- Belfast and County Down Railway
The Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) was a
railway inNorthern Ireland linkingBelfast south-eastwards intoCounty Down . It was built in the 19th century, absorbed into theUlster Transport Authority in 1948 and all but the line from Belfast to Bangor was closed in 1950.History
The Company was incorporated on
26 June 1846 with the first section of line fromBelfast toHolywood opening for traffic on2 August 1848 . The line was further extended to Bangor by theBelfast, Holywood and Bangor Railway (BHBR), opening on1 May 1865 , and acquired by the BCDR in 1884. The line to Downpatrick was opened on25 March 1859 . The line from Downpatrick to Newcastle was built by theDownpatrick, Dundrum and Newcastle Railway , opening on25 March 1869 and absorbed by BCDR on14 July 1884 .cite web | title=Belfast and County Down Railway | work= Irish Railwayana| url=http://www.irishrailwayana.com/pa005.htm | accessdate=2007-09-01]A branch to Ballynahinch was opened in 1858
A branch line from
Downpatrick toArdglass was opened in 1892, as was a loop line at Downpatrick. The branch from Newcastle toCastlewellan was opened on24 March 1906 .The company operated 80 miles of track (Belfast to Newcastle and five branches) exclusively in County Down, with its longest route being from Belfast to Castlewellan, a distance of 41 miles. All locomotives were constructed by
Beyer-Peacock , except No. 2, which was fromHarland and Wolff . By 1948 the company had 29 locomotives. Two steam railcars fromKitson & Co. were acquired in 1905. The locomotive works were atBelfast Queen's Quay railway station and closed in 1950. New carriage works had been opened in 1886, with the last carriage being built in 1923.Routes
*Belfast(Queen's Quay)-Ballymacarrett Halt-Victoria Park-Sydenham-Tillysburn-Holywood-Marino-Cultra Halt-Craigavad-Helen's Bay-Carnalea-Bangor West Halt-Bangor
*Belfast(Queen's Quay)-Bloomfield-Neill's Hill-Knock-Dundonald-Comber
*Comber-Ballygowan-Shepherd's Bridge Halt-Saintfield-Ballynahinch Junction-Crossgar-King's Bridge Halt-Downpatrick
*Comber-Ballygowan-Shepherd's Bridge Halt-Saintfield-Ballynahinch Junction-Creevyargon Halt-Ballynahinch
*Comber-Newtownards-Conlig-Ballygrainey-Millisle Halt-Donaghadee
*Downpatrick-Downpatrick Loop Platform-Tullymurry-Ballykinlar Halt-Dundrum-Newcastle-Castlewellan
*Downpatrick-Downpatrick Loop Platform-Racecourse Platform-Ballynoe-Bright Halt-Killough-Coney Island Halt-Ardglass [cite web | title=The BCDR Company | work=Dundonald Railway Station, Then and Now… | url=http://dundonaldrail.users.btopenworld.com/bcdr.htm | accessdate=2007-09-01]teamer operations
The Company also operated passenger sailings from 1893 between Belfast and
Larne . The company ceased to own steamers in 1918. During that period it owned the following steamers:*"Bangor Castle" (246 tons, built in 1866, purchased in 1893 and sold in 1894)
*"Erin" (259 tons, built in 1864, operated the Belfast-Larne route from 1864 to 1893 for other companies, purchased in 1893 and scrapped in 1894)
*"Erin's Isle" (633 tons, built in 1912, requisitioned as a minesweeper in 1915 and scrapped in 1918)
*"Slieve Bearnagh" (383 tons, built 1894, sold in 1912)
*"Slieve Donard" (341 tons, built 1893, sold in 1899) [cite web | title= Belfast and County Down Railway| work= The Ships List| url=http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/lines/feeders3.html | accessdate=2007-09-01]Ulster Transport Authority
In 1946 the Stormont Government announced it intended to bring all transport in Northern Ireland under one banner, and the Transport Act (NI) 1948 nationalised the railways. On
1 October 1948 theUlster Transport Authority was created taking over the BCDR. With the exception of the line from Belfast to Bangor, the railway was closed in 1950.At the time of absorption into the UTA, it had 29
locomotive s, 181 carriages and 25 other coaching vehicles, 629 wagons mostly covered vans and wagons but also including some 6-wheeled fish vans, and 54 service vehicles.Incidents and accidents
In the 1945
Ballymacarrett Accident , 23 passengers died.Downpatrick & County Down Railway
The
Downpatrick & County Down Railway operates the only Irish Standard Gauge heritage railway in Northern Ireland on the former BCDR main line, and has restored one BCDR carriage (148) back to operational condition, with another (72) under restoration with several more in storage.References
External links
* [http://www.downrail.co.uk Downpatrick & County Down Railway]
** http://www.downrail.co.uk/hist.htm#BCDR
* http://www.irrs.ie/images/NCC.htm
* [http://dundonaldrail.users.btopenworld.com Dundonald Railway Station Then & Now]
* [http://www.signalbox.org/overseas/ireland/belfastyard.htm Belfast Queens Quay station signalbox]
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