Local landowners, such as Lord Lifford and Sir Samuel Hayes, had a survey done in 1859 and the Finn Valley Railway Company was formed.

September 9th, 1861, was a Gala day in the area, when Lord Abercorn dug the first sod for the new Railway, near Strabane. He told the large crowd that the Railway would be completed within nine months. This proved to be an over-optimistic hope. The contractors came across many snags - financial and otherwise - and it was not until September 7th, 1863, that the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, the Earl of Carlisle, officially opened the line for traffic.

It ran from Strabane to Stranorlar, passing through Clady, Castlefin, Liscooley and Killygordon stations.

(For a full list of stations, see our History section)

There were three trains each way per day. In later years, there were five trains per day each way. There were first, second and third class carriages. Despite the enthusiasm of the Directors, the Finn Valley Railway was dogged by financial trouble. Part of this was due to the fact that it shared the terminus at Strabane with the Great Northern Railway, and had to pay £375 per annum for the privilege.

As time went on, narrow-gauge lines were built from Stranorlar to Donegal Town and Glenties. Eventually, it was decided that the Finn Valley Railway change to narrow-gauge and link up with these lines. This meant changing the gauge by moving the line farthest from the platform and re-spiking to the existing sleepers. New rolling stock had to be purchased. To avoid paying further rent to the Great Northern Railway Company, a new station was built at Strabane, a new bridge erected over the River Mourne and six furlongs of new track laid. The Finn Valley section of the County Donegal Railway narrow-gauge line opened to the public on Monday 16th July, 1894.

A line from Strabane to Derry was opened in September 1900, and from Donegal to Ballyshannon in September 1905. The Strabane - Letterkenny line opened in 1909. All these were worked by the Joint Committee of the County Donegal Railway. I have some documents of the old Finn Valley Railway, including some Left Luggage Tickets. On one, we see that a Mrs White left 1 carpet-bag and 1 portmanteau at Castlefin station in 1871 and paid 2p for storage of same.

One can imagine it being quite a dashing thing for ladies of the day to go off on train trips, surrounded by maids and porters. I'm sure it was just as exiting as space travel nowadays. In those days of bad roads, the railway opened up the country for the first time - to rich and poor alike.

The familiar railcars were introduced in 1926, and were a feature of the line till its closure. There were convenient 'halts' between stations for the accommodation of country people. Indeed, until August 1944, railcars stopped anywhere on request. The County Donegal Railway survived two world wars, and the 'Troubles' in the twenties. During the latter, trains were held up and stations attacked, but in the main, it was business as usual.

The formation of the Free State found the railway straddling the Border - so passengers had the temptation and challenge of smuggling...especially during the second world war!

Through the years, as goods were cheap and plentiful on 'one side', they were smuggled to the other. Many's the trick was employed to evade the sharp-eyed Customs officials at Strabane, Lifford and Castlefin stations - and many the tall tale is still told about those days.

On 12th July each year, special trains brought people and bands to the Annual Orange Demonstrations in Rossnowlagh. On 12th August, the Brethren travelled to celebrate the Relief of Derry. On 17th March and 15th August, carriages and railcars were filled with green sashes as the Ancient Order of Hibernian members went off to their demonstrations.

Special arrangements were made for fairs and markets to facilitate passengers and the movement of livestock.

Railcars catered for the schools through the years: The Prior School, Lifford; The Finn College, Ballybofey; The Technical College, Stranorlar; Royal School, Raphoe; St. Eunan's College; Loretto Convent and Technical School, Letterkenny. Pupils from these schools have happy memories of their young days travelling on the Railway.

My family came to Castlefin Station in October 1955, when my husband was appointed Station-master. The buildings were painted the C.D.R. colours - cream, maroon and green. On one platform the station name was spelt 'Castlefinn' and the other, 'Castlefin' - so you could take your choice! (The confusion over place name spelling remains to this day!)

There was a Customs hut in the yard and a Customs and Excise office on the platform. In the Bond Store, goods were held until officials cleared them, either by Import or Export Licence, or the paying of Duty. It was a friendly station. The Customs officials and railway-men were pleasant and efficient.

The County Donegal Railway was known as the Friendly Railway by the enthusiasts who came every summer, begging permission to travel on the engine foot-plates, taking innumerable photographs.

In Summer also, tourists from all over the world filed past long tables on the platform, for the Custom's examination of their luggage. So, time passed pleasantly. Then, rumours of the impending closure of the line spread from Station to Station. Everybody worried about the prospect, and hoped it was just 'all talk'. But the line was doomed, and in due course the worst happened, and part of the history of this Valley was chopped away.

The new order took over. Road buses replaced the red/yellow railcars. Lorries carried the freight usually hauled by the steam-trains, with the familiar puffing engines with the names Lough Eske, Blanche, Alice, Meenglas, Drumboe and Phoenix - that efficient, bustling engine, used for shunting and break-downs etc.

Then, we had to witness the distressing 'reding-up' process. The rails and sleepers were lifted from what had ironically been called The Permanent Way! Signals and cabins were removed, even the boards with the Station names. Museum officials, from home and abroad, gathered to collect souvenirs, big and small, to help build a picture of 'Our Line' for future generations.

The Station Houses were put up for sale.

Click to enlarge

We bought Castlefin station and re-constructed and modernised the house and offices, to accommodate our growing family. One bedroom was originally the Station-Master's office, in the grand days of the Finn Valley Railway. Built up in the wall between it and another bedroom (originally the general waiting-room) is the hatch, where tickets were bought, and where Mrs. White would have paid her 2p for the storage of her luggage in 1871. The ladies waiting-room is another bedroom.

The red/yellow rail-cars carried emigrants on the first stage of their sorrowful journey; the newly hired girls and boys going off with new masters from the 'Rabble-day' at Strabane or Letterkenny; the joyful, returning exiles from America or Australia; the Scottish and English visitors in Summer; the Enthusiasts; the housewives shopping in Strabane, Ballybofey, Letterkenny or Derry; the schoolchildren - generations of them! Surely, like us, they all have a place in their hearts for the memory of the 'wee Railway'.

And...they do!

Every Summer still, nearly thirty years on - people from all over the world call with us, to talk about their memories of the railway; to examine and take photographs of the mementoes we have. They are not only nostalgic 'old ones' - but young Railway enthusiasts, who are trying to build up a picture of what the Line was like in its heyday. I know one young fellow who regrets that he was born too late to see the Donegal Railway when it was working!

If I could enter a time warp, I'd like to see that day in September 1863, when the trains first ran through the smart, newly-built Stations - and opened up the country for the people. What a day of excitement it must have been!

Alas - I was not able to witness the birth of the Railway...only the death!

Mary Agnes Elliott