The Listowel and Ballybunion Railway

Apologies if there is already a significant series of posts on the forum about this line. It has fascinated me for some time. I hope this post is of interest. Does anyone have further information?

http://rogerfarnworth.com/2018/12/31/the-listowel-and-ballybunion-railway

 

Presumably you are aware of Adrian Garner's book, Monorails of the 19th Century?

 

No, I wasn't aware of the book. I'll see what I can find out!

Happy New Year.

 

this video shows the line in all its glory



Colin

 

a little additional footage of the road bridge in action



Colin

 

That has prompted me to look at the background. It seems that the only reason why the Lartigue system was adopted was the coincidence that M Lartigue had set up a demonstration line in London when some representatives from the Listowel area were there lobbying for a railway. Something that could be built on the cheap appealed to the authorities. The last part of the Scientific American article linked from the Wikipedia page https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015013715167;view=1up;seq=174 pretty thoroughly demolishes the supposed advantages of Lartigue over a conventional narrow-gauge railway.

That said, it is good that a small section has been restored for all to admire and wonder at.

 

I wonder whart the draftsman at Hunslet said under his breath when he was given the job of designing these locos. Are they the only locos ever built with an odd number of driving wheels and an even number of boilers?

 

As a follow up ……………..

I have been sent a number of links to videos including one to a model built in O Gauge. The first link should take you to the model, the remaining links are primarily to videos taken at the site in Ireland. I have also been sent a link to another page about the railway, the link to that page can be found beneath the videos.











An HO model of the line, together with more information and pictures:

https://irishwaterwayshistory.com/rail/the-lartigue-monorail-in-listowel/

 

nice videos. Of note is that the turntables act as points and there are stairs to the opposite side to enable the load to be balanced on each side.