Connemara Railway | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 53°27′29″N 9°32′20″W / 53.458°N 9.539°W |
Commercial operations | |
Original gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
Preserved operations | |
Length | c. 800 yards (730 m) |
Preserved gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
Commercial history | |
Opened | 1895 |
Preservation history | |
Headquarters | Maam Cross, County Galway |
Website | |
www |
The Connemara Railway is a heritage railway at Maam Cross railway station, County Galway in Ireland. It currently exists as an operable narrow gauge pop-up railway, [1] with standard Irish Gauge track available for static exhibits.
The Clifden branch line from Galway was opened in 1895, and marketed as a tourist line, closing after 1934. [2] As of May 2021 [update] a project is well underway to open a 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch of line around Maam Cross station. [2]
The ultimate aim of the project is to get steam trains running on an 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch around Maam Cross, [3] where an all-weather Heritage Centre is to be set up.[ citation needed] Access to the site was gained on 14 February 2017, and the cost of the first phase of the project is expected to be c. €300,000. [3] No MGWR engine was preserved so the hope is to build a new one. [3]
The hope had been to get a "pop-up" narrow gauge demonstration train running by September 2020, with a special steam traction event, [3] 125 years after the railway first opened and 85 years since it closed in 1935. [4] In the event the COVID-19 pandemic intervened.[ citation needed]
The next stage was planned to be removal of the narrow gauge 3 ft (914 mm), with standard Irish gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) laid instead. [3] The first section of standard gauge was laid in February 2020. [4]
Maam Cross is located at the crossing of the N59 and R336 roads. This station, together with that at Ballynahinch were considered insufficiently completed when the line fully opened on 1 July 1895 and were only opened to the public later. [5] The railway station buildings were completed c. 1896, [6] limestone being found under the peat when digging the foundations. [7] The buildings remaining were a water tower, gatekeepers hut, goods shed and platforms. [6]
The station is sometimes claimed to be a filming location for the 1952 film, The Quiet Man. [8] However, while it may have been initially chosen as a location for the station in the film, [9] it was ultimately rejected in favour of Ballyglunin. The nearby White O'Morn Cottage at Maam was, however, used as a film location. [10]
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Connemara Railway | |
---|---|
Coordinates | 53°27′29″N 9°32′20″W / 53.458°N 9.539°W |
Commercial operations | |
Original gauge | 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) |
Preserved operations | |
Length | c. 800 yards (730 m) |
Preserved gauge | 3 ft (914 mm) |
Commercial history | |
Opened | 1895 |
Preservation history | |
Headquarters | Maam Cross, County Galway |
Website | |
www |
The Connemara Railway is a heritage railway at Maam Cross railway station, County Galway in Ireland. It currently exists as an operable narrow gauge pop-up railway, [1] with standard Irish Gauge track available for static exhibits.
The Clifden branch line from Galway was opened in 1895, and marketed as a tourist line, closing after 1934. [2] As of May 2021 [update] a project is well underway to open a 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch of line around Maam Cross station. [2]
The ultimate aim of the project is to get steam trains running on an 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) stretch around Maam Cross, [3] where an all-weather Heritage Centre is to be set up.[ citation needed] Access to the site was gained on 14 February 2017, and the cost of the first phase of the project is expected to be c. €300,000. [3] No MGWR engine was preserved so the hope is to build a new one. [3]
The hope had been to get a "pop-up" narrow gauge demonstration train running by September 2020, with a special steam traction event, [3] 125 years after the railway first opened and 85 years since it closed in 1935. [4] In the event the COVID-19 pandemic intervened.[ citation needed]
The next stage was planned to be removal of the narrow gauge 3 ft (914 mm), with standard Irish gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) laid instead. [3] The first section of standard gauge was laid in February 2020. [4]
Maam Cross is located at the crossing of the N59 and R336 roads. This station, together with that at Ballynahinch were considered insufficiently completed when the line fully opened on 1 July 1895 and were only opened to the public later. [5] The railway station buildings were completed c. 1896, [6] limestone being found under the peat when digging the foundations. [7] The buildings remaining were a water tower, gatekeepers hut, goods shed and platforms. [6]
The station is sometimes claimed to be a filming location for the 1952 film, The Quiet Man. [8] However, while it may have been initially chosen as a location for the station in the film, [9] it was ultimately rejected in favour of Ballyglunin. The nearby White O'Morn Cottage at Maam was, however, used as a film location. [10]
{{
cite AV media}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
link)