Irish Railway Record Society

The Horseleap Branch Part 2

John O’Meara

EARLY CLOSURE ATTEMPTS

The first serious attempt to completely close the 7¹/₂-mile section was made in September 1934 when a full investigation was ordered as to its viability as a working unit. After several weeks of in-depth discussion it was recommended that the status quo should prevail – two mixed trains each way Clara-Mullingar-Clara. This was surprising, as for the half-year ending June of the same year the working loss was £974. Mounting losses continued; £2,010 and £2,272 in the years 1936 and 1937. However by 1938, 1939 and 1940 such deficits had been reduced to £1,474, £1,102 and £992 respectively.

The second serious attempt at closure took place in June 1954 when an application was made to the Secretary of the Railway Tribunal sitting in Dublin to hear plans to do so. It was agreed by management not to reveal to the Tribunal that it would be used as a working route and as a convenience even in the event of a closure order being obtained, but that no advertised excursions be allowed. At the same time an in-depth analysis as to the branch’s re-opening was undertaken, but by September 1955 no decision had been reached. In April 1956 the Tribunal, pressed for a decision, agreed to closure, though it remained unaware that the branch was being retained as a useful link between Clara and Streamstown.

In his report to the Tribunal the Company’s Chief Engineer presented grounds why the Horseleap branch should not have permission granted to be permanently restored for full running:

	The permanent way consisting of 30 ft. 80lb flat-bottomed rail with three sleepers per rail length soleplated, even though in fairly good condition, showed severe wear at the joints, probably due to the pounding from heavy locomotives and the Bretland supply trains.
	No complete or partial renewals of rails or sleepers had been carried out during the previous 40 years, apart from a half-mile length near Clara in 1937. A few sleepers had been replaced by patching, but generally were in bad condition due to their age.
	Ballast was poor, consisting largely of stone dust from Lecarrow quarry, ash and clinker. Bridges were in good condition due their renewal in 1937 but had not been painted since 1933, though they required no Horseleap station buildings, being dilapidated, required painting and refurbishment at a cost of £160.
	Fences were old and in poor condition, requiring a considerable amount of attention.
	The re-introduction of a regular passenger service even at 40 mph and a goods at 30 would necessitate a general re-sleepering and fishplating of the entire branch as well as some yard re-laying at a cost of approximately £44,000.

It was, I suggest, these comments that led to the Tribunal agreeing to the branch’s demise. However, a date was not finalised there and then.

STATIONS

Streamstown and MP61³/₄ on the Dublin-Galway line was two-way signalled with the down being the through running road. Its cabin of 16 levers was off the up loop platform at the Athlone end. ETS working to Clara was with large staffs with small staffs to Moate and Castletown. Rosters were worked by three signalmen, but prior to the singling of the line in 1928 and for the six weeks in 1963 before closure that number was reduced to two, with the cabin switched out at night. A water column was fed from a tank of 4,750 gallons situated at the Athlone end of the down platform. However, in June 1946 due to its being in need of urgent repairs it was dismantled and not replaced.

A goods store, cattle bank, pens and dock were available on an 8-wagon siding at the Mullingar end. The shortness of livestock loading facilities was manifest on Thursday 14 August 1943 when a cattle and sheep fair at Ballymore, five miles from the station, provided an output of 32 wagons instead of the usual three. Mullingar supplied the special engine which brought extra wagons to cope with the demand. It was used to shunt the fair before its 14:00 departure with its unexpected wagon output. Another feature of Streamstown was its two long sidings each side of the station, each capable of holding 75 wagons. It also catered for Kilbeggan monthly livestock fair, the average output being three wagons October to March up to 1960, and as required thereafter.

Streamstown, where I was a frequent visitor during the mid-’50s, was a fascinating place, particularly on Saturdays when livestock specials from western fairs were making their snail-like journeys to North Wall. On several occasions I observed them puffing and panting with 45 wagons, sometimes less, up a 1:150/100 grade for 4¹/₄ miles towards Castletown. In the down direction the afternoon Westland Row-Galway passenger, hauled by a 2-6-0 Woolwich, would hurtle by ‘snatching’ or on a few occasions using a hand ring. A Galway crew was in charge.

Signalling alterations took place at that well-kept station on 11 June 1957 when the turnout at the Moate end was removed. The Clara line up home was dispensed with along with the down starting signal from the bay platform to the down main. The down island platform on which the station premises were situated was 378 ft. long while the up was 299 ft. in length.

During the ’20s and 30’s Streamstown was a Mecca for athletics and for several years meetings were supported by specials from Broadstone, Killucan and Athlone. In 1934 and 1935, the Broadstone specials carried 502 and 489 passengers respectively. By 1938 athletics had lost their importance and were never revived.

A TRIP ON THE BRANCH

The last fare-paying passenger to travel over the Horseleap branch did so on Monday 18 March 1963 on a special organised by the Irish Railway Record Society with over one hundred enthusiasts participating. A J15-class 0-6-0 No. 151, built in Inchicore in 1868 and withdrawn from service in May 1965, was the motive power; four bogie carriages and van the train composition: Lar Sherlock was the driver and Jack O’Neill the fireman.

It was my pleasure to travel on 151’s footplate and what better way to describe the scheduled 35-minute journey to Clara from a privileged position with an amount of nostalgia tinged with sadness.

On departure from Streamstown with a large type Electric Staff marked Clara Junction, we headed due west parallel to the main Dublin-Athlone line for a quarter of a mile, thence swinging away in a south-westerly direction with a fall of 1:100 and 1:120 to MP62. After a short level section a further fall of 1:125 was noted.

