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Irish Narrow Gauge - Companies

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Companies

• Ballycastle Railway
• Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
• Ballymena and Larne Railway
• Belfast & Northern Counties Railway
• Bessbrook and Newry Tramway
• Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway Company
• Cavan and Leitrim Railway
• Cavan, Leitrim & Roscommon Light Railway & Tramway
• Clogher Valley Railway
• Clogher Valley Tramway
• Córas Iompair Éireann
• Cork, Blackrock & Passage Railway
• Cork and Muskerry Light Railway
• County Donegal Railways Joint Committee
• Donegal Railway
• Donegal Railway Station Company
• Donoughmore Extension Light Railway Company
• Dublin and Lucan Steam Tramway
• Finn Valley Railway
• Giants Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Tramway & Railway
• Great Southern Railway
• Letterkenny and Burtonport Extension Railway
• Letterkenny Railway
• LMS (Northern Counties Committee)
• Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
• Lucan and Leixlip Steam Tramway
• MR (Northern Countines Committee)
• Portstewart Tramway
• Schull & Skibbereen Tramway & Railway
• South Clare Railways Co. Ltd
• Strabane, Raphoe & Convoy Railway Co.
• Strabane & Letterkenny Railway Co.
• Tralee and Dingle Light Railway
• Tramways Capital Guarantee Co. Ltd
• Ulster Transport Authority
• West Carbery Tramway and Light Railway
• West Clare Railway Co. Ltd
• West Donegal Railway

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Companies amalgamated in the Republic of Ireland

Córas Iompair Éireann

1945.01.01: GSR and DUTC merged to form CIÉ, created by the Transport Act, 1944 website: http://www.cie.ie/

Schull & Skibbereen Tramway & Railway Co. Ltd

• 1892.08.04: takes over management of S&SR from WCT&LR
• 1925: taken over by GSR

South Clare Railways Co. Ltd

• 1884.06.09: registered in Dublin
• line: WCR
• 1884 board:
  • James F. Lombard, Chairman
  • Sir Francis W. Brady
  • William Carte
• 1890.08.14: Tramway Order in Council (Ireland) (South Clare Railways) Confirmation Act 1890 (53.4 Vic ch ccx) received Royal Assent, to construct railway from Miltown Malbay to Kilrush and Kilkee
• 1925: taken over by GSR

Tralee & Dingle Light Railway

line: T&DLR 1925: taken over by GSR

Tramways Capital Guarantee Co. Ltd

• 1884.01.29: incorporated
• to hold shares in:
  • West Carbery Tramway and Light Railway
  • Cavan, Leitrim & Roscommon Light Railway & Tramway

West Carbery Tramways & Light Railways Co. Ltd

• line: S&SR
• 1883.12.07: incorporated under Companies Act 1862
• solicitor: Thomas Downes
• engineers: J. W. Dorman and S. E. Kirkby
• -1888: secretary: J. W. Dorman
• registered office: 54, South Mall, Cork
• 1886.02.29-1888: chairman: Col. J. L. Somerville
• 1886-1886.12.18: manager: Woods
• 1886.12-: traffic manager and locomotive superintendent: J. W. Johnstone
• 1888-: chairman: John Limrick
• 1888-: secretary: C. T. Oliffe
• 1892.08.04: management of line taken over by S&ST&LR
• directors
  • J. J. Johnstone

West Clare Railway Co. Ltd

• 1883.12.15: registered in Dublin under the Tramways Act, 1883
• 1883 board:
  • Henry S. Vandeleur, Chairman
  • Sir Francis W. Brady
  • James F. Lombard
  • David Coffey
  • Wm Carte
• 1884.01.17: Contractor appointed: W. Murphy
• 1884.05.26: The West Clare Tramways Ireland Provisional Order granted for railway from Ennis to Miltown-Malbay
• 1884.08.07: Provisional Order Confirmed
• 1884.11.17:
  • board:
    • Henry S. Vandeleur, Chairman
    • Sir Francis W. Brady
    • James F. Lombard
    • David Coffey
    • Wm Carte
    • 3 open directorships to be appointed by ratepayers
  • bankers: The National Bank, Ltd, London
  • engineer: William Barrington
  • secretary: W. J. Kennedy
  • offices: 39 Dame Street, Dublin
• 1886.06.25: loan of £54,400 made under Public Works Loans Act
• 1887.07.02: line opened
• 1925: taken over by GSR

