Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway
| Industry | railway |
|---|---|
| Fate | dissolved |
| Founded | 1875 |
| Defunct | 1957 |
| Headquarters | Enniskillen, Ireland |
|
Area served
|
Co. Cavan, Co. Fermanagh, Co. Leitrim, Co. Sligo |
The Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway (SL&NCR) was a 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) railway in counties Cavan, Fermanagh, Leitrim and Sligo in north-west Ireland.
From the time that the Londonderry and Enniskillen Railway (L&ER) was completed in 1859 there was a number of proposals to connect the line with Sligo. A "Londonderry, Enniskillen and Sligo Railway" was proposed that would have run west from Enniskillen via Manorhamilton direct to Sligo. The Enniskillen and Bundoran Railway (E&BR) was incorporated in 1862, was opened from Bundoran Junction on the L&ER to Bundoran on the Atlantic coast in 1868 and had Parliamentary powers to continue from Bundoran to Sligo, but failed to do so.
The SL&NCR Company was incorporated in 1875, and its construction started at a junction with the Great Northern Railway (GNR) at Enniskillen and proceeded westwards. The E&BR accepted defeat and in 1878 Parliament passed an Act allowing it to abandon its commitment to extend to Sligo from Bundoran. The SL&NCR adopted as its company seal a picture of two steam locomotives colliding, with one derailed and the other remaining on the track. This commemorated the SL&NCR's success in reaching Sligo and the E&BR's failure to do the same.
The SL&NCR opened as far as Belcoo in 1879,Manorhamilton in 1880,Collooney in 1881 and Carrignagat Junction on the Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) opened in 1882, completing a line of about 43 miles (69 km). Beyond Carrignagat Junction the SL&NCR exercised running powers over the MGWR to and from Sligo.
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