North Wall

Since the 1870s, the first railway companies of Ireland had begun to establish their own large goods yards in east Dublin City, adjacent to Dublin Port. These yards had all remained largely intact up until the 1970s, when new container cranes and track simplification along with surplus yards closures came about with the introduction of bulk freight trains.

East Wall yard, established here by the Great Northern Railway in the 1870s, is nowadays a ballast loading point and civil engineers sidings. A wagon repair shed was also built here in the 1970s. The yard was simplified in recent years, and the container loading gantry was removed. The line to the Alexandra Road tramway also passes through East Wall yard. A link line also ran from East Wall to the Great Southern & Western Railway's goods yard at the Point Depot, which closed in the late 1980s.
The London & North Western Railway yard at North Wall was established in the 1870s, it once also had a passenger service, withdrawn as early as 1922. The yard was upgraded with new cranes, both in 1970 and 1994, but the withdrawal of container traffic resulted in the closure of the yard in 2005. Adjacent to the LNWR yard was the Midland Great Western Railway's goods yard, later used for loading containers by forklift. In use up to late 1990s, it too closed in 2005 and now the Docklands Station stands on its northern site.
The London & North Western Railway yard at North Wall in the summer of 2002, where the 1994 EU funded container crane could be seen lifting various containters onto freightliner trains. In happier times, 141 Class locomotive No.145 is seen shunting the Norfolk freightliner train at the LNWR yard in North Wall. The two smaller crane gantries in the background date from the 1970s. ©Colm O' Callaghan A few years later we seen the full extent of the removal of the former LNWR freight yard at North Wall. Shortly after this picture was taken the yard was quickly cleared for redevelopent, and today no trace remains. Another shot of the gaunt looking LNWR freight yard at North Wall shortly after closure. A CIE road bulk cement trailer, still in 1970s tan livery can be seen. In the distance the decommissioned container crane gantry can also be seen.
This is a view from the Sheriff St bridge, looking across the former Midland Great Western and London North Western yards at North Wall. Both 1960s and 1970s CIE cement wagons can be seen to the right. The late 1970s bogey bulk cement wagons, with 'Irish Cement Ltd' branding, at the former LNWR yard at North Wall. To the left is the LNWR brick built water tower, which still stands today. The 1870s built London & North Western Railway brick built water tower still survives on the north side of the former LNWR yard in North Wall, as seen in 2009. This is the north side of Sheriff St bridge, where part of the MGWR yard was still in use for the dwindling container traffic. The modern pocket container wagons have since been employed on the Dublin to Ballina liner.
The former Midland Great Western Railway freight yard, once busy with containers as recently as the mid 1990s, is now seen more or less abandoned in 2003. Today this site is covered over with new apartments. 141 Class locomotives Nos.145+160 are seen together at the ballast sidings at East Wall yard. Both these 1962 built locos have since been scrapped. Probably the least photographed wagons in Ireland are these basic open 4-wheel spoil wagons. Three members of this wagon class are seen at East Wall yard. A standard CIE ballast wagon at East Wall yard. Only a small number of these wagons dating from the 1970s are still in use.
A general view of East Wall yard, where 181 Class loco No.185 is seen shortly after a repaint shunting in November 2004. On the approach to East Wall yard, 141 Class loco No.152 shunts a ballast train beneath the 'East Road' overbridge. No.152 entered service in December 1962, but has since been withdrawn. A view of General Motors built 181 Class loco No.192 in East Wall yard, seen beneath the Electricity Supply Board's towers at Poolbeg. No.192, which dated from 1966, has also been scrapped. A pair of 141/181 Class locomotives, Nos.146+190, are seen on a ballast train at East Wall yard. Behind the locos is the distinctive yellow liveried guards van with attached ballast plough.
141 Class locomotive No.175 is seen at East Wall yard on a permanent way train. No.175 was built by General Motors at La Grange Illinois Works, USA, in 1962. Coupled to loco 175 is sister loco No.167, which also dated from 1962. No.167 clearly shows her rather weathered Irish Rail black & orange livery in comparison to No.175. Both these locos have since been withdrawn. The pioneering 141 Class locomotive is seen stabled in East Wall yard on a ballast train. This historic loco has been preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. At East Wall, No.141 is seen in the company of brakevan No.8456, fitted with a plough for spreading the ballast evenly along the line. No.8456 is in fact the oldest piece of rolling stock on Irish Rail, built at Inchicore Works by the Great Southern & Western in 1906.
Loco No.152 is seen again in East Wall yard. The wagons on the left are some of the CIE's 1960s built bulk cement wagons, nicknamed 'bubbles', and now since scrapped. 071 Class loco No.088 is seen in ex works condition, preparing to depart East Wall yard with a cement train to Platin near Drogheda, consisting of the 1960s bulk cement wagons. The 1877 built former London & North Western Railway station at North Wall, located at the east end of the Liffey Quays. The passenger service which connected with a boat service to England was withdrawn in 1922. Another view of LNWR station at North Wall, which hasn't changed much considering the massive develops in the North Wall area of Dublin in recent years. Although the passenger service ceased in 1922, goods services continued and later developed into container traffic, this being finally withdrawn in 2005.
