1932 Northern Counties Committee
Note: This is a sub-section of 1932 Railway Year Book and Northern Counties Committee
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MEMBERS OF COMMITTEE
MAJOR JOHN A. TORRENS, Ballymena.
CHARLES BOOTH, Elmhurst, Aigburth, Liverpool.
LIEUT.-COLONEL THE RIGHT HON. VISCOUNT MASSEREENE AND FERRARD, D.S.O., 52, Seymour Street, London, W.l.
DUDLEY E. B. McCORKELL, D.L., Ballyarnett, Londonderry.
LIEUT.-COLONEL SIR HUGH ARTHUR ROSE, D.S.O., 23, Ainslie Place, Edinburgh.
THOMAS SOMERSET, M.P., The Weir, Malone Road, Belfast.
F. TATLOW, C.B.E., St. Oswald’s, Duffield, Derby.
OFFICERS.
(Unless otherwise stated., the addresses of the Officers are at the General Offices^ York Road Terminus, Belfast.)
Manager and Secretary— MAJOR MALCOLM SPEIR, M.C.
Operating Superintendent— WILLIAM GETTY.
Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent— H. P. STEWART.
Accountant and Audit Superintendent—F. L. SMITH.
Stores Superintendent—F. J. MARTIN.
Hotels Manager—N. TAYLOR, Station Hotel, Belfast.
Solicitor—JOHN BRISTOW, College Square North, Belfast.
Bankers—BELFAST BANKING CO., LTD., Belfast.
HISTORICAL SKETCH.
THE Northern Counties Committee of the London Midland and Scottish Railway Company is an amalgamation of various Irish railways. The original Company, known as the Belfast and Ballymena Railway, was incorporated 21st July, 1845. The first portion was opened 11th April, 1848. The title (Belfast and Northern Counties Railway), by which it was afterwards known until its amalgamation with the Midland Ry. in 1903, was authorised by Act of 15th May, 1860. The following formerly independent railways now form part of the system: Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush, opened November, 1855; amalgamated January, 1861. Londonderry and Coleraine, opened December, 1852, and July, 1853; amalgamated July, 1871. Ballymena, Cushendall and Redbay, opened April, 1875, and 1876 ; amalgamated October, 1884. Ballymena and Lame, opened August, 1877, and June and August, 1878 ; amalgamated July, 1889. Carrickfergus and Larne, opened October, 1862 ; amalgamated July, 1890. Draperstown, opened July, 1883 ; amalgamated July, 1895. Derry Central (29 miles), opened February, 1880; amalgamated September, 1901. Limavady and Dungiven (lOJ miles), opened July, 1883 ; amalgamated February, 1907. Londonderry and Strabane section, which formed portion of the Donegal (narrow gauge) Ry. (14| miles), was vested in the Company in May, 1906. Ballycastle Line opened 18th October, 1880, amalgamated 1st July, 1924 (16 miles, narrow gauge). The Portstewart Tramway, opened June, 1882; amalgamated June, 1897, was closed for traffic from 1st February, 1926.
Gauge: 5ft. 3 in., except narrow gauge (3ft. Oin.) portion of line (78 miles).
Principal Towns Served.—Belfast, Carrickfergus, Larne, Cookstown, Magherafelt, Kilrea, Londonderry, Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine, Limavady, Portrush, and Strabane.
Longest Run without a Stop.—Between Greenislaiid and Portstewart, 58J miles.
Largest Station.—York Road (Belfast) Station, 5 platforms and 7 roads. Other large stations are Antrim, Ballymena, Ballymoney, Cookstown Junction, Cookstown, Coleraine, Greenisland, Portrush, Londonderry (2 stations) and Magherafelt.
Steepest Gradient.—1 in 39, for 1^ miles, at Cargan, on narrow gauge line falling towards Ballymena.
Colours of Tickets.—First-class, single, white; return, yellow. Second-class, single, blue; return, pink. Third-class, single, green; return, drab.
