Killester

Killester, in Dublin's northern suburbs, is located on the main Dublin to Belfast line. The Dublin & Drogheda Railway built a small halt at Killester with the opening of the line to Drogheda in October 1845, but lasted only two years, it was located on the south side of Collins Rd Avenue bridge. In 1923, the new present day station was opened by the Great Northern Railway north of the original 1840s one. Built to a typical GNR design, it had wooden platforms, concrete waiting shelters, with a small station building located at road level beside the adjacent road overbridge. Wooden steps led down from this to the platforms, which was later replaced by a ramp in the 1970s, along with the replacement of the wooden platforms with concrete built ones. In 1983, the original GNR station building was replaced with a standard DART design and the platforms lengthened as part of the introduction of electrified services to Bray/Howth.

The GNR Killester signal cabin, located on the south side of the Collins Rd Avenue bridge was taken out of use in 1960 by CIE with the re-signalling of the line between Connolly and Howth Jct, and was demolished shortly after.
Ex Great Northern Railway V Class compound 4-4-0 No.085 'Merlin' heads through Killester Station with a Belfast to Dublin 'Enterprise' in 2002. This loco is currently under restoration by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland at Whitehead in Northern Ireland. Two-car 8100 Class DART units were once a common sight in the evenings when passenger traffic was low. Here, No.8137 approaches Killester with a service to Malahide. 8100 Class DART No.1825 coasts into Killester Station with a stopping service from Bray to Howth. No.8135 was built by Linke Hofmann Busch of Germany in 1983, and has since been refurbished. Seen standing at the south end of Killester Station is 071 Class loco No.087, heading a loaded ore train from the Tara Mines near Navan, to Alexandra Rd in Dublin Port. The train came to a stop here because of a signal check.
A southbound 'Enterprise' from Belfast to Dublin nears the end of its journey as it heads through Killester Station, with DVT No.9001 at the front. 'Enterprise' liveried 201 Class loco No.206 is seen propelling this southbound Belfast to Dublin express through Killester, passing a Spanish built DART unit, 8200 Class No.8203, which is slowing with a stopping service to Howth. An afternoon view of Killester sees flat roofed 8500 Class DART No.8621 arriving with a service from Bray to Howth. The 8500s were built by the Tokkyu Car Corporation of Japan in 2000. A Drogheda to Dublin Connolly service is seen approaching Killester Station from the north, formed by a 29000 Class diesel railcar, headed by No.29422.
This is the guise of the refurbished 8100 Class DART units, featuring prominently cluster style headlights. No.8140 approaches with a 6-car set heading to Howth. Another 8100 but in its original 1983 condition, No.8322, rounds the curve into Killester Station with a southbound stopping service to Bray. All of the 8100s have since been refurbished. No.8127 is seen on the rear of this 8100 DART set heading away from Killester, while an 8500 Class approaches with a northbound service. The bridge framing 8127 is an original Dublin & Drogheda Railway structure dating from 1845. Featuring a full yellow end, 201 Class locomotive No.207 'River Boyne' propels the 12:30 Belfast to Dublin 'Enteprise' through Killester. The dull Enteprise train livery seen here has since acquired a much bright colour scheme.
8100 DART No.8334 is glimpsed on the rear of a northbound service to Malahide, seen departing the down platform at Killester Station. 071 Class loco No.088, seen when it was still in its orange Irish Rail livery, approaches Killester Station with an empty rake of ore wagons returning to the Tara Mines having been unloaded earlier at the Alexandra Rd terminal in Dublin Port. Loco No.088 is seen again at Killester, this time approaching from the north with a rake of 1960s vintage cement wagons in tow, heading to the North Wall yard from Platin near Drogheda. Spanish CAF built 8200 Class DART No.8402 arrives with Killester with a southbound stopping service to Bray. Unfortunately all of the 8200s are now currently out of service.
Due to their frequent breakdowns and spells out of service, the photo count for the 8200s is low, so here's the departing shot at Killester with the first member of the class, No.8201, seen on the rear of this 8-car set. 071 Class loco No.082 in its silver & black livery heads slowly through Killester with the afternoon empty Dublin to Navan Tara Mines train. 071 Class loco No.080 powers through KIllester on a northbound cement train to Platin near Drogheda. The substation on the left was one of the earliest built for the DART scheme in 1982. The trees and shrubs along here have since been cut back considerably. Seen taking the curve at the same location is 201 Class loco No.207, heading an afternoon Dublin to Belfast 'Enteprise' service.
071 Class loco No.084 follows the 'Enteprise' with a long rake of 4-wheeled bulk cement wagons bound for the cement factory at Platin. Nicknamed 'bubbles' due to their shape, these wagons have since been withdrawn and scrapped with the withdrawal of the cement traffic. An evening scene at Killester Station, with an 8500 Class DART preparing to depart from the down platform with a service to Howth. A nightime shot taken at the north end of Killester Station, with an 8100 Class DART creating a light stream as it arrives with an evening southound service to Greystones. An arriving northbound 8500 Class DART is viewed from the long pedestrian ramp which leads down to the up platform at Killester Station.
Before the arrival of electrified DART services in Dublin in 1984, most stopping trains were formed of ageing locomotive hauled or pushpull coaching stock, usually hauled by re-engined C Class locos. Seen arriving at Killester just before DART services commenced, C201 Class No.225 arrives with a southbound service. In the background the new DART style station building is been constructed. ©Paul Winter 201 Class locomotive No.233 stands at Killester while awaiting the road south into Dublin's Connolly Station with a morning Belfast to Dublin 'Enterprise'. No.233 carries the old Enteprise livery, albeit with additional yellow ends, and is named 'River Clare/Abhainn na Chlair'. Featuring a decorative balustrade, 2800 Class railcar No.2804 passes beneath the concrete bridge south of Killester Station which carries the Collins Avenue road across the railway. Built in the late 1950s by the Great Northern Railway, this bridge was designed to accommodate four tracks which were subsequently never installed. 071 Class loco No.085 powers an empty Tara Mines train from Dublin as it approaches the Collins Avenue bridge just south of Killester.
