;)
Picture by David Bradley taken September 1957.
Picture by L.King taken on 5 July 1955.
to Fintona Junction.
Picture by N.W.Sprinks taken on 25 June 1952.
;)
Picture by Mr Gallagher c1941-45
Fintona Horse Tramway [Ireland]
Comment by David Bradley
|
|
|
Arriving at Fitona Picture by David Bradley taken September 1957. |
|
|
"Dick" waiting with the branch connection at Fintona Junction, while PPs class 4-4-0 No.44 arrives with
1.45pm Omagh - Enniskillen local train. Picture by L.King taken on 5 July 1955. |
|
|
"Dick" leaving Fintona with the 4.14pm to Fintona Junction. Picture by N.W.Sprinks taken on 25 June 1952. |
|
|
|
Transporting military personel from Fintona Junction Picture by Mr Gallagher c1941-45 |
In September, 1957 a party from the
Norbury Transport & Model Railway Club visited various railway and tramway lines in Ireland that were about to
be closed. I was a member of that party, and brought back pictures that included the Hill of Howth Tramway and the
Fintona Horse Tramway. These have been presented on the previous page.
However the adjacent pictures and text below, are from a booklet called Irish Railways in Pictures No.1 - Great Northern,
published by the Irish Railway Record Society [London Area] in 1976.
"Passenger services on the half mile Fintona branch were worked by horse traction throughout the
104 years of its existence up to closure in 1957. "Dick" was allowed 10 minutes for the slightly downhill
trip to Fintona, and 15 minutes for the return working. Seven trips per day were scheduled in summer 1951.
The tramcar, which entered service in 1883, had longitudinal seating, back to back on the upper deck and with seats
facing each other on the lower deck. Originally the latter was divided into 1st and 2nd class, and the top deck
was 3rd class. The car is estimated to have covered 125,000 miles in its ambulation's on the branch, and is now
preserved in the Belfast Transport Museum.
Goods wagons for Fintona were worked by a steam engine which, in later years at least, made a return trip in the morning
before passenger services started."
The Fintona Branch along with the following lines closed on the 30th September 1957.
From: "Barney Treanor" <BTre4130@aol.com>
It is interesting to note that the structure in the background of the picture
of DICK at the Fintona station was then called Baxter's Hotel. The joint has changed hands many times since 1957
[the year, incidentally of the Little Rock school crisis], but it's appearance outwardly is unchanged.
It is to this day a public house of great renown. The whole area comprising the Fintona Train station is now a
car park and public toilet.
From: "Gail Gallagher" <gallagher75@verizon.net>
My father was in Fintona during WWII and took the attached photo at that time. We're in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the US. Enjoyed your site!
From: "Gordon and Christine Patterson" <lilybrook@xtra.co.nz>
I have been rather interested in the pictures on Fintona, Ireland using "Dick" to pull the "Van".
My husband was born in Fintona and with his family immergrated to New Zealand. We visited Fintona in Dec 2003 staying with relations in Omagh. We
spent time with Thomas McDermott, who now owns a good part of the Patterson's farm in Screggagh. Our relations at Fintona Garage even gave us a car to
use.
I'm working with my photo's and would love to have one of the Arriving in Fintona in 1957 it was in 1960 that my husband left Ireland.
It would be so nice to have a copy of this photo. Is there a way to do this?