Horseleap was reached at MP64³/₄, where a ten-minute visit was scheduled. On the level it had a loop siding open at both ends. A goods store in a derelict state catered for one wagon and nearby was a 1¹/₂ ton hand crane, decommissioned on 4 December 1956. Beet loading had ceased after the 1956/7 campaign and both loop turnouts were taken out of use in August 1957.

In 1947 haltkeeper Dick Kenny had been transferred to Leixlip following the Board’s decision not to re-open the branch to a regular timetable. As a replacement was not contemplated in the foreseeable future the station building, a two-storey structure, was an open invitation to the vandals and this was duly availed of. The two stop signals on a single pole in the centre of the platform, common for small halts, were taken out of use in September 1942.

As we continued our journey to Clara another short fall of 1:100 to MP65 was noted and from there to MP67 sharp falls of 1:120 and 1:130 preceded a run with a rise of 1:130 for 1¹/₄ miles to MP68. Clara Junction at MP69¹/₄ was easily reached by a fall of 1:120 for over 1¹/₄ miles.

Water was taken from the seldom-used Midland column and after a short stoppage the return was made tender foremost to Streamstown where 151 ran round its train and resumed its journey to Athlone.

Before departure from Clara there was time to note a long siding at the west end of the station where on many occasions specials of coke and jute were discharged for Messrs Goodbody. At the back of the signalbox there were sidings for Odlums flour mill, a cattle bank and goods store. Up to the closure of the Tuam beet factory in 1984 six wagons of sugar beet were forwarded by the Banagher beet special each evening during the campaign.

Clara station (GS&WR) had only one platform of 120 ft. on the up side, but this has since been lengthened to the now standard of 174 metres. In 1976 there were eight station personnel. In 2006 that number is reduced to two.

INCIDENT

Two very reliable sources told me about the incident which occurred at Streamstown on a Friday in September 1953, neither informant having knowledge of the other. A North Wall-Athlone overload special had 65 wagons – 50 laden goods wagons and 15 empty cattle wagons – and a van. The locomotive was Woolwich 2-6-0 No. 383 and was running well. It was due to cross a shipping special of stock at Castletown which was making a run for a boat connection at North Wall. It was to cross the up Galway day mail there as well. Castletown down home signal was at danger as it approached. Approximately ten minutes later the stock special was seen going into the loop. When the overload pulled into Castletown the driver learned that the stock special had a hot box on a wagon three from the guard’s van. After a short discussion between the signalmen at Castletown and Streamstown it was decided to let on the down special to Streamstown and to cross the up mail there.

The fall from Castletown to Streamstown was 1:105/150 for 4¹/₄ miles. At normal speed it was estimated that a tight crossing would occur. This move was necessary as a double-crossing with the day mail was found to be impractical due to detaching and shunting the wagon with the hot box: a delay of some considerable time was envisaged. The mail actually passed the stock special one hour later at Castletown.

When the overload was barely past the Castletown up distant it was obvious, despite a full brake application including that of the van that it was not going to stop at the Streamstown down home signal, which was at danger. The Galway mail duly arrived and stopped at Streamstown home signal. The rule is that on single lines two approaching trains have to be brought to a stop at their respective home signals before being allowed in order of priority to be brought into the station. For some reason the overload goods was judged to be in the loop for a few minutes and the road was cleared to allow the passenger to run through Streamstown.

The latter’s signalman, on hearing the repetitive whistling of 383, realised he was dealing with a runaway situation with potentially disastrous consequences. He reversed the loop road points and made the road for the Horseleap branch. The entire overload made its way fairly briskly, passing the down island platform and the up mail, coming to a stop approximately a half-mile into the branch. When the mail departed for Castletown, albeit at a very slow speed, 383 was able to reverse by pushing its load back onto the mainline and continue to Athlone.

LOCAL REGULATIONS

There were no restrictions in crossing at Streamstown but there were at Castletown, where there was a severe falling gradient to the long siding at the Mullingar end. In the case of a heavily laden goods having to reverse into this siding it was obligatory for the guard to travel in the van to give brake assistance to the driver. On a few occasions the sidings stop-block was uprooted. Streamstown, on the other hand, was signalled for a four-train crossing, yet as far as possible heavy Dublin-bound goods and livestock specials were given a through road due to the acute gradients to Castletown.

The propelling of ballast trains between Castletown and Streamstown was prohibited. The latter, a rural halt, was not served by any of the Galway-Dublin passenger services up to 1947 as the Clara-Mullingar local stopped. When the local was discontinued some through services were provided, but the numbers availing of these facilities were very small.

CLOSURE

Streamstown, a well-kept station, was closed to all traffic on 19 May 1963. Its last fare-paying passengers numbered 18, joining a Portarlington-Mullingar via Athlone football special on Sunday 5 May 1963 at a fare of 4s. The last crossing of two passenger trains took place at 11:05 on 9 June. A Galway-Amiens St football special and a Wexford-Claremorris pilgrimage train were involved.

Streamstown station died on Saturday 22 June 1963 when Electric Train Staff working with Moate to the west and Castletown to the east was withdrawn. On that day all points were disconnected, spiked for through running and removed two weeks later. Signal arms and ground disks were brought to Mullingar. The new section became Castletown-Moate.

As of the present time the other station that had connections to the Horseleap branch is Clara, thankfully in operation albeit for passenger traffic only. Lifting of the branch commenced in August 1964, but so many of the sleepers were in such a bad state that they were not salvaged. The bridge over the main Athlone-Dublin road, advertising a well-known tyre, was in position up to 1968 when it was demolished for road widening.

On a recent visit to the once busy Mullingar-Athlone section I found it hard to locate the track due to its being practically invisible owing to heavy vegetation growth.

The remainder of this article appears in IRRS Journal number 168, published February 2009.