Great Southern Railway(s)

GSR Coat of Arms

History: Summary

Created by Railways (Directorate) Act of 1924. Under its terms the GSWR, MGWR and CBSCR were to amalgamate to become the Great Southern Railway. By 1/1/1925 the DSER was added and absorption of smaller railways commenced under a new group title "Great Southern Railways". 2187 route miles. Section 7 of Irish Railways Act 1924 gaves powers to replace station names and notices in English with bilingual versions. Absorbed by CIE 1/1/1945.

Rolling stock: Inherited loco stock of constituents - CBSCR (20), CMDR (5), TCLR (2), WTR (4), DSER (41), MGWR (139), GSWR (321) plus narrow gauge stock. 59 standard gauge steam engines built to 1939 when steam construction ended. Miscellaneous other stock acquired included 4 dining cars from Birmingham R.C.&W.Co., 4 Sentinel steam railcars in 1927, 4 Drewry petrol engined cars (2 NG for WCR), 6 Clayton steam railcars in 1928 and 4 two coach Drumm battery trains. In the first 15 years of operation, the GSR built or introduced 128 new coaching vehicles. For full details see Pender.
Works: Inchicore. Broadstone repairs (see MGWR). Light running repairs at Glanmire Rd., Limerick and Rocksavage. Wagons at Limerick.
Livery: GSWR livery continued for locos, carriages and wagons except that corridor coaches gradually painted chocolate and cream. From 1936 [BP: 1934-5] all carriages painted in red livery (LMS like) with crest on lower panes. Early Drumm trains were in chocolate and cream, later all dark red. 800 class engines blue-green with black and yellow lining GS initials on tender with crest between (Tender nos. 80-2). [DM: 800 commenced trials in shop grey. Afterwards painted in blue green with black and yellow lining. Tender had letters GS in gold with GSR crest in middle on raised plaque. After CIE, repainted in a darker shade of green and GSR replaced with snail transfer. 800 and 801 repainted in 9/1949 and, in 10/1952, received a much lighter shade of green].
Staff: Locomotive superintendents were J.R.Bazin 1925, W.H.Morton 1929, A.W.Harty 1932, E.C.Bredin 1937, M.J.Ginnetty 1942, C.F.Tyndall 1944.
Signalling: As constituents.
Tickets: Central ticket printing headquarters at Broadstone.
Other: 2nd class continued on ex-GSWR and CMDR sections until 1/7/1930.

Further reading:M.C.Baker, Irish Railways since 1916, T.Middlemass, Irish Standard Gauge Railways, D.Delaney, "Irish and English Railways - 2" JIRRS 1089, D.Murray, "The 800 class" JIRRS 1070, B.Pender, "GSR Coaching Stock 1924-44" JIRRS 673, J Clements and M McMahon, Locomotives of the GSR.

Coat of Arms

Another GSR coa. Source: SRA396

Rolling Stock railwayana (see supplementary page on GSR rolling stock railwayana for full details)

Locomotive nameplates:
GSR nameplate.

See supplementary GSR rolling stock railwayana page for additional name and number plates

Works & tenderplates:
GSR makers' plate, 1933.

See supplementary GSR rolling stock railwayana page for additional makers' plates

Carriage and wagon plates:
GSR axlebox cover

Lineside and station railwayana (see supplementary page on GSR lineside railwayana for full details)

Footbridge:
Source: D.Cronin, with added first 'n'.

Bridge Restriction:

Bridge Numbers:

Trespass:
GSR trespass (full image 32K)

Station:
Station name - Bagenalstown.
GSR gentlemen.
GSR trolley.

See supplementary GSR lineside railwayana page for above items

Mileposts:

Railchair:

Signalling:

Cutlery, china, ashtrays etc.:

Miscellaneous:

GSR posters (For three more see supplementary GSR lineside railwayana page)
GSR bus stop
GSR bus/tram conductors badge.

See supplementary GSR lineside railwayana page for these

Return to index page, or go to GSR subpage, GSR rolling stock railwayana.

Return to auction price data on original pages

For genealogy, go to my Lennan genealogy pages

Page content posted 27/7/1997. Revised 17/1/12