Wellingtonbridge

Wellingtonbridge, south Co.Wexford, is now the only blockpost station on the Great Southern & Western Railway's 1906 constructed line from Waterford to Rosslare Harbour. The station is typical of the type built on the line, and is the only one left to retain all its station buildings, which are located on a single island platform, with a small signal cabin located at the west end. The station building is made of corrugated iron and is one of the larger examples to be built. At the east end of the station is the staggered GSWR ornate footbridge and station level crossing. In the late 1970s, a large sugar beet loading plant was built adjacent to the station serving trains to both sugar factories at Thurles, and latterly Mallow. This traffic unfortunately ceased in 2005. Recently, passenger services on the Waterford to Rosslare line were withdrawn in September 2010.
141 Class locomotive No.170 stands at Wellingtonbridge Station on the 'Boat Train' railtour from Limerick. The corrugated iron station buidling dates from August 1906, and is typical of the type found on the Great Southern & Western Railway's Waterford to Rosslare line. Seen at the same location but over 30 years earlier, 141 Class loco No.B155, in CIE's black & tan livery, stands at Wellingtonbridge with a Rosslare Harbour bound service. Visible on the left is the sugar beet loading bank and small goods shed. ©Barry Carse In November 1977, Wellingtonbridge Station is seen during the sugar beet campaign, with lorries tipping their load into open wagons from the loading bank. 001 Class loco No.011 awaits departure time with a loaded train bound for the beet factory at Thurles. ©Barry Carse September 1977 sees 001 Class loco No.035 shunting a beet train on the up side of Wellingtonbridge Station. In 1979, the loading bank was superseded by a loading plant with a conveyer on the down side of the line. ©Barry Carse
A similar view of Wellingonbridge today, with the site of the former sugar beet loading plant visible to the left on the down side of the station. The plant was dismantled following the withdrawal of sugar beet operations in 2006. 071 Class loco No.081 stands beside Wellingtonbridge signal cabin at the west end of the station while working the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland's 'South Wexford' diesel railtour from Rosslare to Waterford. A view of the RPSI's 'South Wexford' railtour at Wellingtonbridge Station. In the foreground is the site of the former beet loading plant. Another railtour on the south Wexford line sees a 2800 Class railcar set with No.2818 leading, working an Irish Railway Record Society trip from Rosslare to Waterford shortly before passenger services ceased over the line in September 2010.
Viewed from the footbridge, 071 Class loco No.079 enters Wellingtonbridge Station from the east with Irish Rail's annual weed spraying train, operating from Rosslare to Limerick. A general view of Wellingonbridge Station, looking east towards Rosslare. The majority of the stations on the South Wexford route featured island platforms, connected via a footbridge. The small brick built Great Southern & Western Railway signal cabin at Wellingtonbridge, located at the west end of the station. The station is now the only signalling block post between Rosslare Strand and Waterford. The small neat lever frame, located within the signal cabin at Wellingtonbridge. Until 2006, between the months of October and January, this cabin saw very busy use during the sugar beet campaign.
Wellingtonbridge, looking west towards Waterford, showing the 'up' starting semaphore signals. The mileposts on the line are measured from Mallow via Fermoy, a route which closed as long ago as 1967. Wellingtonbridge, looking east towards Rosslare, showing the 'down' starting semaphore signals, as well as an old CIE mispelled 'iarnród' warning sign. A gated level crossing is located at this end of the station.