Dalkey Atmospheric Railway
The Dalkey Atmospheric Railway (Unofficial opening 19 August 1843, official opening 29 March 1844 - 12 April 1854[1]) was an extension of the Dublin and Kingstown Railway to Atmospheric Road in Dalkey, Co. Dublin, Ireland. It used part of the Dalkey Quarry industrial tramway, which was earlier used for the construction of Kingstown (Dún Laoghaire) Harbour. It was both the first railway of its type in the world.
History
The standard gauge line was 9,200 feet (2,800 m) in length with an average uphill gradient of about 1 in 110. Vacuum power via a 15-inch (380 mm) pipe was used for the ascent to Dalkey, speeds of up to 40 mph (64 km/h) being achieved, and the return journey was by means of gravity. The vacuum tube fell 560 yd (512 m) short of the Dalkey station, and the train relied on momentum for the last stretch of the journey. To commence the journey from Kingston the train had to be pushed by hand until the piston engaged with the tube.[2] Trains ran every half-hour between 8:00am and 6:00pm.
William Dargan was the contractor and Charles Vignoles the engineer. The atmospheric equipment was supplied by Samuel Clegg and Jacob and Joseph Samuda.
In 1854 the line was closed to allow for conversion to 1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in) (Irish Gauge) and thus integration into the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway.
Influence on other railways
The line was visited by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and other representatives of the Great Western Railway which subsequently constructed the 20 mi (32 km) South Devon Railway and operated for a year with atmospheric propulsion. Also in 1844 a study of the railway was included in a report prepared for the French Government; afterwards the 5.3 mi (8.5 km) Saint-Germain atmospheric railway near Paris was built in 1847 and then operated until 1860.[3]
The line today
A section of the path of the line now forms part of the DART route. The last 200 metres, or so, at the Dalkey end ran slightly to the north of the present line and is now derelict or built over. The bridge which carried Castle Park Road over the atmospheric railway is still in existence and everyday use. The pumping station was sited in the grounds of a house which still stands beside the path called 'The Metals' adjacent to Barnhill Road.