Tullamore

Tullamore, Co.Offaly, is located on the Great Southern & Western Railway's 1850s built branch line from Portarlington to Athlone. The line was operated as a branch line, with infrequent services to and from Portarlington and Athlone. In the early 1970s however, Galway and western line services were re-routed via the Portarlington line and with the increased services on this route, Tullamore Station gained an additional platform and the line was re-signalled throughout with modern CTC from the late 1970s onwards. The single story GSWR station building at Tullamore clearly show that this was not intended to be the mainline to Galway and the west. At the east end of the station is the GSWR brick built signal cabin, redundant for quite some time. The goods shed located at the west end of the station was also made redundant with the opening of a freight yard on the down side of the line, consisting of a bagged cement/fertilizer store and cement silo, these nowadays are disused also.
The small single storey Great Southern & Western Railway building at Tullamore, constructed in 1865 as a small branchline station. Tullamore, looking east towards Portarlington as viewed from the station footbridge. The GSWR signal cabin and single storey station building are to the left. Tullamore Station, looking west towards Athlone, showing the 1970s constructed down platform. Beyond is the modern freight store, which nowadays is disused to rail traffic. The bulk cement silo at Tullamore Station, located within the freight yard on the down side of the line; it was last used by trains in 2009. The freight terminal has since been disconnected.
The redundant GSWR signal cabin, located at the east end of Tullamore Station. The cabin has been out of use since 1973. Tullow, looking west towards Athlone from the down platform. To the right is the original small stone built goods shed. An engineering trainm stabled in the former goods yard at Tullamore Station. The yard is nowadays used for loading ballast and storing materials. Northern Ireland Railway's 201 Class loco No.8208, is seen stabled in the goods yard at Tullamore in 2003. The loco entered service in May 1995 with the name 'River Lagan'.
Tullamore Station name, a standard IE plastic design, note the floral displays, to which Tullamore has won awards for in recent years.