sharon.corbet

• 10/Aug/2015 07:25:14

It's completely gone now: Streetview OSI Map

Niall McAuley

• 10/Aug/2015 07:40:14

According to wikipedia: Goods trains stopped running via the station in 4 January 1965 with the line and station finally closing in 15 February 1965.

Niall McAuley

• 10/Aug/2015 07:49:10

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129555378@N07 The station is gone, but the platform is still visible at left of your streetview...

Niall McAuley

• 10/Aug/2015 07:51:42

O'Dea was rather early for this closure. He captured a goods train steaming by on the same day...

Niall McAuley

• 10/Aug/2015 07:56:43

I'm amazed this line stayed open until 1965, since it connects Strabane with Derry, and has only about 8 miles in the Republic.

robinparkes

• 10/Aug/2015 09:00:40

Porthall was the 'frontier' post while St. Johnston was the customs post. You're right about 'many a tale'. Derry/Donegal folk are very resourceful. They used to hang the meat on the door handles on the other side of the train to avoid detection.

robinparkes

• 10/Aug/2015 09:07:30

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gnmcauley It should never have closed. It was a political decision. Nothing to do with economics. There were goods trains from Dublin right up to the day of closure.

John Spooner

• 10/Aug/2015 09:23:52

It's some time since we had one so I dusted off the Sudden Death KLAXON, and it probably needs an extra loud one given the details of the death. Not for the squeamish.. The Belfast News-Letter, Monday, August 16, 1852, quoting the Tyrone Constitution

FATAL ACCIDENT - On Wednesday evening last, a melancholy and fatal accident occurred on the Derry and Enniskillen railway. It appears the deceased, Robert Glendenning, who was employed as one of the guards, hearing two parties disputing in one of the carriages, while the train was on its way between St. Johnston and Porthall, attempted to reach the carriage in which the disputing parties were, by proceeding along the tops of the carriages. It would appear that, while so proceeding, he lifted his head too high; it came in contact with the bridge which crosses the line above St. Johnston, and the consequence was , that when the train stopped at Porthall, the deceased was found quite dead on top of the carriage, his head having been literally dashed to pieces. The deceased was a steady, well-conducted man, a widower, and has left two small children.

John Spooner

• 10/Aug/2015 09:41:56

In the interests of balance, I've cranked up the little-used Damp Squib KLAXON. Perhaps I should have used the Mischievous Boy Klaxon. The Belfast News-Letter, Thursday, September 16, 1869, quoting the Derry Standard

ALLEGED OUTRAGE AT PORTHALL - In reference to a statement which appeared in a contemporary, to the effect that, on Friday last, a shot had been fired, near Porthall Station, into the train leaving Derry at 9-45 a.m., we understand that Mr. Byrne, inspector of the line from Derry to Omagh, who travelled by the same train to Strabane, has made an information before a magistrate, from which it appears that the window of a second-class carriage was broken by a stone, which is believed to have been thrown by a boy who was herding cattle at the place, We had, ourselves, previous to our last publication, heard rumours of a shot having been fired, but, on making inquiry, we were informed that it was believed the window had been broken merely by the wanton act of a mischievous boy.

John Spooner

• 10/Aug/2015 09:56:39

There are several reports in the 19th century of the line being closed because of flooding, and the ballast being washed away.

Carol Maddock

• 10/Aug/2015 11:02:18

I guess it’s the nature of the beast with railways, but I’m also sounding the Sudden Death KLAXON...

FATALITY ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY Farmer Killed Near Strabane On Saturday evening an accident of a shocking nature occurred on the Great Northern line a short distance from Porthall Station. As the driver of the 4.45 express from Londonderry was within a few yards of the bridge which spans the Foyle at the Strabance side of Porthall Station, he noticed a man on the centre of the rail, and made every effort to pull up and save him, but as there was a high wind blowing at the time, and as the man had his back turned, the efforts of the driver were fruitless, and the engine struck the unfortunate man between the shoulders, dragging him under, and inflicting shocking injuries. … The train was pulled up, and after the remains were placed on the side of the permanent way, proceeded to Strabane, where the occurrence was reported to Mr. Moore, stationmaster, Stationmaster at Porthall itself was John Leinster and he, with a staff and special engine proceeded to the place of the accident, when it was ascertained that the man who met his death in the shocking manner described was John Crawford, a small farmer, residing at Ballee, near Holyhill, four miles from Strabane. He held a small plot of land near Porthall, and it was whilst returning home from a visit to it that he came by his death. He was aged about sixty. The body was conveyed to Porthall Station. (Ulster Herald, 9 April 1904)

Carol Maddock

• 10/Aug/2015 11:43:09

Loads of lovely cross-border smuggling tales in the newspapers, given the location of Porthall Station…

