Tivoli

Tivoli is located by the Lee Estuary east of Cork City, where several industrial complexes have been built by Cork Harbour. In 1971, with the introduction of magnesite trains from the Ballinacourty plant near Dungarvan, CIE built a siding which ran into the Tivoli docks area (owned by Cork Harbour Commissioners) to serve a magnesite unloading terminal located by the Cork-Cobh main line. The magnesite traffic ceased in 1982, but three years later CIE reopened the siding and re-aligned it to serve a new container terminal at the docks. This container terminal was opened in 1985, but saw little use in latter years. The siding fell out of use by the late 1990s and newer industries now occupy the site of the container terminal. The magnesite unloading terminal remains however. The siding remains partly in situ though disconnected from the main line. The siding entrance also featured a level crossing controlled protected by only traffic lights. Tivoli Station was located east of the docks area, and was opened by the Cork & Youghal Railway in 1860, but was closed in November 1931.
In the summer of 1985,141 Class loco No.176 prepares to shunt a container train into the freight siding west of Tivoli, while been filmed by a well known Cork based photographer. ©Mark Healy Another view of loco No.176 at Tivoli in 1985, reversing into the then new container terminal at the port. The train consists in entirely of the 20th Bell Liner containers. ©Mark Healy The freight siding at Tivoli featured this level crossing within the port area, guarded by a set of road traffic lights seen here. ©Mark Healy A recent view of the former level crossing within Tivoli Port. The siding has been disconnected but the tracks remains in situ, though much covered over. The traffic lights have also been removed.
A view of the former level crossing at Tivoli, which led to two freight terminals in the port. In this view the disused track can be seen curving across the road. The siding had fellan out of use by the early 1990s. Another view of the former level crossing at Tivoli, looking out towards the main line visible behind the gate. The siding has been completely disconnected from the Cork to Cobh line. This is where the freight siding at Tivoli connected to the main Cork to Cobh line. This view is looking east towards Cobh, with the trackbed of the siding trailing in from the right. The track here was removed in the late 1990s. 001 Class locomotive No.021 heads past Tivoli siding with the anhydrous ammonia train from Marino Point to Shelton Abbey. The siding leading into the container terminal converged from the right of the picture behind the adjacent oil wagons. ©Mark Healy
This view shows the original 1971 constructed siding leading into the former magnesite unloading terminal, visible on the right, with the new 1985 alignment for the container terminal under construction curving to the left. ©David Hegarty The view nowadays sees the both sidings having disappeared beneath a roadway. The new container terminal was sited out of view to the left. This was the gate which the siding into the old magnesite terminal passed through. The track was removed after 1985 with the magnesite traffic from Ballinacourty, Co.Waterford, having ceased in 1982. A view of the former magnesite unloading terminal east of Cork City at Tivoli Port. The trackbed of the siding is on the left. The magnesite traffic operated from 1971 until 1982.
Another 1985 view sees loco No.176 propelling the first container train into the new Tivoli siding in 1985. The siding was little used in later years and was eventually dismantled. ©David Hegarty This old Bell container on a trailer was seen beside the former siding in Tivoli Docks. Bell container traffic was handled at the 1985 built terminal. The Bell company itself went into liquidation in 1997, long after the siding had closed altogether. This was the former railway station at Tivoli, located west of the port on the adjacent N8 road. Today, only the facade of the single storey building remains, having closed in November 1931. ©Fred Dean Closer view of the abandoned red brick built station building at Tivoli, located on the down side of the Cork to Cobh railway line. The station was opened with the Cork & Youghal Railway in September 1860.