Northern Counties Committee
Encyclopedia
The Northern Counties Committee (NCC) was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...

. It was built to Irish gauge
Irish gauge
Irish gauge railways use a track gauge of . It is used in* Ireland * Australia where it is also known as Victorian Broad Gauge* Brazil where it is also known as Bitola larga no Brasil....

  but later acquired a number of narrow gauge
Narrow gauge
A narrow gauge railway is a railway that has a track gauge narrower than the of standard gauge railways. Most existing narrow gauge railways have gauges of between and .- Overview :...

 lines. It had its origins in the Belfast and Ballymena Railway that opened to traffic on 11 April 1848.

The NCC itself was formed on 1 July 1903 as the result of the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

 of England taking over the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR), which the Belfast and Ballymena Railway had become. At the 1923 Grouping
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...

 of British railway companies, the Committee became part of the London Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS). After the nationalisation of Britain's railways in 1948
Transport Act 1947
The Transport Act 1947 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Under it the railways, long-distance road haulage and various other types of transport were acquired by the state and handed over to a new British Transport Commission for operation...

 the NCC was briefly part of the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...

, which sold it to the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...

 (UTA) in 1949.

The BNCR and its successors recognised the potential value of tourism and were influential in its development throughout the north of Ireland. They were able to develop and exploit the advantages of the Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...

 – Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...

 ferry route between Ireland and Scotland which gained importance in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

Proposals

There had been a proposal by the Davison brothers of Ballymena
Ballymena
Ballymena is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland and the seat of Ballymena Borough Council. Ballymena had a population of 28,717 people in the 2001 Census....

 to build a railway between Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...

 and Ballymena in 1836 but this came to nothing due, firstly, to the inability to identify a suitable route out of Belfast that did not include excessive gradients and, secondly, an economic downturn.

However, in 1844, the same promoters, in association with Sinclair Mulholland, William Coates and John McNeile of Belfast drew up a new scheme that included a branch to Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus
Carrickfergus , known locally and colloquially as "Carrick", is a large town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is located on the north shore of Belfast Lough, from Belfast. The town had a population of 27,201 at the 2001 Census and takes its name from Fergus Mór mac Eirc, the 6th century king...

. Charles Lanyon
Charles Lanyon
Sir Charles Lanyon DL, JP was an English architect of the 19th century. His work is most closely associated with Belfast, Northern Ireland.-Biography:Lanyon was born in Eastbourne, Sussex in 1813...

 was employed to carry out preliminary surveys of the proposed route.

In fact, two routes out of Belfast were surveyed. One was an inland route beginning at the Antrim Road and skirting Cave Hill. The other started at the junction of York Road and Corporation Street; it ran north on an embankment across slob land on the western shore of Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...

. In order to ease the gradient, it was necessary for the line to Ballymena to leave the Carrickfergus branch by means of a trailing junction 6½ miles from Belfast. Lanyon strongly favoured this latter coastal route and reported accordingly at a public meeting in Antrim
Antrim, County Antrim
Antrim is a town in County Antrim in the northeast of Northern Ireland, on the banks of the Six Mile Water, half a mile north-east of Lough Neagh. It had a population of 20,001 people in the 2001 Census. The town is the administrative centre of Antrim Borough Council...

 courthouse on 20 May 1844. A motion was carried that a complete survey of the line was to be completed and that costs were to be defrayed by opening a subscription.

A prospectus was issued in September 1844 with an optimistic review of the financial prospects for the undertaking. There was a good response and capital accumulated steadily from both sides of the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...

. By 1848, the Belfast and Ballymena Railway (B&BR) would have 221 shareholders.

Parliamentary approval

The next stage was to obtain Parliamentary approval for the B&BR’s original line plus a branch to Randalstown
Randalstown
Randalstown is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Antrim and Toome. It had a population of 4,956 people in the 2001 Census. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate...

