Rail returning to West Cork

The construction of the longest working railway in West Cork since 1961 is full steam ahead on a small farm near Bantry.

The narrow-gauge railway sits on the Hairy Henry Therapeutic Riding and Care Farm and is currently around 200 metres long.

Its purpose is to help with the transportation of heavy loads to different parts of the 12 acre farm.

Tim Rowe, who helps to run the farm with his wife Sandra Schmid, plans to extend the railway system to 500 metres with the help of his GoFundMe page, West-Cork Narrow-Gauge Railway!!.

So far, the page has raised over €7,000 for the project and Mr Rowe hopes to have the completed network up and running in the next two or three months.

“I am thrilled and I'm very grateful to all the people who have contributed,” said the rail enthusiast.

“It's slowly spreading across Ireland; people are contacting me, they're interested because little narrow-gauge railways do make sense.

“They're good fun but they're also sensible.

“What we're suggesting is that they're practical, they're cheap, and you can make your own and have great fun with it,” he added.

The type of railway Mr Rowe is building is similar to those seen in coalmines and quarries and can be pulled by a small locomotive, by hand, or even by donkey!

“Because it's steel on top of steel, the friction is a fraction of what a rubber tyre produces so it's really easy to push heavy loads. One person could push a tonne along on a flat railway,” Mr Rowe explained.

Asked if the idea might spark a desire to reintroduce rail to West Cork, Mr Rowe said Cork County Council haven’t called him yet.

He said: “So much has happened in the past and come and gone. We have relics of the railways everywhere. In Bantry town, my local town, the photos aren't that old of the train standing on the square and what a wonderful thing that we have lost, not just in Bantry, but in towns all over the west of Ireland.

“Of course, it's ridiculous to imagine that we could just put them back, but there may be opportunities where it does make sense,” added Mr Rowe.

As his wife mainly runs the therapy farm, Mr Rowe’s main business is growing garlic and his YouTube channel, Way Out West - Workshop Stuff, where he invites viewers into his workshop to follow is various projects. He also runs a website, ironpig.ie, through which he makes “all sorts of things” for his customers.

Though many have advised Mr Rowe to “just get a quad”, he remains on track to complete his project and hopes to host open days in the near future where he can remind visitors of the simple fun and usefulness of rail.

To support Mr Rowe and the construction of his railway, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/west-cork-narrowgauge-railway?qid=286d1931514cb8a3c704537ca4cd1482.

His YouTube channel can be found at https://www.youtube.com/@wayoutwest-workshopstuff6299.

Also, visit https://www.ironpig.ie/ to browse his online craft shop and to make an order.