Desert

Desert, Co.Cork, was a small wayside station located between Clonakilty Jct and Ballineen on the Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway's main line from Cork to Bantry. Originally opened by the West Cork Railway in June 1866 and latterly operated by the CBSCR, Desert Station was closed in March 1961 when CIE closed the entire West Cork railway system. Desert had just one platform, on which a small wooden station building was sited. A station masters house was later constructed behind this, while on the up side was a loop siding serving a small goods shed. Today the platform, along with the station buildings survive. A long siding once diverged away from the goods yard to serve the nearby Desert Woollen Mill, located on the southern bank of the River Bandon, however this has long since been demolished.
Desert, as viewed from the road, showing the single storey wooden station building. The building behind is the station master house, a later addition to the station. This is the station site at Desert, looking west towards Bantry. The station had one platform, with two goods sidings serving the goods store on the right. The station remained open until closure of the west Cork lines in 1961. The rear of the small wooden station building at Desert, which dates from the opening of the line in June 1886. It has not seen a passenger since March 1961. The small wooden constructed goods shed at the former Desert Station, located on the up side of the line. As well as handling local goods traffic, the station also handled produce from the adjacent Desert Woollen Mill, now long since gone.
The typical Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway style gate at the entrance to the former goods yard at Desert Station, which can be seen in the background. A view looking east towards Cork from the road overbridge at Desert Station. The trackbed along here is unrecognisable, the formation having been ploughed back into fields following the closure of the railway. Adjacent to Desert is the Bandon River, where once here the large Desert Woollen Mill stood. The large mill building which featured a water wheel was served by a siding which ran from the goods yard at Desert Station, visible in the distance.