Seen near the same location, sister locomotive No.076 in its orange livery, heads the same afternoon working to the Tara Mines, which would return loaded to Dublin Port in the evening. 201 Class loco No.209 storms through Killester as it begins its long journey to Belfast with the 13:20 'Enterprise' from Dublin. Seen in somewhat gloomy conditions, 8500 Class DART No.8616 stands at Killester Station on a Howth to Bray service. This view is taken from the older Collins Ave overbridge, which dates from the line's opening in the 1845. 071 Class No.076 has since been repainted into the black & silver livery, but in February 2009 it was still 'orange' as it leads the 12:20 loaded ore train from Tara Mines to Dublin Port through Killester.
201 Class No.233 'River Clare' is captured in this early Spring view at Killester as it creates a haze while powering the 13:20 Dublin to Belfast 'Enterprise'. Ex Northern Counties Railway WT 2-6-4 tank No.4 passes through Killester, operating bunker first on a Railway Preservation Society of Ireland steam 'Enterprise' from Belfast to Dublin, featuring 1960s Craven coaches. Viewed beneath the road overbridges, 8500 Class DART No.8635 approaches Killester Station with an evening service bound for Howth. The RPSI's 2-6-4 tank No.4 is captured again, this time making a spirited run away from Dublin with Mk2 coaching stock in tow. No.4 was built by the London Midland & Scottish Railway at Derby in 1947.
An 8500 Class DART speeds away from Killester on an evening northbound service to Howth. Behind the train is the large concrete ramp constructed at several suburban stations as part of the DART upgrading in 2005. Restored to its 1960s vintage CIE 'black & tan' livery, 141 Class loco No.B142 heads north from Killester while operating light engine to its new home at the RPSI base at Whitehead. B142 was built by General Motors and entered service with CIE in December 1962. In the afternoon of the previous photo, a somewhat tired looking 071 Class loco No.084 takes a rake of empty ore wagons through Killester heading for the Tara Mines. Northern Ireland Railway's 111 Class locomotive No.112 'Northern Counties' speeds through Killester with a return Modern Railway Society of Ireland railtour from Tralee to Belfast, formed of the RPSI British Rail built Mk3 stock.
Signal 'KR31' at Killester is one of the many USA style signals installed in 1983 as part of the DART scheme. Designed by the Westinghouse Air & Brake Compay of Pennsylvania but manufactured in Tralee, these signals have since been replaced by modern LED types. 071 Class loco No.088 leads a rake of concrete sleeper track panels through Killester Station, bound for engineering work at Platin on the Drogheda to Navan branch line. 29000 Class No.29417 is seen on the rear of 4-car railcar set at Killester with an evening Drogheda to Dublin service, which according to the destination display will terminate at Pearse Station in the city centre. A wintery scene sees 8500 Class DART No.8632 approaching Killester Station from the north with a southbound stopping service from Howth to Bray.
Another view at the north end of Killester during one of the country's most severists of winters, a 4-car 2800 Class railcar approaches the station with a service from Drogheda to Dublin. The midday sun has gone behind the clouds by the time 8100 Class DART No.8314 makes an appearence with a southbound stopping service to Greystones. This is the same view but in July 1982 before DART services commenced running, where we see one of the pushpull trains formed of the AEC railcar stock been propelled north up the gradient by C201 Class loco No.229. ©Barry Carse Back to the present, and 8500 Class DART No.8614 is framed by the overbridge as it approaches the up platform at Killester with a southbound service to Bray. In this view are the aforementioned new LED colour light signals.
One of the new LED colour light signals stands beside the snow covered line where 8100 Class DART No.8111 is seen approaching with a northbound service to Howth. 201 Class loco No.207 makes its way through the snowy Killester Station on the 13:20 'Enteprise' to Belfast. Only sister loco No.8208 matches the newer bright colour scheme of the 'Enterprise'. A loaded ballast train headed by 071 Class loco No.081 heads gingerly through Killester for engineering work near Drogheda. Nearly all ballast workings are accompanied by their yellow painted guards vans fitted with ploughs. Sister locomotive No.076 has a long rake of bogey flat wagons in tow as it passes beneath the twin Collins Ave road overbridges. The flat wagons are loaded with concrete sleeper track panels.
The doyen of the 071 Class, No.071, heads slowly through Killester Station with the ubiquitous empty ore train bound for the Tara Mines near Navan. Loco No.073 is seen in charge of short emply ballast train returning from Drogheda to Dublin's North Wall yard, having been involved in engineering work on the Navan branch line near Drogheda. Another ballast train, this time loaded, is seen been hauled through Killester by one of the remaining orange liveried 071 Class locos, No.084. The loco has evidently received a clean since it was last captured here on a Tara Mines train in April 2010. Two generations of DART trains pass eachother at the north end of Killester, with 8100 Class No.8337 heading north to Malahide, while 8500 Class No.8640 approaches with a southbound stopping service to Greystones. To the left is milepost 2½, measured from Connolly Station in Dublin city centre.
On a somewhat dullish day which matches its livery, 071 Class No.088 takes a rake of bogey flat wagons through Killester Station heading north to Drogheda.