The Clogher Valley describes that area of central Ulster centred around the old cathedral town of Clogher, nestled between the Sperrin Mountains to the north and Slieve Beagh to the south. It is also defined by the old barony of Clogher, later the Clogher rural district council which comprised the towns of Augher, Clogher, Fivemiletown, Ballygawley and Aughnacloy. However, the term “Clogher Valley” was seldom used before the arrival of a light railway bearing the name, serving the district and forming a connection at either end with standard gauge lines from Belfast to Clones and from Dundalk to Enniskillen.

Proposals for rail links to the area were proposed as early as the mid 1840s and were part of the of the numerous railway proposals that erupted in Ireland at that time. As standard gauge lines extended into Ulster from the east coast more specific proposals involving the Clogher Valley area were proposed. In 1862 the Dundalk & Enniskillen Railway reached Enniskillen, passing the village of Maguiresbridge on the way. A year later, the Ulster Railway had extended to Clones, connecting with the D&E. These two concerns eventually came together under the Great Northern Railway of Ireland (GNRI).

A narrow gauge railway was first proposed in 1872, as the Armagh, Tyrone & Fermanagh Railway, to be built to the 3ft gauge, and running from Maguiresbridge to Armagh, essentially following the ultimate course of the CVR. Due to lack of finance, this proposal was not advanced at this stage.

Roadside tramways had been authorised since 1860 though initially mechanical power was forbidden and speeds were restrictive. Subsequent acts relaxed these restrictions and the Tramways and Public Companies (Ireland) Act of 1883 was a significant development in that some Government aid was available to the baronies, to offset, to some extent, the effects of the Baronial Guarantee (whereby the barony served by the proposed railway was required to offer a guarantee on the interest on some or all of the invested capital). With the passing of the Act consideration was given to the construction of a roadside tramway from Maguiresbridge through Fivemiletown, Clogher and Ballygawley, thereafter to either Dungannon or Tynan. Typically, this led to a split with the formation of two separate companies but the supporters of the Dungannon extension failed to get local approval. The alternative scheme to Tynan proved more successful – the Clogher Valley Tramway Company was incorporated in December 1883 and proceeded to obtain the necessary statutory powers. The approval of the Grand Juries of Tyrone and Fermanagh was obtained in the Spring of 1884 and the application was considered by the Privy Council of Ireland in May 1884, with authorisation given on the 7^th August 1884. The authorised capital was £150,000 in £10 shares, and a dividend of 5 per cent, was guaranteed in perpetuity, in respect of £132,000 of the capital, by County Districts of Tyrone and Fermanagh.

Tenders for construction were invited in early 1885 and the contract was awarded to Basil McCrea and John McFarland of Belfast and Londonderry. The ceremonial turning of the first sod took place at Aughnacloy on the 1^st June 1885 and on the same day the directors met to decide the location the company’s headquarters, voting in favour of Aughnacloy. Work proceeded apace despite a shortfall in investment which threatened progress, eased by the Public Works Loans Tramways (Ireland) Act of 1886 which permitted the company to borrow from the Treasury. Progress was also hampered by wet weather and a number of differences between the contractors and the resident engineer, James Barton, over payments and the quality of work. Nevertheless, predictions were made for the Tramway to be ready for traffic in January or February of 1887.

It was not until 11^th April that the Board of Trade inspection was carried out and was generally favourable. Having attended to the details of the report, the official opening of the Clogher Valley Tramway was set for the 2^nd May with the line opened to the public on the 3^rd May 1887.

That initial operational standards were poor can be gauged from the findings of Gustav Akerlind, appointed Locomotive Superintendent in January 1889, whose initial inspection showed that all six of the Company’s engines required attention, with three out of service and requiring heavy repair, and this after less than two years service. He set about rectifying the problem and within six months, matters were reported to be much improved. He proved an effective and conscientious servant of the company, remaining in post until his death thirty five years later.

