The Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway was formed as an Irish 5 ft 3 ins gauge railway in 1853, developed a narrow gauge extension, then became all narrow gauge, and although the railway succumbed in its centenary year of 1953, the company went on to financial success, providing bus and lorry services. This set of ten 6x4 inch BLACK and WHITE prints explores the diversity of the Lough Swilly, commencing with a rare portrait of 0-6-0T No 4, later No 17, which came from Black Hawthorn for the re-gauging of the Derry-Buncrana line in 1885. The nameplate INNISHOWEN had been removed in 1928, but has left clear traces on the tanks. Little used in latter years, it spent most of its time in the lean-to shed adjacent to the main structure at the LLSR depot at Pennyburn on the outskirts of Londonderry, where it is seen in 1932. The Swilly became renowned for big engines by NG standards, and the first pair of large engines were No’s 5 and 6, later 15/16 of 1899. These fine 4-6-2Ts came from Hudswell, Clarke & Co, and No 15 is shunting freight stock at the Graving Dock terminus in Derry on 14 June 1948. It carries the LSR Diamond logo. Under the direction of the Board of Works, which subsidised the Burtonport Extension, four 4-6-0Ts were provided despite strong Swilly protests about inadequate bunker capacity. Burtonport tank No 2 departs from Buncrana with a 4-coach train on 14 June 1948, whilst No 3 is seen on the turntable at Pennyburn in 1932. Kerr Stuart delivered a pair of 4-6-2Ts in 1904 numbered 9 and 10. No 10, lettered L&LSR, is caught at Pennyburn in 1932, along with Burtonport 4-6-0Ts No’s 2 and 3, the latter clearly lettered L&BER. After acrimony between the LLSR and the Board of Works, an independent enquiry awarded additional funds to the Swilly, part of which went on a pair of 4-6-2Ts from Hawthorn, Leslie. No’s  13 and 14 went in 1940 and 1943, but No 13 is seen in steam at Pennyburn in 1932, along with No. The last engines to be built for the Swilly were a pair of extraordinary 4-8-4Ts, weighing 58 tons each. No 6, with LSR diamond on the tanks, is outside Letterkenny shed on 15 June 1948.  Six wheel carriage No 22 of 1899 started life as a composite, but was rebuilt as an all third after a fire in 1923, and is seen in the unusual all black livery, lined out in red at Pennyburn in 1932. A four-plank drop door open No 112, is flanked by three three-plank drop side opens or flats in Swilly parlance, No’s 91, 169, and 173. Our final view is of the unprepossessing Graving Dock passenger station in Londonderry on 14 June 1948. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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LLSR (Lough Swilly Rly) BW2 10 6x4 Black+White Prints

The Londonderry & Lough Swilly Railway was formed as an Irish broad gauge line in 1853, and after opening a narrow gauge extension, became completely NG in the 1880s, but operated its last train in 1953. This set of ten 6x4 inch BLACK and WHITE prints explores the diversity of the L&LSR. No 8 of 1901 was from the second pair of 4-6-2Ts supplied by Hudswell Clarke in 1901, and is outside the timber clad engine shed at Pennyburn in 1932. With the Burtonport extension needing motive power, the Board of Works provided four 4-6-0Ts for this line, despite Swilly objections that they were too small. Burtonport tank No 2, which is still lettered L&BER, is also on shed at Pennyburn, whilst the venerable 0-6-0T No 17 is peeing out of the lean to shed to the left. Burtonport 4-6-0T No 2 is seen in post war livery with LSR diamond on the tank sides at Pennyburn on 14 June 1948. Kerr Stuart’s only engines for the Swilly were a pair of 4-6-2TS, No’s 9 and 10 of 1904, and the latter is seen at Pennyburn in 1932, with a Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension wagon in the background. Two of the most remarkable narrow gauge engines ever to run in the British Isles were the 4-8-0 tender engines No’s 11 and 12, built by Hudswell, Clarke in 1905. No 12 is outside Pennyburn shed in 1932. In LLSR Set BW-1 we illustrated the somewhat drab Graving Dock terminal looking towards Strand Road in 1948. In this set, we look eastwards from near the goods shed, and see some vans standing behind the platform wall on the harbour tramway.

