Kilmacthomas

Kilmacthomas, Co.Waterford, was an important station on the Waterford to Dungarvan line, which ran ultimately to Mallow. Opened in 1878 by the Waterford Dungarvan & Lismore Railway, it was taken over by the Great Southern & Western Railway, becoming the main Cork to Rosslare line. Unfortunately the Waterford to Mallow line was closed in 1967. However, Ballinacourty magnesite plant was opened in Dungarvan in 1970 and this kept the line from there to Waterford in use for freight until 1982. The weed sprayer was the only train to traverse the line during the 1980s, with last movement to operate on the line in May 1990. Kilmacthomas Station is now derelict, but the station building and signal cabin remain in situ. The station was a block post with passing loop until the disused line was lifted in the late 1990s.
141 Class locomotive No.177 stands at the derelict Kilmacthomas Station in June 1986 with the weed spraying train from Ballinacourty to Waterford. ©David Hegarty A more recent view of Kilmacthomas Station, taken in April 2011. This view is looking west towards Mallow, showing the up & down platforms and disused station buildings, which have tidied up recently. The single storey station building at Kilmacthomas, located on the up platform. The structure has been derelict for the last 30 years. It has not seen a regular passenger since March 1967. A view looking along the down platform towards Mallow at the former Kilmacthomas Station. The Great Southern & Western Railway signal cabin remains in situ, along with a semaphore signal in the background.
Kilmacthomas Station in 1996, looking east towards Waterford, with the derelict track and loop still in situ. On the right is the derelict Great Southern & Western Railway style signal cabin. ©Eamonn Redmond Nowadays the tracks have been lifted at Kilmacthomas Station, though the buildings remain in their derelict condition. The new wall on the left belongs to the local Garda station. The derelict Kilmacthomas signal cabin in 1996, which at this time still retained its lever frame. Over the years the derelict cabin was subsequenly gutted, however it along with the station have since been cleared of vegetation. ©Eamonn Redmond The recently tidied up signal cabin at Kilmacthomas, though the ivy still has firm hold on the structure. The lever frame is no longer in situ, having been removed in the late 1990s.
The lower section of the lever frame does remain within Kilmacthomas signal cabin, but the levers and pulleys are gone. View towards Ballinacourty from the west end of Kilmacthomas Station, 1996. In the distance is the viaduct. In the foreground is the loop on the left and a siding to the right. ©Eamonn Redmond A similar view but taken nearer to where the turnout for the loop at Kilmacthomas was sited at the west end of the station. The bridge parapets seen here belong the metal plate bridge which spans the main street of Kilmacthomas town. The western approach to Kilmacthomas Station with the rusty track intact in 1996, as well as the home semaphore signal which features a shunt disc for the siding. ©Eamonn Redmond
The same view but taken in April of 2011 sees the track now lifted, although the signal remains in situ. Most of the trackbed is walkable from Kilmeadan to Dungarvan, though sections of gorse shrub have to be overcome! A close up of the up home semaphore signal at Kilmacthomas Station, which remains remarkably intact, including signal arm and small shunt disc. A rear view of the semaphore signal at Kilmacthomas, looking west towards Mallow. As the line was only lifted in 1990s there is still plenty of ballast on the disused trackbed. The impressive curved stone viaduct at the eastern end of Kilmacthomas Station, dating from the opening of the Waterford Dungarvan and Lismore Railway in 1878.
Close up of the smooth sandstone viaduct at Kilmacthomas, which spans the River Mahon. The viaduct has since had lighting installed which light up the fine structure at night. A view from Kilmacthomas Viaduct, looking west towards Mallow with the impressive Comeragh Mountains on the horizon. This was the site of Currabaha level crossing, the first west of Kilmacthomas on the former line to Mallow, located on the old N25 road. The line crossed the road at right angles, emerging from the fence and gorse shrubs on the left. Seen at the same location at Currabaha level crossing but in June 1985, 141 Class loco No.159 leads the annual weed spraying train across the original N25 road, en route from Waterford to Ballinacourty. This view shows how wide the crossing was. ©David Parks
This is the same weed spraying train as in the previous image, but captured on the approach to Currabaha level crossing in June 1985, where a CIE staff member can be seen handling the gates as the train approaches. ©David Parks The view today in April 2011 sees the gorse covered trackbed at Currabaha crossing, looking east towards Kilmacthomas. A railway telegraph pole, visibe in the previous photo, can be glimpsed in the distance. The trackbed on the west side of Currabaha level crossing near Kilmacthomas, looking towards Mallow. After the track was lifted in the late 1990s, the new N25 was cut across trackbed beyond this point. This was the west side of Currabaha crossing when the track was still in situ in 1996, looking towards Mallow. By this time the level crossing gates had been removed. The track was eventually lifted by Irish Rail in the late 1990s. ©Eamonn Redmond