Bagnalstown

Bagnalstown, Co.Carlow, or Muine Beag, as it is displayed on the station name boards, is located on the Great Southern & Western Railway's Dublin to Waterford line, opened in 1848. The station was formally the junction for the underused 1866 built branch line to Palace East on the Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway's north Wexford line. After 1925 traffic on branch declined and it closed to passengers in 1931 and to goods in 1946, however the seasonal beet traffic and special trains, mainly for the GAA, kept the line open until April 1963.
Bagnalstown still retains its imposing stone built station building, befitting for the former junction. The station has both up and down platforms. The redundant GSWR signal cabin was demolished in recent years to allow an extension to the up platform. The large goods shed still remains, bereft of any sidings. A small locomotive shed once stood at the Waterford end of the down platform and beyond this was the former junction to Palace East.
Bagnalstown Station plays host to 141/181 Class locomotives Nos.152+190 as they pause for a photo-stop while working the Irish Traction Group's 'Docklands Pioneer' trip to Waterford. A view of No.152, posing with crew at the south end of Bagnalstown Station on the ITG's Docklands tour. 152 was built in 1962 and has since been withdrawn from service. Beside 181 Class No.190 is the newer generation of General Motors built loco, 201 Class No.220, seen propelling a northbound stopping service from Waterford to Dublin. A view from the footbridge at Bagnalstown Station, looking south towards Waterford, with the 1970s British Rail built Mk2 coaches at the down platform forming the ITG tour.
BR Derby built Mk2 coach No.5203 was the last coach in the train from Connolly on the Irish Traction Group's 'Docklands Pioneer' tour. The Mk2s have since been scrapped. On a more quiet day at Bagnalstown Station, 201 Class loco No.217, prepares to depart with a Dublin to Waterford service. Awaiting the road south from Bagnalstown Station on another railtour is 071 Class loco No.078. A 22000 Class railcar approaches from the Waterford direction. 078 was built by General Motors in 1976, it is seen at Bagnalstown Station while at the head of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's 'Comeragh Railtour'.
The pioneering 141 class loco, No.141 dating from 1962 with another baby GM loco, heads a permanent way train north through Bagnalstown Station. Bagnalstown Station, looking north towards Dublin, with the main building on the up platform on the left, and large stone built waiting room on the down platform on the right. Bagnalstown Station, looking south towards Waterford, with the redundant signal cabin on the right. The former line to Palace East, closed in 1963, diverged to the left just beyond the down platform. This is the site of the former junction at Bagnalstown where the old line to Palace East curved off to the left. The old trackbed has been filled in.
There was a very short bay platform at Bagnalstown at the south end of the station which served the Palace East line trains. Beyond the platform was also a locomotive shed, long since demolished. A view from the north end of the curved Bagnalstown Station, looking south towards Waterford. The imposing station building at Bagnalstown, dating from the 1850s, designed like no other on the Dublin to Waterford line. The building is largely underused today. Some original Great Southern & Western Railway features remain within the station building at Bagnalstown.
The generious waiting room on the up platform at Bagnalstown Station, which dates from the same time as the main building. The station is always well kept with nice floral displays. The redundant Great Southern & Western signal cabin at the end of the down platform at Bagnalstown Station. it closed following the installation of Centralised Traffic Control signalling in 2006. Another view of the now demolished signal cabin at Bagnalstown, showing the rear side brick chimney, and typical corrugated iron railway lamp shed, overlooked by the modern CTC signalling aerial mast. The ornate Victorian footbridge at the south end of Bagnalstown Station. Since these photos were taken the signal cabin has been demolished and the platforms extended.
The large stone built goods shed at Bagnalstown, located on the up side of the station. Goods services stopped serving the station in 1976. A Victorian era Great Southern & Western Railway bench on the down platform at Bagnalstown Station. These have disappeared from former GSWR stations in recent times. The stone milepost on the down platform at Bagnalstown, idicating the station is some 66 miles from Heuston Station in Dublin. These posts date from the 1840s. A former rail overbridge south of Bagnalstown on the closed line to Palace East, opened in 1858 and closed completely in April 1963. The stone abutments remain, fenced off by railway sleepers recovered when the track and bridge section was removed.