Permanent Way.—Broad-gauge lines: Steel rails, 85 lbs. to the yard, British Standard Section; sleepers, creosoted ; chairs, cast-iron, 46 lbs. each; keys, compressed oak; fishplates, steel, 32 lbs. per pair; fishbolts, steel; ballast, broken stones. Narrow-gauge lines: 65 lb. P.B. rails on wood sleepers; cinder ballast.
Viaduct.—On 21st March, 1924, a New Viaduct across the River Bann at Coleraine was opened. The structure comprises 11 spans ; 5 fixed spans on the Coleraine side, the counterweight span, the bascule span and four fixed spans on the Londonderry side. The bascule is of the Strauss type with underhung counterweight, and is probably the first example of this type of bridge erected in the British Isles. The Viaduct replaces one which had been in use since I860, but is situated further down the river in order to avoid the sharp curvesand severe gradients which were a feature of the old structure.
Summit Level.—5 ft. 3 in. gauge, at Kingsbog Junction, 339 feet above sea level. Narrow gauge, Gloughglass, between Parkmore and Retreat, 1,250 feet above sea level.
Dimensions of Vehicles.—The longest passenger coaches are 57 ft. 1 in. in length. The largest goods or mineral vehicles measure 50 ft. 0 in. long.
Colours of Engines and Rolling Stock.—Engines, lake with black border and yellow lining ; passenger rolling stock, lake, with black mouldings, vermilion and yellow lining.
Passenger and Guard Communication.—Apparatus in connection with automatic brake.
Heating of Passenger Trains.—Laycock and Westinghouse systems.
The Locomotive Works are situate at Belfast.
Brake.—Automatic Vacuum.
Driver’s position on the Footplate.—Left-hand on broad gauge; right-hand on narrow gauge.
Total length of platform faces at which trains can come alongside of the largest stations.—Belfast, 2,679 ft.: Greenisland, 1,782 ft. ; Antrim, 812 ft.; Cookstown Junction,851 ft.; Ballymena, 1,705 ft.; Ballymoney, 1,000 ft.; Coleraine, 1,150 ft.; Portrush, 1,954 ft.; Londonderry, 862 ft.; Londonderry Victoria Road, 740 ft.; Magherafelt, 1,083 ft.
Motor bus services were inaugurated in 1929, and now cover all the districts served by the Railway. A central bus station was erected at Smithfield, Belfast, in 1930. It has an arrival platform 120 ft. long and a departure platform, 100 ft. long and parking space for 24 buses.
Hotels.—Station Hotel, Belfast; Northern Counties Hotel, Portrush ; and Laharna Hotel, Larne.
Number of Stockholders.—Included with those of the L. M. & S. Ry.
Mile Posts.—On down side of line.
STATISTICS
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Mileage.—Owned, 279 miles 18 chains; joint lines, 16 chains; total mileage, first track 279 miles 34 chains ; second track, 47 miles 78 chains; third track, 1 mile 42 chains; fourth track, 44 chains; over four tracks (reduced to single track), 23 chains; total length of single track (including sidings), 388 miles 35 chains.
Rolling Stock.—Locomotives: tender, 38 (4-4-0), 9 (2-4-0), 13 (0-6-0), total, 60; tank, 2 (4-4-2), 4 (2-4-0), 2 (0-4-0), 2 (0-6-0), 1 (2-6-0), 5 (2-4-2), 1 (2-4-4), total, 17 ; total locomotives 77 steam, plus 1 service locomotive ; tenders, 63 ; coaching vehicles : uniform class, 137 ; composites, 56 ; restaurant cars, 4 ; other coaching vehicles, 150; total, 347. Merchandise and mineral vehicles, 2,428; service vehicles, 133.
Road Traffic Equipment.—110 passenger motor omnibuses; 19 goods and parcels vehicles miscellaneous 4.
Traffic—
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Train mileage.—Traffic : coaching, 1,201,177 ; goods, 332,265 ; total, 1,533,442. Shunting miles : coaching, 56,025 ; goods, 225,715 : other miles, 87,879. Total engine miles, 1,903,061.
See Also
Sources of Information