By 1894, the disadvantages of being nominally a tramway were becoming apparent. To enable through bookings to locations on other rail networks and to avail of the Railway Clearing House system required recognition as a Railway. Steps were therefore taken to obtain Board of Trade approval to change the name to the Clogher Valley Railway Company Ltd. This was granted and came into effect on the 16^th July 1894.

From the outset, traffic receipts did not meet expectations and for the first seven years, some considerable losses were experienced, the company only kept going by the guaranteeing areas. Despite this, from early days, the company considered a number of extension schemes. One was an extension from Tynan through Keady to Newry, linking with the Bessbrook and Newry Tramway. Even while this was under discussion, consideration was given to extending from Maguiresbridge to Bawnboy Road, linking to the Cavan & Leitrim Railway. The Clogher Valley, despite having no profits to support these schemes did actively promote the prospect of a continuous line from the Shannon to the port of Newry. An even more ambitious scheme was the Ulster & Connaught Light Railways which embraced the previous extension schemes and proposed an extension via Roosky through Roscommon and Galway and through some of the remotest parts of Connemara to Clifden. Had this been approved, it would have resulted in a narrow gauge line 234 miles in length from the East to West coast. However, approval for these proposals was never sought. Though interest remained in the Newry, Keady & Tynan scheme, this eventually died after a standard gauge route from Armagh opened to Keady in May 1909.

The shortfall in income with respect to expenditure continued and the CVR was a continual tax burden on the ratepayers. A number of factors influenced the company’s expenditure. Coal for the locomotives came from Wales to Newry and thence via the GNR(I) to Tynan where it was transferred to CVR stock and taken to Aughnacloy for storage. Strikes in the Coal industry affected both delivery, and hence services, and ultimately prices. Prices also rose steeply during the First World War but were most affected by the General Strike of 1926, when the mining industry was crippled by strike action from May to November of that year.

Wage increases also became an issue particularly following the outbreak of war in 1914 and the price rises that resulted. All Irish railways came under the control of the Irish Railways Executive Committee on January 1^st 1917, lasting until 15^th August 1921. During this time, costs for all the railways increased threefold, relative to receipts. The Government agreed a compensation lump sum of which the CVR was paid £16,732. To reduce costs, wages for many of the staff were reduced and some redundancies resulted.

With the end of the war, political unrest, following the short lived uprising of 1916, led to the War of Independence which resulted in sporadic armed resistance to British rule throughout Ireland. This led, in 1921, to the creation of the Irish Free State and the partition of Ireland, with the creation of Northern Ireland. A civil war resulted between those accepting the Free State and those favouring full independence. Unlike many other Irish narrow gauge lines, the CVR was little affected by these events, though the creation of the border, only a mile from the Ballygawley – Tynan section of the line removed the Monaghan hinterland from the Clogher Valley traders and by introducing a need for import and export of animals, changed established attendance at fairs and other events by residents of the county, which in turn had an influence on CVR traffic.

In May 1922, the new Northern Ireland Government set up a seven-man Commission to investigate the railways operating in Northern Ireland. Evidence was taken through May and June of 1922, the then Manager & Secretary, H S Sloan, speaking on behalf of the CVR. The committee was split 5:2 in its findings and issued both a majority and a minority report. With regard to the CVR, the majority report noted the company had made a loss in 20 of the 27 years since 1894, and every year since 1912. They recommended the CVR be absorbed into the GNR(I). In the event, the reports were not acted on by the Northern Ireland government and the CVR continued as before, relying on the support of the ratepayers and the Treasury.

The Company’s continued poor finances were considered by the county councils in December 1925 when a resolution to close the railway, to remove the burden, was moved but was not seconded. Instead, the councils called for a reduction in expenses and an economy committee was formed and recommended some changes.

In 1927, the Northern Ireland government decided the CVR’s special position warranted investigation and appointed a three man committee, to be joined by Robert Killin, head of the Northern Divisuon of the LMS, who was tasked with providing an expert evaluation of the railway and its operation. They were tasked with examining the workings of the railway and whether it should continue to operate. They found both the permanent way and rolling stock to be in poor condition and in need of serious investment to bring them to a satisfactory standard. It was recommended the company cease passenger operations and continue only with freight, part of the reasoning being that a competing motor bus was already in operation. Ceasing passenger operations would result in considerable reductions in manpower and financial savings. Killin also recommended an Atkinson-Walker tractor unit be bought to operate the light traffic between Fivemiletown and Maguiresbridge. Attention was also drawn to a matter hitherto overlooked – a provision in the Act of Incorporation which passed ownership of the operation to the county councils if the baronies had to pay monies to maintain or work the operation for a period of three years.

