Glasnevin Junction, located in north Dublin City on the Dublin to Maynooth and Sligo line. It is here that the Great Southern & Western Railways's line from Amiens St (Connolly) via Drumcondra and the former Midland Great Western Railway's line from North Wall (Docklands) converge. The Amiens St line was opened in 1906 as a through route from Islandbridge (Heuston), while the MGWR line from North Wall to Sligo opened earlier in the 1880s. A junction between these two lines was made at Glasnevin, originally reversed to that of the present state which had allowed the GSWR access to the North Wall line. In 1936, with the re-routing of Sligo & Galway services to Amiens St, the junction was remodelled to allow these trains to traverse the GSWR line via Drumcondra across the former MGWR line to Sligo, confusing?!
These pictures were taken during/after the relaying of the former MGWR North Wall line in connected with the opening of the new Docklands Station to which such some Maynooth and Dunboyne services operate to now. The GSWR line from Islandbridge is still used only for freight and empty stock movements.
1 Glasnevin Jct looking east; the GSWR's built line from Islandbridge to Amiens St (Connolly) converges from the left, while the MGWR line from Sligo to North Wall is on the right. This was taken before the MGWR line to North Wall was reopened to the Docklands.
2 Glasnevin Jct looking west; with the MGWR line to Sligo on the left, and the GSWR's built line to Islandbridge (Heuston) diverging to the right. Prior to 1937, this junction was originally reversed.
3 The buffer stops at Glasnevin Jct on the MGWR line to North Wall. This was currently been relaid in preporation of the line reopening to the new Docklands Station. To the extreme left can be seen the line leading towards Connolly via Drumcondra.
4 A view of the relaid but yet to be ballasted track from the Docklands at Glasnevin Jct, with GSWR line from Connolly converging from the right heading towards Maynooth and Sligo.
5 This GSWR line curving away east towards Connolly through Glasnevin and Druncondra which is used by Sligo and the majority commuter trains to and from Maynooth.
6 This is the GSWR line again, this time curving away west as it descends towards Islandbridge and passes beneath the MGWR's Sligo line.
7 Another view of the MGWR's line to North Wall, now used by trains to the Docklands. At this time in early 2004 the track was been reliad. Ahead is the Cross Guns Tunnel.
8 A view looking over the eastern portal of the Cross Guns Tunnel, with the view towards the North Wall, now the Docklands. On the right is the Grand Canal, while out of view on the left is the former Glasnevin Station on the GSWR line to Connolly.
9 With the line to the Docklands having been opened a few years previous, ex Great Southern & Western Railway J15 Class 0-6-0 No.186, pounds along the line with the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's 'Province of Leinster' tour to Mullingar.
10 Taking the Dublin to Ballina IWT liner past Glasnevin Jct is 201 Class loco No.221, seen diverging off the Sligo line and heading for the Cork main line at Islandbridge Jct.
11 Emerging from the Midland Great Western's North Wall branch at Glasnevin Jct is 29000 Class railcar No.29129, leading a service from the Docklands to Maynooth. Above the train is the former North City Mills which were rail served until 1971.
12 22000 Class railcar No.22329 is seen taking the long curve around the northern side of Glasnevin Cemetery as it heads for Islandbridge Jct with an empty stock working from Dublin Connolly.
13 Heading in the opposite direction, ex-works 201 Class loco No.234 approaches Glasnevin Jct light engine from the Islandbridge direction having been recently outshopped from Inchicore Works. The loco is heading to the North Wall yards to collect an auto-ballaster train.
14 071 Class loco No.076 has a light load as it passes Glasnevin Jct with a wagon transfer from Inchicore Works to the North Wall yard. The wagon concerned is a recently refurbished Tara Mines ore wagon.
15 201 Class loco No.234 leads its rake of eight empty auto-ballater wagons past Glasnevin Jct while en route to the loading point at Portarlington on the Dublin-Cork main line.
16 Loco No.076 returns from the North Wall and is seen having just diverged from the Sligo line at Glasnevin Jct, as it operates a wagon transfer back to Inchicore Works which on this occasion consists of two Tara Mines ore wagons and a bogey flat.
17 Around the corner from Glasnevin Jct on the line to Islandbridge is the northern end of the former Cabra cement terminal. Here, loco No.234 heads north past the derelict and disconnected sidings with the IWT liner from Ballina to Dublin.
18 Same train but different day sees sister locomotive No.222 approaching Glasnevin Jct from Islandbridge, with a lightly loaded IWT liner. The Cabra cement terminal was closed in 1999 and the pointwork connecting the sidings were finally removed in December 2011.
