The
Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the counties of
LeitrimCounty Leitrim is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Connacht. It was named after the town of Leitrim .Leitrim is the 26th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and smallest in terms of population...
and
CavanCounty Cavan is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster. It was named after the town of Cavan . It is one of three counties situated in the province of Ulster without being part of Northern Ireland. The county is bordered by County Monaghan, County...
in the north-west of
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, which ran from 1887 until 1959.
Unusually for Ireland this 914mm (3ft) gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at
ArignaArigna is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is near Lough Allen , on a designated "scenic route" between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn .-Arigna coal mine:...
. It outlived most of the other Irish narrow gauge lines, giving a further lease of life to some of their redundant engines.
In September 1883, a public meeting in
BallinamoreBallinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River,...
declared that a light railway and tramway would open up the coal and iron districts of Arigna and
Lough AllenLough Allen is a lake situated on the River Shannon, in the north-central part of Ireland, near Ireland's border region. Most of the lake is in County Leitrim, with a smaller portion in County Roscommon. The lake lies to the south of the river's source, near the Iron Mountains, and is the...
.
The
Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a narrow gauge railway in the counties of
LeitrimCounty Leitrim is one of the traditional counties of Ireland and is located within the province of Connacht. It was named after the town of Leitrim .Leitrim is the 26th largest of Ireland’s 32 counties in area and smallest in terms of population...
and
CavanCounty Cavan is one of the traditional counties of Ireland. It is located within the province of Ulster. It was named after the town of Cavan . It is one of three counties situated in the province of Ulster without being part of Northern Ireland. The county is bordered by County Monaghan, County...
in the north-west of
IrelandIreland is a country in north-western Europe. The modern sovereign state occupies about five-sixths of the island of Ireland, which was partitioned on 3 May 1921. It is a parliamentary democracy and a republic...
, which ran from 1887 until 1959.
Unusually for Ireland this 914mm (3ft) gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at
ArignaArigna is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is near Lough Allen , on a designated "scenic route" between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn .-Arigna coal mine:...
. It outlived most of the other Irish narrow gauge lines, giving a further lease of life to some of their redundant engines.
Early years
In September 1883, a public meeting in
BallinamoreBallinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River,...
declared that a light railway and tramway would open up the coal and iron districts of Arigna and
Lough AllenLough Allen is a lake situated on the River Shannon, in the north-central part of Ireland, near Ireland's border region. Most of the lake is in County Leitrim, with a smaller portion in County Roscommon. The lake lies to the south of the river's source, near the Iron Mountains, and is the...
. The Cavan and Leitrim Railway opened for goods traffic on 17 October 1887 and for passengers on 24 October 1887. The section from
BelturbetBelturbet is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, located from Cavan town from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the N3 road. It is from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is south of Enniskillen.- History :...
in County Cavan to
DromodDromod is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. Dromod is a noted fishing village on Loughs Bofin and Boderg, which are threaded by the River Shannon....
in County Leitrim was light railway, and a tramway ran from Ballinamore to Arigna. At the start both lines were operated by eight
Robert Stephenson and CompanyRobert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
4-4-0T locomotives. In later years locomotives from other closing narrow gauge lines were used.
Ballinamore was the hub of the line, with the locomotive depot and works. At Belturbet the line connected with the
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)The Great Northern Railway was an Irish railway company formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and Lisburn in 1839 and extended in stages...
broad gauge branch to
BallyhaiseBallyhaise is a village in County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated some 7 km north-northeast of Cavan Town.-General Information:The village of Ballyhaise is located within the parish of Castletara and contains both Roman Catholic and Church of Ireland churches...
on the
ClonesClones is a small town in western County Monaghan, in the border area of Ireland. The area is part of the Border, Midlands and Western region, earmarked for economic development by the Irish government due to its currently below average economic situation...
to
CavanCavan is the county seat of County Cavan in Ireland. It is one of the three counties, the others being Monaghan and Donegal, which are part of the Irish province of Ulster but are part of the Republic. The town lies in the northeast of the island, along the border with Northern Ireland...
line, and at Dromod connected to the
Midland Great Western RailwayThe Midland Great Western Railway main line extended from Broadstone in Dublin to the Midlands, and onwards to Galway and Clifden in what is now the Republic of Ireland.-Inception:...
mainline from
DublinDublin is the largest city and capital of Ireland. It is officially known in Irish as Baile Átha Cliath or Áth Cliath ; the English name comes from the Irish Dubh Linn meaning "black pool". It is located near the midpoint of Ireland's east coast, at the mouth of the River Liffey and at the...
to
SligoSligo , is the county town of County Sligo in Ireland. The town is a borough and has a charter and a town mayor. It is the second largest urban area in Connacht . It is home to the Sligo Institute of Technology and St...