In response to the recommendations of the report, a committee of management was formed to manage the company, comprising members appointed by the county councils of Tyrone and Fermanagh and two appointed by the government – Robert Darragh, an old Belfast & Northern Counties railway man and Henry Forbes, manager and secretary of the County  Donegal Railways Joint Committee

One of the first actions of the committee was to approach the GNR(I) with a view to amalgamation or some other arrangement but the GNR(I) would not entertain the proposal. Darragh and Forbes, as practical railwaymen  were given a remit to examine the line and give their opinion as to future working. Recommended a passenger service be continued but with the abolition of first class travel and fares and an acceleration of service by separation of passenger and goods workings. Killin’s recommendation for the purchase of an Atkinson-Walker tractor was followed and a unit was delivered in January 1929 but was to prove a dismal failure. Forbes, with his growing experience of railcar operations in Donegal, arranged a trial of CDR Railcar No 4 on the CVR in May 1932. As a result, an articulated railcar was purchased from Walker Bros. of Wigan and entered service in December of that year. It was an instant success and passenger numbers increased, so much so that consideration was almost immediately given to acquiring a second. The poor financial situation meant a compromise was reached and a power bogie unit with a removable wagon body was purchased, arriving in September 1933. This was a reserve power unit when the railcar’s unit was in for repair or overhaul - it otherwise served as a tractor unit, hauling a carriage or wagons usually on the Fivemiletown – Maguiresbridge section.

Having just introduced the new railcar, the company was then faced with the consquences of the strike which paralysed virtually all the railways of Ireland from 31 January to 7^th April. The CVR were not affected directly by the strike but the GNR(I) was. A skeleton service operated on the broad gauge to Tynan but none to Maguiresbridge and this impacted on CVR traffic. The committee initially considered closing the line but instead laid off considerable numbers of staff, maintaining sufficient only to keep the railcar operating.  Without a regular service, the public made alternative arrangements and as a result, with the ending of the strike, traffic remained poor.

The nearby Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway fared even worse, not reopening after the strike ended. Forbes drew the CVR’s attention to the possibility of obtaining a useful 2-6-0T engine but the committee was slow to act and the entire stock was sold for scrap. However, a deal was reached with the scrap merchants before the locomotive was removed and the CVR exchanged their worn out No 1 Caledon and useless No 7 Blessingbourne.

The company continued to lose money and the burden of the Baronial guarantee continued to tax the public. Ever increasing costs meant the end was inevitable. An ongoing problem was the perpetual guarantee to the shareholders. The Government attempted to purchase shares  though this was resisted. In 1934, the Northern Ireland Government set up an enquiry into public transport, both road and rail. This recommended closure of the CVR and though the Government accepted the principles of the report it did not action it immediately. The introduction of railcar operations and the improved service resulting gave something of a stay of execution, though the concern continued to make a loss. The councils continued to agitate to have the baronial guarantee removed. Eventually an agreement was drawn up by the Government whereby the Government were to relieve the ratepayers of all responsibility to shareholders and to contribute towards the upgrading of the roads and in return, the assets of the undertaking were to transfer to the Government. Under the Clogher Valley Railway and Roads (N.I.) Act 1941, the railway was to cease operations on the last day of December 1941.

The last train to run was a special railcar operation packed with local people, late on the evening of the 31^st. It reached Fivemiletown at midnight and returned to Ballygawley at 1.23 am, the CVR thus officially kept running into 1942! The permanent way was disposed of in one lot, the remainer was auctioned at Aughnacloy on 14^th April 1942. A major purchaser was the CDRJC, acquiring the diesel railcar and the rail tractor unit (minus the engine) together with a number of wagons and vans all of which played a major part in the successful railcar operations on the CDR.

