Ballybunion, a small seaside town in North Kerry is renowned for it’s resort, it’s golf course, as the birthplace of Lord Kitchener and for the one-time transport link to the main line at Listowel which was a unique experiment in Light Railway technology. The origins of this railway curiosity are to be found in the desert sands of North Africa. It was here that Charles Francois Marie-Therese Lartigue (1834-1907), in looking to design a cheap, portable railway which could be used in difficult locations andterrain, was inspired by the sight of camels carrying heavy loads balanced in panniers either side of their humps and came up with the idea of the mono-railway system that nears his name. It consisted of a single elevated running rail carried on the apex of A shaped iron trestles approx 3ft 3in high (1 metre), anchored at the bottom onto iron or wooden sleepers, with a metal cross brace for rigidity. The object of the design was intended to avoid the need and expense of leveling the ground.

The rolling stock ran on the top rail on vertical double flanged wheels which bore all the weight. Light guide rails ran along the outside of the trestles, 2 ft below the running rails. Horizontal double flanged wheels were fitted on either side of the vehicles to run on these guide rails to control lateral movement and give stability. The triangular nature of the track intruded into the vehicles and, though carriages had similar widths to 3ft gauge stock, this intrusion limited their carrying capacity.

Lartigue’s first system was assembled in the deserts of Algeria – a 90 km line for the transport of esparto grass in wagons hauled by mules. The claimed advantages were that track could be easily lifted and relaid, that it was quick to construct, easy to operate and cheap, while the monorail structure would allow for sharper curves and steeper gradients. The Lartigue Railway Construction Co. was formed to market his invention and, in an attempt to gain a foothold in Britain, a demonstration was staged in Westminster, London in 1886.

Meanwhile, the people of Ballybunion had been trying for a number of years to secure a connection to the main line in Listowel. This latter station had been opened in 1880 by the Limerick and Tralee section of the Waterford and Limerick Railway. Proposals included lines to the Irish standard gauge of 5ft 3in as well as the 3ft gauge, which was gaining in popularity. Both proposals required baronial guarantees and failed to raise sufficient support and both had been rejected by 1885. But it is believed the requirements of the North Kerry people lay on the desk of a minister of Parliament in Westminster when the Lartigue exhibition arrived there some few months later and may explain how the Lartigue Company and the town of Ballybunion came together. Anxious for a permanent display of their system, the company agreed to build and equip the line for £33,000 and without the requirement for a baronial guarantee.

The Listowel & Ballybunion Railway gained the necessary approval on the 16th April 1886, under the Listowel & Ballybunion Railway Act. Work began in the autumn of 1887. The official opening ceremony took place on 29th February 1888 and the line opened for regular service on the 1st March 1888. The managing director of the Lartigue Railway Construction Company, Mr F H Behr was appointed managing director of the L&BR. The line covered the 9¼ miles from Listowel to Ballybunion with a short extension running on to the foreshore at Ballybunion where sand for farming and construction was lifted.

The Lartigue system differed in many ways from conventional railways and in so doing had a number of drawbacks. There were only very lowplatforms, passengers entering the train virtually from ground level. A major disadvantage was the need to balance the train. For passenger services, by the guard and stationmaster each walking down one side of the train and calling to the other the number in each half of the coach. If there was any imbalance then some of the passengers would have to move to the other side of the carriage and to enable this, a staircase on wheels was included in each passenger train. At least one of the guards vans was also fitted with crossover steps.

Conventional points were not possible, access to different roads was achieved by the use of turntable-like switches comprising curved rotating sections, extending 150° rather than 180°. These were not designed for turning vehicles but rather for linking different sections of the running lines. Trains ran across the turntable-switches without stopping, the switch was then rotated and the train ran back onto a different road. Although this necessarily increased the complexities of shunting – particularly the number of movements required – it was a system which the operating staff soon mastered and became expert in performing. In the Westminster trials a different approach had been adopted whereby one end of a length of more flexible trestle track was unbolted from the ground, disconnected from its current line, moved into position and connected with the new line and again bolted in place. These basic system was, however, deemed too crude for the L&BR and was replaced by the turntable-switches.

