Kingscourt

Kingscourt, Co.Louth, was the terminus of a dead end branch line built by an independent railway company, which opened in stages between 1872 and 1875 from the Great Northern Railway's line at Navan. This company was taken over by the Midland Great Western, who had envisaged the line been extended north to GNR territory and ultimately to Cookstown. This never came about and thus the Kingscourt line remained a somewhat useless branch line, serving sparse pockets of population in the area it traversed. Passenger services were withdrawn in 1947, but the line remained in use for gypsum traffic from Kingscourt to the Platin cement works near Drogheda until 2001, when that traffic transferred to road.

Today, the Kingscourt branch remains disused and disconnected beyond Navan at Tara Junction, and is slowly falling into a derelict state. Kingscourt Station itself is currently being restored piecemeal. The station, a two story brick built structure, also features a large stone built goods shed, and retains its single platform. A gypsum loading pad was constructed at the south end of the station to load wagons by digger. The track work consists of a disused run round loop and overgrown siding.
On the 27th March 2000, 141/181 Class locomotives Nos.168+185 are seen at the very end of the line at Kingscourt as they run around a loaded gyspum train, prior to departing back to Platin cement works near Drogheda. ©Colm O'Callaghan This is Kingscourt Station today, with the rusted track covered over in grass and weeds. The former Midland Great Western station building is seen under partial renovation. The last gypsum train departed Kingscourt in March 2001. An earlier 1970s view of the disused station at Kingscourt, looking south towards Navan. At this time wagons were loaded with gypsum from a nearby elevated platform which could rotate between the siding on the left and track on the right. ©Barry Carse This is the loading platform in action at Kingscourt in the earlier 1970s, with a lorry discharging its gypsum into some hopper wagons. As mentioned, the platform could rotate to serve the nearer line of wagons formed of the 1950s constructed open wagons, which were displaced from these trains in the mid 1970s. ©Barry Carse
In July 1980, 001 Class locomotive No.029 stands adjacent to the loading platform with a short rake of hopper wagons, been loaded with gypsum bound for the cement factory at Boyne Road near Drogheda. The locomotive shed at Kingscourt once stood on the right. ©Barry Carse In May 1990, the Northern Ireland Railway's railbus No.RB3 visited Kingscourt on a special from Belfast. The railbus is seen here shortly after arrival from Navan. This vehicle now operates at the preserved Downpatrick Railway in Co.Down. ©Colm O'Callaghan A view of the disused Kingscourt Station today. The track remains in situ though partially covered over. The point lever and turnout in the foreground led to a siding which once served the gypsum loading platform, though it had been out of use for many years following its dismantling in the mid 1980s. This is the brick built station building at Kingscourt in August 2004 when work had just begun on its partial restoration. Although closed to passengers as early as January 1947, the structure was used by CIE staff until the late 1980s.
The station building as it was in August 2009, when still under renovation. The structure dates from the November 1875 and is unusually entirely built of brick. It also retains its original gable end boards. One of the original doors at Kingscourt Station, painted in CIE's 1950s green livery. The building has been unoccupied for several years. A view from the northern end of the single platform at Kingscourt Station, looking towards Navan. Whilst the platform has been tidied up, the yard is now covered over with grass and shrubs. On the single platform at Kingscourt Station, with the goods shed on the left. The station has not seen a regular passenger since 1947.
The large trackless stone built goods shed, located at the south end of the station on the down side of the line. Regular goods services to Kingscourt ceased in 1963. The former goods platform and shed at Kingscourt, located at the south end of the station on the down side. A view looking towards Navan from the south end of the platform at Kingscourt, showing the extent of the overgrown track. The site on right was once the goods yard. At the same location in June 2002 saw 141 Class loco No.175 having just arrived with the annual weed spaying train from Drogheda. ©Colm O'Callaghan
Friday 7th June 2002 saw the annual weed spraying train visit Kingscourt, where 141 Class loco No.175 is seen running round on the somewhat trackless headshunt at the north end of the station. ©Colm O'Callaghan The end of the line at Kingscourt today. In the 1870s the Navan & Kingscourt Railway were so confident in extending their line further they even measured the railway line right up towards the buffer stop. The milepost, now conforming to the former Midland Great Western Railway reads 50½ miles from their termines in Broadstone, Dublin. This is the gypsum loading pad and store, located south of the former Kingscourt Station, now served by road since 2001. This replaced the elevated loading platform in the mid 1980s. From the mid 1980s onwards gypsum was loaded into the wagons from the nearby store using a digger, seen here in March 2001. 181/141 Class locos Nos.185+168 are seen at the head of the train prior to departing for Platin. ©Colm O'Callaghan
Seen at the same location in June 2002 with the weed sprayer, 1962 built loco No.175 prepares to head out Kingscourt Station with the last ever train on the branch. The wasp striped yellow & black panels indicate this train's special working. ©Colm O'Callaghan The scene today, with a view of the overgrown tracks adjacent to the gypsum loading pad and store on the approach to Kingscourt Station. Gypsum traffic was transferred to road in 2001. Photographed in August 2008, this lever was used for pulling the points for the run around loop at the south end of Kingscourt Station. The buffer stop from the aforementioned disused siding in Kingscourt yard is seen dumped beside the gypsum store.
The approach to the station at Kingscourt from the nearby level crossing on the R165 road in 2004. The rails had been covered over with dirt beneath the gate. Today the view is much worse, with the level crossing gates having been removed and the track almost totally covered over with trees and shrubs. A permanent fence has also been placed across the line. A view looking south towards Navan from the level crossing at the south end of Kingscourt Station, showing the overgrown line. At the majority of level crossings on the disused Kingscourt branch, the crossing gates have been removed and replaced with mesh fencing seen here. An additional goods platform was built south of the level crossing at Kingscourt. It remains today, complete with a crane base.
Photographed in 2004, this semaphore signal is fixed at danger on the approach to the level crossing at Kingscourt Station, seen in the distance. This signal still uses its original wooden post. Normally level crossings are protected by distant semaphores signals which feature a fish tail style arm.