… Customs Officer Devlin, Porthall, stated that on the night of the 27th June the defendant Mary Ann Doherty of Porthall, wife of a water bailiff came off the last train at 8.37 from Strabane, accompanied by her son. She had two parcels, and he questioned her if she had any goods liable to customs duty, and she declared a lady’s undergarment, and he asked her if that was all and she replied in the affirmative. Whilst he was examining the parcels, he noticed the boy was making his way home, and he brought him back and asked him questions. He was fourteen years old. His mother replied to the questions, and said that he had nothing liable to duty, but witness discovered that underneath his corduroy trousers he was wearing a new pair, and under his coat he was also wearing a new coat and vest to match the new trousers. He brought the boy into the hut, and asked him to remove the clothes, and witness then further discovered that he was wearing two shirts and two pairs of braces, and the mother then admitted they were bought along with the rest at Strabane, and declared the stockings and boots he was wearing. She offered to pay duty, and witness told her he could not accept it. The Justice said he would give the defendant the benefit of the Probation of Offenders Act. (Strabane Chronicle, 25 August 1928)

John Spooner

• 10/Aug/2015 12:19:51

https://www.flickr.com/photos/47297387@N03 Two pairs of braces! Better safe than sorry.

John Spooner

• 10/Aug/2015 12:22:08

Sudden Death Klaxon again. The Belfast News-Letter, Friday, March 20, 1896. Among the reports of various case reports from the County Antrim Assizes is this one:

EDWARD CRAYNOR, PLAINTIFF AND APPELANT; THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY COMPANY, DEFENDANTS AND RESPONDENTS. This was an action for £15, cost of a bullock killed by the defendant's train. Plaintiff's servant was driving twenty-one head of cattle along a road near Porthall Station, which crosses the line, into a field. He got them safely across except two. One of these jumped into an adjoining field, then out to another field, and on to the country road leading up to the station. Agate which was kept for the accommodation of the public in carting goods to and from the siding was open at the time, as some people were loading brick at the siding. The bullock ran through this gate, and onto the platform. A train from Derry was just coming into the station at the time, and the animal jumped onto the line, and was run over before the train could be stopped. His Lordship, in giving a decree, said he did so with great reluctance. On the authorities he was compelled to do so, because the animal was on the county road, and having regard to the near approach of the train, there was negligence on behalf of the company - not moral negligence, but legal negligence - and he would, therefore, reverse the dismiss, and give a decree for £11, with costs.

Carol Maddock

• 10/Aug/2015 12:31:43

https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnspooner I'd imagine the Customs Officer Handbook advised officers to be on the lookout for suspiciously tubby-looking youngsters.

Eiretrains

• 10/Aug/2015 19:22:35

Both this station and that of nearby St Johnston had a rather odd setup, due to the border as already alluded to. Basically they were stations owned and decked out in CIÉ colours and manned by CIÉ staff who never actually saw one of their own trains, nearly all the trains they were responsible for were operated by the Northern Ireland's UTA company instead. The only rare exception to these were CIÉ excursions trains, such as the seldom operated 'Hills of Donegal' special which originated in the Republic. The passengers were forwarded by bus from St Johnston, bringing the rare spectacle of a CIÉ train deep into UTA territory. The track diverging sharply to the right visible in the picture served a nearby brickworks although it was out of use by the 1960s UTA era.

Carol Maddock

• 10/Aug/2015 19:36:35

Raucous story of family holliers with a Porthall connection in the Irish Times (4 July 1960) from Brian Friel…

We were going on our summer holidays, I remember, and had struggled into the carriage at the Great Northern station. The three dogs were leaping from seat to seat, my sisters were preening themselves in a tiny mirror, mother was counting her parcels… and father was standing on the platform, looking up and down, with the responsible air of a captain before casting off. The guard’s whistle blew, father came on board, slammed the door behind him, and trapped my finger in the jamb. There must have been pain, but my memories are not of it but of father, who at that moment became entangled with a dog in mid-air between seats and was flung headlong across the floor. There was chaos. Four of mother’s parcels fell on top of cursing father and yelping dogs and split open. The girls giggled. “Throw these damned dogs out! Throw them out!” father screamed at me from his crouched position on the floor. But I was firmly anchored at the door and could not move… Eventually when everything was sorted out and after father had declared that as far as he was concerned the holidays were ruined, absolutely ruined, that his own family would not raise a finger to help him, that as soon as the train stopped at Strabane, those dogs were going to be kicked out, it was then noticed that I was unusually white. Then mother observed that I was sitting in a peculiar position. “Have you your pigeons up your blazer?” she demanded. At last it was seen that I was trapped. The door cannot have been fully closed or my finger would have been broken; as it was, I was merely bruised severely. But mother, with generous impetuosity, flung the door wide open. The dogs, thinking we had arrived, made a dash for the fresh air. The girls threw themselves on top of the dogs to stop them. And father, goaded beyond endurance, set to on me and boxed my ears for being “a stupid donkey”. My ears still buzzed long after the finger was massaged back to life. We were then at Porthall, 19 miles from Derry. Is this a record? Brian Friel

National Library of Ireland on The Commons

• 11/Aug/2015 10:06:50

I have just added this photo to our Explore Album https://www.flickr.com/photos/nlireland/sets/72157653615261435