Course of the line

The CVR did not have terminus stations but rather used the GNR(I) stations at either end. At Tynan, narrow gauge trains departed from and arrived at a single curved platform constructed between the back of the GNR station, and the private access road. The goods and transshipment shed and the engine shed were some distance from the passenger station. Leaving Tynan, on a sharp left hand curve, the line ran along its own right of way, falling sharply to join the Armagh-Caledon road and crossing both the Ulster canal and the River Blackwater before climbing into the village of Caledon which had a stopping place in the main street, opposite the courthouse.

A sharp left-hand curve took the line out of the village onto the road to Aughnacloy, which it followed, mainly on the level, for seven miles. In addition to halts, there were a number of absolute stops, where the line crossed public roads. Beyond Crilly Halt at 7 miles, the line climbed steadily for a mile then fell at 1 in 31, through Glencrew Halt then left the main road to run across a boggy valley and into Aughnacloy. The up-platform had a large two-storyed station building which housed the company’s offices. Beyond the station buildings, were the goods shed and sidings and the locomotive shed and the company workshops.

Beyond Aughnacloy was a three mile stretch of stiff climbing up Tullyvar Hill with grades up to 1:31. Just beyond the station the line rejoined the road and followed it to Tullyvar Halt, which had a crossing keeper’s cottage, a platform and a crossing loop. Beyond the halt the line left the road and the climb continued at 1:31 for a further ¾ mile to a summit at 358ft. There followed a steep 1 mile descent, mostly at 1:30, to Ballygawley station. An obligatory stop on the downward route, at Tullywinney Gate Lodge, brought the line back in contact with the road, which it crossed to run on the right hand side and followed to Ballygawley, crossing the road again to enter the station..

Ballygawley was built on a curve with two offset platforms and a passing loop, goods shed, sidings to cattle pens and permanent way shops. Leaving Ballygawley the tramway headed in a south-westerly direction, diverting from the road and running on the level for ¾ mile, crossing the Ballygawley River by a box girder bridge. A short, sharp rise took the tramway back to the road, through the halts of Lisdoart, Annaghilla and Roughan (which had a passing loop to Augher. On entering the village of Augher, the main street was crossed to enter the station, which had a single storied, brick station building. A siding from the station ran to Augher Creamery .

Leaving Augher the tramway ran on the right hand side of the road­way, through Summer Hill halt (later Farranetra), and then took a two mile deviation away from the road for two miles, through a number of gated level crossings over minor roads, to skirt around the hill on which the village of Clogher was built. Clogher station, a ½ mile from the village, had the typical two-storey brick building, with a passing loop, two platforms and a goods store and sidings. From Clogher, the line coursed gently upward for two miles to Findermore Halt, where it rejoined the road. Thereafter the climb continued for a further 1½ miles, with short stretches of up to 1:30, to a peak of 336ft. After a short descent through Kiltermon Halt, the climb resumed to the peak on the line, at 389ft, just beyond the 27 mile post. Thereafter, the line descended into Fivemiletown, to run through the main street, with a 4 mph speed limit, into the station, which had buildings identical to that at Clogher. Fivemiletown was the second largest station on the system and had an extensive goods yard, an engine shed, and a siding to the pig market.

For the remaining 9½ miles to Maguiresbridge the line mostly ran on its own right of way and generally followed a gentle downhill course. A number of halts were passed before Colebrook station, at 31½ miles, was reached.  This largely served the estate of the Brooke family and eventually, as it was deemed to be providing no useful revenue to the company, it was demoted to a halt. Just beyond Colebrooke, the line returned to the road­side for two miles, then diverted away from the village of Brookeborough, to the station of that name. Brookeborough had a single platform and a station building similar to Ballygawley. The road was rejoined for three-quarters of a mile, thereafter the longest of the diversions across the fields followed, a stretch of two and a half miles Aghavea Halt.