. The line was extended to Arigna in 1920. the line was unique in using native coal mined at Arigna.
Later years
By the 1930s the Cavan and Leitrim Railway was in trouble due to road competition. The demolition of the carriage sheds as an economy measure only served to worsen the condition of the stock. It survived
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but the opening of a power station near Lough Allen using Arigna coal, and not needing rail services did not help. The line finally closed on 31 March 1959, the last exclusively steam narrow gauge line in Ireland.
Routes
The line consisted of a main line long between
DromodDromod is a village in County Leitrim, Ireland. Dromod is a noted fishing village on Loughs Bofin and Boderg, which are threaded by the River Shannon....
and
BelturbetBelturbet is a town in County Cavan, Ireland, located from Cavan town from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the N3 road. It is from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is south of Enniskillen.- History :...
with a branch from
BallinamoreBallinamore is a small town in County Leitrim, Ireland, from the border with Northern Ireland. It is located on the R202 regional road where it is joined by the R199 and R204. means "mouth of the big ford", and the town is so named because it was the main crossing point of the Yellow River,...
to
ArignaArigna is a village in County Roscommon, Ireland. It is near Lough Allen , on a designated "scenic route" between Keadue and Sliabh an Iarainn .-Arigna coal mine:...
.
The Belturbet to Dromod part of the Cavan and Leitrim Railway ran from Belturbet through Tomkin Road,
BallyconnellBallyconnell is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated at the junction of four townlands Annagh, Cullyleenan, Doon and Derryginny in the parish of Tomregan, Barony of Tullyhaw. The town has an altitude of 55 metres above sea level. The mean daily January temperature is 4.5 degrees Celsius...
, Ballyheady,
Bawnboy RoadBawnboy is a small village in a valley at the foot of Slieve Rushen, between Ballyconnell and Swanlinbar, in County Cavan, Ireland). The current population is about 250. A bawn is the defensive wall surrounding an Irish tower house. It is the anglicized version of the Irish word badhun meaning...
, Killyran, Garadice, Ballinamore, Lawderdale, Fenagh, Adoon, Rosharry,
MohillMohill is a town in County Leitrim, Ireland. The town is located in the south of the county, north of the midlands of Ireland. The town of Carrick-on-Shannon is approximately 16 km away....
and Dereen to Dromod.
The Belturbet to Arigna part of the line ran from Belturbet to Ballinamore and from there through Ballyduff, Cornabrone, Annadale,
KiltubridKiltubrid is a parish in County Leitrim of Ireland. The parish takes its name - Cill Tiobraid in Irish, meaning the Church of the Well - from an ancient church in the townland of Kiltubrid which was demolished in early Penal times. This church, remains of which are still standing, was built...
, Creagh and
DrumshanboDrumshanbo is a small town situated in the heart of County Leitrim, Ireland. The town takes its name from the Irish, Druim-Sean-Bhoth or "Ridge of the old huts". Drumshanbo is surrounded by a scenic area of soft rolling hills, woodlands, lakes and the Sliabh an Iarainn and Arigna mountains...
to Arigna.
Preservation
The Cavan & Leitrim Railway is run by volunteers. Their Depot is in Dromod, Co. Leitrim. Trains run every weekend, and on Mondays. The group also have a transport museum, with narrow gauge trains of every gauge, buses, planes, fire engines and artillery guns from WW1 and WW2. It is located beside the Irish Rail Station in Dromod.
One of the original locos, No.2, and one of the original carriages, is preserved on display at the
Ulster Folk and Transport MuseumThe Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about 11 kilometres east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...
.
External links
- Cavan & Leitrim Railway website
- Worsley Works
Worsley 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 Cavan and Leitrim Railway Web Site