View source for Ballaghaderreen branch line

{{Short description|Historical railway line in Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox rail line
|name        = Ballaghaderreen branch line
|other_name  = The Kilfree line
|color       =
|logo        =
|logo_width  =
|image       = 
|image_width = 
|caption     = Island Road Station on the branch line
|type        = [[Heavy rail]]
|system      = [[Córas Iompair Éireann]]
|status      = Ceased operation
|locale      = [[County Sligo]] and [[County Roscommon]], [[Ireland]]<br />{{coord|53.938500|-8.489056|display=inline,title|type:landmark|notes=&nbsp;&nbsp;(Island road station line midpoint)}}
|start       = {{rws|Kilfree Junction}} 
|end         = {{rws|Ballaghaderreen}}
|stations    = 4
|routes      = 
|daily_ridership =
|open        = 1874
|close       = 1963
|owner       = Sligo & Ballahaderreen Railway Company<br />[[Midland Great Western Railway]]<br />[[Great Southern Railways]]<br />[[Córas Iompair Éireann]] 
|operator    = [[Midland Great Western Railway]]<br />[[Great Southern Railways]]<br />[[Córas Iompair Éireann]]
|character   = Secondary
|depot       = 
|stock       = 
|linelength  = {{convert|9.75|mi|km}}<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3">{{cite journal|url=http://docplayer.net/27905707-Volume-7-july-1961-no-3.html|access-date=4 October 2017|title=THE BALLAGHADERREEN BRANCH|date=July 2017|volume=7|issue=3|pages=14–16|journal=Irish Failfan News}}</ref>
|tracklength = {{convert|9.75|mi|km}}
|tracks      = [[Single-track railway|Single track]]
|gauge       = {{track gauge|1600mm}} [[Irish gauge]] 
|electrification = Not electrified 
|speed       = 
|elevation   =
|map         = {{Ballaghaderreen branch line|inline=1}}
|map_state   = 
|box_width   = 
}}

The '''Ballaghaderreen branch line''' connected [[Ballaghaderreen railway station]] to [[Kilfree Junction railway station|Kilfree Junction]] on the [[Dublin]] to [[Sligo Mac Diarmada railway station|Sligo]] main line. It opened in 1874 and closed in 1963.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/>

==History==

The Sligo & Ballaghaderreen Junction Railway (S&BJR) was incorporated in 1863 with the purpose of connecting the village of [[Ballaghaderreen]] to the newly opened extension of the [[Midland Great Western Railway]] (MGWR) from Longford to Sligo.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/>

The line opened in 1874 and was operated by the MGWR.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/> Although costing £80,000 to build, it was sold to the [[Midland Great Western Railway#Branch lines|MGWR]] for £24,000 in 1877, after spending time under the administration of creditors due to non-payment of debts<ref>"J.P.O’Dea", Kilfree to Ballaghadereen – 2, 1976, Vol. 12, No. 70, p220, JIRRS</ref> Of this, £13,300 went to the Board of Works to repay its loan and the balance to the [[Consett Iron Company]] – leaving the original shareholders with nothing.<ref>"G. R. Mahon, 1982, ‘Irish Railways in 1877’ JIRRS Vol. 14, No. 88, p373"</ref>

In 1924, the MGWR was part of a merger forming the ''Great Southern Railway'' company which became the [[Great Southern Railways]] in 1925.

In the adjournment debate ''Portlaoighise-Mountmellick Railway'' in 1944 indicated the Ballaghaderreen branch line had closed but was re-opened on the behest of a member of the house.<ref name="DEBATE1">{{cite web|url=http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail1944062100032?opendocument|date=21 June 1944|access-date=3 October 2017|publisher=Houses of the Oireachtas Service|title=Adjournment Debate—Portlaoighise-Mountmellick Railway}}</ref>

The line finally closed on Saturday 2 February 1963. The last return trip from Ballaghaderreen at 11:50 was hauled by 0-6-0 steam locomotive 574, and on the return from Kilfree Junction a local band played a farewell.  The last train was a special cattle train hauled by B133 leaving Ballaghaderreen at 15:22.<ref name="IrishRailFans1">{{cite web|url=https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/irnirishrailwaynews/railway-closures-february-1963-from-irish-railfans-t2657.html|title=Railway Closures February 1963 - from Irish Railfans' News - Kilfree Junction- Ballaghaderreen|date=5 February 2013|access-date=3 October 2017|publisher=Irish Railway News|url-status=live|archive-date=3 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003183852/https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/irnirishrailwaynews/railway-closures-february-1963-from-irish-railfans-t2657.html}}</ref>

