Castlebar

Castlebar, Co.Mayo, is one of only two remaining intermediate stations still in use between Claremorris and Westport. The station buildings all show signs of their earlier Great Northern & Western Railway architecture, the GNWR were later taken over by the Midland Great Western. The MGWR built a typical signal cabin at the Claremorris end of the station on the down platform, which is now disused. Castlebar ceased to be a block post in the late 1980s, but a ballast siding located by the goods shed remained until the late 1990s, been controlled by a ground frame. Today, only the through line remains, leaving the station bereft of passing loop or sidings. The station buildings are well maintained on both the up, and disused down platforms.
This is myself filming 201 Class locomotive No.234 arriving at Castlebar Station with an afternoon Westport to Dublin train, formed of Mk3 stock. No.234 visible in the distance takes the Dublin bound train out of Westport Station. This view is from the down platform, disused since the 1980s although still kept near and tidy. A general view of Castlebar, looking west towards Westport from the down side of the station. The loop at Castlebar was removed in the 1980s, leaving just a single platform in use. The 1862 single storey station building at Castlebar, built of stone like so many structures on the former Midland Great Western Railway.
The original station buildings at Castlebar are well preserved. Here is a close up of the cast iron canopy support on the waiting room on former down platform. This is the typical Midland Great Western Railway style signal cabin at Castlebar Station, located at the east end of the station. It has been has been out of use since the 1980s. The lever frame within the MGWR signal cabin at Castlebar Station remains largely in stiu, as seen here. The interior is however very untidy, unlike the exterior appearance of the structure. Mounted onto the signal cabin at Castlebar is a pre-1925 wooden Midland Great Western Railway name board, one of only a few to survive at such Irish Rail stations.
This is the small water tower located at the east end of the up platform at Castlebar Station. Like the other MGWR structures here, it is well preserved complete with tank. A view from the signal cabin at Castlebar, looking east towards Dublin, showing the trackless goods yard and disused goods shed. A single siding was retained here until 1993 for the loading of ballast trains, the points been operated by a ground lever frame. Another view of the disused down platform. Behind the wall the platform could be accessed via a ramp from the adjacent road bridge, note the large notice for passengers wishing to cross the railway line. A ground signal, obtained from the one time single siding at Castlebar Station, which was finally removed in the early 1990s.