Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway
Encyclopedia
The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR) was an Irish gauge
railway in counties Cavan
, Fermanagh
, Leitrim
and Sligo in north-west Ireland.
(L&ER) was completed in 1859 there was a number of proposals to connect the line with Sligo. A "Londonderry, Enniskillen and Sligo Railway" was proposed that would have run west from via Manorhamilton direct to Sligo. The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway
(E&BR) was incorporated in 1862, was opened from on the L&ER to Bundoran
on the Atlantic coast in 1868 and had Parliamentary powers to continue from Bundoran to Sligo, but failed to do so.
The SL&NCR Company was incorporated in 1875, and its construction started at a junction with the Great Northern Railway
(GNR) at Enniskillen and proceeded westwards. The E&BR accepted defeat and in 1878 Parliament passed an Act allowing it to abandon its commitment to extend to Sligo from Bundoran. The SL&NCR adopted as its company seal a picture of two steam locomotives colliding, with one derailed and the other remaining on the track. This commemorated the SL&NCR's success in reaching Sligo and the E&BR's failure to do the same.
The SL&NCR opened as far as in 1879, in 1880, Collooney
in 1881 and Carrignagat Junction on the Midland Great Western Railway
(MGWR) opened in 1882, completing a line of about 43 miles (69.2 km). Beyond Carrignagat Junction the SL&NCR exercised running powers
over the MGWR to and from Sligo
.
In 1895 the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway (WL&WR) was extended to Collooney, forming junctions with the MGWR and SL&NCR. This gave access to a larger area of western Ireland, whose cattle exports formed a significant part of the SL&NCR's traffic.
In 1878 a stationmaster’s house and six houses were built for SL&NCR workers and their families at Belcoo
, County Fermanagh. Belcoo station opened in 1879, serving both Belcoo and Blacklion
, County Cavan. The last trains through the station ran on 20 September 1957.
The SL&NCR was one of the railways that the Irish Free State
's Great Southern Railways
did not absorb in 1925 because it crossed the border with Northern Ireland
. It became the last privately-owned railway undertaking to survive in Ireland
(although the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
still exists as a road transport firm).
The company never prospered since the countryside it crossed was poor and sparsely populated, although at one time intermittent heavy cattle traffic used the line. Governments on both sides of the border subsidised the railway in its later years, but the SL&NCR closed on 1 October 1957 as a result of the Government of Northern Ireland
making the GNR Board close its line through Enniskillen.
The SLNCR had the use of only two turntables: its own at and the Midland Great Western Railway
one at , and it therefore preferred tank engines. Its first two main line locomotives were a pair with an 0-6-2
T wheel arrangement, Pioneer and Sligo, built by the Avonside Engine Company
of Bristol
, England and delivered in 1877. These were unsteady riders on the SL&NCR's light track, but the company kept them in service until 1921.
After the disappointment of the Pioneer class, the SL&NCR turned to the 0-6-4
T wheel arrangement. In 1879 Beyer, Peacock and Company
of Gorton Foundry, Manchester
, England had supplied the South Australian Railways K class, which was built to Irish gauge and designed to run on lightweight track. The SL&NCR ordered an enlarged version of this design, and this became the SLNCR Leitrim class. Beyer, Peacock delivered the first two of this class, Fermanagh and Leitrim, in 1882. They proved reliable, so the SL&NCR obtained further examples from Beyer, Peacock in 1895 and 1899, increasing the Leitrim class to five. The SL&NCR withdrew the class from service between 1947 and 1957 and one of the class survived until the closure of the line.
In 1904 Beyer, Peacock delivered one locomotive of an enlarged and modernised 0-6-4T design, the SLNCR Sir Henry class. A second was delivered in 1905 and a third in 1917. All three of the class survived until the closure of the line in 1957.
Further enlargement and modernisation of the design resulted in the SLNCR Lough class
. There were only two locomotives of this type, Lough Melvin and Lough Erne, and they were built by Beyer, Peacock in 1949. When the line was closed in 1957 they were sold to the Ulster Transport Authority
(UTA), with whom they remained in service until the 1960s. One of them, Lough Erne, is now preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
at Whitehead, County Antrim
.
