Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway
Encyclopedia
The Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway was a narrow gauge railway (with a track gauge of 3 foot (0.9144 m) or 914 mm), operating in County Tyrone
, Northern Ireland
. It opened in 1883 and closed in 1933.
, linking the market town of Castlederg
through Spamount
, Crew and Fyfin to Victoria Bridge
(a junction with the main line of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
). The line followed the course of the road for almost its entire length and there were no passing loops.
continuous braking system - the first trains in Ireland to be so equipped. The line's first two steam locomotives were fitted with enclosed bodywork as tram engines. Throughout its operation, the line was normally served by three return workings every day (except Sundays), with an additional service on Fridays and Castlederg Fair days. It started with three Kitson
tramway type 0-4-0Ts locomotives, but these were all gone by 1912.
engine in 1925 at Castlederg. Although basic in design, it was capable of being driven from either end and the driver also sold the tickets. From 1925 the Tramway became loss making, reaching virtual insolvency by 1932. A strike disrupted Northern Ireland's rail network between 31 January and 7 April 1933. This was taken as an opportunity to discontinue services. The last steam engine departed from Castlederg on 27 July 1934 hauling redundant rolling stock to Victoria Bridge for auction. The need for transhipment of all freight at the break of gauge between the 3' (914 mm) gauge Tramway and the 5' 3" (1600 mm) gauge Great Northern Railway at Victoria Bridge was time-consuming, inefficient and expensive. By the 1930s the railway's Victorian-era infrastructure was also in need of substantial investment. The line became one of Northern Ireland's earliest casualties of road competition. At the end in 1933, there was a Hudswell Clarke
2-6-0T locomotive (sold to Clogher Valley Railway
), a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-4T locomotive and a Beyer-Peacock
Isle of Man type 2-4-0T locomotive which had come from the Ballymena and Larne Railway
.
County Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It opened in 1883 and closed in 1933.
Route
This 7.25 miles (11.7 km) long line was situated entirely within County TyroneCounty Tyrone
Historically Tyrone stretched as far north as Lough Foyle, and comprised part of modern day County Londonderry east of the River Foyle. The majority of County Londonderry was carved out of Tyrone between 1610-1620 when that land went to the Guilds of London to set up profit making schemes based on...
, linking the market town of Castlederg
Castlederg
Castlederg is a village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It lies on the River Derg and is close to the border with County Donegal. The village has a ruined castle and two ancient tombs known as the Druid's Altar and Todd's Den...
through Spamount
Spamount
Spamount is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland, near Castlederg. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 309 people. It is in the Strabane District Council area and has a small community hall and its own sports ground.- Sport :...
, Crew and Fyfin to Victoria Bridge
Victoria Bridge, County Tyrone
Victoria Bridge is a small village in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is mostly within the townland of Breen , which is in the civil parish of Ardstraw, the barony of Strabane Lower, and Strabane District Council. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 318 people.- Housing :Four homes were...
(a junction with the main line of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
). The line followed the course of the road for almost its entire length and there were no passing loops.
Early years
The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) reached Victoria Bridge in 1852. Plans for a narrow gauge rail link to Castlederg were agreed at a public meeting held in the town in August 1881. The line was constructed shortly prior to the enactment of the Tramways Act 1883, and opened in April 1883, so the promoters lost out on any financial assistance from the government. Because of a sharp gradient on the approach to Victoria Bridge, all trains had to be equipped with a WestinghouseWestinghouse Air Brake Company
The railway air brake was invented by George Westinghouse of New York state in 1869. Soon after, he moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where he established the Westinghouse Air Brake Company on September 28, 1869...
continuous braking system - the first trains in Ireland to be so equipped. The line's first two steam locomotives were fitted with enclosed bodywork as tram engines. Throughout its operation, the line was normally served by three return workings every day (except Sundays), with an additional service on Fridays and Castlederg Fair days. It started with three Kitson
Kitson & Co.
Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-Early history:The company started as James Kitson at the Airedale Foundry, off Pearson Street, Hunslet in 1835 with Charles Todd as a partner...
tramway type 0-4-0Ts locomotives, but these were all gone by 1912.
Final years
A 24 seat railcar was built with a Fordson paraffinTractor vaporising oil
Tractor vaporising oil is a fuel for internal combustion engines, produced from paraffin . In the United Kingdom and Australia, after the Second World War, it was commonly used for tractors until diesel engines became commonplace...
engine in 1925 at Castlederg. Although basic in design, it was capable of being driven from either end and the driver also sold the tickets. From 1925 the Tramway became loss making, reaching virtual insolvency by 1932. A strike disrupted Northern Ireland's rail network between 31 January and 7 April 1933. This was taken as an opportunity to discontinue services. The last steam engine departed from Castlederg on 27 July 1934 hauling redundant rolling stock to Victoria Bridge for auction. The need for transhipment of all freight at the break of gauge between the 3' (914 mm) gauge Tramway and the 5' 3" (1600 mm) gauge Great Northern Railway at Victoria Bridge was time-consuming, inefficient and expensive. By the 1930s the railway's Victorian-era infrastructure was also in need of substantial investment. The line became one of Northern Ireland's earliest casualties of road competition. At the end in 1933, there was a Hudswell Clarke
Hudswell Clarke
Hudswell, Clarke and Company Limited was an engineering and locomotive building company in Jack Lane, Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.-History:...
2-6-0T locomotive (sold to Clogher Valley Railway
Clogher Valley Railway
The Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
), a Hudswell Clarke 0-4-4T locomotive and a Beyer-Peacock
Beyer-Peacock
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway Locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Gorton, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer and Richard Peacock, it traded from 1854 until 1966...
Isle of Man type 2-4-0T locomotive which had come from the Ballymena and Larne Railway
Ballymena and Larne Railway
The Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The first part opened in July 1877 and regular passenger services began in August 1878, the first on the three foot Irish narrow gauge...
.
See also
- Cavan and Leitrim RailwayCavan and Leitrim RailwayThe Cavan & Leitrim Railway was a narrow-gauge railway in the counties of Leitrim and Cavan in the north-west of Ireland, which ran from 1887 until 1959.Unusually for Ireland, this 914mm -gauge line survived on coal traffic, from the mine at Arigna...
- Clogher Valley RailwayClogher Valley RailwayThe Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
- County Donegal Railways Joint CommitteeCounty Donegal Railways Joint CommitteeThe County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3 foot gauge railway system serving county Donegal, Ireland,from 1906 until 1960...
- List of narrow gauge railways in Ireland