Fintown station buildings gifted to revivalists

by

By Hugh Dougherty

FINTOWN station building has been gifted to Comhlacht Traenach na Gaeltachta Lair (CTGL), operators of the 3ft-gauge Fintown Railway, by owners Donegal County Council, to help boost the narrow gauge line.

The station was built in 1895 to a standard design for the Stranorlar to Glenties railway – later part of the extensive County Donegal Railways Joint Committee (CDRJC) system. It was in use until the last passenger trains ran in 1947, and was closed completely in 1952, when the last goods trains ran on the line.

Article continues below…
Advert

Enjoy more Railway reading in the monthly magazine.
Click here to subscribe & save.
Ex-County Donegal railcar No. 18 arrives at Fintown station, whose building (right) is now back in railway ownership. HUGH DOUGHERTY

Since then, it has been used for various community purposes, but has now been declared surplus to council requirements.

CTGL has used the platform since it began running trains in 1995, but has not had access to the station building. It is now looking for funding to restore and return it to railway use as a ticket and administrative office, small museum and cafe.

■ CTGL has also spent €8,000 on a top-end overhaul of CDRJC railcar No. 18’s Gardner 6LW engine for the 2018 season. The work has been carried out by Clarke Engineering of Clonmany, which specialises in diesel engine restoration.

Article continues below…
Advert

Read more News and Features in the June issue of The RM – on sale now!


Advert
Subscribe to The Railway Magazine
Enjoy more of The Railway Magazine reading every month. Click here to subscribe.

Railway Reads

From the history of steam through to 21st century rail transport news, we have titles that cater for all rail enthusiasts. Covering diesels, modelling, steam and modern railways, check out our range of magazines and fantastic subscription offers.


Article Tags:

About the Author