Clare Railway operated a fleet of eleven steam locomotives.| Number | Name | Class | Class (GSR) | Wheel arrangement |
Built | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | BN3 | 1C | ||||
| 2 | PN1 | 2C | ||||
| 3 | BN4 | 3C | ||||
| 4 | PN1 | 2C | ||||
| 5 | Slieve Callan | IN1 | 5C | 0-6-2 0-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... T |
1892 Dubs & Co | Preserved and returned to service on the WCR since 2009. |
| 6 | IN1 | 5C | 0-6-2 0-6-2 Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-2 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and two trailing wheels on one axle... T |
|||
| 7 | ||||||
| 8 | PN1 | 2C | ||||
| 9 | PN1 | 2C | ||||
| 10 | BN1 | 10C | ||||
| 11 | BN2 | 11C | ||||
Dieselisation and closure
In the early 1950s, under CIÉ management, the West Clare Railway became a pioneer in the use of diesel traction. Passenger services were largely operated by four new articulated diesel railcars, built by Walker Brothers of WiganWigan
Wigan is a town in Greater Manchester, England. It stands on the River Douglas, south-west of Bolton, north of Warrington and west-northwest of Manchester. Wigan is the largest settlement in the Metropolitan Borough of Wigan and is its administrative centre. The town of Wigan had a total...
, England (almost identical to units built for the County Donegal Railways). These were followed by three diesel locomotives (also built by Walkers). The use of diesel traction reduced operating costs, yet the investment in new rolling stock would largely be wasted by the early closure of the line.
Despite the dieselisation
Dieselisation
Dieselisation or dieselization is a term generally used for the increasingly common use of diesel fuel in vehicles, as opposed to gasoline or steam engines.-Water Transport:...
of passenger services in 1952 and freight in 1953 the system was still closed. On 27 September 1960, CIÉ
CIE
-Organizations:* Cambridge International Examinations, an international examination board* Cleveland Institute of Electronics, a private technical and engineering educational institution — the International Commission on Illumination...
gave notice of its intending closure with effect from 1 February 1961. CIÉ said that the West Clare was losing £23,000 (€1.2M 2006 equivalent) per year, despite the considerable traffic handled. In December it was announced that the line would close completely on 1 January 1961. Eventually the line closed on 31 January 1961 with CIÉ starting work on dismantling the line the day after closure on 1 February 1961.
By the time of its closure the West Clare Railway was the last narrow gauge railway in Ireland offering a passenger service; various lines operated by Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna
Bord na Móna , abbreviated BNM, is a semi-state company in Ireland, created in 1946 by the Turf Development Act 1946. The company is responsible for the mechanised harvesting of peat, primarily in the Midlands of Ireland...
continue to operate in connection with the peat industry.
Preservation and re-opening
Starting in the mid 1990s, efforts were made by a preservation society to recreate part of the original route. This group succeeded in acquiring Moyasta station, and 5 km (3.1 mi) of track bed. Passenger services were resumed using two new steel coaches with bench seating, parallel to the direction of travel, built by Alan Keef Engineering and outfitted locally in wood by WCR engineers. A small but powerful diesel locomotive built for Channel TunnelChannel Tunnel
The Channel Tunnel is a undersea rail tunnel linking Folkestone, Kent in the United Kingdom with Coquelles, Pas-de-Calais near Calais in northern France beneath the English Channel at the Strait of Dover. At its lowest point, it is deep...
construction work hauled the trains.
On 5 July 2009 the West Clare Railway's original steam locomotive No 5 Slieve Callan was returned to the West Clare Railway at Moyasta Junction following restoration in England by Alan Keef
Alan Keef
Alan Keef Ltd is a British narrow gauge railway engineer which manufactures, overhauls and deals in narrow gauge locomotives, rolling stock and associated equipment....
Engineering Ltd of Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye
Ross-on-Wye is a small market town with a population of 10,089 in southeastern Herefordshire, England, located on the River Wye, and on the northern edge of the Forest of Dean.-History:...
. This engine had previously been a static exhibit at the mainline railway station in Ennis. The locomotive was steamed for the first time on July 14 marking the return of steam to the West Clare railway after an absence of over 57 years.
The railway has since acquired a number of redundant diesel locomotives, mostly from the Irish Bord na Móna; these are being gradually restored and returned to service.
Rolling stock today
In addition to the steam locomotive Slieve Callan, the railway owns twelve diesel engines, of which two are currently in service, the others awaiting restoration. Those in service are a 4-wheel Channel Tunnel shunting engine and a four-wheel former Bord na Móna shunter. Awaiting restoration are a further nine such Bord na Móna shunters, plus a six-wheel mine shunting engine dating from around 1948.Two passenger coaches are in service, and assorted maintenance vehicles including a tank wagon, four flat trucks, and four tipper wagons.
Irish standard gauge vehicles
In 2008 an Irish standard gaugeRail gauge in Ireland
The track gauge adopted by the mainline railways in Ireland is . This unusual gauge is currently otherwise found only in the Australian states of Victoria, southern New South Wales and South Australia , and in Brazil...
ex-Irish Rail 001 class
CIE 001 Class
The Córas Iompair Éireann 001 Class locomotive was manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester.The 001 Class locomotive was the backbone of mainline passenger and freight train services on the Irish railway network for forty years from 1955 until the mid-1990s when...
diesel loco, No.015 (formally A15), was acquired for static display.
There are also three standard gauge passenger coaches on site as static exhibits. One of these is used as a reception centre and cafeteria for visitors, and another as a lecture theatre for group visits.
A collection of mainline diesel locomotives owned by the Irish Traction Group
Irish Traction Group
The Irish Traction Group is a railway preservation society dedicated to preserving diesel locomotives from Irish Railways. It was formed in 1989, with the intention of attempting to preserve at least one example of every type of diesel locomotive to have operated on Irish Rail.They currently own 13...
has subsequently been located to the preserved railway (during 2009 and 2010) for storage, or as static exhibits. These locomotives include:
- 001 classCIE 001 ClassThe Córas Iompair Éireann 001 Class locomotive was manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester.The 001 Class locomotive was the backbone of mainline passenger and freight train services on the Irish railway network for forty years from 1955 until the mid-1990s when...
No A3r - C classCIE 201 ClassThe Córas Iompair Éireann 201 Class was a class of 34 diesel electric locomotives manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester. They were a smaller, lighter and less powerful version of the 001 Class and were originally intended for branch line passenger and freight...
locomotive No C231 - 121 classCIE 121 ClassThe Córas Iompair Éireann 121 class is a railway locomotive which was manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. These locomotives were in regular service on the Irish railway network until 2002, with the last two remaining in service until 2008....
locomotive No 124 - 181 classCIE 181 ClassThe Córas Iompair Éireann 181 Class locomotives were built in 1966 by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and numbered B181 to B192.These locomotives were virtually identical to the earlier 141 Class locomotives, but fitted with the more powerful 645 engine and thermostatically controlled engine...
locomotive No 190 - 141 classCIE 141 ClassThe Córas Iompair Éireann 141 class locomotives were delivered in November and December 1962 from General Motors Electro Motive Division , the first consignment being unloaded at the North Wall, Dublin on 22 November...
locomotive No 152
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...
- List of narrow gauge railways in Ireland
- Worsley WorksWorsley WorksWorsley Works, is a manufacturer of kits for model railway carriages and locomotives, owned and run from Worsley, UK, by Allen Doherty.Worsley Works is well-known in the finescale modelling world, especially in less-popular scales, including British HO scale and 3mm-scale models along with...
produce kits for those who model the West Clare Railway