The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDRJC) operated an extensive narrow gauge railway system serving County Donegal, Ireland, from 1906 until 1960. The committee was incorporated by an act of Parliament in 1906, which authorised the joint purchase of the then Donegal Railway Company by the Great Northern Railway of Ireland and the Midland Railway Northern Counties Committee.

History

On 1 May 1906, the joint committee was set up by the (6 Edw. 7. c. clxxxiii). The lines inherited by the joint committee totalled and were: Finn Valley Railway (FVR) from Strabane to Stranorlar West Donegal Railway line from Stranorlar to Donegal The Donegal Railway Company lines between Stranorlar and Glenties, Donegal Town to Killybegs, Strabane to Derry, and Donegal Town to Ballyshannon

By 1912 the company owned the following assets:Railway Year Book 1912 Railway Publishing Company Locomotives and rolling stock: 21 locomotives; 56 passenger vehicles; 304 goods vehicles Head offices and locomotive works at Stranorlar

The Strabane to Derry line was completely owned by the Midland Railway Northern Counties Committee, although it was operated by the .The Industrial Archaeology of Northern Ireland. William Alan McCutcheon, Northern Ireland. Dept. of the Environment, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 1984

At its greatest extent, the County Donegal Railways Committee operated the largest narrow gauge railway system in the British Isles. The railway was affectionately known as the "Wee Donegal".

The joint committee opened the Strabane and Letterkenny Railway on 1 January 1909, bringing the total mileage operated by the company to . Only were directly owned by the joint committee, as the Strabane and Letterkenny Railway accounted for , and were property of the Northern Counties Committee.

Dieselisation

Under the management of Henry Forbes, traffic superintendent from 1910 to 1943, the County Donegal Railways became pioneers in the use of diesel traction.Britain Between the Wars: 1918–1940. Charles Loch Mowat, Taylor & Francis, 1968 The first diesel railcar was built in 1930 (the first diesel railcar anywhere in the British Isles), although a petrol-engined railcar had been built in 1926 before standardisation on diesel traction in 1934. Eight articulated diesel railcars were constructed by Walker Brothers of Wigan between 1934 and 1951, by which time virtually all passenger services were operated by diesel railcar, being much cheaper to operate than conventional steam trains.

The railcars could only be driven from one end and had to be turned on a turntable to make a return journey. As well, they could not be worked in multiple, so if two railcars were working back to back, both required a driver. The railcars were incapable of hauling most freight wagons, so steam traction continued to be used on freight and excursion trains. The railcars could haul specially constructed trailers, and some lightweight freight wagons, which were painted red to distinguish them from the heavier wagons, which were grey. A diesel locomotive named Phoenix (converted from a steam locomotive) was also used, but due to its noisy operation and slow speed (top speed of ), it spent most of its career shunting, travelling during its working life.

Closure and winding up The Glenties branch closed in 1947, the Strabane-Derry line closed in 1954, and the remaining passenger services ended on 31 December 1959. Much of the railway was closed on that date. Goods trains ran between Strabane and Stranorlar until 6 February 1960.

During the 1930s the joint committee began operating a fleet of buses. After the closure of the railway, it continued to operate as a road freight and bus company in order to provide substitute services. It did this independently until 1966, when management of the company was taken over by CIÉ.

In 1961, the two most modern diesel railcars were sold to the Isle of Man Railway.

By the time the railway closed, the joint committee was entirely state owned, albeit by three actors in two countries. The Midland Railway's portion had passed to the London, Midland and Scottish Railway in 1923, which in turn passed to the British Transport Commission (BTC) in 1948. The Great Northern Railway's portion had been inherited by the Great Northern Railway Board (GNRB) in 1953, which itself was jointly owned by the Irish and Northern Irish governments. Although the GNRB ceased to own or operate its own railways in 1958, it continued to exist as a holding company for CDRJC.

An agreement was reached between the British Railways Board (BTC's successor) and Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) in 1967 in which the former agreed to give the latter its portion of CDRJC for the payment of £57,742. When combined with the Irish government's share of GNRB, this effectively gave CIÉ 75% of the company. The final 25% was gained in 1969, when CIÉ acquired the other half of GNRB from the Northern Irish government. The complete transfer of ownership to CIÉ was confirmed by legislation in 1971. Despite the company now having a single owner and no activities, it took until 1981 to dissolve it due to technicalities with pension funds.

Tourist attraction

Part of the line, which runs alongside Lough Finn near Fintown, has been re-laid as a tourist railway.

The Donegal Railway Heritage Centre has been established and contains historic details and artefacts of the .

St. Connell's Museum, in Glenties has an extensive display of items from the railway.

The Foyle Valley Railway in Derry houses numerous artefacts. It used to operate a small heritage railway along the Foyle on the original route of the Derry-Portadown railway line, which has since fallen into disrepair during the museum's period of closure.