. A bill was duly lodged and came before a Committee of the House of Commons
British House of Commons
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom, which also comprises the Sovereign and the House of Lords . Both Commons and Lords meet in the Palace of Westminster. The Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 650 members , who are known as Members...

 in April 1845. Clauses were inserted at the Belfast Harbour Commissioners’ request to protect them from possible competition from the harbour at Carrickfergus. The promoters were able to assuage the Committee’s fears that the works would be heavy and costly and the bill received Royal Assent
Royal Assent
The granting of royal assent refers to the method by which any constitutional monarch formally approves and promulgates an act of his or her nation's parliament, thus making it a law...

 on 21 July 1845 as “An Act for making a Railway from Belfast to Ballymena in the County of Antrim, with Branches to Carrickfergus and Randalstown”.

Building the line

Lanyon immediately began preparations for building the line and placed advertisements for tenders for the construction of the railway. The contract was awarded to William Dargan
William Dargan
William Dargan , an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from Killeshin, County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire in 1833. He constructed over of railway to important urban centres of Ireland...

. Orders were placed for rails and sleepers and locomotives were ordered from Bury, Curtis and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,...

.

Meanwhile the directors were recruiting staff. A secretary was appointed in 1845, Ellis Rowland was appointed locomotive superintendent in 1847 and Thomas H. Higgin became manager in May 1848.

By the spring of 1847, portions of the line were ready for ballasting and, as neither Dargan nor the B&BR had any locomotives, a second-hand engine was obtained from the Ulster Railway
Ulster Railway
The Ulster Railway was a railway company operating in Ulster, Ireland. The company was incorporated in 1836 and merged with two other railway companies in 1876 to form the Great Northern Railway .-History:...

 to carry out the work. While it had been hoped to open the line in November 1847, this was put back by the need to raise the embankment along the shore of Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough
Belfast Lough is a large, natural intertidal sea lough at the mouth of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. The inner part of the lough comprises a series of mudflats and lagoons. The outer lough is restricted to mainly rocky shores with some small sandy bays...

.

Stations were built along the main line and the Carrickfergus branch. The most impressive was that at Belfast where Lanyon used his architectural talents to create an imposing classical design.

Board of Trade inspections

Eventually the line was deemed to be ready for inspection by the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...

 on 10 January 1848. Captain R.M. Laffan RE
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....

 carried out the inspection and issued an unfavourable report dated 3 March. He was much concerned that the permanent way was very roughly laid and unballasted in places; neither were there any signals. Furthermore, he deemed that a bridge had been constructed in a hasty manner with the result that, when tested, it exhibited very great deflection. Other defects included poor drainage in cuttings and a lack of mileposts. Captain Laffan’s opinion was that it was therefore unsafe to allow the line to be opened

Lanyon and Dargan were keen to retrieve their reputations and there was a period of furious activity as they worked to correct deficiencies identified in the Board of Trade
Board of Trade
The Board of Trade is a committee of the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, originating as a committee of inquiry in the 17th century and evolving gradually into a government department with a diverse range of functions...

 report. The directors carried out their own inspection of the line on 6 April and felt sufficiently confident about what they had seen to ask Captain Laffan to make a second inspection. This he did and his report of 8 April was more encouraging than the previous one. Although there were some strictures, Captain H.D. Harness RE, secretary to the Railway Department of the Board of Trade formally advised the directors of the B&BR on 14 April that the railway could be opened for public service. However, authorisation had been sent previously by telegraph and the railway was already at work.

The line opens

As soon as the Board of Trade’s telegraphic authority had been received, advertisements were placed in the newspapers on 8 April 1848 to inform the public that the B&BR would be open for passenger traffic on 12 April. Because of the delay in starting operations, it was decided not to have an official opening ceremony. However, two special trains ran on 11 April to give members of the press and potential customers a foretaste of railway travel and the railway was in business.

The normal train service was five trains each way with the Carrickfergus Junction (later renamed Greenisland)-Carrickfergus and Drumsough Junction-Randalstown
Randalstown
Randalstown is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Antrim and Toome. It had a population of 4,956 people in the 2001 Census. It has a very prominent disused railway viaduct and lies beside Lough Neagh and the Shane's Castle estate...

 lines being considered as branches. All main line trains had to reverse at Carrickfergus Junction because of the trailing connection there. This was to be an operating problem for years to come.