The London & North Western also constructed a fine red bricked hotel and offices adjacent to the railway station, seen here. This is one of the few old Victorian era buildings left on the quays in Dublin. The ornate London & North Western Railway crest, seen on the former 1870s built hotel opposite the LNWR station in North Wall. The porch balcony above the entrance to the former LNWR hotel & offices in North Wall, note again the architectural details, and the intricate iron railings. The building is no longer in Irish Rail use. Closer view of this somewhat ancient looking clock at the rear of the former LNWR hotel & offices at North Wall.
A three bracket CIE shunting signal located on the exit from North Wall yard to the Great Northern's Dublin to Belfast main line. Seen on Church Road in the North Wall area is this unsual butcher shop featuring an 'N gauge' model railway. The display was created by the owner Pat Curtis. 071 Class loco No.077 moves out of East Wall yard with an empty ore train from near by Alexandra Road terminal, bound for the Tara Mines near Navan. The 22nd of August 2009 saw the first run of the 'new' North Wall to Ballina (Co.Mayo) IWT (International Warehousing Transport) freightliner service, which 071 Class loco No.076 was entrusted with hauling.
No.076, complete with IWT stickers, is captured again as the Dublin to Ballina freightliner approaches the overbridge on Ossory Road just outside North Wall. In the early 1970s, Sulzer engined B Class locomotive No.B101 approaches the Ossory Rd bridge with a rake of cattle wagons bound for Heuston goods yard on the west side of the city. ©Barry Carse 071 Class loco No.073 descends the gradient into North Wall from West Road Junction on the Sligo line with the 'up' IWT freightliner from Ballina to Dublin. Above the train is the bridge carrying the main Dublin to Belfast line. Loco No.072 moves a rake of withdrawn Mk3 coaching stock out of the sidings at East Wall yard , bound for Inchicore Works on the west side of the city. The Mk3s were largely displaced by the 22000 Class diesel railcars.
No.072 is captured again with the withdrawn Mk3 stock, seen creating a smokey departure from North Wall as it heads west past Ossory Road overbridge. 141 Class loco No.144 is seen shunting one of the rakes of withdrawn Mk3 coaching stock, while 071 Class No.086 heads through the yard with the morning loaded Tara Mines to Alexandra Rd ore train. 071 Class No.075 makes up an empty ballast train in the sidings at East Wall yard prior to operating west to Portlaoise. Three 071 Class locomotives are seen together in East Wall yard; in the background locos Nos.075 & 086 are on ballast trains, while No.076 brings a rake of loaded Tara Mines wagons to the unloading terminal on Alexandra Road.
In the early 1970s, Sulzer engined B Class locomotive No.B114 arrives into East Wall with a transfer goods working from Heuston yard on the west side of the city. B114 was one of two early main line diesel locomotives built by CIE in 1950/1. ©Barry Carse In contrast to B114, General Motors built 071 Class loco No.080 arrives into East Wall with the morning laden ore train from the Tara Mines near Navan, to Alexandra Road in Dublin Port. No.080 entered service in May 1977. One of the orange liveried 071 Class locos, No.087, prepares to take an empty rake of container pocket wagons down to the Alexandra Road tramway, which will be loaded to form the Dublin to Ballina IWT freightliner. 'Intercity' liveried 201 Class loco No.225 follows No.087 towards the Alexandra Road tramway, which it would later haul loaded back into the East Wall yard, while loco No.086 prepares to depart with the empty ore wagons bound for the Tara Mines near Navan.
141 Class loco No.171 shunts the loaded Ballina to Dublin IWT liner in East Wall yard prior to running down to the Alexandra Road tramway for unloading, which 071 Class No.076 will follow. No.171 is seen in earlier years at East Wall yard as 'B171', preparing to depart with the Dublin to Limerick liner train in September 1977. The second ESB tower was under construction at this time. ©Barry Carse In the evening sunlight, a clean looking 071 Class loco No.076 follows loco No.171 down to the Alexandra Road tramway at East Wall. The somewhat forlorn looking northern end of the one time LNWR yard at North Wall, where loco No.087 is seen stabled adjacent to the disused bagged cement and fertilizer stores.
