The Coming of the Railways Advertisement for Summer Excursions on the Waterford to Tramore Line, 1890
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Waterford to Tramore Train, 1930Trains ran between Waterford City and Tramore from 1853 until 1960. The line was unusual in that it was not connected to any other railway network in the country. The seven and a quarter mile journey took about fifteen minutes. © Jack O'Neil Waterford to Tramore Train, 1930 © Jack O'Neil The first sod was cut on the 10th September 1853 and the railway was completed by 2nd September of the same year. This was record time. The line was built using picks, shovels and horses; part of the track was built on bog by laying the rails on trestles of trees. The line only had two signals, one at Tramore and one at Bath Street crossing gates. There were no signal cabins as it was a single line of track. Waterford & Tramore Railway --: Closure 
The last train runs on December 31st. 1960 By the mid- fifties, it was obvious to many that the end of the Waterford /Tramore railway was near. With more investment in buses and the fact of more and more cars on the road, it was only a matter of time before the closure would be announced. The tragic news came on the 27th of September 1960, when CIE announced that due to financial difficulties they regretfully had no option but to close the railway line by the end of the year. A full bus service would be provided to replace the train service. Many people in Tramore and Waterford protested at the announcement but despite their protests the line was closed on December 31st 1960. To avoid demonstrations the last scheduled train did not run. The final trains were the 1.25pm from Waterford and the 2.10pm from Tramore. Later that day a railcar ran to Tramore to bring back the remaining coaches. Over the next few weeks the tracks were lifted and ever yard of track was lifted by May 1961. It is believed that the tracks were placed on a boat and headed for Nigeria, but nobody knows for sure. The sleepers were sold off to local farmers and the County Council , who used them to protect the sand hills from further erosion from the sea. A sad chapter in the history of Tramore had come to an end. A way of getting to the seaside for so many, for so long was now gone forever. 
For the more lively visitors Tramore provided amusements. The amusement rides first visited Tramore in 1895 and returned in 1900. In the early years of the twentieth century Pipers Amusement visited Tramore most frequently. In 1908 Bill Piper brought funfair attractions which included swing boats and the ‘Helter Skelter Light House’ which stood at 51 feet in the air and was the main attraction at the Tramore Carnival and Fancy Fair. (6) In 1914 Tramore was able to provide visitors and locals with a picture house, concert and dancing pavilions and merry-go-round. The Tramore Amusement Company provided canvas beach seats for hire and the Tramore Concert and Amusements Committee, managed by Richard Sharples, provided the Uneeda Concert Hall. In 1919 Emily Piper took over from the Tramore Amusement Company and opened the Atlantic Dance Hall. Emily Piper further developed the town by providing an Amusement Park. (7) By 1944 the Irish Tourist Authority reported that the Strand Road Amusements included a roulette house, slot machines and shooting galleries. Visitors to the town could enjoy the amusements and also the dances and music at the dance halls of the Silver Slipper and the Atlantic. Until 1960 visitors from Waterford could travel by train to the dances on a combined train and dance ticket and return worn out on the last train at 3am. The importance of tourism to Tramore town lead to the holding of a Special Meeting in 1956 of the Tramore Town Commissioners with members of Waterford County Council, national tourism authority Bord Fáilte and local interest groups. This group of interested parties became Tramore Fáilte in 1963. Tramore Fáilte provided new facilities and amenities to visitors. The development of facilities and of the town has continued to be the goal of people in Tramore, most recently with the provision of a Skateboard Park in 2007. Tramore has a long association with Horse Racing. Soon after the railway arrived Lord Doneraile and James Delahunty built a new racecourse at Riverstown. Racing continued here until 1911, when the area finally succumbed to the sea, and at low tide one can still see part of the racecourse from the back strand. Download 364.99 Kb. Share with your friends:
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