Because the goods sheds were still incomplete, it was not possible to run goods trains at first but some articles were accepted for carriage by passenger train.

Early accounts

The financial results for the first year of operation were very poor due to depressed passenger traffic during the winter season and because of the potato famine with the result that no dividend was paid. Goods traffic increased once the goods sheds and other facilities had been completed and, in an attempt to obtain additional passenger traffic, the company reduced second and third class fares. However, the financial situation remained unsatisfactory throughout the early years and no dividend would be declared until 1850-51 when it was possible to pay a modest dividend of 1%.

Dividend
Dividend
Dividends are payments made by a corporation to its shareholder members. It is the portion of corporate profits paid out to stockholders. When a corporation earns a profit or surplus, that money can be put to two uses: it can either be re-invested in the business , or it can be distributed to...

s continued at around 1-1½% until November 1855 when they rose to a new peak of 5%. Goods traffic had continued to increase gratifyingly although passenger numbers fluctuated.

Cookstown extension

Terminating at a small country town, the Randalstown branch was not generating as much traffic as the directors wished. Therefore, it was decided to extend the line to Cookstown
Cookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...

. The bill for this extension became law on 28 June 1853. After a delay to acquire land and raise capital, William Dargan was awarded the contract for building the line and began work in March 1855.

The Cookstown extension included two massive engineering features. One was the eight-span masonry bridge which carried the line fifty feet above the River Maine just outside Randalstown and the other, a few miles further on, was a lattice bridge with a swing section across the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...

 near its outflow from Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh
Lough Neagh, sometimes Loch Neagh, is a large freshwater lake in Northern Ireland. Its name comes .-Geography:With an area of , it is the largest lake in the British Isles and ranks among the forty largest lakes of Europe. Located twenty miles to the west of Belfast, it is approximately twenty...

. Nevertheless, Dargan was able to carry out the work on the Cookstown extension speedily and the line was deemed to be ready for a Board of Trade inspection on 13 October 1856.

Captain H.W. Tyler RE, the inspecting officer, reported that although there was much that was satisfactory, the presence of an unauthorised level crossing prevented his allowing the line to be opened. Eventually, following correspondence between the directors and the Board of Trade, permission was given to open the line on condition that a bridge replaced the crossing within six months. The line was officially opened on 16 October 1856 but public services did not begin until 10 November. Four trains ran in each direction on weekdays and two on Sundays.

Excursion traffic

Cheap travelling facilities were offered from the earliest days of the railway. Special trains were run from Ballymena and intermediate stations in connection with Queen Victoria’s
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 visit to Belfast in August 1849. Later that year, day excursion tickets were available from Belfast to Randalstown for those who wished to visit Shane's Castle
Shane's Castle
Shane's Castle is a ruined castle near Randalstown in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. The castle is on the north-east shores of Lough Neagh. Built in 1345 by a member of the O'Neill dynasty, it was originally called Eden-duff-carrick...

 demesne at about two thirds of the cost of normal tickets. Cheap tickets were also available for those travelling to Belfast; in 1857, passengers from Cookstown were being urged to experience the view from Cave Hill.

By 1859, further reductions were available for parties of eight or more travelling to destinations such as Shane’s Castle, Masserene Park, Toome
Toome
Toome or Toom is a small village and townland on the northwest corner of Lough Neagh in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 722.-History:...

bridge, Moyola Park, the Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...

 and Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle
Dunluce Castle is a now-ruined medieval castle in Northern Ireland. It is located on the edge of a basalt outcropping in County Antrim , and is accessible via a bridge connecting it to the mainland...

. As always, the seaside was a popular destination with excursion tickets to Portstewart and Portrush via the neighbouring Belfast, Ballymena, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway (BBC&PJR) and valid for seven days being offered at normal single fare rates.

