Limerick and Ennis Railway - progress report, 1858
Posted: Fri Dec 04, 2020 4:25 pm
I like this account of the progress of the Limerick and Ennis Railway, published in The Clare Journal, Thur 18 November 1858:
SheilaThis Railway is now progressing fast towards completion, having heavy waggon trains running nearly along its entire line, from Limerick to Clare bridge within two miles of Ennis.
At Clare bridge the massive wooden frame work is nearly completed, and will be soon ready to receive the iron lattice frame, which is to span the breadth of the river. This bridge, when completed, will be upwards of 170 feet in length, and will be one of the finest lattice bridges in the Kingdom, being built on the plan of Sir John McNiel’s lattice bridge on the Dublin and Drogheda Railway, which spans the canal on the North Strand, near Dublin. The frame work, which is supported by four upright piers, rising from the bed of the river, is of the most massive and durable description.
The stranger as he passes this bridge, and proceeds along the line from Ennis probably meets a train of eight waggons, each wagon carrying five tons burden, with sand and gravel for filling stuff, drawn from Sandy-bridge, within three miles of Limerick, from which place they generally draw three or four loads every day.
Leaving the Clare station-house, a plain small building, the line extends over a level of some length, and Knocknamana (or Clare Hill) Bridge is seen in the distance which you approach through a very deep cutting, several hundred feet in length, and which must have been a work of immense labour. The bridge spans the deepest part of the cutting, and stands at an altitude of near forty feet from the level of the railway. The piers of the bridge are of hewn stone, while the arch is of brick work, but seems very durable.
After passing Clare hill bridge, still going from Ennis towards Limerick, there is a great descent in the line at Carnella, where it slopes at an inclination of one foot in about 70, rather too great an inclined plane, as the waggon trains coming from Limerick are frequently obliged to stop at the foot to take in steam in order to ascend it. The soil about here is ill calculated for building, an instance of which is presented in the structure of a simple unpretending arch beneath the railway for the passage of cattle from one field to another, but which, we were assured, piles had to be driven to the depth of 100 feet in order to secure a foundation.
The line here runs through a country which is bounded by a line of hills, undulating on every side and presenting a charming landscape. One of the hills is crowned by the Castle of Dromoland - (the cradle of the O’Brien race,) the woods and lawns of which extend to the right giving a most picturesque effect to the scene, while the high cultivation that prevails gives to the whole a very pleasing effect.
We next come to Manus bridge, built entirely of stone, which here likewise spans a deep cutting, and rises at a considerable elevation from the rails.
From thence the line proceeds over a stratum of lime-stone, and at Doreen excavations were made at the immense amount of expense and labour having in one place to cut through the solid rock to the depth of 13 feet, presenting one of the difficulties which the engineers had to contend with along the line; for a while in some places a foundation could scarce be obtained, even with piers and fascines, in other places excavations to the depth of several feet had to be made in the solid rock.
From hence the line still leads through a highly cultivated fertile country, leaving Castle Fergus with its fine old green mantled tower on the right, and proceeds towards Ardsollas bridge and station house, near which is an immense narrow embankment, that rises to a height of upwards of thirty feet from the level ground, the sides of which are merely supported by a wall of dry stone work, without mortar, that rises nearly perpendicular on both sides, at an angle of about 80 degrees; so that the line at a distance looks like a high wall running across the valley. In consequence of having recently given way in some places, it has been found necessary to strengthen it with wide abutments, composed of loose stone, so as to prevent the sides from bursting.
At Ardsollas there is a pretty station-house, and a bridge has been thrown across the road which here runs aslant the railway. The bridge, which is of course built diagonal, is of brick, the piers and coping of hewn stone. The brick arch is certainly defective and is not calculated to support the enormous weight of trains passing over it.
This, and the perpendicular high dry stone embankment, are two defects, which will have to be remedied, and can be done at a comparatively small expense.
The extreme narrowness of the line is also a great defect. Being only fifteen feet on the surface, and therefore, no matter how great the necessity must be, it is limited to a single line all through. For as the railway is at present laid down, an additional line would be attended with an enormous expense.
In other respect the works seems pretty durable, and well calculated for traffic, when the defects of Ardsollas-bridge, and its brick arch, together with the high embankment at Ardsollas are remedied, both of which should be built of hammered hewn stone, well cemented with lime. The Railway, it is thought, will open in March next.