Moyasta Junction

Moyasta Junction Station, Co.Clare, is located on the 1887/95 narrow gauge West Clare Railway, which ran from Ennis to Kilkee and Kilrush on the Shannon Estuary. Despite modernisation, the West Clare line closed by CIE in February 1961, and was the last surviving 3ft gauge line in the country. Moyasta Jct is where the line to Kilee and Kilrush seperated. The station was the only triangular one of the Irish narrow gauge, and boasts a single storey station building, water tower, and newly reconstructed WCR style signal cabin. The station had once control over five level crossings in the Moyasta area.

The West Clare Railway company plan to reopen the line from Moyasta Jct to Kilkee, as the trackbed of the former line has been preserved. A museum and short stretch of line has already been established at the junction station, and the extensions are in progress to Kilkee.
Moyasta Junction, with the line to Kilrush on the left, and Kilkee on the right. The main station building is located within the centre of the two platforms. The signal posts here have yet to receive their arms. Until the arrival of ex West Clare Railway steam loco No.5 'Slieve Callan', the restored railway's only motive power was provided by this 1989 Doncaster built Rail Freight Services loco, once employed on the Channel Tunnel Project. The 1892 built single storey station building at Moyasta, now the headquarters of the 'new' West Clare Railway. The building is located within the junction 'v'. A former 1950s CIE built Bredin coach at Moyasta Junction, now serves as a cafe and shop for the West Clare Railway.
The small stone built water tower, complete with tank, located on the platform at Moyasta Junction. The CCTV camera was probably not present in original West Clare Railway days! A replica Great Southern Railway bilingual station name board at Moyasta Junction. The recently installed water column at Moyasta Junction, located alongside the former line to Kilrush. The 'classic' view of the junction at Moyasta, with the replica West Clare Railway style signal cabin, a very accurate recreation of the original.
The station focreourt at Moyasta Junction. There was once a level crossing here where the line to Kilrush crossed a small country lane. In total there were originally five level crossings to be manned at Moyasta. This is the western approach to Moyasta Jct from the former Kilkee line, which the new West Clare Railway is currently restoring. The river on the left flows out into the Shannon Estuary. The site of the level crossing at the western end of Moyasta, with the station visible in the background. As yet the track has yet to be built across the road, which is the N67 running between Kikee and Kilrush. Several ex CIE locomotives have been moved to Moyasta Jct for restoration, such as 001 Class (formerly A Class) locomotive No.015, built in 1955 by Metropolitan Vickers of Manchester, which was withdrawn from Irish Rail service in 1995. It languished at Inchicore, Dublin, until bought by the West Clare Railway.
View of the rusted front of loco No.015 at Moyasta Junction, complete with vacumn pipe. The loco has since been cosmetically painted green. Inside the No.1 cab end of loco No.015 at Moyasta Junction. Most of the main components remain intact. The relaid 3ft gauge line towards Kilkee can be seen, as yet not in use by the West Clare Railway. The 001 Class locomotives used a wheel for the accelerator, unlike other Irish locos. Here we see the forward, off and reverse positions, note also the Metro-Vick build stamp. The driver's side brake levers within loco No.015, as can be seen made by Craven Ltd of Sheffield in 1955.
The Continuous Automatic Warning System (CAWS) in the cab remains remarkably intact within No.015. This also gave speed indication, and of course the status of signals along a CTC signalled controlled line. The West Clare Railway have also purchased two former Irish Rail BR built Mk2 coaches, this is No.4110. These BR built Mk2 coaches were unlike the main Mk2 stock operating on Irish Rail, they differed in having centre opening windows in the seating area. The way ahead towards Kilkee on the West Clare Railway, hopefully trains will be using this stretch of the restored line in the future.