The centrepiece of our Museum, the A55 Diesel Locomotive sits proudly in our collections as a beautifully preserved example of Irish rail travel. Visitors can sit in the train to reminisce on travel during the heyday of the railway, and experience hands-on the driver’s compartment and controls used to operate this lovingly restored train.
Ballyglunin Train Station in Galway became famous due to its role as a location in the 1952 film “The Quiet Man”, when it was referred to as Castletown Station. Castlerea Railway Museum holds a number of pieces of Ballyglunin Station history in its collection, including the original station sign, the signal cabin diagram, and the staff used by the train from Tuam to Ballyglunin Station.
The Museum has a collection of almost one hundred railway staffs. Staffs were essential on the railway – when a staff was given to a train driver at a particular station, it meant that the driver had right of way between that station and the next. The staff collection at the Museum come from stations all over Ireland, with some international examples also included.
