Bray

Bray, north Co.Wicklow, was at one time a popular seaside resort, which owed its existence to the coming of the railway to what was originally a small village in 1854. The Dublin & Wicklow Railway had opened their line from their Harcourt St terminus in Dublin to Bray, where they constructed its single platform terminus prior to extending their line towards Wexford in 1855.


The large single storey station building at Bray is located on what is now the up platform, the down platform having been constructed by the Great Southern Railway in 1927, which created a centre through road for trains passing through the station. Also in 1927, the GSR eliminated the two original 1894 built DWWR signal cabins, known as the 'North Cabin' which was located on the up side of the line just beyond the level crossing, and 'South Cabin' located on the down side of line at the south end of the station. These cabins were replaced by a main 62- lever one, built of concrete, located at the north end of the down platform, it was taken out of use with the inauguration of the electrified DART services in 1984. The adjacent footbridge to the crossing is an original pre-1925 Dublin South Eastern type.

The original 1927 GSR footbridge at the station however was replaced by modern structure as part of the DART upgrade and the fine canopy on the down platform, which boasts a number of murals, was refurbished.At the south end of the station was the former two road engine shed, though roofless by the 1990s, its retaining walls were only demolished in recent years. The former goods yard on the up side adjacent to the derelict station masters house was removed in 1983 and the goods shed was converted into apartments, the yard now been used as the station car park.
141 Class locomotives Nos.147+144 are seen at the head of an Irish Railway Record Society tour from Dublin to Rosslare at Bray Station. 8100 Class DART No.8339 arrives at the up platform at Bray Station with its southbound terminating service from Howth. Most of the 8100 Class formations in service nowadays are of 6-cars, except on Sundays. An earlier view of Bray Station, prior to its refurbishment as part of the DART upgrade. One of the then new 8500 Class units, No.8614, is seen on the rear of a northbound service to Howth. The Dublin to Rosslare trains were locomotive hauled until 2003. Here, an year ealier in 2002, 071 Class loco No.072 stands at Bray at the head of a Rosslare train.
Seen approaching Bray Station from the north is 2800 Class railcar No.2810, heading the 13:05 Dublin to Rosslare service. Diesel railcars are not recent additions to the Rosslare line, here AEC built railcar No.2651 stands at Bray Station having brought in a southbound service from Harcourt St, Dublin, in 1957. ©Wilson Adams Collection Present view from the footbridge at Bray Station, with 8500 and older 8100 Class DART units at either platform. On the extreme left is the south facing bay platform which is little used nowadays. Between 1984 to 1991, a shuttle service operated between Bray and Greystones to connect with the DART. These shuttles were originally formed of converted AEC puspull sets. 121 Class loco 135 is seen at the bay platform at Bray with one such service in 1985. ©John Law - Everything on Rails
Converted AEC pushpull driving trailer No.6107 is seen at the head of shuttle service to Greystones at the bay platform at Bray Station in 1987. ©Chris Lemon Seen at the south end of Bray Station is 8100 Class DART No.8114, heading for the stabling sidings prior to forming a northbound return service into Dublin City. 8100 Class DART No.8308 approaches Bray Station with a southbound service to Greystones. 8308 was originally built by Linke Hofman Busch in Germany in 1983, and has been refurbished like the rest of the 8100 Class. Two generations of electric DART units are seen at Bray. The nearest is 8500 Class No.8613, built by Tokyu Car Corporation in Japan, prepares to form a northbound service, while in the background 8115 departs for Greystones.
Bray Head forms a somewhat rocky backdrop to this image of 8100 Class DART No.8112, seen heading for the stabling sidings at the south end of the station having terminated with a service from Howth. Bray Station, looking south towards Rosslare from the level crossing footbridge in 1984. C201 Class 230 is stabled in the centre road, while sister 228 is on the rear of a pushpull set. ©Stephen Parker Coming up to date, 8107 departs Bray Station with a 6-car set heading north to Howth. The centre road through the station is sometimes used for stabling out of service trains. 29129 is the rear 29000 Class unit on this southbound commuter service to Gorey, seen arriving at Bray Station from Dublin. These units operate most of the commuter services on the Dublin South Eastern line.
8500 Class 8628 is seen daparting Bray with a northbound DART service. There was a siding on the up side of the line here which remained in situ after electrication, but was finally lifted in the late 1990s. A 1957 shot of the locomotive shed at Bray, when its roof was still intact. C221 is stabled outside the shed, while A Class loco, later 001 Class, A57 arrives with a goods train from the south. ©Wilson Adams Collection A similar view taken at the south end of Bray Station in 1984, showing the two track locomotive shed, built by the Dublin & Wicklow Railway in the 1850s. The centre track leads to Greystones and ultimately Rosslare. ©Stephen Parker By 1985, only the retaining walls of the loco shed at Bray remained. These walls were eventually demolished in 2003, though some sections do survive on the up side where the 8500 Class DART is stabled.
A view inside the then roofless two road locomotive shed at the south end of Bray Station. In 1984, a new 8100 DART unit, and the rear of loco hauled stock were to be seen. The shed was demolished completely in recent years. ©Stephen Parker Bray Station, looking north towards Dublin from the down platform. The station building at Bray dates from the opening of the line in 1854. The large single storey station building at Bray, as viewed from the station forecourt, where Dublin buses connect with the DART services. The down platform at Bray Station was constructed by the Great Southern Railway in 1927. The track and signalling was also remodelled at the same time by the GSR.
The recently replaced glass on the canopy now allows sunlight to shine through onto the platform. The platform was once known as the 'Crystal Palace' to railwaymen. 1916 'Easter Rising' mural on the down platform at Bray Station. The 1970s mural at Bray Station depicts one of CIE's AEC diesel railcars in black and orange livery. These murals are presently receiving a facelift by means of a mosaic design. At the south end of the down platform at Bray Station is the superb water column, though not out of use.
Close up of the manufacturer's stamp on the water column located on the down platform at Bray Station. To the right is the modern Centralised Traffic Control signalling aerial. The 1927 GSR footbridge at Bray Station was replaced in 2000/2001 by this larger structure, which now features lift shafts. The Great Southern Railway signal cabin at Bray Station, built in 1927 to replace two seperate DWWR built signal cabins, known as 'North' and 'South' cabins. Viewed from the down platform, the former goods shed at Bray Station can be seen. Only the overgrown goods platform and retaining wall remains.
The derelict cottages, or possibly railway offices, located on the down side of the line at the south end of Bray Station. The former yard on the up side of Bray Station where the turntable and water tower once stood, now a carpark. On the left is the boarded up stations masters house. The footbridge adjacent to Bray Station level crossing is an original Dublin & South Eastern Railway structure, one of many still to be seen at many DSE stations on the Rosslare line. Bray 20090604 0037 CC
Side on shot of the supports that hold up the levelcrossing footbridge at Bray. This is a typical DSER design, seen at many locations on the line to Rosslare. The eastern approach to the station level crossing at Bray. The aforemented former Dublin Wicklow & Wexford Railway 'North Cabin' was sited adjacent to the low wall beneath the footbridge on the up side of the line. A view looking south towards Rosslare from the end of the up platform at Bray Station. The track in the foreground comes from the bay platform. In the distance the main line to Rosslare curves to the left, and the parellel siding to this descends into the reinstated 'Wicklow Sidings'. The three aspect signal guarding the exit from the centre road at the south end of Bray Station. The lower signal is a shunt signal reading to the sidings south of the station.