| The Listowel Ballybunion Railway opened on 1st March 1888; it ran the ten miles between the two towns and was remarkable because it was the first monorailway in the world.
The monorail employed on the Listowel-Ballybunion line was invented and developed by a French Engineer by the name of Charles Lartigue, hence the name Lartigue Monorailway by which the line was best known. Lartigue had built a prototype monorail in Algeria, it was about 90Km in length and was used to carry esparto grass across the desert. After an exhibition in London it was decided to adopt the Lartigue system for the railway between Listowel and Ballybunion. The Railway was opened in 1888 and it ran for 36 years until it was closed in 1924. 1988 saw the centenary of the opening of the Lartigue and several initiatives were taken to celebrate the event, From this time a feeling emerged that a restoration of the Lartigue should be attempted in some form. As a result, in the mid 1990's a Lartigue Restoration Committee was set up to raise funding to restore an working example of the monorail. After much work and fundraising by the committee, work started on the building of the new Lartigue on the site on John B Keane Road in November 2000. The railway has about 1000 metres of monorail track, three switches, two turntables and three platforms representing Listowel, Lisselton and Ballybunion. There is one engine, which is an exact reproduction of the original engines, save that the present engine is diesel driven. There are two third class carriages, which are as closely modeled on the originals as is possible using photographs and the memory of those who traveled in them. For more information on the Lartigue Monorailway please visit http://www.lartiguemonorail.com/ |
View of the running line at Listowel. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3302.JPG |
The interior of the former GSWR Goods shed, now converted to a visitor center. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3306.JPG |
Picture of the Lartigue Monorail. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3307.JPG |
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Model of Listowel Station in times gone past. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3308.JPG |
Model of Listowel Station in times gone past. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3309.JPG |
Model of Listowel Station in times gone past. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3310.JPG |
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Picture of the Lartigue Monorail. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3311.JPG |
One corner of the restored good shed. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3312.JPG |
The replica engine and carriages. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3316.JPG |
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Leaving the main platform and passing the turntable road. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3321.JPG |
Running along the demonstration line. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3323.JPG |
Uncoupling the locomotive from the train. Sat 16.05.09 960x1280 DSCF3325.JPG |
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Turning the locomotive on the turntable at the end of the demonstration line. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3331.JPG |
Heading back to the station at Listowel. Sat 16.05.09 1280x960 DSCF3337.JPG |