A little over a mile from Maguiresbridge the tramway rejoined the roadside. On entering the village, there was a compulsory stop at Fair Green, before continuing on to terminate at the Great Northern Railway’s station. The Clogher Valley used of the GNR’s passenger station facilities, but there were small engine and goods sheds and an open sided transshipment shed. The height of the line above sea level was 20ft more than at Tynan, at 196 ft above sea level.

Locomotives

For the opening of the railway, tenders for six engines were invited in autumn 1885, with the order going to Sharp, Stewart of Manchester. They were all 0-4-2 side tanks, maker’s numbers 3369 – 3374 and on the CVR were numbered and named 1 Caledon, 2 Errigal, 3 Blackwater, 4 Fury, 5 Colebrooke and 6 Erne. In keeping with Board of Trade requirements for roadside tramways, condensers were to be fitted to reduce exhaust steam. Though the Board relaxed this requirement prior to the engines entering service, the building had progressed beyond the point where they could be altered and the engines worked with the condensers fitted for some time. They were also required to have a cowcatcher fitted and skirting, with hinged inspection doors, covering the motion. These engines ran with the cab lead­ing, and were fitted with a warning bell, later replaced by a whistle, and a large headlamp. They were rated to be capable of hauling 70 tons up 1 in 30 gradients.

As supplied, gravity sanding was fitted – later steam sanding was trialed but was found to scatter sand about the motion and caused excessive abrasive wear and gravity feed was resorted to. Originally, coal was carried in hoppers in the leading end of each side tank but was soon found to be inadequate and capacity was increased by enlarging the hopper into an open bunker extending across the boiler and firebox.

In general, these engines seem to have been quite successful and, other than the need for boiler replacement, there is little record of major problems with them. No. 4 was the first to be withdrawn and was officially scrapped in 1929, though had been largely out of service from 1925. No. 1 was withdrawn in 1934 and No. 5 in 1936 but the other three remained in service until the close of the line in 1941.

In 1909, tenders were invited for the supply of an 0-4-4T engine, to the design of Akerlind, the locomotive superintendent. Of nine tenders received, the order was placed with Hudswell, Clarke & Co of Leeds. It was delivered in the first half of 1910, makers No 914, and was given number 7 and the name Blessingbourne, after the chairman’s residence. It proved a dismal failure, largely due to bad adhesion, and unpopular with the crews. Coal consumption was also higher than the Sharp Stewart engines and by the mid 20s, it was being used little and was spending most of its time in the sheds. In September 1926, the company put it up for sale, there received no offers. It lay out of use for a further eight years until October 1934, when it was exchanged as scrap, along with Caledon for the Hudswell Clarke 2-6-0T from the Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway.

When Robert Killin inspected the line in 1927, he recommended passenger traffic cease and the company concentrate on freight carriage only, for which he suggested the acquisition of an Atkinson-Walker steam tractor to operate light freight services between Fivemiletown and Maguiresbridge, to reduce fuel costs. Though the reasons behind his recommendations are unclear, the committee of management did approach Atkinson-Walker Wagons Ltd of the Frenchwood works, Preston, who agreed to send and in September 1928. Atkinson-Walker had offered to send one of their Class A3 engines, Works No 114, on trial, an offer which was accepted by the CVR Committee of Management. She arrived in January 1929 and was numbered 8. She was found to be underpowered and unsuitable and already by March 1929, Atkinson-Walker were asked to take the locomotive away. Instead, in a bid to avoid losing the order, they sent two fitters over to the CVR to fit a larger boiler with increased heating surface area and a larger grate area. But matters did not improve and in November 1929, a further request was made to have the engine removed.

By this time Atkinson-Walker were in the hands of a receiver, who tried in vain to find a purchaser. It appears to have been written off by its owners, and it lay out of use in the Aughnacloy until 1932, acquired engine, minus its boiler and engine and had it fitted with a  Gardner diesel engine for shunting and goods train working on the CDRJC. It became No 11 and named Phœnix on the CDR, surviving to the end and finding an ultimate resting place in the Transport Musem at Cultra.

