Mary Court - July '08
Jimmy Scallon passed away in 2008 and Gertie Scallon passed away in 2009. The family had a few photos of jimmy on the horse tram at Fintona.
C Armstrong - July '08
I remember the Scallon family would love to hear from them again.
A Nixon - May '08
Does anyone remember a man called Jimmy Scallon who worked on railways in time of horse and tram? The family lived in Rathcrane, Fintona. The family then moved to station house in Beragh and then when line closed moved to Carrickfergus.
Wolf - Mar '08
Interesting to read this thread. I'm interested in railways and have a copy of E M Patterson's book on the Great Northern Railway of Ireland with a picture of the Fintona tram. Also the Belfast Transport Museum published a booklet with details of all tramways in Northern Ireland which is really interesting.
Eliz. Jeane Hannigan nee Sproule - Jan '08
Hello from Canada. I was born in Fintona (on Mill Street where the children's playground now stands). Just looking at the names in this site is like a trip down memory lane. Acheson's house up at the top of the hill and another famous van in the town, Marshall Martin's bread van, in which the children used to get rides. What a lovely person Mr. Martin was. I knew Mary Gorman. I wonder if she remembers me. When I was growning up there were a couple of forges in Fintona, one on King Street and one down "the entry" off Mill Street between Gibsons and Sherry's. I use to go and blow the bellows for Jim Donnelly on Saturdays. (I was a tomboy, but I learned a lot about shoeing horses and making wheels.)
Apparently my grandfather, John Stephenson, worked on the railway before he was a soldier. When World War I broke out, he volunteered to go and he was killed on October 16 1914.
I remember the railway station and the junction very well and the last ride of the Fintona horse tram. I was only 7 but I remember buying a ticket because I thought it would be valuable some day. I still have that ticket and I must look to see what class it was.
I remember Willie MacLean and the station master and of course the porter because he was my cousin Kenneth Donald. I also remember many happy days playing around the railway yard and memories of free rides between the station and the junction.
Does anyone else have memories of going to the junction on th tram to catch the sugar train to Bundoran?
Last, but not least, Rosie McManus (nee Smyth) I believe I know Bridget and Anthony Smyth. I think they lived beside my parents Annie and Billy Sproule on Mill Street, Fintona and I knew Bridget's mother Mrs. Mullin who lived down by the pump on Mill Street. (that pump with the lion's head is long gone I believe.) It is a small world.
lemonpepperyatyahoodotcom
Angela Murray - Mar '07
I have photos of my father and horse & tram
Gerry Bradley - Mar '07
My father Tom Bradley was the station master in Fintona at the time of the tram. We lived in the station house on main street for appx five years before he was transferred to Warrenpoint after Fintona closed. He helped Norman Johnston in his research for his book...the Fintona horse tram...I remember riding on the tram many times with my father and some photos still exist of myself and my brother Dermot standing on the tram with my father and Willie McLean. I was on it for its final journey. There was so many people on the tram that Dick’s legs gave way. Most of the people then had to walk alongside the tram back to the town.
People were singing...last tram to Fintona junction...if you miss this one you’ll never get another one...if you remember the song ..last train to San Fernando...they used the same tune.
My father died in 1998 aged 78. He was on the railway for over 50 years and he always said that he enjoyed his time in Fintona.
Rosie McManus (nee Smyth) - Mar '07
Does anyone still live in Fintona remember the Smyth family. Who lived at 35 King Street, Fintona. (Bridget and Anthony Smyth).
Declan Sweeney - Mar '07
I have a book about Fintona Tram with lots of photos in it. If anyone would like a photo out of the booK just send me an email and I would be happy to forward them on to you.
Gerard Bradley - Feb '07
M y father wasTom Bradley, station master in Fintona when it closed. The family moved to Warrenpoint Co .Down in 1958. He died in 1998 - aged 89. Iremember my 5 years in Fintona well. I was on the tram on the last day.Dick's front legs buckled under the weight of so many passengers. A lot of people had to get off and walk along side the tram.
P.s.David Bradley the photographer is no relation.
Ron Liss - Mar '07
Can anyone in Fintona tell me if they know of a man in a photo that my father was in the army with? The name and address from the 1930s-40s is on the back, R.J. Johnston, Skelga House Fintona, Co,Tyrone. N.Ireland. I have tried every where to find if he or his wife may still be with us.
