The Cork and Macroom Direct Railway (CMDR) was an

Irish gauge Railways with a track gauge of fall within the category of broad-gauge railways. , they were extant in Australia, Brazil and on the island of Ireland. History ;600 BC :The Diolkos (Δίολκος) across the Isthmus of Corinth in Greece ...

() railway in Ireland which ran the from

Cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...

Macroom Macroom (; ) is a market town in County Cork, Ireland, located in the valley of the River Sullane, halfway between Cork (city), Cork city and Killarney. Its population has grown and receded over the centuries as it went through periods of war, ...

History

It was incorporated in 1861 and was chaired by Sir

John Arnott Sir John Arnott, 1st Baronet JP (26 July 1814 – 28 March 1898) was a British-Irish entrepreneur and a major figure in the commercial and political spheres of late-19th century Cork. He was also founder of the Arnotts department chain. Ba ...

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 £ in ) and there were five stations on the 24 miles 13 chain length.Bradshaw's railway manual, shareholders' guide, and official directory. W. J. Adams, 1864 It opened on 12 May 1866 and utilised the

Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway The Cork, Bandon and South Coast Railway (CB&SCR) was an Irish gauge () railway in Ireland. It opened in 1849 as the Cork and Bandon Railway (C&BR), changed its name to Cork Bandon and South Coast Railway in 1888 and became part of the Great S ...

terminus at Albert Quay. The company wanted independence from the

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 £ in ), 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. In 1925, the Cork and Macroom Direct Railway was amalgamated into the

Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Ireland, Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Irelan ...

(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. Powers to extend the CMDR to

Kenmare Kenmare () is a small town in the south of County Kerry, Ireland. The name Kenmare is the anglicised form of ''Ceann Mara'', meaning "head of the sea", referring to the head of Kenmare Bay. It is also a townland and civil parish. Location Ken ...

had been granted but were never exercised.

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.

Carriages and Wagons

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

Livery

In 1903 locomotives were light green with black and yellow lining. By the 1925 amalgamation they were black with red lining.

Incidents

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

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cork and Macroom Direct Railway Defunct railway companies of Ireland Transport in County Cork Irish-gauge railways Railway companies established in 1861 Railway companies disestablished in 1953 1861 establishments in Ireland