In 1934, when the assets of the Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway were sold by auction, one of the locomotives, No. 4, was acquired by a Belfast contractor. This was a 2-6-0T locomotive built by Hudswell, Clarke & Co. in 1904 (Works No. 698). Before it was removed from Castlederg, the CVR offered No 1 Caledon, by now worn out and in need of heavy repair and the unloved and unused No 7 Blessingbourne.

In October 1934, she was transported via the GNR to Maguiresbridge, where she was steamed and hauled a rake of C&VBT cattle wagons to Aughnacloy, suffereing on the heavier grades due to her condition. In Aughnacloy, she was rebuilt and overhauled, the frames being lengthened by 2ft at the rear to accommodate an enlarged bunker. To carry the bunker, a rear radial truck with solid 2ft 6in wheels was added, converting the engine to a 2-6-2T and extending the total wheel-base to 16ft 6in. She retained the number 4 on the CVR, as Fury had been scrapped some years previously, but was unnamed. On the C&VBT, she ran with on the roadside, this was removed on the CVR. In her rebuilt state she worked quite successfully and was of particular value on at Ballygawley and Fivemiletown fair days, when traffic was unusually heavy. Upon closure, she was auctioned off and is rumoured to have been acquired by Bord na Móna.

Railcar

In 1932, on the recommendation of Henry Forbes and following the successful trial of a CDR Railcar on the CVR, an articulated railcar was purchased from Walker Bros. of Wigan, arriving in December of that year. It was powered by a Gardener 6L2 Diesel Unit and the had an articulated coach body capable of carrying 29 passengers. It was the first of its kind in Ireland and the prototype of all subsequent railcars on the CDRJC. It was Numbered 1 on the CVR and such was its impact that the company considered acquiring a second. Lack of finances prohibited this but instead a power bogie unit, identical to that of the railcar, was acquired, to which was added a removable wagon body and this served as a reserve power unit when the railcar’s unit was in for repair or overhaul. At other times, it served as a tractor unit, hauling a carriage or wagons usually on the Fivemiletown – Maguiresbridge section. Both survived to the end, the railcar being acquired by the CDRJC where it worked until closure of that system, subsequently being preserved in the Ulster Transport Museum at Cultra. The tractor unit was initially sold for scrap but the power bogie was acquired by the CDRJC as a backup for the Railcar’s unit.

Coaching Stock:

There were originally two classes of passenger accommodation, first and third, though the former was abolished in 1928. The initial order for passenger rolling stock consisted of six parcel and brake vans, three first-class coaches, two 1^st/3^rd composites and eight third class coaches. The passenger coaches were all bogie coaches with clerestory roofs, having end verandahs, accessed by sliding end doors. The first class coaches were shorter than the thirds or compos (24ft over platforms vs 29ft 6in). A somewhat unique feature was that they were all steam heated All seating was arranged longitudinally; third-class had plain, wooden seats, but first-class was upholstered. With the abolition of first class in September 1928, some of the old wooden seats were upholstered to the standard of the old first class. Although proposals were advanced for the acquisition of further passenger stock, none were in fact purchased and the original thirteen carriages survived in service to the end.

Wagons:

The initial rolling stock order of 1886 included 35 covered wagons, 35 covered wagons and 4 timber trucks. Soon after 2 horseboxes and 2 ballast wagons were added but by 1891, the ballast wagons had been disposed of and the open wagon total had fallen to 31. Cattle wagons were included in the total until 1897 when 4 dedicated cattle wagons were purchased; thereafter they were numbered separately. A further 10 open and 10 covered wagons were ordered from Metropolitan in 1897 to bring the total to 96. Two 15 ton open bogie wagons followed form the same source in 1904 – these were used to ferry passengers for the annual orange celebrations. They were numbered 96 and 97 (an older wagon having earlier been withdrawn). Ten new ballast wagons, to support upkeep of the permanent way arrived in 1911. The final acquisition was  a batch of 19 covered wagons purchased on the closure of the Castlederg & Victoria Bridge Tramway in 1933. To run with CVR stock, they would have needed to have their buffer heights adjusted. This was never done and they lay in the yard at Aughnacloy until closure.