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Companies amalgamated in the North of Ireland

Belfast & Northern Counties Railway

• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Ballycastle Railway

• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
• 1875.07.22: incorporated (Ballycastle Railway Act 1875)
• 1925.06.08: last board meeting held before being absorbed by LMS(NCC)
• 1925.08.07: LMS(NCC) takes possession of line

Ballymena, Cushendall & Red Bay Railway

• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland
• 1872: incorporated
• 1884.07.14: sale to BNCR approved by Parliament
• 1884.10: sale to BNCR takes place
• line: Ballymena, Cushendall & Redbay Railway
• manager: Edward John Cotton
• secretary: Silas Evans
• chairman:
  • 1872-1873: William Valentine
  • 1873-1876: John Skelly
  • 1876-1884: Thomas Valentine
• locomotive engineer: James Donaghey
• engineer: Robert Collins

Ballymena & Larne Railway

• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Bessbrook & Newry Tramway

• line: BNT
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Clogher Valley Tramway Company

• 1883.12: incorporated
• 1894.07.16: name changed to Clogher Valley Railway
• line: CVR
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Clogher Valley Railway Company Ltd.

1894.07.16: name changed from Clogher Valley Tramway line: CVR records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Giants Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Tramway & Railway

• line: GCT
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

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Companies of the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee

Finn Valley Railway Co.

• 1859: registered
• 1860.05.15: Finn Valley Railway Act received Royal Assent
• Line is 5'3" gauge
• 1892.06.27: merged with WDR to become DR

West Donegal Railway Co.

• 1879.07.21: granted powers for Stranorlar to Donegal section
• 1882.04.25: line opened from Stranorlar to Druminin
• 1886: West Donegal Light Railway Order, to complete the line to Donegal
• 1892.06.27: merged with FVR to become DR

Donegal Railway Station Co.

• 1888.08.10: first board meeting

Donegal Railway Co.

• 1892.06.27: created by amalgamation of FVR and WDR
• 1894.07.13-15: Finn Valley Section regauged to 3'0"
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

Strabane, Raphoe & Convoy Railway Co.

• 1903
• 1904: became Strabane & Letterkenny Railway

Strabane & Letterkenny Railway Co.

• 1904: name changed from Strabane, Raphoe & Convoy Railway Co.
• 1909.01.01: line opened
• line worked by CDRJC
• records: 1911-20 : board minutes (copies): Public Record Office Reference : RAIL 672
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

County Donegal Railways Joint Committee

• 1906.05.01: created with 3 board members from each of the Great Northern and Midland Railways
• records: Public Record Office of Northern Ireland

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Companies of the Lough Swilly Railway

Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway

1852: engineer: James Bayliss 1853.06.26: Act of Incorporation : authorised share capital: £40,000 1860.04.25: Sir John Macneill appointed engineer 1860.10.09: J. T. Macky appointed chairman 1883-1901: manager and secretary: Frederick Dawson

Letterkenny Railway

• 1860.07.03: Letterkenny Railway Act authorised as standard gauge (5'3"):
  • capital: £100,000
  • loans: £33,000
• 1860-1878: chairman: A. J. R. Stewart
• 1878-1885: chairman: J. T. Macky
• 1880.06.29: Letterkenny Railway Act authorised gauge change to 3'
• 1883: engineer: George Culverwell

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Independent Companies

Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway Company

• 1883.06.13: royal assent to public bill
• locomotive superintendent:
  • 1884-1900: Charles Stewart Bracegirdle
  • 1917-1934: George H. Pollard
• secretary:
  • 1883.07.17-1894: William Irwin
  • 1894-1934: W. J. Davidson
• chairman: 1883: William King
• vice-chairman: 1883: Gilbert McHugh

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2002.07.24