This article is about the current steam railway. For the early electric tramway over part of whose former course it operates, see Giant's Causeway Tramway.
The Giant's Causeway Tramway, operated by the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Railway & Tramway Company Ltd, was a pioneering 3 ft (914 mm) narrow gauge electric railway operating between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway. 9+1⁄4 miles (14.9 km) long, it was hailed at its opening as "the first long electric tramway in the world".[1] Promoted by W.A. Traill it was powered by hydroelectricity from an elevated third rail, although steam tram engines were also used in its earlier years, and the power supply was converted to overhead wire in 1899. It opened to Bushmills in 1883, the extension from there to the Causeway following on 1 July 1887. The line closed at the end of the 1949 season on Friday 30 September,[2] and was subsequently dismantled.
New lineedit
The new railway uses equipment originally assembled by Lord O’Neill for a tourist line at Shane's Castle, Country Antrim, which closed in 1994. The idea of using this to revive part of the Tramway was largely conceived and promoted by David Laing. The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway Company is a not-for-profit organisation with charitable status. Clearance of the trackbed commenced at the end of 1999 and the railway carried its first passengers at Easter 2002.
On 10 July 2010 the railway took delivery of a specially customised 4 coach diesel multiple unit capable of accommodating up to 90 passengers. Manufactured by Severn Lamb UK Ltd., it was designed to enhance the visitor experience to the North Antrim Coast and to recreate, in so far as was possible, the passenger experience of the original hydro electric tram. Commissioning of the new rolling stock by the manufacturers began on Monday 12 July with the inaugural journey three days later. The DMU is powered by a Kubota V3600-E3 engine and shares the line with the previous steam rolling stock. All vehicles run on bogies. The power vehicle is on the Causeway side and is shorter (4 windows) than the three trailers (5 windows).
Routeedit
The upper station, just below the Causeway Hotel, has a single platform and passenger, locomotive and carriage facilities, all built in traditional style for the line, which departs towards Bushfoot Strand down a gradient which is sufficient to make the engines 'bark' on their return. It then follows the ancient sand dune system until it meets the River Bush where a newly installed bridge carries the line across. Just before the bridge is a passing loop, not normally used. Crossing Bushfoot Golf Course to meet Ballaghmore Road (which leads from Bushmills to Portballintrae) the line turns bringing it parallel to that road, which it follows to the lower terminus situated at the junction of the Portrush to Bushmills road. The GC&BR Bushmills station is a single platform with no buildings. Alongside the line there is both a cycle track (National Cycle Network 93) and a footpath.
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This article is about the current steam railway For the early electric tramway over part of whose former course it operates see Giant s Causeway Tramway This article includes a list of general references but it lacks sufficient corresponding inline citations Please help to improve this article by introducing more precise citations July 2009 Learn how and when to remove this template message The Giant s Causeway and Bushmills Railway GC amp BR is a 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge heritage railway operating between the Giant s Causeway and Bushmills on the coast of County Antrim Northern Ireland The line is two miles 3 2 km long Locomotives of the railway Shane and Tyrone Contents 1 History 1 1 Original line 1 2 New line 2 Route 3 Locomotives and coaches 4 See also 5 External links 6 ReferencesHistory editOriginal line edit Main article Giant s Causeway Tramway The Giant s Causeway Tramway operated by the Giant s Causeway Portrush and Bush Valley Railway amp Tramway Company Ltd was a pioneering 3 ft 914 mm narrow gauge electric railway operating between Portrush and the Giant s Causeway 9 1 4 miles 14 9 km long it was hailed at its opening as the first long electric tramway in the world 1 Promoted by W A Traill it was powered by hydroelectricity from an elevated third rail although steam tram engines were also used in its earlier years and the power supply was converted to overhead wire in 1899 It opened to Bushmills in 1883 the extension from there to the Causeway following on 1 July 1887 The line closed at the end of the 1949 season on Friday 30 September 2 and was subsequently dismantled New line edit The new railway uses equipment originally assembled by Lord O Neill for a tourist line at Shane s Castle Country Antrim which closed in 1994 The idea of using this to revive part of the Tramway was largely conceived and promoted by David Laing The Giant s Causeway and Bushmills Railway Company is a not for profit organisation with charitable status Clearance of the trackbed commenced at the end of 1999 and the railway carried its first passengers at Easter 2002 On 10 July 2010 the railway took delivery of a specially customised 4 coach diesel multiple unit capable of accommodating up to 90 passengers Manufactured by Severn Lamb UK Ltd it was designed to enhance the visitor experience to the North Antrim Coast and to recreate in so far as was possible the passenger experience of the original hydro electric tram Commissioning of the new rolling stock by the manufacturers began on Monday 12 July with the inaugural journey three days later The DMU is powered by a Kubota V3600 E3 engine and shares the line with the previous steam rolling stock All vehicles run on bogies The power vehicle is on the Causeway side and is shorter 4 windows than the three trailers 5 windows nbsp Route editThe upper station just below the Causeway Hotel has a single platform and passenger locomotive and carriage facilities all built in traditional style for the line which departs towards Bushfoot Strand down a gradient which is sufficient to make the engines bark on their return It then follows the ancient sand dune system until it meets the River Bush where a newly installed bridge carries the line across Just before the bridge is a passing loop not normally used Crossing Bushfoot Golf Course to meet Ballaghmore Road which leads from Bushmills to Portballintrae the line turns bringing it parallel to that road which it follows to the lower terminus situated at the junction of the Portrush to Bushmills road The GC amp BR Bushmills station is a single platform with no buildings Alongside the line there is both a cycle track National Cycle Network 93 and a footpath Locomotives and coaches editNo Name Wheel Arr Cylinders Builder Works No Date Built Notes 1 Tyrone 0 4 0T 2 OC Peckett and Sons 1026 1904 Ex British Aluminium Co No 1 Larne2 Rory 4wDH Simplex a 102T016 1976 Ex Blue Circle Cement3 Shane 0 4 0WT 2 OC Andrew Barclay amp Sons Co 2265 1949 Ex Bord na Mona No 3 later No 45 Clonast built as turf peat burner nbsp The two locomotives Rory and Shane at Giant s Causeway railway station in 2011Notes a The Motor Rail amp Tramcar Co OC Steam Locomotive with cylinders outside the frames WT Well Tank a steam locomotive with water capacity in a tank situated in the well between its frames DH Diesel Locomotive with Hydraulic Transmission The line has eight 4 wheel coachesSee also editList of heritage railways in Northern Ireland List of narrow gauge railways in Ireland Rail transport in Ireland nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Giant s Causeway and Bushmills Railway External links edit Giant s Causeway amp Bushmills Railway official website References edit Railway Times 22 September 1883 Journal of Transport Ticket Society October 2017 page 347 Thomas Cliff 2002 The Narrow Gauge in Britain amp Ireland Penryn Atlantic ISBN 1 902827 05 8 Johnson Stephen 1997 Johnson s Atlas amp Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland Leicester Midland Publishing ISBN 1 85780 044 3 55 12 36 N 6 32 06 W 55 210 N 6 535 W 55 210 6 535 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Giant 27s Causeway and Bushmills Railway amp oldid 1174268402, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