A lack of capital and a change of name

The B&BR continued to prosper but lacked capital and matters came to a head at when it was reported that the capital was totally expended and borrowing powers had been exceeded by ₤10 000. It was essential that the company raise additional funds in order to double the existing single line out of Belfast, as it was no longer adequate for the current volume of traffic and to replace many of the original wooden stations. It was therefore proposed to make a submission to Parliament as soon as possible.

In 1858, with the connivance of the B&BR, the neighbouring BBC&PJR promoted a bill to empower the B&BR to purchase the BBC&PJR at a future date. The sum required was to be paid for by the issue of new shares. This manoeuvre was aided by the links both companies had with William Dargan.

However, a complication arose when the BBC&PJR was granted Parliamentary approval in April 1859 to build a bridge over the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...

 at Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...

 to connect with the Londonderry and Coleraine Railway. Since this was after the 1858 act, the bridge could not be included in any sale of the BBC&PJR. An additional act was promoted to regularise the situation. In addition, this later bill made provision to change the title of the B&BR and to alter the dates of the half-yearly meetings.

When the last half-yearly accounts ending in March 1860 were issued, it was possible to declare a dividend of 4%.

With the passage of the bill on 15 May 1860, the Belfast and Ballymena Railway ceased to exist and the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR) took its place.

Belfast and Northern Counties Railway

On 15 May 1860 the Belfast and Ballymena Railway became known as the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (BNCR), a title it would retain until amalgamation with the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

 in 1903.

The following independent railways became part of the BNCR after its incorporation (opening date(s)/amalgamation date):
  • Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway (November 1855/January 1861)
  • Londonderry and Coleraine Railway (December 1852 and July 1853/July 1871)
  • Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
    Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
    The Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway was a narrow gauge railway between Ballymena and Retreat, both in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated from 1875 to 1940.-History:...

     (1875 & 1876/October 1884)
  • 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...

     (August 1877, June & August 1878/July 1889)
  • Carrickfergus and Larne Railway (October 1862/July 1890)
  • Draperstown Railway (July 1883/July 1895)
  • Derry Central Railway (29 miles; 46 km) (February 1880/September 1901)
  • Portstewart Tramway (June 1882/June 1897)


Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton was an English accountant who became manager of the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and, subsequently, the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway where he was influential in developing tourism in the north of Ireland.-Biography:...

 had succeeded Thomas H. Higgin as manager of the B&BR in 1857 and continued in this position with the BNCR. He would be instrumental in making it the most prosperous railway in Ireland. Berkeley Deane Wise
Berkeley Deane Wise
Berkeley Deane Wise was an Irish civil engineer who made a significant impact on the development of railways and tourism, particularly in Northern Ireland.-Early years:...

 was the Chief Civil Engineer of the BNCR from 1888 to 1906. During those 18 years Wise made an immense contribution to the BNCR, designing many of its grand stations and tourist attractions.

Steamer services

The shortest distance between Great Britain and Ireland is the 22 miles (35.4 km) across the North Channel
North Channel (Great Britain and Ireland)
The North Channel is the strait which separates eastern Northern Ireland from southwestern Scotland...

 between Portpatrick
Portpatrick
Portpatrick is a village hanging on to the extreme south-westerly tip of mainland Scotland, cut into a cleft in steep cliffs.Dating back historically some 500 years, and built adjacent to the ruins of nearby Dunskey Castle, its position on the Rhins of Galloway affords visitors views of the...

 in Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire
Wigtownshire or the County of Wigtown is a registration county in the Southern Uplands of south west Scotland. Until 1975, the county was one of the administrative counties used for local government purposes, and is now administered as part of the council area of Dumfries and Galloway...

, Scotland and Donaghadee
Donaghadee
Donaghadee is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northeast coast of the Ards Peninsula, about east of Belfast and about six miles south east of Bangor. It had a population of 6,470 people in the 2001 Census...

 in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...

. A privately run mail service had started in 1662 which. taken over by the Post Office and then the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...

, continued for nearly 200 years. In 1849, problems at both Portpatrick and Donaghadee during severe weather and the difficulty in accommodating larger steamers at Portpatrick caused the termini of the Short Sea Route to be transferred to Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...

 and Larne.