A closer view of loco No.087, seen stabled in North Wall with a rake of spoil wagons which were formerly used on the barytres ore traffic from Silvermines to Foynes in Co.Limerick. The wagons are seen here loaded with old rails and sleepers. Loco No.073 is seen shunting a rake of bogey flat wagons in East Wall yard, having been collected from the wagon repair shop visible in the background. A worn looking orange liveried 071 Class No.084 takes some bogey flat wagons across the diamond crossover in East Wall yard prior to shunting into the siding, while below sister loco No.080 awaits the road to the Alexandra Road tramway. 071 Class loco No.080 arrives into East Wall with an empty ballast train from Drogheda, seen passing an outbound empty ore train from Alexandra Rd, which is heading back to the Tara Mines at Navan.
No.080 is now seen shunting its rake of 4-wheel ballast hoppers into the stabling sidings at the East Wall yard. No.080 entered service in May 1977. 201 Class loco No.215 approaches East Wall yard with the Ballina to Waterford IWT liner, which is formed of the loaded pocket container wagons. The train would shortly proceed to the Ocean Pier terminal. 071 Class loco No.083 brings three container flats out of the sidings at East Wall yard, one loaded with a 9ft high container which is operating to Kildare for a gauge trial. The 9ft high Cobelfret container at East Wall, seen complete with foam attachments, en route from Dublin to Kildare on a gauging test run on the Dublin to Cork main line.
Having been involved in the opening ceremony for the new Ocean Pier container terminal at Dublin Port, No.215 is seen complete with IWT as it shunts four bogey flat wagons in East Wall yard. No.215 is now seen hauling the IWT liner as starts its long journey to Ballina in Co.Mayo, seen passing Ossory Rd just outside the North Wall area. With a mixed load of containers and tanks, 071 Class loco No.077 storms the bank up past Ossory Rd with a late running IWT liner to Ballina. 071 Class No.080 shunts two red liveried ex-work Tara Mines ore wagons at East Wall, prior to working a transfer to Navan. The wagons had been overhauled at Inchicore Works.
Close up of the ex-works Tara Mines ore wagons at East Wall, which can either be loaded with zine and lead ore. Loco No.080 will combine these wagons with the three less cleaner ones behind prior to operating to Navan. Loco No.077, dating from 1976, arrives into East Wall yard with the Ballina to Dublin IWT liner. The train will shortly proceed to the new container terminal located within Dublin Docks. Seen at the same location and arriving with the same train, NIR owned 201 Class loco No.209 arrives at East Wall with the IWT liner. Displaced from its usual Dublin-Belfast 'Enterprise' duties, the loco has recenty been appearing on freight and PWD workings. Ex-works 'Intercity' liveried 201 Class loco No.234, with its characteristic large numerals, heads past Ossory Rd as it begins its long journey to Ballina with the fully loaded IWT liner, consisting of the pocket wagons.
071 Class No.086 rolls into East Wall yard with the Long Welded Rail (LWR) train, operating from Portlaoise to Navan. The machinery mounted on the flat wagons behind the loco allow new rails to be laid quickly and efficiently. A rather tired looking No.081 brings in the morning loaded Tara Mines working from Navan to Alexandra Rd. In the background is the GSWR Church Rd signal cabin. No.080, having run around its LWR train, has pulled foward beneath the East Wall Rd bridge, prior to backing into the yard, while the Tara Mines train awaits departure towards Alexandra Rd. The flexible rails on the LWR train are stretch continously across the flat wagons, seen snaking their way across the trackwork in East Wall yard.
No.086 is glimpsed again as it backs its LWR train into the yard at East Wall, blocking sister loco No.081 on the left with its Tara Mines train. The LWR train is normally stabled at the PWD depot at Portlaoise. Loco No.075 rolls into the yard at East Wall with a PWD train from Drogheda, which consists of track panels and the new spoil wagons. A morning Tara Mines ex Navan us stabled on the middle road awaiting departure down to the Alexandra Rd. 201 Class loco No.215 hauls the IWT liner out of East Wall yard having come from the container terminal in Dublin Port, while 071 Class locos Nos.081 and 071 await loco 215 to clear the yard. On this occasion both the three tracks into East Wall yard were occupied, with from right to left the PWD train from Drogheda, the Tara Mines working from Navan, and the IWT departing behind loco No.215 to Ballina.
With both the Tara Mines and IWT trains having departed, loco No.075 begins to shunt its PWD train at East Wall. The new wagons behind the loco carrying spoil have replaced the ex 4-wheel barytes wagons, which dated back to the late 1960s. 'Enterprise' liveried 201 Class loco No.230 arrives on the inner road on the approach to East Wall yard with the IWT liner from Ballina. Clearly having robbed an orange liveried cab door off a redundant 141 Class loco, 071 Class No.072 arrives into East Wall with the morning laden Tara Mines train, while sister loco No.076 shunts the spoil wagons. The 071 Class leader, No.071, leads a long PWD train past Ossory Road outside North Wall. The PWD train consisted of flat wagons and railtrucks which were en route to Portlaoise.
The rail trucks, loaded with spare rails, seen from the road overbridge at Ossory Road.