Lorraine McConnell - Nov '06
All these comments are wonderful to read, my family live in fintona, and my dad who is 81 comes from there, he talks about the horse tram. We now live in scotland. My father was telling me that in the days of "dick & willie" there were 1st,2nd, 3rd class fares, if you bought a 3rd class fare, you had to sit upstairs in the open air, in all weathers.
Chris Starrs - Nov '06
My great great grandfather Peter Joseph Starrs (and g g grandmother Catherine Brady from Crosskeys in County Cavan) left Fintona in about 1830 and lived in Glasgow for some years before emigrating to Adelaide South Australia. There is now a growing family of Starrs in Adelaide ,very interested in our family connections in first England then Tyrone and now in Scotland, and Canada and the US (and probably also New Zealand, I hope). They were not listed in the 1830 survey of Fintona, and neither were the horse trams. Any one know of the Starrs diaspora!
p.s. Of course the female horses were also called dick. The alternative is not to be contemplated!
Chloe - Oct' 06
My granda currently lives at the gate house in Fintona but before that my great granda bought the junction house just after it closed. My mum brother and sisters remember playing on the platforms on the junction itself. Still to this day when I go up to vist my granda we can walk the railway line. I never honestly knew myself that it was such a big part of history and i would be more than happy to accept any pictures of my grandas house on the Dromore Road. Thank-you
Gail Gallagher - Sep '06
I have a photo of what I believe is the Fintona Trolley from the 1940's, taken by my Dad when he was there during WWII. I would be happy to forward it to anyone who would want it.
Greetings from the US!
Elspeth Mackay - July '06
I am very interested in all these comments about the horse tram. I would really like to know if there are any signs of the horse tram still visible today - tram lines, remains of platform - anything like that to be seen in Fintona. This is for a project i am doing with primary aged children to encourage them to follow up 'visual clues' they see in the streets around them to find out about local history. I would be very interested in hearing from anyone with any further information about the horse tram, particularly if there are any visible signs left.
Many thanks.
Cecil Irvine - May '06
Reading these comments on the trams of Ulster reminds me of the Newry to Bessbrook Tram. I travelled on it during WW2 and I think it was electric powered. I recall the level crossing on the Newry-Bessbrook road at the pub called "The Pit" These memories are of the war years but I don't know when the railway and tram was shut down. This is another little bit of Ulster history and when you think of it there was quite a lot of little railways running in Ulster at the turn of the century. Another one I recall was from Portrush along the coast eastwards to Bushmills? I think. Maybe this will jog someone's memory.
Patrick Carlin - Dec '05
I bought an Original Photograph of the Fintona Horse-Tram on Ebay last year, from a seller in Wales of all places. It's one I've never seen before which is the reason I wanted to buy it. The photograph is the only piece of Fintona Horse-Tram memorablia I have, but I'm hoping to add to it in the future. I don't remember the Horse-Tram, but I have vivid memories of the old train yard and some of the old wagons abandoned there, we used to play around there as young children, I remember the ramp in the old station yard, and I remember me and the bicycle I was riding plunging off it, I still get pain in that knee to this day!!!...
When Fintona lost the Horse-Tram it lost a piece of it's heritage. The Tram itself is in the Ulster Museum at Cultra, it's rightful place should be the town of Fintona.
I wonder what the percentage is of Fintona residents alive today who have actually seen the Fintona Horse-Tram, I'd imagine it's a very low percentage, I'm forty seven years old and I've only ever seen it in photographs. The Tram returning to a purpose built centre in Fintona would be a unique attraction, an asset to the Town of Fintona.
Bringing The Horse-Tram Home is something that all Fintona Residents should be focused on, Culturally and Historically we've lost out for decades on a unique piece of industrial history, a unique tourist attraction, and something that would have established Fintona firmily on the map. Thank you.
Bring The Horse-Tram Home
Bill Henderson - August '05
Fascinated by a note above from Brian Martin. As a boy I spent a lot of time with my Grandfather in Fintona. Many trips with Willie McClean on the Tram. I remember spending many hours with a Brian Martin (and his brother Alan). I last heard of Brian in Virginia, USA. I was in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach areas myself for several years in the 70's and 80's but never managed to trace him.