A short distance out from the terminus, the line crossed over Strand Road and a maze of tracks opened out to the north, serving the loco shed, carriage sidings and workshops at Pennyburn.  A couple of engines, including No 12, can be dimly glanced in the dark confines of the shed, and railwaymen are cleaning out the inspection pit outside the building, but the only loco out and about is No 10. An extension from Tooban Junction to Buncrana was authorised in 1861, Buncrana being a popular destination on the shores of Lough Swilly. Unlike the drab Graving Dock terminus in Derry, a magnificent two story stone station building, which is seen in this June 1948 view, provided generous facilities until the line closed in August 1953. The Letterkenny Railway had been a separate company at first, but had made little progress and was eventually revised as a three foot gauge line to run from Tooban Junction to Letterkenny, and eventually led to the re-gauging of the original broad gauge line as well. We look from near the water tank and turntable at Letterkenny towards the passenger station as 4-8-4T no 5 shunts in the distance. An oil tank wagon is to the right of No 5. L&LSR three-plank drop side opens had the company initials offset to the left to allow for a large numeral on the same plank at the RH end of the body, an ungainly arrangement that is well recaptured in a portrait of wagon No 149. Our final view shoes one of the enginemen oiling the motion on Hudswell Clarke 4-8-4T No 5 in 1932.  A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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LLSR (Lough Swilly Rly) BW3 10 6x4 Black+White Prints

This set of ten 6x4 inch Black and White views is a sequel to LLSR Sets BW1 and BW2. It opens with a glorious portrait of the Swilly 4-6-2T  No 7, which was new from Hudswell, Clarke in 1901, and was appropriately named EDWARD VII for a Royal Train in 1903. This superb view was taken at Pennyburn in 1932 by which time the name had long vanished. An amusing “Dignity and Impudence” study of the magnificent 4-8-4T No 5 with the last surviving “small” Swilly engine, Black, Hawthorn & Co 0-6-0T No 17 (originally No 4) of 1885 at Pennyburn in 1932 shows the diversity of Swilly motive power. No 17 was broken up eight years later. Burtonport 4-6-0T No 2, seen with 4-8-0 No 12, still bears L&BER on the tank sides in this 1932 study at Pennyburn, but when sister engine No 3 was photographed on 14 June 1948, the L&BER lettering had been replaced by the LSR “Diamond” logo. AN attractive study of Burtonport 4-6-0T tank No 2 next to Kerr Stuart 4-6-2T No 10 reveals the differences in smokebox design of the two classes. This RH study of No 10 dates from 1932 and shows L&LSR lettering, whilst a portrait of  the LH side of No 10 taken on 14 June 1948, recalls the LSR diamond device, but wagon No 6, a three plank dropside “flat” still carries L&BE lettering.  Between the Graving Dock terminus and Pennyburn, the LLSR crossed Strand Road at a shallow angle, the crossing being protected by a conventional semaphore signal from the terminus, and by an unusual rotating diamond signal with its counterweight on a nearby dwarf post at Pennyburn.  This view at Graving Dock also includes end details on LLSR vacuum braked van No 53, three-plank drop side open No 159 and unroofed cattle wagon No 77. The Letterkenny & Burtonport Extension was financed by the Board of Works, and in their bureaucratic minds, this called for separate motive power and rolling stock, so equipment paid for by the BoW was duly lettered L&BER. The Burtonport extension had closed by 1948, but the separate number series survived on freight stock. L&BER goods van No 20 has a continuous roof, but L&LSR van No 50 has a canvas central section so that heavy loads could be easily craned in or out. Our final view is of a very smart and well groomed Hudswell 4-8-4T No 5, with LSR DIamond at Letterkenny on 15 June 1948. How sad one of these magnificent engines was not saved for posterity. A copy of these notes accompanies the set. These views are copyright; Reproduction by any means is prohibited without our prior written permission.

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