Rolling stock

+ Locomotives of the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee Number Name Built Manufacturer Configuration Notes ImageClass 1 No. 1 Alice 1881 Sharp, Stewart and Company 2-4-0 Loaned to Cork, Blackrock and Passage Railway from 1918-1921. Scrapped 1926. No. 2 Blanche 1881 Sharp, Stewart and Company 2-4-0 Withdrawn in 1905. Scrapped in 1909. No. 3 Lydia 1881 Sharp, Stewart and Company 2-4-0 Withdrawn in 1905. Scrapped in 1910.Class 2 No. 4 Meenglas 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Scrapped in 1935. No. 5 Drumboe 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Withdrawn in 1927. Scrapped in 1931. No. 6 Inver 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Withdrawn in 1927. Scrapped in 1931. No. 7 Finn 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Withdrawn in 1927. Scrapped in 1931. No. 8 Foyle 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Scrapped in 1937. No. 9 Columbkille 1893 Neilson and Company 4-6-0 Scrapped in 1937.Class 3 No. 10 Sir James 1902 Neilson and Company 4-4-4 Scrapped in 1935. No. 11 Hercules 1902 Neilson and Company 4-4-4 Scrapped in 1935. Class 4 No. 12 No. 9 Eske 1904 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4-6-4 Renumbered No. 9 in 1937. Scrapped in 1954. No. 13 No. 10 Owenea 1904 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4-6-4 Renumbered No. 10 in 1937. Scrapped in 1952 after a collision with railcar No. 17 in 1949. No. 14 No. 11 Erne 1904 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4-6-4 Renumbered No. 11 in 1937. Scrapped in 1967. No. 15 No. 12 Mourne 1904 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4-6-4 Renumbered No. 12 in 1937. Withdrawn in 1940, dismantled for spare parts.Class 5 No. 16 No. 4 Donegal Meenglas 1907 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 2-6-4 Renumbered No. 4 and renamed Meenglas in 1937. Preserved at the Foyle Valley Railway Museum. No. 17 No. 5 Glenties Drumboe 1907 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 2-6-4 Renumbered No. 5 and renamed Drumboe in 1937. Ran the last scheduled train of the on 31 December 1959. Preserved at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre. No. 18 No. 6 Killybegs Columbkille 1907 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 2-6-4 Renumbered No. 6 and renamed Columbkille in 1937. Preserved at the Foyle Valley Railway Museum. No. 19 Letterkenny 1908 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4-6-2 Dismantled in 1940 for spare parts. No. 20 No. 8 Raphoe Foyle 1908 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 2-6-4 Renumbered No. 8 and renamed Foyle in 1937. Scrapped in 1955.Class 5ANo. 21 No. 1Ballyshannon Alice1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company2-6-4Renumbered and renamed to No. 1 Alice in 1928. Sold at a scrap auction in 1960.No. 2A No. 2Strabane Blanche1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company2-6-4Renumbered and renamed to No. 2 Blanche in 1928. Preserved in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra.No. 3A No. 3Stranorlar Lydia1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company2-6-4Renumbered and renamed to No. 3 Lydia in 1928. Sold at a scrap auction in 1960.Atkinson-Walker rail tractorNo. 11Phœnix1928Atkinson-Walker0-4-0Sold by the Clogher Valley Railway to the in December 1931. No. 11 Phœnix was converted from steam power to diesel power and operated as a shunter.

Preserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums. +Railcars of the County Donegal Railways Joint CommitteeNumberStart of OperationSource or ManufacturerPowerNotesImageNo. 11906Allday & OnionsPetrolPreserved in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra.No. 21926ex-Derwent Valley Light RailwayPetrolScrapped in 1934.No. 21934ex-Castlederg and Victoria Bridge TramwayPetrolRebuilt as a trailer in 1944. Sold in 1961 and removed to Mountcharles.No. 31926ex-Derwent Valley Light RailwayPetrolScrapped in 1934.No. 41928O'DohertyPetrolLent to the Clogher Valley Railway in 1932. Scrapped in 1947.No. 61930Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and O'DohertyPetrolRebuilt as a trailer in 1945. Sold in 1958 and removed to Inver.No. 71930Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and O'DohertyDieselFirst diesel railcar in the British Isles. Scrapped in 1949.No. 81931Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and O'DohertyDieselScrapped in 1949.No. 91933County Donegal Railways Joint Committee ex-Great Northern Railway (Ireland) busPetrolScrapped in 1949.No. 101933County Donegal Railways Joint CommitteePetrolDestroyed by a fire in Ballyshannon in 1939.No. 101942ex-Clogher Valley Railway and Walker BrothersDieselPreserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra.No. 121934Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselPreserved at the Foyle Valley Railway.No. 131934ex-Dublin and Blessington Steam TramwayDieselRebuilt as a trailer in 1934. Scrapped in 1944.No. 141935Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselScrapped in 1961.No. 151936Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselScrapped in 1961.No. 161936Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselScrapped in 1961.No. 171938Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselDestroyed in collision with No. 10 Owenea in 1949.No. 181940Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselDamaged by fire in 1949. Preserved on the Fintown Railway.No. 191950Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselSold to and preserved on the Isle of Man Railway in 1961.No. 201951Great Northern Railway (Ireland) and Walker BrothersDieselSold to and preserved on the Isle of Man Railway in 1961.

Wagons and carriages in preservation Carriages: 1 (), 3 (), 5 () 14 (), 15 (), 28 (), 30 (), 352 () Goods wagons: 12 (), 19 (), 136 (), unidentified horsebox (BHR), unidentified van ()

UFTM = Ulster Folk and Transport Museums; FVRM = Foyle Valley Railway Museum; BHR = Belturbet Heritage Railway; FTR = Fintown Railway; DRHC = Donegal Railway Heritage Centre; IOMR = Isle of Man Railway; C&LR = Cavan and Leitrim Railway; DG = Dunfanaghy Glamping

See also List of narrow-gauge railways in Ireland County Donegal Railway locomotives

Notes

References

Further reading