Cork and Macroom Direct Railway

The Cork and Macroom Direct Railway (CMDR) was an Irish gauge (5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)) railway in Ireland which ran the 24 miles (39 km) from Cork to Macroom.

Cork and Macroom Direct Railway

CMDR 2-4-0T beside Capwell Cork engine shed
Overview
Dates of operation	1866 (1866)–1953 (1953)
Successor	Great Southern Railways (GSR)
Technical
Track gauge	5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm)
Length	24 miles 13 chains (38.9 km)
Route map Legend Cork Capwell to Cork Albert Quay to Bandon Bishopstown Curraheen River Ballincollig Kilumney Kilcrea Crookstown Road Dooniskey Section flooded by Carrigadrohid Lake Macroom

Cork—Macroom railway bridge

History

Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Act 1861
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for making a Railway from the Cork and Bandon Railway near the City of Cork to the Town of Macroom in the County of Cork.
Citation	24 & 25 Vict. c. ccvii
Dates
Royal assent	1 August 1861

Cork and Macroom (Direct) Railway Act 1868
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to grant further Powers to the Cork and Macroom (Direct) Railway Company.
Citation	31 & 32 Vict. c. clxxx
Dates
Royal assent	31 July 1868

Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Act 1877
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to authorise the Cork and Macroom (Direct) Railway Company to extend their Railway into the City of Cork; to raise further Capital; and for other purposes.
Citation	40 & 41 Vict. c. xxvii
Dates
Royal assent	11 June 1877
Text of statute as originally enacted

Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Act 1889
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act for conferring further powers on the Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Company.
Citation	52 & 53 Vict. c. lxix
Dates
Royal assent	9 July 1889
Text of statute as originally enacted

It was incorporated by the Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Act 1861 (24 & 25 Vict. c. ccvii)^[1] and was chaired by Sir John Arnott and Joseph Ronayne. The engineer for the scheme was Sir John Benson.

Construction work started in 1863. The line cost £6,000 per mile (equivalent to £702,000 in 2023)^[2] and there were five stations on the 24 miles 13 chains (24.16 miles, 38.89 km) length.^[3] It opened on 12 May 1866 and utilised the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway terminus at Albert Quay.

The company wanted independence from the Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CBSCR) which was charging £2,000 per annum for the privilege, so it built a new terminus on Summerhill South road fed by a link from Ballyphehane Junction. Cork Capwell railway station cost £28,000 (equivalent to £3,596,035 in 2023),^[2] and opened in September 1879. The link with the CBSCR was severed as the CMDR wished to remain independent however they were forced to re-open it by the Irish Railways Executive Committee in 1918.^[4]

In 1925, the Cork and Macroom Direct Railway was amalgamated into the Great Southern Railways (GSR) along with other Irish railway companies. The CMDR whilst small was modestly profitable and had attempted to remain independent even again severing their link to the rest of the network but in the end their attempts were fruitless.^[4]: 174

Powers to extend the CMDR to Kenmare had been granted but were never exercised.^[5]

Closure

The Cork Capwell terminus closed on 2 March 1925, and trains reverted to the original terminus at Albert Quay. In 1929, the Capwell station buildings were acquired by the Irish Omnibus Company. The last regular passenger train was operated in 1935 and the line eventually closed to all remaining traffic in 1953 when part of its route was flooded for the creation of the Lee reservoir.

Rolling Stock

Locomotives

The CMDR had five locomotives at the time absorption into the GSR.^{[4]: 174–176, 380}

CMDR No.	GSR No.	GSR Type	Type	Builder	Works No.	Introduced	Withdrawn	Notes
1		487/G5	2-4-0T	Dübs and Company	17	1865		Not passed to GSR in 1925
2	487	487/G5	2-4-0T	Dübs and Company	18	1865	1928
3	488	487/G5	2-4-0T	Dübs and Company	235	1867	1934
4	488	487/G5	2-4-0T	Dübs and Company	1505	1881	1928
5	490	490/I2	0-6-2T	Andrew Barclay Sons & Co.	1022	1905	1935
6	491	491/F5	2-4-2T	Vulcan Foundry	1315	1914	1934	Built 1891 for Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway

^{[4]: 174–176 [5]}

Carriages and wagons

At the time of the 1925 amalgamation the CMDR passed on 27 coaches and 117 wagons to the GSR.^[5]

Livery

In 1903 locomotives were light green with black and yellow lining. By the 1925 amalgamation they were black with red lining.^[4]: 174

Incidents

On 8 September 1878, there was a derailment east of Ballincollig that resulted in 5 deaths and 70 injuries. This incident resulted in significant financial outlay for the company for several years.^[6]

Further reading

• Creedon, Colm (2015). Cork & Macroom Direct Railway Album (PDF). Colm Creedon Collection (digital). Cork: County Library. Archived (PDF) from the original on 7 December 2017.