Waterford, Limerick and Western Railway

The ' (7 Geo. 4. c. cxxxix) was passed by the Parliament of the United Kingdom on 31 May 1826 and had the distinction of being the first act authorising an Irish railway. No construction followed and it was 1845 before the Waterford and Limerick Railway was authorised by the ' (8 & 9 Vict. c. cxxxi), the first section of the line being opened from Limerick to Tipperary on 9 May 1848, the remainder of the main line being opened in stages, finally reaching Waterford in 1854. ==Secondary lines==

The company eventually operated two long branch lines which extended from Limerick, north west to Sligo and south west to Tralee. ==Branch lines==

By 1900, there were a number of branch lines: • Ballingrane to Foynes, (opened by the Limerick and Foynes Railway 1858, purchased by the 1873) • Killonan to Killaloe, (opened by the '''''' between 1858 and 1867, purchased by the 1873) • Clonmel to Thurles, (opened by the '''''' in 1880) • Tralee to Fenit, an section opened in 1887 by the Tralee and Fenit Railway. Under the '''''' (36 & 37 Vict. c. clxxviii) the took over the Limerick and Foynes Railway, the Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction Railway, the Limerick and Ennis Railway, the Athenry and Ennis Junction Railway, and the Athenry and Tuam Railway. ==People==

The was generally short of cash to maintain rolling stock and most locomotive superintendents who were typically did not stay long. Incumbents included: • Thomas Lunt, who came from the Liverpool and Manchester Railway and was in position from 1853 to 1857. • Jonathan Pim, son for James Pim, locomotive superintendent from 1857 to 1861. • Martin Atock was locomotive superintendent from 1861 until 1871. • John G. Robinson was locomotive, carriage and wagon assistant superintendent of the railway from 1889 till 1900 when he moved to a similar position with the Great Central Railway. ==Amalgamation==

On 6 August 1900, the '''''' (63 & 64 Vict. c. ccxlvii) was passed by the House of Commons and the finally lost its independence on 1 January 1901. ==Livery==

The locomotives were painted a medium green until 1876 and was replaced by a brown livery with blue and yellow lining. In the late 1880s, J.G. Robinson introduced a crimson lake livery with gold lining for both passenger locomotives and coaching stock, very close to that of the Midland Railway of England. Goods engines were painted black with red and white lining. ==Present day==

The former lines operational in 2010 are owned by Iarnród Éireann. The main line route from Limerick to Waterford and the line to Ennis remain open to passenger traffic. The extension of the line from Ennis to Athenry (for Galway) was officially re-opened on 29 March 2010. These lines are part of the Western Railway Corridor. ==See also==