Донегол темір жолы: Тарихы мен мұрасы

The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3ft 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.

Under the management of Henry Forbes, traffic superintendent from 1910 to 1943, the County Donegal Railways became pioneers in the use of diesel traction. 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 204577 mile (329234 km) during its working life.

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 until 10 July 1971 when it was taken over by CIÉ. In 1961, the two most modern diesel railcars were sold to the Isle of Man Railway.

The reopening of the Western Rail Corridor and other bordering railway lines should bring back services.

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 CDRJC. St. Connell's Museum, in Glenties has an extensive display of items from the railway. The Foyle Valley Railway in Derry houses numerous CDRJC 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.

+ 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 4 6 2 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 4 6 2 Renumbered No. 5 and renamed Drumboe in 1937. Ran the last scheduled train of the CDRJC on 31 December 1959. Preserved at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre. No. 18
No. 6 Killybegs
Columbkille 1907 Nasmyth, Wilson and Company 4 6 2 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 4 6 2 Renumbered No. 8 and renamed Foyle in 1937. Scrapped in 1955. Class 5ANo. 1Alice1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company4 6 2Sold at a scrap auction in 1960. No. 2A
No. 2Blanche1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company4 6 2Renumbered No. 2 shortly after arrival. Preserved in the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra. No. 3A
No. 3Lydia1912Nasmyth, Wilson and Company4 6 2Renumbered No. 3 shortly after arrival. Sold at a scrap auction in 1960. Atkinson Walker rail tractorNo. 11Phœnix1928Atkinson Walker0 4 0Sold by the Clogher Valley Railway to the CDRJC 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. 31934ex Dublin and Blessington Steam TramwayPetrolRebuilt as a trailer in 1944. Preserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra. No. 41928O'DohertyPetrolLent to the Clogher Valley Railway in 1932. Scrapped in 1947. No. 51929O'Doherty/KnutsfordPetrolBuilt as a trailer. Sold in 1960. 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. 11
Phœnix1933ex Clogher Valley Railway and Atkinson WalkerDieselPreserved. 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 BrothersDieselPreserved at the Donegal Railway Heritage Centre. 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. 101942ex Clogher Valley Railway and Walker BrothersDieselPreserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museums in Cultra. 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.