1932 Belfast and County Down Railway
Note: This is a sub-section of 1932 Railway Year Book and Belfast and County Down Railway
Note: Parts are missing from original in the text below. Check the images or PDF for a full transcript
GENERAL OFFICES.
QUEEN’S QUAY, BELFAST.
DIRECTORS.
THOMAS RICHARDSON (Chairman), Dallas, Malone Road, Belfast.
LIEUT.-COL. THE RT. HON. ROBERT DAVID PERCEVAL-MAXWELL, D.S.O., D.L. (Deputy Chairman), Finnebrogue, Downpatrick, co. Down.
THOMAS BARBOUR, J.P., Mayfair, Arthur Street, Belfast.
RT. HON. SIR THOMAS J. DIXON, Bart., H.M.L., Cairndhu, Larne, co. Antrim.
SIR SAMUEL KELLY, C.B.E., D.L., Ballymenoch, Holywood.
JAMES HURST; J.P., The Hill, Ballynahinch, co. Down,
OFFICIERS.
(Unless otherwise stated the addresses of the Officers are at the General Offices, as above.)
General Manager— W. F. MINNIS.
Secretary and Accountant— H. E. MELLOR.
Locomotive Superintendent— J. L. CROSTHWAIT.
Chief Engineer— P. A. ARNOTT, C.E.
Cashier— ROBERT McMEEKAN.
Hotel Manager— A. G. BURNHAM, Slieve Donard Hotel, Newcastle, co. Down.
Auditors— Sir W. HARRY PEAT, K.B.E., and H. SYDNEY LORD, 11, Ironmonger Lane, London, E.C.
Solicitors— E. and R. D. BATES, 2, Arthur Street, Belfast.
Bankers—NORTHERN BANKING CO., LTD., Belfast.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
INCORPORATED 1846; opened, Belfast to Holy wood, 2nd August, 1848 ; Belfast to Comber and Newtownards, 6th May, 1850 ; Comber to Ballynahinch, 10th September, 1858 ; to Downpatrick, 23rd March, 1859 ; Newtownards to Donaghadee, 1861. Section from Downpatrick to Newcastle, opened 25th March, 1869, was originally owned by the Downpatrick, Dundrum and Newcastle Ry., but worked by the B. and C. D. Ry., and amalgamated therewith in 1881. The branch from Downpatrick to Ardglass was opened 8th July, 1892. The Belfast, Holy wood and Bangor Ry.—incorporated 1860, opened Holy wood to Bangor, 1865, taking over from B. and C. D. Ry. their line to Holywood— was absorbed by the B. and C. D. Ry. 1884. The extension from Newcastle to Castlewellan, with running powers over G. N. R. to Ballyroney, was opened 24th March, 1906. In view of the proposal to establish the Donaghadee- Portpatrick route for a mail packet service between Scotland and Ireland, harbour works at both places were undertaken by the Treasury, but the route was not utilised as contemplated. In 1898, the Slieve Donard Hotel at Newcastle was erected by the Company, and ranks as one of the finest hotels of its kind in Ireland.
GENERAL PARTICULARS.
Principal Towns Served.—Comber, Ballynahinch, Downpatrick, Newcastle, New- townards, Donaghadee, Castlewellan, Holywood and Bangor.
Largest Station.—Belfast, reconstructed in 1913, new wings being added to the main buildings, thereby affording additional office accommodation. A double span root covers five platforms. The passenger yard has also been re-modelled, and a new signal cabin provided, containing one of the largest interlocking frames in Ireland.
Steepest Gradient.—1 in 50, on the Ardglass branch.
Colours of Tickets.—First-class single, white; return, white and yellow. Second-class single, blue; return, blue and red. Third-class single, buff ; return, buff and green.
Permanent Way.—Rails : British standard bull head, 90 lbs. per yard; flange section, 80 and 95 lbs. per yard. Sleepers measuring 9 ft. by 10 in. by 5 in. and 9 ft. by 9 in. by in.
Dimensions of Vehicles.—Longest passenger coaches, 53 ft. 2J in. over buffers. Largest goods or mineral vehicles, 19 ft. over buffers.
Colours of Engines and Rolling Stock.—Engines, dark green ; carriages, crimson lined with yellow ; mineral wagons, lead colour.
Heating of Passenger Trains.—Westinghouse steam heating.
Passenger and Guard Communication.—Passenger Communication Co.’s system.
The Locomotive Works are situated a short distance from Belfast Terminus
Brake.—Automatic Vacuum.
Motor Car Services :—On 1st August, 1916, a Passenger Motor Service was inaugurated between Newcastle and Kilkeel, a distance of 14 miles; in May, 1927, a Passenger Motor Service between Donaghadee and Ballywater, a distance of 7 miles ; and in October, 1928, Passenger Service between Belfast and Holywood, a distance of 6 miles. A Steam Motor Service for Goods Traffic is also maintained between Newcastle and Kilkeel.
Number of Shareholders.—2,669.
STATISTICS.—Year Ending December 31st, 1931.
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Mileage.—Owned, 80 miles; first track, 80 miles; second track, 22 miles 1 chain ; third track, 60 chains; fourth track, 20 chains; over four tracks (reduced to single track), 10 chains ; total length of single track, including sidings, 126 miles 60 chains.
Rolling Stock (Rail).—Locomotives (steam): tender, 1 (2-4-0), 4 (0-6-0); tank, 2 (0-4-2), 4 (2-4-2), 14 (4-4-2), 1 (0-6-4), 4 (4-6-4); total, 30. Tenders, 6. Passenger train vehicles, 214 ; goods train vehicles, 689 ; service vehicles, 89.
Road Traffic Equipment.—2 goods and parcels motor vehicles; 14 passenger road motors.
Houses and Dwellings Owned.—47 houses and cottages for railway servants.
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Traffic Mileage.—Train: coaching, 709,437 ; goods, 88,267. Shunting: coaching, 98,490 ; goods, 72,632 ; other miles, 31,394. Total engine miles, 1,000,210.
See Also
Sources of Information