Dromod

Dromod, on the ex Midland Great Western Railway's Dublin to Sligo line has a typical 1862 built two storey MGWR station building, footbridge and waiting room. At the Sligo end of the station is the now disused goods shed, which was partly rebuilt to accommodate the recent platform extensions. Sadly the MGWR signal cabin was demolished to allow the down platform to be extended. In 1887, Dromod became a junction for the Cavan & Leitrim narrow gauge line to Ballinamore and Belturbet. Coal traffic from Arigna kept the C&L open until 1959, when it was closed by CIE. The new Cavan & Leitrim Railway have reopened a short section of the narrow gauge line, which utilises the C&L station brick built station building and engine sheds. These pictures show Dromod Station before and after the recent modernisation on the Sligo line.
071 Class locomotive No.079 stands at Dromod Station with a Sligo to Dublin service consisting of Mk2 coaching stock. No.079 was built by General Motors in 1976, and entered service with CIE in May the following year. This the Midland Great Western Railway's station at Dromod, without any trains in view. The two storey building, footbridge, signal cabin and goods shed are all MGWR origin. This was taken in October 2003 before the Sligo line was modernised. A view looking west towards Sligo from the footbridge at Dromod Station, taken before modernisation. Nowadays the platforms have been extended considerably and the MGWR signal cabin has been demolished. This is the1862 built Midland Great Western Railway signal cabin, located at the west end of Dromod Station, it is seen here complete with wooden name board. The cabin was subsequently demolished to allow an extension onto the down platform.
A view from track level looking east towards Dublin at Dromod Station. Today the up platform has been extended along here. On the left can be seen the buffer stop of the former goods siding headshunt. One of Irish Rail's 1980s T board signs on the down platform at Dromod Station, complete with IR 'Point' logos. The platforms at Dromod have since been resurfaced with tarmac and concrete capping. A 3ft gauge diesel loco and carriage are seen at the former Cavan & Leitrim Railway station at Dromod. The preserved C&L railway was closed at this time during the winter months. A view along the C&L platform in October 2003. The semaphore signal on the right is very much like the original once located at end of the platform when the line was still open in the 1950s.
An increasingly extinct phone box in Ireland, seen at the former Cavan & Leitrim Railway station at Dromod. A replica of the one time Great Southern Railway style name board at Dromod Station, depicting the old Irish script. 071 Class loco No.078 stands at the west end of Dromod Station having arrived on an Irish Traction Group special from Dublin to Sligo. The ITG special was formed of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's ex CIE vintage carriage stock. Behind the train is the much extended down platform. Steam rises from the ex CIE 1950s built coaching stock at Dromod Station. As the former goods shed on the right is a listed building, the extended up platform had be carefully cut through a section of the structure.
22000 Class railcar No.22226 approaches Dromod with a Sligo to Dublin service, seen passing the ITG special. In front of No.078 can be seen a siding which once served the meet processing factory on the left. This siding also had its own platform just visible in the front of the locomotive. This is the brick built Cavan & Leitrim station at Dromod, built in October 1887 when the C&L opened their 3ft gauge line south from Ballinamore. In the station forecourt is an ex Great Northern Railway gardiner engined bus in 1950s blue and cream livery. This is the Cavan & Leitrim Railway's single road locomotive shed and water tower, all original C&L structures. The steam locomotive 'Dromod' is an 0-4-2 tank engine built by Kerr Stewart in 1916. One of the Cavan & Leitrim Railways 3ft gauge permanent way trains is seen been shunted into the bay platform at Dromod. Most of the motive power on the new Cavan & Leitrim Railway are Ruston built diesel locos.
The C&L's passenger train approaches Dromod Station having traversed a short section of the restored C&L 3ft gauge line, which had closed completely in April 1959. Amongst the array of railway buildings and rolling stock at the C&L Dromod Station is the former Great Northern signal cabin from Gormanston on the main Dublin to Belfast line. The cabin had been made redundant in 1994 and was moved to Dromod. In the background 071 Class No.078 stands beside the former goods platform. A bracket semaphore signal at the west end of Dromod Station. The 3ft gauge line currently extends up to the first public level crossing on the former C&L line, closed in 1959. The cab of former 121 Class locomotive No.133, dating from 1960, is stored as an exhibit at the Cavan & Leitrim Railway. The loco had been withdrawn from service by Irish Rail in the early 2000s.
The interior of the restored Cavan & Leitrim Railway station building at Dromod, showing the ticket counter and office.