The SL&NCR was an early adopter of railbus
es and railcar
s, which it introduced in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the latter, Railcar B, was built in 1947 and is now preserved by the Downpatrick and County Down Railway at Downpatrick
.
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 counties Cavan
County Cavan
County Cavan is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Cavan. Cavan County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Fermanagh
County Fermanagh
Fermanagh District Council is the only one of the 26 district councils in Northern Ireland that contains all of the county it is named after. The district council also contains a small section of County Tyrone in the Dromore and Kilskeery road areas....
, Leitrim
County Leitrim
County Leitrim is a county in Ireland. It is located in the West Region and is also part of the province of Connacht. It is named after the village of Leitrim. Leitrim County Council is the local authority for the county...
and Sligo in north-west Ireland.
History
From the time that the Londonderry and Enniskillen RailwayLondonderry and Enniskillen Railway
The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland.-Construction and opening:The Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway was incorporated in 1845. Construction began at Derry and followed the west bank of the River Foyle southwards to Strabane, which was reached in 1847...
(L&ER) was completed in 1859 there was a number of proposals to connect the line with Sligo. A "Londonderry, Enniskillen and Sligo Railway" was proposed that would have run west from via Manorhamilton direct to Sligo. The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway
Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway
The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in north-west Ireland. It linked Bundoran and Ballyshannon on the Atlantic coast of Donegal with the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway at in Fermanagh...
(E&BR) was incorporated in 1862, was opened from on the L&ER to Bundoran
Bundoran
Bundoran is a town in County Donegal, part of the Province of Ulster in the north of Ireland. The town is located on the N15 road near Ballyshannon, 3 hours drive from Dublin and around two and a quarter hours drive from Belfast...
on the Atlantic coast in 1868 and had Parliamentary powers to continue from Bundoran to Sligo, but failed to do so.
The SL&NCR Company was incorporated in 1875, and its construction started at a junction with the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was 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...
(GNR) at Enniskillen and proceeded westwards. The E&BR accepted defeat and in 1878 Parliament passed an Act allowing it to abandon its commitment to extend to Sligo from Bundoran. The SL&NCR adopted as its company seal a picture of two steam locomotives colliding, with one derailed and the other remaining on the track. This commemorated the SL&NCR's success in reaching Sligo and the E&BR's failure to do the same.
The SL&NCR opened as far as in 1879, in 1880, Collooney
Collooney
-Transport:Collooney is located just off the N4 and N17 roads, having been bypassed twice, by the N4 in 1998, and the N17 in 1992, and is the meeting point of both roads. The town was a significant railway centre, with no less than three railway stations...
in 1881 and Carrignagat Junction on the Midland Great Western Railway
Midland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
(MGWR) opened in 1882, completing a line of about 43 miles (69.2 km). Beyond Carrignagat Junction the SL&NCR exercised running powers
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over the MGWR to and from Sligo
Mac Diarmada railway station
Mac Diarmada station, also known as Sligo railway station, is a mainline railway station which serves the town of Sligo in County Sligo, Ireland. It is a terminal station, with two platforms. There is a passing loop at the approach to the station. It is named after Irish patriot Seán Mac Diarmada...
.
In 1895 the Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway (WL&WR) was extended to Collooney, forming junctions with the MGWR and SL&NCR. This gave access to a larger area of western Ireland, whose cattle exports formed a significant part of the SL&NCR's traffic.
In 1878 a stationmaster’s house and six houses were built for SL&NCR workers and their families at Belcoo
Belcoo
Belcoo is a small village and townland in County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, 10 miles from Enniskillen. It is on the County Fermanagh/County Cavan border beside the village of Blacklion in the Republic of Ireland...
, County Fermanagh. Belcoo station opened in 1879, serving both Belcoo and Blacklion
Blacklion
Blacklion is a border village in west County Cavan, Ireland. It is situated on the N16 national primary road, just across the border from the County Fermanagh village of Belcoo.- History :The village is within the townland of Tuam...
, County Cavan. The last trains through the station ran on 20 September 1957.
