Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway
This article includes a improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (August 2019) ) |
The Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway was a former tourist attraction based on a
Origins and structure
Adapted from an industrial line constructed for hauling newly-cut peat, this 3 ft (914 mm) narrow-gauge railway was operated by the peat-harvesting company Bord na Móna and conveyed visitors over a (5.5 mile) 9-km line running through Blackwater Bog, near Shannonbridge, County Offaly. The tour was described as a "journey across this desert of modern cutaway" ... "like a journey through time".[1] A small diesel locomotive hauled a single 53-seat passenger coach.[1]
Facilities included a small shop with art and craft goods, a cafe and a museum of machines.[1]
Closure and plans
The railway was an important tourist attraction in County Offaly. However, it closed permanently at the end of 2008 as operation of the line was interfering with the heavy flow of peat traffic bound for the
Naming and promotion
Somewhat confusingly, the railway was also sometimes known (and described on road signs) as the Blackwater Railway, the Shannonbridge Bog Railway, and the Bog Railway. It was promoted as "the only one of its kind in Europe".[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Bord na Móna, Bog Tour aboard the Clonmacnoise and West Offaly Railway
External links
- Railways of Bord na Móna
- The Bog Railway at About.com Archived 10 June 2008 at the Wayback Machine
- The Bog Train tour