Construction

Tralee & Dingle Railway

Engine of Tralee & Dingle Railway standing at Tralee Station

Tralee & Dingle Railway

Tralee & Dingle Railway

Engine of Tralee & Dingle Railway standing at Tralee Station

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Late in 1888 the laying of the line began with work beginning at Blennerville working westwards towards Dingle. It took 3 years to complete the thirty-one miles to Dingle together with the six miles of branch line to Castlegregory The Tralee and Dingle Light Railway, its official title and the most westerly line in Europe, was completed in March 1891 at a cost of £2700 per mile. It opened to traffic on Monday, 31st March 1891 with a special train service.Twenty-seven of the thirty-one miles of the line ran along the public roadside. The rugged nature of the terrain required that a maximum speed limit be put in place. This was set at 12 mph. The passenger coaches were lighted by oil lamps until 1917 when they were replaced by electric lighting.