Even before the Carrickfergus & Larne railway (C&LR) had been completed, the BNCR was playing a leading role in discussions with other railway companies about operating a steamer service between Larne and Stranraer. The BNCR, Glasgow & South Western
Glasgow and South Western Railway
The Glasgow and South Western Railway , one of the pre-grouping railway companies, served a triangular area of south-west Scotland, between Glasgow, Stranraer and Carlisle...

, Portpatrick
Portpatrick Railway
The Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway, often known as the Port Road, was a railway in south-west Scotland, which linked Dumfries, via Castle Douglas, with the port towns of Portpatrick and Stranraer...

, North British
North British Railway
The North British Railway was a Scottish railway company that was absorbed into the London and North Eastern Railway at the Grouping in 1923.-History:...

 and Newcastle & Carlisle
Newcastle and Carlisle Railway
The Newcastle and Carlisle Railway, occasionally referred to as the Tyne Valley Line, is a railway line in northern England. The line was built in the 1830s, and links the city of Newcastle upon Tyne in Tyne and Wear with in Cumbria. Formal opening took place on 18 June 1838.The line follows the...

 Railways formed a joint committee to operate a steamer. It purchased the iron-hulled paddle steamer which made her first sailing in normal service on 2 October 1862. The service was not a success and continuing poor financial results led to its being suspended on 31 December 1863.

Meanwhile, the BNCR continued to promote the possibility of a steamer service but with a better ship. Although lacking capital it was able to encourage private investors to set up a new company in 1871. Known as the Larne & Stranraer Steam Boat Company it began operating the PS Princess Louise on a daily service from 1 July 1872.

In 1885, the London & North Western
London and North Western Railway
The London and North Western Railway was a British railway company between 1846 and 1922. It was created by the merger of three companies – the Grand Junction Railway, the London and Birmingham Railway and the Manchester and Birmingham Railway...

, Midland
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

, Caledonian
Caledonian Railway
The Caledonian Railway was a major Scottish railway company. It was formed in the early 19th century and it was absorbed almost a century later into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway, in the 1923 railway grouping, by means of the Railways Act 1921...

 and Glasgow & South Western railways had formed the Portpatrick and Wigtownshire Joint Railway to operate the Portpatrick Railway and to, improve the profitability of the route, bought out the steamship company. A new, faster and larger ship, the Princess Victoria entered service in May 1890 and reduced the sea crossing to only 2¼ hours. The new service was an immediate success and was well patronised by businessmen. Furthermore, the Postmaster General
United Kingdom Postmaster General
The Postmaster General of the United Kingdom is a defunct Cabinet-level ministerial position in HM Government. Aside from maintaining the postal system, the Telegraph Act of 1868 established the Postmaster General's right to exclusively maintain electric telegraphs...

 recognised the crossing as a supplementary mail route in addition to Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

-Kingstown
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...

. Traffic increased by 40% between 1875 and 1885 and in July 1891 an additional ship was put on the service during the summer. The BNCR had subscribed a large sum in 1890 and in July 1893 it was able to join the four railways operating the Portpatrick Joint Railway in the newly created Larne & Stranraer Steamship Joint Committee. Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton was an English accountant who became manager of the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and, subsequently, the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway where he was influential in developing tourism in the north of Ireland.-Biography:...

 of the BNCR managed the service which continued to be a success.

Once the BNCR had absorbed the Ballymena & Larne Railway in 1889 and the Carrickfergus and Larne railway in 1890, it possessed both of the Irish routes leading to the Larne-Stranraer steamer.

Tourism

Whilst tourism in Ireland was not a new development, it was in the last quarter of the nineteenth century that a great increase occurred with large numbers of tourists making the sea crossing from Great Britain to see the delights of Ireland’s scenery. The railways saw that it would be to their advantage to encourage tourist development since this would bring them increased traffic. On the BNCR, its manager, Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton
Edward John Cotton was an English accountant who became manager of the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and, subsequently, the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway where he was influential in developing tourism in the north of Ireland.-Biography:...