Cuchulainn - June '05
Are you aware that the Horse tram is now part of the collection at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum, Cultra outside Belfast.
For years the name plate was missing, but the - now not so young - ruffin who took it has returned it to it's proper place.
Do any of you who lived in Fintona during the "Tran Years" remember the funeral held when any of the horses (and yes they were always called Dick) died. I have been told the town came to a standstill, the town "bigwigs" turned out in mourning suits, etc. I have often wondered if this really did happen, or is it just a legend?
Lucy Turner - July '05
I am an artist who has been commissioned by a charity called Sustrans to creat outdoor furniture for the Omagh area. I will be designing a bench for Fintona, I am very keen to use text relating to dick the horse in to the design. I would love more stories or memories to be included in the design... please can you contact me with info. Many Thanks, Lucy.
Mary Gorman - May 05
Recently I came across pictures of the Fintona horse tram. They really brought back wonderful memories for me. I lived for a number of years with my grandmother on Fintona Main Street. She used to take me with her to Omagh on the "van". I was about 10 years old when the train line closed. I remember the day that the "van" made its final trip. The station master's name was Bradley. Is David Bradley whose pictures I came across related to him? If so I believe he went to King Street with us.
Vincent Donnelly - May 05
I think I have a video of Lesser Spotted Ulster about the Clogher Valley Railway and on the same video there are scenes of the Fintona tram and Dick 1 and Dick 2. Also people that worked on the tram.. Micky McCarron, ticket man, Dick McLean family also Seamus Donnelly who was the only blacksmith around for miles so he shod the horses. I think there are shoes off the horses in Wags Inn public house Fintona belonging to Kevin Donnelly blacksmiths son. If you were ever in Fintona call at the forge. There might be photos there and if not they will tell you where you will get some photos of the Fintona tram.
Wesley Johnston, Colourpoint Books - January '05
Hello - Just to let you know that the address given for the West Tyrone Historical Society (see below ) is not right. The author of the book (Norman Johnston) is my father and we lived at this address until 1997. However it is now a private address and post for the WTHS should not be directed to it. We haven't had any contact with the society since then but my understanding is that the book is out of print.
Also the previous comment by Michael Barratt mentions "Irish Trams" which was published by ourselves (Colourpoint Books, not Colourpoint Press as stated) but this book is also now out of print.
John Stevens - January '05
Not mentioned is the fact that the 'Fintona horse tram' is preserved at the Ulster Folk and Transport museum which housed its trams in a new building at Holywood about ten year's ago. I saw it in l959 when it was stored in downtown Belfast.
Cianna - October 2004
I would like to see photographs of old horse trams as i have to do a project for school and i would love to do Ireland with all the trams and railways.
Michael F. Barratt - August 2004
There is an excellent book written by James Kilroy entitled "Irish Trams" which provides details, photos and maps of every tramway system in the island of Ireland. Published by Colourpoint Press, Omagh, it is a must for anyone with a serious interest in trams in Ireland. It also contains an excellent bibliography and systems' statistics. There are three excellent colour pghotographs of the Fintona tram (381) with Dick the horse pulling.
Brian Martin - July 2004
Harding,
I lived in Fintona from 1937 to 1955 and travelled to The Academy Omagh every day by train, including going and coming on the Horse Tram between Fintona Junction and the town and like you I have many vivid memories of the tram, Dick and Willie McLean the driver. The West Tyrone Historical Society has published a book by Norman Johnston called "The Fintona Horse Tram" containing many photos of the horse tram. This is a must for Fintona horse tram lovers since it is full of stories about Fintona people and their connection to the "van" as it was called. The book can be purchased, for 6.75pds by post, from:
West Tyrone Historical Society,
27 Knockgreenan Ave,
Omagh,
Co. Tyrone,
BT79 0EB
Harding Acheson - May 2004
The Fintona Horse Tram finished running on the 30th Sept 1957, the day the Omagh to Enniskillen Railway closed. I have some photos on computer of the tram, one of them of its last journey on the above date. I lived in Fintona from 1932 to 1952 and have vivid memories of the tram. The horse that pulled the tram was I think always called Dick, whether male or female.
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