For the population of Dingle, back in the early 19^th Century, the main source of income was from inshore fishing, though it was hard to get the fish to market over 30 miles of rough road whilst it was still fresh. The quality of the land was poor, so little agriculture was possible and there were few cattle on the peninsula for lack of decent all year grazing and the lack of transport to get it to fresh pastures in the summer.  Those that could afford it had a few pigs and chickens, along with other animals making up smallholdings, but these were few and far between.  Understandably, the populous was very keen to see a railway built so that they could access the market and farmland at Tralee and with the passing of the Tramways Act in 1883, this was made possible.  Privy Council sanctioned the line in 1884, though there was a delay while a contractor was sought and final approval was not given until September 1888 with a Capital of £150000.  However, given its length, this was railroading on the cheap and the line was built with many severe gradients, including several miles of continuous 1 in 30 and sharp radii curves. The line finally opened in March 1891.  

Tralee Station shortly after opening in 1891.  No.1 presides.

It rarely paid its way and the residents began to vent their feelings, especially when, in 1893, a train ran away in wet weather down the grade to Camp bridge, tried to round a 3 chain radius curve and jumped into the river killing the driver and fireman and a train load of pigs!  A copy of the summary of the Board of Trade Report can be downloaded here.   This is a long and fascinating document and contains a lot of early history.  I'm not sure of the legality of putting it here, but this site is free to all and this is done for interest / research NOT profit.

The ‘Dingle Train’ became the subject of local folklore and tales abounded.  One involved a woman whose horse had run in front of a train and was killed.  It was hauling her drunken husband and colleagues at the time, though they were unharmed.  Afterwards she was heard to remark to the driver, “The Devil be with ye, Paddy Ryan, ‘twas the old man ye should have killed and not me fine horse!”  There were several other incidents over the years and the line probably deserved its notoriety, although usage settled down in time, particularly after the takeover of the Great Southern

Having begun to improve the railway was hit by the war.  By 1915 coal had become very expensive and trains were cancelled on Tuesdays and Saturdays.  Of course, following the war and the wage expectation that men then had, the wage bill went through the roof.  For a railway with limited income, the writing was on the wall!

The railway suffered like much other infrastructure during the 'troubles' in the 1920's.  Dingle and Castlegregory stations were burned down and new ones were built in rendered stone, at some cost.  Other damage was done but as there were few major structures the railway stayed open most of the time, though there were weeks at a time that it was shut in 1922 and '23.  Arms were often smuggled by Sinn Fein under the coal in the bunkers (the drivers often not knowing they were there until a late night visit for collection) and drivers often refused to drive trains containing troups.

The line from Tralee to Dingle was 31½ miles long with a branch of 6 miles to Castlegregory, though this was closed in 1939 on the cessation of the passenger service.  The roads on the Dingle Peninsula were poor and the main routes were surfaced in that year.  The choice was a massive investment of cash to improve the track and hence running speeds to counter the local bus, or to shut the passenger service down.  The Great Southern Railway of Ireland who had taken over in 1925 decided on the cheaper option, which is why we model Dingle in the 1930’s (with considerable licence).  Goods services continued until 1947 after which only the infamous once monthly cattle trains ran, with many of the main commentators of the time describing or photographing their exploits, including Pat Whitehouse, Tom Rolt, H.C Casserley and Ivo Peters. In the early 1950’s, this was the one great railway adventure to make, equivalent to a trip to deepest China or South America today.  On 27th June 1953, even these cattle ‘specials’ succumbed and the line closed, apart from one last trip on 23rd July, when the remaining movable wagons were collected from Dingle station and returned to Tralee.  

Forty years later, a small section of line re-opened at Blennerville.  The preservation group have repatriated No. 5T from the ‘States’ and it runs on its old line again, albeit with imported Spanish coaches.  Sadly it is very unlikely that the sight of a Hunslet tank climbing the fearsome gradients with a train will be anything but a distant memory, although, it has to be said, where would the Welsh Highland Railway be without someone’s dream!

This history will be added to when I get the time, along with some pictures.  

The historic maps of the line are can now be accessed by clicking here.

Bibliography

Tralee & Dingle Railway - PB Whitehouse _ Locomotive Publishing Co. - 1954

The Dingle Train - D Rowlands, W McGrath, T Francis - Plateway Press - 1996

The Tralee and Dingle Railway - D Rowlands - Bradford Barton - 1976

Narrow Gauge Railways of Ireland - H Fayle - Greenlake Publcations - 1946