1959

I think the photographer is on the footbridge shown on the OS 25" map here. If you flip to the modern streetmap, there is no sign of the railway now. Google map location: at this green arrow.

The loco in the shot appears to be 171 (Slieve Gullion), which is currently stored by the RPSI at Whitehead awaiting overhaul. www.steamtrainsireland.com/171/

The station would close 6 days later on 21st March 1959 - you can see more about it here www.flickr.com/photos/2cme/5416013948/ as well as a contemporary view of the remaining buildings. The Irish Railway Records Society had a much more cosmopolitan following and was not tarnished (in those days anyway) with the current perception of "train spotters" and I would suggest the ladies were part of the IRRS group (or partners/relatives of those there)

Now that is an interesting shot, there are just the two passenger cars and the remainder of the train is made up of goods wagons, that must be unusual for an outing. I was going on the dart to Lansdown Road a couple of weeks ago and as I was passing through Pearse Station there were larger crowds than usual. Further down the line a steam engine with carriages was getting ready for the IRRS group to go on an outing but as it was between stations I did not manage to see it in time to get any shots.

Are you sure the location isn't Buggleskelly?

(guess) Is perchance that luggage wagon being propelled by that articulated railcar? (This is distracting me from getting to some negative digitisation to replace a O'Dea Thurles image on Wikipedia & Wikimedia commons up for a possible copyvio)

Deirge Del Good morning Deirge, yes it does appear to be hitched to the railcar.

happy new year .... always remember that trips "down south" needed a readjustment to Carrols and Aftons .... now thankfully I need no adjustments anywhere and save a lot of money.... humming " I hear that that lonesome whistle blow"

some may be able to ID the car boot ??

Completely changed scene today... maps.app.goo.gl/YB8Eegw7f7s4XDFY6

Maryborough was still used in 1959? Oh, I see it's from the Irish Times. Maybe they had their own style manual which kept the old names. Interesting.

Interesting to see the little PWD inspection car of the day, possibly of GSWR/GSR origin. The derailed Sulzer loco No.B101 is just visible on the left.

Really nice photo! Let's do some work! All in line to work together!

Sugar and weedkiller is a dangerous cargo to mix. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_chlorate "Particularly when mixed with sugar it has explosive properties"

Maryborough indeed, my father who worked for CIE and did many runs on that line always called it that. He retired in 1959 and it may have been in common usage until about then. This is a great example of how things have changed in a relatively short space of time. A complete absence of PPE for the men, not even gloves. I think that virtually every man on the rail has a cap on with the exception of the man with the hat. There is an almost complete lack of automation there so it is going to be hard manual labour all the way. Weedkiller is noxious stuff now and was no different then but the drums are just pushed to one side and no notice is being taken of them. Very sad about the Inspector RIP.