Sligo

The Midland Great Western Railway's line from Mullingar to Longford was opened in 1855, with the final section to the large county town of Sligo opening in December 1862. Sligo Station, which originally consisted of an arrival and departure platform flanked by carriage sidings, had an overall roof but this was destroyed in 1922 during the civil war. the roof been replaced by basic canopies hung from the tall stone built retaining walls. At the south end of the station is the now redundant MGWR style signal cabin, though with a re-bricked base.
As part of the upgrading of the Sligo line, the station now only has one operational platform, with a siding serving the former arrival platform. At the south end of the station is the former water tower, turntable, and one time engine shed which demolished in the 1980s. The now disused branch line from Sligo Quay freight yard also converges at the south end of the station, where a run around loops is provided for locomotive hauled trains.
071 Class locomotive No.088 reverses out of Sligo Station to run around its train before forming a service back to Dublin. Nowadays the Sligo services are operated by diesel railcars. 088 is seen shunting the Mk2 stock beside the Midland Great Western Railway signal cabin at Sligo Station. The Sligo Quay line converges from the right behind the cabin. Sligo Station, as viewed from the departure platform. The original MGWR overall roof was destroyed during the civil war, replaced by what are now dilapidated canopies. Sligo, looking south down the departure platform towards Dublin. The main station buildings are to the left. The centre sidings for storing coaching stock have since been removed.
The large stone built retaining wall on the arrival pltform at Sligo Station, with its replacement canopy supports. The varried buffer stops, new & old, at the end of the railway line at Sligo Station. The line from Sligo to Mullingar was opened by the MGWR in December 1862. In August 2004, during the modernisation of the Sligo line, a permanent way vehicle is seen operating on the departure line at the south end of the station. The former locomotive facilities at the south end of Sligo Station, located on the up side of the line. A two road loco shed was once sited beyond the water tower, which once serviced CIE and the former Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway.
The disconnected turntable at Sligo Station, no longer used. The water tower at Sligo Station, complete with tank and adjacent column. The two road loco shed at Sligo, dating from the 1860s, was demolished in the 1980s. Viewed from the window of some ex CIE vintage coaching stock operating on an Irish Traction Group railtour from Dublin, this is the scenic approach to the terminus at Sligo. There is a short lenght of double track here which allows up & down trains to cross. 071 Class loco No.078 moves away from the platform at the south end of Sligo as its shunts the ITG railtour, prior to returning to Dublin. No.078 entered service with CIE in May 1977. The 1950s green liveried coaching stock is owned by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.
The now redundant Midland Great Western Railway style signal cabin at Sligo Station. The base of the structure was rebuilt in the 1970s. Behind the cabin is the disused freight only line to Sligo Quay. One of the small step platforms remains, once used for exchanging the one time signal tokens. Sligo's most well known and impressive mountain, Benbulbin, is easily viewable from the railway station, which is located in an elevated position above the large town.