, especially recognised the potential value of tourism and was influential in its development throughout the North of Ireland.

The BNCR was able to exploit the advantages of the Larne-Stranraer short sea route with its benefit of a daylight crossing in the summer months and the ease with which passengers could transfer to trains alongside the steamer berth at Larne Harbour.

Excursions and special attractions

The BNCR continued the B&BR's practice of running cheap excursions. Besides excursions organised by the company itself, there were extensive summer programmes of special trains operated on behalf of outside organisations especially Sunday school
Sunday school
Sunday school is the generic name for many different types of religious education pursued on Sundays by various denominations.-England:The first Sunday school may have been opened in 1751 in St. Mary's Church, Nottingham. Another early start was made by Hannah Ball, a native of High Wycombe in...

s and other church organisations. A large number of special trains were chartered by Loyalist
Ulster loyalism
Ulster loyalism is an ideology that is opposed to a united Ireland. It can mean either support for upholding Northern Ireland's status as a constituent part of the United Kingdom , support for Northern Ireland independence, or support for loyalist paramilitaries...

 organisations around the "Twelfth of July"
The Twelfth
The Twelfth is a yearly Protestant celebration held on 12 July. It originated in Ireland during the 18th century. It celebrates the Glorious Revolution and victory of Protestant king William of Orange over Catholic king James II at the Battle of the Boyne...

 and the "Twelfth of August".

G.L. Baillie, the golfing pioneer, organised golfing excursions that included first class train fare and hotel accommodation to Portrush and Newcastle
Newcastle, County Down
Newcastle is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 7,444 people recorded in the 2001 Census. The seaside resort lies on the Irish Sea coast at the base of Slieve Donard, one of the Mourne Mountains, and is known for its sandy beach and the Royal County Down Golf Club...

 as well as to the County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...

 links at Rosapenna, Portsalon and Lisfannon.

The Giant's Causeway became an even greater tourist attraction with the opening of the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Electric Tramway
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 gauge electric narrow gauge railway operating between Portrush and the Giant's Causeway on the coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland...

 all the way to the Causeway in 1887. Thousands of tourists found the journey from outside Portrush railway station much quicker and easier than before and, being the world's first hydro-electric tramway, it was an attraction in itself.

Another of Ulster's celebrated tourist attractions is the
Antrim Coast Road
A2 road (Northern Ireland)
The A2 is a major road in Northern Ireland, a large section of which is often called the Antrim Coast Road because it follows the scenic coastline of County Antrim....

 that stretches north from Larne to Ballycastle and Portrush and from which may be seen the Nine Glens of Antrim
Glens of Antrim
The Glens of Antrim , known locally as simply The Glens, is a region of County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It comprises nine glens , that radiate from the Antrim Plateau to the coast. The Glens are an area of outstanding natural beauty and are a major tourist attraction in north Antrim...

. The largest and arguably the most beautiful of these is Glenariff
Glenariff
Glenariff is a glen in the County Antrim, Northern Ireland. Like all glens in that area, it was shaped during the Ice Age by giant glaciers....

 which stretches from Parkmore down to the sea. The opening of the Cushendall line to passengers created whole new possibilities for tourism. The BNCR leased Glenariff from the landlords and laid out a series of paths and bridges to make it easily accessible to tourists. Rustic shelters were provided near the water falls to protect visitors from the spray and, in 1891, a "tea house" was built which, as well as providing refreshments, included a dark room for the use of photographers.

Coastal scenery of a different kind may be seen in the Islandmagee
Islandmagee
Islandmagee is a peninsula on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, located between the towns of Larne and Carrickfergus. It is part of the Larne Borough Council area and is a sparsely populated rural community with a long history since the mesolithic period.As part of an...

 area near Whitehead. While there was already some provision for tourists, the BNCR's civil engineer Berkeley Deane Wise
Berkeley Deane Wise
Berkeley Deane Wise was an Irish civil engineer who made a significant impact on the development of railways and tourism, particularly in Northern Ireland.-Early years:...

 constructed a new promenade and imported sand from Portrush to make a beach. In 1892 he also engineered a cliff path was engineered that stretched 1¼ miles from Whitehead to the Blackhead promontory. The lower sections bordered the shore but blasting and cantilevering from the cliffs was necessary higher up.

