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Attymon station
is a shadow of its former self, now reduced to one single platform.
Previously though Attymon boasted a loop, turntable, sidings and was the
junction for the 1890 built
Loughrea branch. The Loughrea branch
was nine miles long and closed completely in 1975. The track remained in
place until the mid 1980s and was hoped to become a preserved railway by
the West of Ireland Steam Railway Association, a company long since
disappeared. Sadly the track was lifted and Attymon ceased to be a block
post in 1988. The footbridge and cabin been demolished in 1988/9 and the
station building, which still stands is now boarded up. The Loughrea and
up platforms, water tower, turntable and goods shed are derelict.
The down platform
however has been renewed following CTC upgrading on the Galway line, and
a new access road has been constructed on the former Loughrea branch at
the station. Also shown are two level crossings south Attymon on the
closed branch line. |
.JPG "201 Class loco 210 approaches Attymon Station with a Galway-Dublin train. To the right is the former goods shed.")
.JPG "210 speeds past Attymon Station with a Galway-Dublin train.")
.JPG "225 in IE Intercity livery approaches Attymon Station with a Dublin-Galway train. To the right is the former MGWR water tower.")
.JPG "225 speeds past Attymon Station with a morning Dublin-Galway train.")
.jpg "E Class locomotive No.E428 is seen at the Loughrea branch platform at Attymon Station in the mid 1980s when the WISRA were making a preservation attempt on the intact Loughrea branch.(C)Barry Pickup")
.JPG "Attymon Station, looking east towards Dublin from the former up loop. The station building is on the right.")
.JPG "What was the former waiting shelter on the up platform at Attymon Station, now filled in with floral displays.")
.JPG "A CIE lamp on the former up platform at Attymon Station.")
.JPG "A modern IE nameboard at Attymon Station.")
.JPG "The somewhat untypical brick MGWR goods shed, located at the west end of Attymon Station.")
.JPG "Another view of the former goods shed at Attymon Station, complete with overgrown platform.")
.JPG "The former MGWR water tower and turntable at the east end of Attymon Station.")
.JPG "The water pump inside the MGWR water tower at Attymon.")
.JPG "The former turntable at Attymon Station, still very much intact.")
.JPG "The turntable was regularly used for the steam locos operating on the Loughrea branch until 1962, from when diesel traction took over.")
.JPG "Closer shot of the turntable at Attymon, showing the levers ect...")
.JPG "A former bracket semaphore post remains at Attymon from the days when the station was still a block post until the mid-1980s.")
.JPG "Attymon Jnc signal cabin was once located here prior to demolition in the late 1980s. The former Loughrea branch platform is on the left.")
.JPG "The Loughrea branch platform at Attymon Station, a new access road has been constructed on the left since my last visit.")
.JPG "Killimor level crossing, the first crossing south of Attymon on the closed 1975 Loughrea branch. The gate keepers house is on the left, and line crossed from left to right.")
.JPG "North of Killimor LC is this concrete footbridge which spans the former Loughrea branch in a cutting.")
.JPG "The cutting at Killimor from the concete footbridge looking south to Loughrea, very much poor drainage here. Spot the intact semaphore signal on the left.")
.JPG "Looking north towards Attymon from the footbridge at Killimor, the section north of the bridge is quite overgrown.")
.JPG "The footbridge itself can be seen here along the cutting bank.")
.JPG "Closer shot of this unusual footbridge at Killimor, there were not many accommadation crossings like this on Irish lines.")
.JPG "Raford level crossing, the second crossing south of Attymon (on the R348 road). The derelict keepers house remains, but the crossing gates and posts have long since been removed.")
.JPG "The adjacent railway shed at Raford crossing keepers house on the Loughrea branch.")
.JPG "Part of the trackbed on the south side of Raford level crossing have been removed, as seen here looking towards Loughrea.")