Irish Narrow Gauge Railway Museum with Michael Davies - Part 4 The Cavan and Leitrim Railway

Part 4 The Cavan and Leitrim Railway
Aged 16 Michael Davies had a fascination with the Irish Narrow Gauge Railways. He set off on a mission to cover as many narrow gauge railways as possible. In 1951 he made the voyage, on his own, from his home in Cheshire to Dublin and onwards.
Michael continues on his memories, this time arriving at Dromod to explore the Cavan and Leitrim Railway that ran to Ballinamore, Belturbet and Arigna. This was the very first railway that Michael visited having travelled from Dun Laoghaire through the night. Fortunately you can still get off the Dublin to Sligo train and board a steam hauled narrow gauge train along a part of the original railway. As part of Heritage Week the theme is living heritage, the Cavan and Leitrim Railway Museum at Dromod offers vistors a living museum with working train services along with the skills to keep the museum and trains running.
We are grateful for the funding awarded by the Heritage Council to restore the chassis as the second phase of restoration for the carriage project. The chassis construction is also typical of the construction of railway carriages as at Ballinamore from 1887 to the 1950's.
Michael has brought to us what it was like to travel on the railway. We hope to recreate a taster of this when our carriage is fully restored after the final phase of restoration.
Acknowledgements:
Thanks to those who supported the production of this clip, thanks in particular to Nick Dobson of RailFilms for use of original Arthur Camwell footage taken on the Tralee and Dingle Railway and the same occasion of Michael's visit in 1951.
Thumbnail image supplied by Graham Hoare.
Other footage by Richard D. Kehm.
Thank you also to Michael Davies for sharing his memories.