Craughwell

Craughwell, Co.Galway, is located on the 1860s Waterford Limerick & Western Railway's built Limerick to Athenry line. Craughwell Station had a single platform, single storey stone built station building and small goods shed. The station closed to passengers when Limerick to Claremorris passenger trains ceased in 1976, but remained open for excursion traffic until the mid 1980s, although line remained in use for regular freight trains until the late 1990s. Passenger services between Limerick and Galway via Athenry were restored in March 2010, and a new single platform station and car park was opened adjacent to the original site.
Craughwell Station, located on the south side of the Co.Galway village, had just one platform, single storey stone built station building and goods shed. The small stone built goods shed at Craughwell Station, similar to others built at smaller stations on the Limerick to Sligo line. The entire line between Limerick and Athenry has been relaid with continuous welded rails and concere sleepers, seen here at Craughwell Station. A few looking south towards Limerick from the site of what is now the reopened station at Craughwell. On the left can be seen stack piles of redundant track panels recovered from the relaying of the line.
A few of the then recently relaid track on the north side of Craughwell village. The stone arched bridge in the distance has since been rebuilt. 181 Class loco No.185 brings an empty ballast train across the N18 road level crossing just north of Craughwell village. During the rebuilding of the Limerick to Athenry line a ballast loading point was established just north of Craughwell. Here a digger is employed with loading the 4-wheeled ballast wagons. 181 Class loco 185 stands at the ballast loading point north of Craughwell. No.185 was built by General Motors at thier La Grange Illinois works in 1966. The loco was finally withdrawn and scrapped in November 2008.
At Craughwell No.185 is seen in the company of brakevan No.8456, fitted with a plough for spreading the ballast evenly along the line. No.8456 is in fact the oldest piece of rolling stock on Irish Rail, built at Inchicore Works by the Great Southern & Western in 1906.