Further north from Whitehead on the eastern coast of Islandmagee is a region of high basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...

 cliffs known as the Gobbins. Here too, Wise set to work building a path. Steps were cut to connect the various levels, bridges were thrown across ravines including two tubular bridges that connected the "Man o'War Stack" to the main path. The first section of the path opened in August 1902 but it was to prove too expensive to continue to Heddle's Port as originally planned.

Hotels

Hotel accommodation in nineteenth century Ireland was not of a generally high standard. While this should have been of concern to the railway companies, few took a direct interest in the matter. The BNCR and the Great Southern and Western Railway
Great Southern and Western Railway
The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

 were exceptions.

The BNCR purchased a share in the lease of the long standing and well thought of Antrim Arms hotel at Portrush
Portrush
Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....

 and in 1883 formed a separate company to manage what was renamed the Northern Counties Hotel. Situated on an elevated site, the hotel overlooked the Atlantic Ocean at front and back. With more than one hundred rooms, it was intended to accommodate high-class tourists visiting the Giant's Causeway
Giant's Causeway
The Giant's Causeway is an area of about 40,000 interlocking basalt columns, the result of an ancient volcanic eruption. It is located in County Antrim on the northeast coast of Northern Ireland, about three miles northeast of the town of Bushmills...

. The hotel was enlarged and improved in 1884 and 1892 and in 1902 the BNCR purchased the freehold outright from the Earl of Antrim.

A new hotel was built in Belfast as part of the York Road station reconstruction with the intention of capturing trade from long distance travellers as it was convenient to the cross-channel steamer berths. Designed by Berkeley Dean Wise and directly connected to the station, the unimaginatively named Station Hotel opened in 1898.

In addition to the railway-operated hotels, arrangements were made during the 1890s with the independent Olderfleet hotel in Larne and the Antrim Arms and Marine hotels in Ballycastle
Ballycastle, County Antrim
Ballycastle is a small town in County Antrim in Northern Ireland. Its population was 5,089 people in the 2001 Census. It is the seat and main settlement of Moyle District Council....

 for the issue of combined railway and hotel tickets.

The Holden train

The Holden train was a new concept in Irish tourism. In 1902, A.W. Holden, a Larne hotelier who had hired trains from the BNCR for his summer tours, approached the railway to provide him with a special train. York Road works built the all first class four-car train. Three of the coaches were saloons and the fourth was a restaurant car, all being furnished to a high standard. They were bogie vehicles with corridor connections; the lower body panels were finished in match boarding and the end doors were recessed in the manner of Pullman cars
Pullman train (UK)
Pullman trains in Great Britain were mainline luxury railway services that operated with first-class coaches and a steward service, provided by the British Pullman Car Company.-Origins:...

. Two six-wheel vans were fitted with corridor connection
Corridor connection
A Corridor connection is a flexible connector fitted to the end of a railway coach to enable passage from one coach to another without falling out of the train.-Coaches:...

s to work with the train.

The train entered service in 1903 shortly before the end of the BNCR's independent career. Based at the Laharna Hotel, Larne, Holden's tour visited most of the popular tourist attractions in north-eastern Ireland over a six-day period. During this time, it covered some 400 miles (643.7 km) of railway travel and a further 40 miles (64.4 km) by road. The tours ran until the outbreak of World War I.

Accidents

The early years of the company were relatively free from serious incidents but as traffic increased and the system became busier, weaknesses in less than adequate operating procedures were exposed and a number of accidents occurred. Board of Trade inspectors investigated these and reported on the causes and recommended appropriate corrective actions.

