Ardfert

Ardfert, Co.Kerry, is located on the Great Southern & Western Railways North Kerry line which ran between Tralee and Limerick. This line lost its regular passenger service in 1963, but remained in use for goods and sugar beet traffic until 1977. The line however remained in situ, with only weed spraying trains traversing it during the 1980s. It was finally abandoned in 1988 and the track was lifted shortly after.

Ardfert has a typical single platform station common on the North Kerry, with a small goods shed at the Tralee end. At the Limerick end was a level crossing, but it has become overgrown. The station building is currently under renovation. Just outside the village on the main N27 road, an old semaphore signal can be seen on the trackbed.
Ardfert, a typical small North Kerry line station, consisting of just a single platform, station building and small goods shed. This view is looking east towards Limerick. Ardfert Station, looking west towards Tralee. The North Kerry line was lifted in 1988 and the land was sold off. The two storey stone built station building at Ardfert, now a private residence. It has not seen a regular passenger since 1963. A rear side of Ardfert Station, from the forecourt, showing the brick lined windows. At this time the building was under renovarion.
The small and derelict goods shed at the Tralee end of Ardfert Station. Most of the smaller North Kerry line stations had sheds like this. A buffer stop, with wooden sleeper buffer, reminds us that Ardfert was still open for goods in 1977, and sporadic sugar beet until 1978. Just west of Ardfert heading towards Tralee, a lonely semaphore signal stands beside the trackbed. This probably the distant signal for Ardfert. Closer shot of the semaphore signal just west of Ardfert. It is a standard CIE design complete with signal wire. The semaphore arm is in the off position.
A view looking back towards Ardfert from the distant semaphore signal. The trackbed along here remains largely intact, probably as the line was lifted recently (in railway terms) in 1988.