During the 1870s, amidst great excitement, a great transformation took place. An incision was made through the land; it cut through the townlands of Scartore,  Clonea, Garrynageragh. Ballyrandle, Kilminion south.

  The incision which was completed by late 1874 was smartly followed by the laying down of the railway line. The Barnawee inlet posed quite a problem for the planning engineers, It was eventually decided to construct an embankment of stone and concrete. …..long and 30 feet at the base. The wall that accompanied the embankment stands 20 feet high. The famous “Red Bridge” was constructed over the deepest part of the Fjord. This excellent piece of construction was completed towards the end of 1875. Gates had to be put in place where the line cut through lanes that led to farms. Cast iron signs were placed on the gates, warning of fines that would be imposed if the gates were left open. At this time also, the gatekeeper’s lodges were being built, their close proximity to the line was quite worrying     Gateman’s Jobs were sought after and men that had worked and followed the line to its completion were shortlisted. The Jobs then went to those men who the bosses considered merited the most, the post offered security during a trying economic period, and of course, a roof over the heads.   There was great excitement among children of families who were appointed to the gate Lodges. And many school-going children were the envy of their school friends. One can easily imagine the period when there was hardly a motor car on the road, most people in the area travelled by horse and cart, Donkey and cart and the better well off travelled by pony and trap.

The Waterford to Dungarvan railway line opened on August 12^th 1878.

The Gate Lodge at Scartore ( The Railway Cottage )   John Power was a foreman on the railway line and lived at the gate lodge (1901 census) Hay was cut and saved along the railway track John Power also had his patch and John Prendergast who took over the Gate Lodge from Power’s. The hay was cut and saved into cocks on the track.    The men had to keep watch when the train approached in case the sparks set the hay alight. Sometimes, the train driver would toss hot coals onto the hay and there would be a flurry to put the flames out. The hay was sold as a means of making extra cash, plus some gate keepers had a donkey and cart.   Youngsters in the area watched out for the train that carried turf, and coal. They had long sticks with nails sticking out of them, and as the train, went into a steep incline going toward Pender’s gate Lodge at Scartore. And it was here, when the train slowed that the youngsters attacked, hiding in the tall ferns, they dashed out and began to drag the turf from the open carriages. Sometimes they had three bags of turf going home. Their parents were told that it fell off the back of the train.   The line closed on March 1^st 1967