Conventional-pattern turntables were used for turning locomotives at Listowel and Ballybunion. It was not usually found necessary to turn rolling stock although if required this was also done on the 180° turntables.

At places where the monorail crossed roads and farm tracks two types of specialised crossings were used. For farm tracks accommodation or occupation crossings comprised a section of railway track trestle which rotated 90° leaving the roadway clear. This action was linked to two conventional gates which normally closed off the roadway. When activated, a horizontal warning board, painted red, rotated so as to face up and down the line, acting as a stop signal. At night this was supplemented by a red lamp. Accommodation crossings could only be opened with a key in the possession of the person having the right of way, usually the local farmer. The key was locked into the mechanism while the accommodation crossing was opened and was released when reset for trains to pass.

For public roads, the railway trestle was bridged using a double drawbridge structure comprising two halves which, when open to the road, rested horizontally on the railway trestle. Unlike level crossings on conventional railways it would appear that the normal position was closed to road traffic as the drawbridge action required the operation of a continuous chain mechanism to lower the road surfaces and, as a chain was provided at each side of the crossing, it is presumed that, once a vehicle had passed, the driver was expected to open the crossing again for rail traffic. When the dual drawbridges were lowered a red signal board was raised vertically above the structure warning approaching trains that the crossing was currently closed to rail traffic. The extremely low level of road traffic at this time in this quiet corner of Co. Kerry together with the fact that it was almost exclusively horse-drawn explains why this arrangement should have been adopted.

Despite these drawbacks, the company was optimistic about the prospects for the L&BR and extensions of the line to Ballylongford and Tarbert, on the Shannon estuary, were proposed, though this required a baronial guarantee which may have hindered its progress. They were also optimistic about the Lartigue system’s chances of being used for the construction of further cheap railways in Ireland. Their optimism, though, was unfounded and the L&BR not only remained the only example of its kind, but failed to prosper. Lack of support for the system resulted in the Lartigue Company being wound up in 1890. The L&BR largely relied on summer tourist traffic to help pay its way for receipts in winter generally did not cover operating costs. There was, however, a brisk trade in sand from the foreshore at Ballybunion and several passenger specials coinciding with events in the seaside town. In 1897, however, it went into receivership and was to remain so until eventual closure, the manager acting as receiver for the remainder of its life.

There followed a number of years of struggle with small profits or losses until 1916, when wartime government control of railways came into effect. When control ended in 1921, the railway had already sustained some damaged in the aftermath of the Republican activity following the Easter Rising of 1916. This became worse during the Civil War of 1922, when the carriage of Free State troops resulted in rolling stock being targeted and damage. Trains were sabotaged by having sleepers lodged inside the trestles or with accomodation crossings left open and the signals disabled.With no funds for repair, efforts were made for the railway to be included in the Great Southern Railways merger of 1924. These proved unsuccessful, the need for substantial repairs and the unconventional nature of the system probably proving its undoing. The GSR was unwilling to commit resources and, due to its unique nature, the L&BR's rolling stock could not be supplemented from other lines within the new nationalised concern. With no other option for survival, an order of the High Court for closure was obtained and the line closed to all traffic on the 14th October 1924.

The course of the line

Trains terminated in Listowel immediately adjacent to the up platform of the Waterford & Limerick Railway. The only locomotive shed on the line was here and also contained a small repair shop. Leaving Listowel, the line ran close to the public road for the duration of the journey to Ballybunion. The line was essentially level throughout with little in the way of grades encountered. Initially, there was only one intermediate station at Lisselton (originally “Liselton”), 4¾ miles from Listowel, where tickets were collected. At some later date a halt, Francis Road, was opened a couple of miles to the east of Ballybunion. This closed in 1901, reopening in 1912. Elsewhere, trains would stop anywhere on request.

