Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway

(Redirected from The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway) Heritage railway in Northern Ireland 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.

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The Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway (GC&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.

History

Original line

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". 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, and was subsequently dismantled.

New line

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).

Route

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.

Locomotives and coaches

No.	Name	Wheel Arr.	Cylinders	Builder	Works No.	Date Built	Notes.
1	Tyrone	0-4-0 T	2, OC	Peckett and Sons	1026	1904	Ex-British Aluminium Co. No. 1, Larne
2	Rory	4w DH		The Motor Rail & Tramcar Co.	102T016	1976	Ex-Blue Circle Cement
3	Shane	0-4-0 WT	2, OC	Andrew Barclay & Sons Co.	2265	1949	Ex-Bord na Móna No. 3 (later No. 45), Clonsast, built as turf (peat)-burner

The line has eight 4-wheel coaches

References

Railway Times 22 September 1883
Journal of Transport Ticket Society- October 2017 page 347

Thomas, Cliff (2002). The Narrow Gauge in Britain & Ireland. Penryn: Atlantic. ISBN 1-902827-05-8.
Johnson, Stephen (1997). Johnson's Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland. Leicester: Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-044-3.

External links

"Giant's Causeway & Bushmills Railway official website".

v t e Heritage railways, museums and preservation societies in Northern Ireland
Downpatrick and County Down Railway Foyle Valley Railway Museum Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Ulster Folk and Transport Museums
Heritage railways: England Scotland Wales Northern Ireland Isle of Man Channel Islands Republic of Ireland

v t e Railway lines in Northern Ireland
InterCity lines	Belfast–Dublin line
Main lines	Belfast–Derry line
Belfast commuter lines	Belfast–Bangor line Belfast–Larne line Belfast–Newry line
Other lines	Coleraine–Portrush line Lisburn–Antrim line (closed)
Heritage lines	Downpatrick and County Down Railway Giant's Causeway and Bushmills Railway
Railway museums	Foyle Valley Railway Museum Railway Preservation Society of Ireland Ulster Folk and Transport Museums

55°12′36″N 6°32′06″W / 55.210°N 6.535°W / 55.210; -6.535

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