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The well known university
city of Galway was first served by rail in 1851 when Midland Great
Western Railway achieved their goal by opening their mainline from
Dublin. The Government of Ireland Act of 1885, funded the MGWR to build
a line from the Galway terminus out to the Atlantic coast to serve the
poor and sparsely populated area of Connemara to Clifden, this opened in
1895, and featured a tunnel and a large bridge across the River Corrib
in Galway City, the stone piers of which still stand today. The
unprofitable line lasted just 40 years, been closed by the Great
Southern Railway in 1935.
Galway Station was partially modernised in the 1960s, but retains its
large MGWR station building and railway hotel, located on Eyre Square.
The station also retains its trainshed, but now with just one platform.
The former bay platform for the Clifden line remains opposite the MGWR
engineshed and now disconnected turntable. Mechanical signalling has now
been replaced by CTC on the Galway line in 2004, but the typical MGWR
signal cabin remains. Galway is to gain an entirely new commuter service
in 2008, which will serve
Oranmore and
Athenry, and will connect with the
reopened
Western Rail Corridor. |
.JPG "201 Class locomotive No.203 has just...")
.JPG "203 rounds the curve out of Galway...")
.JPG "The approach to Galway Staion is on a...")
.JPG "201 Class locomotive No.216 stands at...")
.JPG "216 carries a somewhat weathered...")
.JPG "216, and it's Mk3 generator van,...")
.JPG "The single platform at Galway Station...")
.JPG "Mk3 restaurant car, looking worse for...")
.JPG "The mid 1980s British Rail Egineering...")
.JPG "216 propels the Mk3 stock that had...")
.JPG "Only half of the original Midland...")
.JPG "216 crosses over onto the loop at...")
.JPG "216 is seen running past the Mk3...")
.JPG "The rear of a the Mk3 generator van...")
.JPG "216 is seen at the east end of Galway...")
.JPG "216 now pushes its train back into...")
.JPG "The buildings above 216 and the...")
.JPG "216 stands at Galway Station at the...")
.JPG "Loco 216 was built General Motors at...")
.JPG "216 and the MGWR signal cabin at...")
.JPG "The Mk3 stock at Galway Station, the...")
.JPG "A view looking out from the trainshed...")
.JPG "22000 Class railcar No.22331...")
.JPG "22131 stands at Galway Station having...")
.JPG "A much more discrete 22331 stands in...")
.JPG "22131, and a European Union...")
.JPG "Close up of 22131's number at Galway....")
.JPG "A short siding is all that remains of...")
.JPG "The wall on the left, which boasts...")
.JPG "The large sotne built Midland Great...")
.JPG "One of the remaining freight sidings...")
.JPG "The signal cabin, as seen from the...")
.JPG "Side on shot of the MGWR signal cabin...")
.JPG "The left hand track on the bridge...")
.JPG "The bridge over Lough Atalia, as...")
.JPG "Unless I am mistaken, the bridge over...")
.JPG "The Midland Great Western water tower...")
.JPG "Another shot of the MGWR water tower...")
.JPG "Former step platform used for...")
.JPG "A view from platform 2 at Galway...")
.JPG "The stub of the remaining section of...")
.JPG "The bridge over the former Clifden...")
.JPG "A view from the road overbridge,...")
.jpg "Galway was much busier in 1980, with...")
.jpg "181 Class loco No.190 is seen in the...")
.JPG "The MGWR water crane has survived...")
.JPG "The MGWR engine sheds, which once...")
.JPG "The somewhat extended buffers at the...")
.JPG "Floral displays at Galway Station...")
.JPG "The turntable at Galway Station...")
.JPG "The exterior of the MGWR stone...")
.JPG "The rather large MGWR station hotel...")
.JPG "One of the rather ugly structures...")
.JPG "Some past awards displayed in Galway...")
.JPG "One of the non standard plastic IE...")
.JPG "201 Class 218 is seen at the head of...")
.JPG "218 propels her train of BREL built...")
.JPG "218, having uncoupled from the Mk3...")
.JPG "218 accellerates out of the train...")
.JPG "Another shot of 218 running round its...")
.JPG "218 now propels the Mk3 stock into...")
.JPG "Another shot of 218 propelling the...")
.JPG "218 stands at the head of the of a...")
.JPG "The lenghty Mk3 stock in Irish Rail's...")
.JPG "Seen in somewhat immaculate condition...")
.JPG "At the rear of the train is the...")
.JPG "Another view of this Mk3 generator...")