The terminus at Ballybunion was the largest station on the line and adjoined what was at the time the only street of the town. It had a small, one story, corrugated iron-roofed station building and a number of sidings, fed from the turntable-switches. From the terminus, a branch line of ½ a mile continued down to the beach where sand was loaded into special iron hopper tipping wagons. This branch ran along the main road and because of this, the trestle track could only be allowed to remain fixed in position during the hour or so when the train was running along it. It would then be dismantled and left lying by the side of the road until the following day and, when a train was next due, a railway official would arrive to reassemble it, demonstrating the flexibility of Lartigue's original concept.

In addition to passenger traffic, the trains carried freight and cattle and the sand traffic, which was a valuable source of income. There four trains in each direction in summer, two in winter with extra services on certain days and a single train in each direction on Sundays. The journey time was approximately 40 mins, with average speeds of around 15 mph. A major complaint from passengers concerned the noise level – a consequence of sitting with ears a few inches from the wheels.

Locomotives and rolling stock

For the opening of the line, the Hunslet Engine Co., of Leeds, supplied three tender locomotives in 1887. For balance, each locomotive had two boilers, either side of the carrying rail, each with its own funnel, fire-box, cab and smoke-boxes – almost two identical small locomotives either side of the rail. The twin firebox arrangement meant the driver had to also act as fireman on his side of the footplate. The maker's promotional material described these engines as 0-6-0 but in reality the correct nomenclature is 0-3-0. The engine was suspended on the three coupled axles located between the twin boilers, with four smaller wheels at the sides to engage the two check-rails 2 feet below the level of the carrying rail. Twin cylinders were placed between twin horizontal boilers. The tender was initially also provided with two cylinders, driving the coupled axles on which it was suspended but these were removed at an early stage, as insufficient steam could be generated for four cylinders. The manufacturer claimed they were powerful enough to haul two hundred and forty tons at up to 30 mph. The locomotives were numbered 1-3 and were painted green.

A further locomotive worked on the line for a few years. This was unnumbered and believed to have been built in Tubize, Belgium for the exhibition in Westminster in 1886 and was used in the construction of the line. It comprised two vertical boilers powering two driving wheels and was therefore an 0-2-0T. Because of it's remarkable configuration it was affectionately known locally as the Coffee Pot(s). There was no cab and only one crew, the driver, who sat astride the running rail with his legs projecting forward either side of the rear running wheel! It worked for a short time after opening and then lay out of use in Listowel until about 1900. It was then sold, being removed to Tarbert, and its subsequent fate is unknown.

There were 13 passenger coaches, providing seating accommodation for 52 1st-class and 228 3rd-class passengers. The carriages and wagons were all suspended on two axles, with wheels of 22 in. diameter. Seats in 1st-class were cushioned, those in 3rd-class were of slatted wood.

The freight stock consisted of 17 sand wagons, 5 goods vans and wagons and 2 brake-vans. Wagons were divided into two compartments, either side of the rail. Cattle wagons held four cattle, two on each side, but could be converted into two-storied wagons to take sheep or pigs by insertion a temporary floor. Carriages and wagons were built by the Falcon Works of Loughborough. It would appear from photographs that the configuration of the freight stock varied over the years with some evidently being adapted and altered locally to meet traffic requirements.

Epilogue - gone but forgotten

A short length of the original line has been restored at Listowel. A replica (diesel-powered) locomotive hauls replica coaches along about 500m of track. The recreation includes a couple of turntable-switches and three platforms as well as a museum and visitor's centre. The replica loco is numbered 4 and was built by Alan Keefe Ltd. Check out the website here. There is a short video of the replica on YouTube.

The Listowel & Ballybunion Railway is also featured here and you can read more about monorails in general here.