The SL&NCR was one of the railways that the Irish Free State
Irish Free State
The Irish Free State was the state established as a Dominion on 6 December 1922 under the Anglo-Irish Treaty, signed by the British government and Irish representatives exactly twelve months beforehand...
's Great Southern Railways
Great 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:...
did not absorb in 1925 because it crossed the border with Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It became the last privately-owned railway undertaking to survive in 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...
(although the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company is an Irish public transport and freight company incorporated in June 1853. Despite its name it operates no railway services. It formerly operated 99 miles of railways but closed its last line in July 1953...
still exists as a road transport firm).
The company never prospered since the countryside it crossed was poor and sparsely populated, although at one time intermittent heavy cattle traffic used the line. Governments on both sides of the border subsidised the railway in its later years, but the SL&NCR closed on 1 October 1957 as a result of the Government of Northern Ireland
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...
making the GNR Board close its line through Enniskillen.
Motive power
SL&NCR locomotives had names, but were not numbered.The SLNCR had the use of only two turntables: its own at and the Midland Great Western Railway
Midland Great Western Railway
The Midland Great Western Railway was the third largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland. It was incorporated in 1845 and absorbed into the Great Southern Railway in 1924. It served part of Leinster, County Cavan in Ulster and much of Connaught...
one at , and it therefore preferred tank engines. Its first two main line locomotives were a pair with an 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 wheel arrangement, Pioneer and Sligo, built by the Avonside Engine Company
Avonside Engine Company
The Avonside Engine Company was a locomotive manufacturer in Avon Street, St. Philip's, Bristol, England between 1864 and 1934. However the business originated with an earlier enterprise Henry Stothert and Company.-Origins:...
of Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England and delivered in 1877. These were unsteady riders on the SL&NCR's light track, but the company kept them in service until 1921.
After the disappointment of the Pioneer class, the SL&NCR turned to the 0-6-4
0-6-4
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 0-6-4 represents the wheel arrangement of no leading wheels, six powered and coupled driving wheels on three axles, and four trailing wheels on two axles....
T wheel arrangement. In 1879 Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
of Gorton Foundry, Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England had supplied the South Australian Railways K class, which was built to Irish gauge and designed to run on lightweight track. The SL&NCR ordered an enlarged version of this design, and this became the SLNCR Leitrim class. Beyer, Peacock delivered the first two of this class, Fermanagh and Leitrim, in 1882. They proved reliable, so the SL&NCR obtained further examples from Beyer, Peacock in 1895 and 1899, increasing the Leitrim class to five. The SL&NCR withdrew the class from service between 1947 and 1957 and one of the class survived until the closure of the line.
In 1904 Beyer, Peacock delivered one locomotive of an enlarged and modernised 0-6-4T design, the SLNCR Sir Henry class. A second was delivered in 1905 and a third in 1917. All three of the class survived until the closure of the line in 1957.
Further enlargement and modernisation of the design resulted in the SLNCR Lough class
SLNCR Lough Class
The SLNCR Lough Class was a class of 0-6-4T steam tank locomotives of the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway .-Development:By the end of Second World War the SLNCR's locomotive fleet was in poor condition, but neither the Great Northern nor Córas Iompair Éireann could spare any suitable...
. There were only two locomotives of this type, Lough Melvin and Lough Erne, and they were built by Beyer, Peacock in 1949. When the line was closed in 1957 they were sold to the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...
(UTA), with whom they remained in service until the 1960s. One of them, Lough Erne, is now preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is an Irish railway preservation group operating in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964. The Society has its headquarters at Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and a base at Mullingar, County Westmeath...
at Whitehead, County Antrim
Whitehead, County Antrim
Whitehead is a small seaside town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the civil parishes of Island Magee and Templecorran, the barony of Belfast Lower, and is part of Carrickfergus Borough Council...
.
The SL&NCR was an early adopter of railbus
Railbus
A railbus is a very lightweight type passenger rail vehicle that shares many aspects of their construction with a bus, usually having a bus, or modified bus body, and having four wheels on a fixed base, instead of on bogies...
es and railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...
s, which it introduced in the 1930s and 1940s. One of the latter, Railcar B, was built in 1947 and is now preserved by the Downpatrick and County Down Railway at Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
.