Traces of the Baltimore Extension Railway

The Baltimore Extension Railway has been closed for over sixty years and as each year goes by more and more of its footprint is disappearing. The rails and sleepers were removed almost immediately following the closure in 1961 but parts of the civil engineering features and buildings still remain intact.

The steel girders of the majority of the over bridges (rail over road/water) were removed except for the most substantial bridge, the lattice girder bridge over the Ilen River at The West Cork Hotel, that still remains largely intact. The masonry abutments of the majority of the over bridges are still in place as well as most of the brick-lined culverts and pedestrian underpasses. The two masonry arched farm access bridges remain intact while many of the minor farm access gates also remain in place or nearby.

Most importantly and thankfully, all the level crossing cottages still remain, though in most cases much altered, as well as the two Station buildings, engine shed and Stationmaster’s House.

The following is an attempt to record the remains of the railway before it’s too late.

Please forward any corrections to proskibbhs@gmail.com

A Brief History of the Baltimore Extension Railway

The Baltimore Extension Railway Company was set up in 1888/89 to build a railway from Skibbereen to Baltimore under the Light Railways (Ireland) Act of 1889. A grant of £56,700 was provided by The Treasury and William Martin Murphy, (Contractor) offered to pay for the preliminaries.

Survey work began in 1889 and a working agreement was reached with the Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway (CB&SCR) to operate the railway. The Cork to Skibbereen railway had been in operation since 1877.

Work began in earnest in 1891 and was largely complete by 1892. Many construction and contract issues arose during that period including strikes, works at Skibbereen Station, the footbridge and level crossing at Bridge Street, blasting in the cutting, undersized culverts, seawall bulging and embankment eaten by sea.

The line was eventually opened, to very little fanfare, on 2nd May 1893. The line was later extended to the pier in Baltimore in 1917.

The service ceased operation on Good Friday, 31st March 1961.

Statistics

• Length – 8 miles 12 chains
• Gradient 1/60
• 14 Underbridges
• 2 Stations – Creagh and Baltimore
• 12 Level Crossings
• 10 Cottages

Note: Some of the crossings are shown as level crossings on the Ordnance Survey Maps but appear to have been underbridges.

Main Sources: Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway by Ernie Shepherd 2005 and Ordnance Survey 1:2500 Maps.

Level Crossings

	Name	Distance Miles/yardsfrom Cork	Cottage
1	Bridge Street	53mls 1565yds
2	Coronea 1	54mls 740yds	Cottage
3	Coronea 2	54mls 1200yds	Cottage
4	Mallavonea	55mls 1237yds*	Cottage
5	Bunlick	56mls 480yds	Cottage
6	Creagh 1 (Crowley’s)	57mls 575yds	Cottage
	Creagh Station
7	Creagh 2 (Daly’s)*	57mls 1320yds	Cottage
8	Lackaghane (Seven Sisters)*	58mls 790yds	Cottage
9	Rath 1	59mls 820yds	Cottage
10	Rath 2 (Santry’s)*	59mls 1135yds	Cottage
11	Church Strand (Connor’s)*	60mls 880yds	Cottage
12	School Crossing	61mls 270yds

Table is based on Appendix J of Cork Bandon & South Coast Railway by Ernie Shepherd, that in turn is based on Appendix to GSR WTT 1935 with a number of amendments* based on measurements and local knowledge.

Maps and Photographs (2024 – 2026)

&

19th Century Ordnance Survey Maps (not to scale)

Section A – Coronea

Section B – Coronea

Section C – Coronea

Section D – Licknavar

Section E – Mallavonea & Bunlick

Section F – Bunlick & Derrygereen

Section G – Oldcourt & Creagh

Section H – Creagh

Section I – Creagh

Section J – Creagh & Lackaghane

Section K – Lackaghane & Rath

Section L – Rath

Section M – Rath

Section N – Rath & Ballylinchy

Section O – Ballylinchy

Section P – Ballylinchy & Baltimore

Section Q – Baltimore

Section R – Baltimore

Note:

The railway was extended to the pier in 1917 but there are no traces of this extension.

Section S – Miscellaneous