==Route==

The route begins at {{rws|Kilfree Junction}} at [[milepost]] 112½ ({{convert|112+1/2|mi|km|disp=out}}) on the [[Dublin-Sligo railway line|Dublin-Sligo line]].  Branch line trains have their own platform.  Freight and special trains from Sligo can enter the branch without reversing.  The branch curves off from the main line on an embankment and goes down steeply to milepost 2({{convert|2|mi|km|disp=out}}).  Excellent views of [[Lough Gara]] are visible to the south east until reaching [[Island Road (Sligo) railway station|Island Road station]] serving [[Monasteradin]] at {{convert|5|mi|km}}.  This stationed was only opened in 1909.  [[Edmondstown (Roscommon) railway station|Edmondstown station]] is reached at milepost 6¾ ({{convert|6+3/4|mi|km|disp=out}}) and thereafter line crosses wild boggy country until at {{convert|9.75|mi|km}} the end of the line is reached at {{rws|Ballaghaderreen}}.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/>

==Services==
The basic passenger service level was three or four round trips per day apart from a period of one round trip per day during [[The Emergency (Ireland)|the "Emergency"]].  Between 1947 and closure service decreased to two round trips in the morning and early afternoon.  They were designed to connect with services on the main line at {{rws|Kilfree Junction}}.  Most services were mixed passenger and freight.  There was some limited working of diesel locomotives on special and freight trains with the single ended [[CIE 121 Class|121 class]] being noted; these would be turned on the turntables as required.  The [[CIÉ 2600 Class|2600 class AEC-engineed railcars]] were also used on some Sunday specials.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/>

==Rolling Stock==
Regular scheduled passenger services on the branch line were always steam operated until the end.  The [[William Fairbairn & Sons]] built [[MGWR Class 6#MGWR Class 8|MGWR Class 8]] No. 35 ''Wren'' was allocated to working the branch from the outset until withdrawal in 1885.<ref name="ES-Cl8">{{cite book| title=The Midland Great Western Railway of Ireland – An illustrated History|last=Shepherd|first=Ernie|publisher=Midland Publishing Limited|year=1994|ISBN=1-85780-008-7|pages=83,123}}</ref>  Thereafter [[MGWR Class E|J26 0-6-0T (GSR 551 Class)]] seemed to be used up to the 1940s.  [[MGWR Class K|G2 2-4-0 (GSR 650 Class)]] took over in the 1950s with 666 and 667 typically used in rotation.  From about 1955 until closure the [[MGWR Classes L and Lm|J18 0-6-0 (GSR 573 Class)]] became the designated locomotive.  In later years special trains and freight were sometimes operated by diesel.<ref name="IRN-JUL1961V7I3"/>

==Incidents==

During the [[Irish War of Independence]] trains were regularly stopped on the branch line with British soldiers and [[Royal Irish Constabulary|Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC)]] disarmed and goods for [[Belfast]] confiscated.  In one particularly serious incident in May 1921 a train was hi-jacked and used to shoot at the RIC [[Barracks]] in [[Ballaghaderreen]].<ref name="CorranH2">{{cite magazine|url=http://ballymoteheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/46-2013-2014.pdf|title=A strange thing happened on the way to the dance: An encounter in Sligo between two military men|last=Farry|first=Michael|pages=10–13|publisher=Ballymote heritage group|magazine=THE CORRAN HERALD|issue=46|date=2014|access-date=8 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161224170716/http://ballymoteheritage.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/46-2013-2014.pdf|url-status=live|archive-date=24 December 2016}}</ref>

==Kilfree line community greenway proposal==

The Ballaghaderreen Chamber of Commerce have proposed converting the old line into a greenway.<ref name="GreenwayProp1">{{cite web|url=http://ballaghaderreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Down-the-Line-A-vision-for-Ballaghaderreen.pdf|access-date=3 October 2017|date=October 2016|title=PROPOSAL TO CONVERT THE OLD RAILWAY LINE FROM BALLAGHADERREEN TO KILFREE INTO A COMMUNITY GREENWAY|publisher=Ballaghaderreen Chamber of Commerce|url-status=live|archive-date=3 October 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171003175808/http://ballaghaderreen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Down-the-Line-A-vision-for-Ballaghaderreen.pdf}}</ref>

==Media==
St. Aiden's National School in [[Monasteraden]] produced a 32-minute movie entitled "The Train" bringing together rare footage and interviews with local people.<ref name="ChampionTrain">{{cite news|url=http://www.independent.ie/regionals/sligochampion/localnotes/all-aboard-monasteraden-ns-pupils-recapture-the-magic-of-kilfree-to-ballaghaderreen-train-27565365.html|title=All aboard . . . Monasteraden N.S. pupils recapture the magic of Kilfree to Ballaghaderreen train|access-date=3 October 2017|date=8 July 2009|publisher=The Sligo Champion}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Railway lines opened in 1874]]
[[Category:Closed railways in Ireland]]
[[Category:1874 establishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:1963 disestablishments in Ireland]]
[[Category:Ballaghaderreen]]