Carlow

In August 1846, the Great Southern & Western Railway reached the county town of Carlow from Dublin. Two years later the line was extended to Kilkenny, and ultimately to Waterford. The station at Carlow retains the majority of its original GSWR buildings from the 1840s, including the main booking office, waiting shelter and covered footbridge, of which there are not many on Irish railways. The signal cabin was taken out of use with the resignalling of the line in 2003. Behind the station on the Down side is the former goods shed and yard, nowadays served by a single siding for loading ballast trains.
Pioneer 071 Class loco, No.071, powers north through Carlow Station with an empty timber train for Ballina, Co.Mayo. This freight service from Waterford is still in operation. Framed by the Great Southern & Western's Victorian station buildings and canopy at Carlow is 201 Class loco No.212, seen propelling a northbound Waterford to Dublin pushpull train. An 071 and a 141 Class locomotive head north through Carlow with a cement train from Waterford. These vintage CIE cement 'bubbles' seen here have since been scrapped. Nowadays all of the Waterford to Dublin trains are operated by the modern 22000 Class diesel railcars. Here, No.22336 is seen waiting at the down platfrom at Carlow with a Waterford bound service.
The goods facilities on the down side of Carlow Station are no longer served by the trains, although a single siding remains for civil engineering work. 071 Class loco No.075 is seen stabled on this siding with a loaded ballast train. An Irish Railway Record Society special, headed by 2800 Class railcar No.2818, is seen at the down platform at Carlow Station awaiting the road north to Dublin. The IRRS's blue and white headboard is visible in the driver's cab. Two generation of diesel railcars meet at Carlow Station, the newer 22000 Class, No.22201, is seen arriving in from Dublin. The IRRS tour is returning to the capital having traversed the now disused Waterford to Rosslare line. A busy scene at Carlow, with the IRRS special preparing to depart north to Dublin. The extension of the down platform resulted in the demolition of the GSWR brick built signal cabin at the north end of the station.
The attractive Great Southern & Western Railway station building at Carlow. Walking across the Victorian era covered footbridge at Carlow Station. This is one of the few older footbridges to have been covered with a roof, and a such has a preservation order. The plastic IE station name board at Carlow, a type of which is now obsolete. Carlow is the county town of the same name.