The injury rates were low but sadly there were some fatalities which are mentioned in the list below.
  • 9 February 1863. The coupling between two carriages of a Ballymena to Belfast train broke and a first class coach fell on it side but fortunately did not drag other vehicles with it. Two passengers were injured.

  • 3 April 1863. A pointsman at Coleraine turned a down train into the up loop where it collided with engine of an up train

  • 2 October 1876. A stopping train from Belfast to Ballymena derailed on a crossover at Cookstown Junction. Major General C.S. Hutchinson RE investigated the accident and blamed the system of wire interlocking
    Interlocking
    In railway signalling, an interlocking is an arrangement of signal apparatus that prevents conflicting movements through an arrangement of tracks such as junctions or crossings. The signalling appliances and tracks are sometimes collectively referred to as an interlocking plant...

     in use at the junction.

  • 26 December 1876. The 08.35 Coleraine to Belfast passenger train and 08.15 down goods collided head-on at Moylena near Antrim. One passenger was killed and eight others were injured. Colonel F.H. Rich RE investigated and, finding fault with the company’s method of working the single line by the fixed timetable system, recommended adopting the train staff system until the line was doubled.

  • 23 December 1878. Wagons ran away while a mixed train was shunting at Duncrue siding near Carrickfergus.

  • 28 September 1887. An up train derailed just on the Londonderry side of the Bann bridge at Coleraine. During his investigation, Colonel Rich found that the track was old and the ballast to be of poor quality. He commented on the lack of timber baulks on the bridge itself that would prevent a derailed train from falling in the river and also criticised the signalling arrangements at the bridge which the company revised shortly afterwards.

  • 27 February 1892. A ballast train from Limavady ran into the back of the 07.00 Londonderry to Belfast passenger train at Castlerock
    Castlerock
    Castlerock is a seaside village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is situated between Coleraine and Derry and is very popular with summer tourists, having numerous apartment blocks and three caravan sites. Castlerock Golf Club has both 9 and 18-hole links courses bounded by the beach, the...

    . There were no injuries. Major General Hutchinson found fault with personnel at Downhill and Castlerock for signalling irregularities. The passenger train had been running late due to poor steaming because the brick arch in its firebox had collapsed some days previously and General Hutchinson censured the driver for not reporting the collapse.

  • 25 August 1894. A stopping train from Larne Harbour to Belfast derailed on a section of track that was being relaid shortly after leaving Whitehead
    Whitehead, County Antrim
    Whitehead is a small seaside town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the civil parishes of Island Magee and Templecorran, the barony of Belfast Lower, and is part of Carrickfergus Borough Council...

    . A 10 mph (16 km/h) speed restriction should have been imposed but the permanent way gang carrying out the work had failed to post warning signs and had left the track in a dangerous condition. Fortunately the derailed vehicles remained upright as they passed through Whitehead tunnel otherwise the consequences could have been much more serious.

  • 7 August 1897. The firebox collapsed on 2-4-0 locomotive No.58, killing both locomotive men on the approach to Antrim station. Major F.A. Marindin RE
    Francis Marindin
    Colonel Sir Francis Arthur Marindin, KCMG served with the Royal Engineers and was a key figure in the early development of association football. He was later knighted for his work in public services....

     found that the procedure for inspecting locomotive boilers was inadequate and a more rigorous regime was put in place.

  • 13 July 1898. The 09.55 Belfast to Larne passenger train overran signals at Larne Town station and collided with a train of empty coaches causing extensive damage to both trains. Lieutenant Colonel G.W. Addison RE found that lapses routinely occurred in working the block system and signals. Shortly afterwards, Larne Town station was completely resignalled and the Larne Town-Larne Harbour section was equipped with tablet instruments.

  • 10 October 1900. The 16.00 train from Kilrea
    Kilrea
    Kilrea is a village and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is near the River Bann, which marks the boundary between County Londonderry and County Antrim...

     to Coleraine was completely derailed a little over a mile to the south of Coleraine station but fortunately there were no injuries. Major J.W. Pringle RE determined that the cause was excessive speed over old iron rails aggravated by the rigidity of the double-framed locomotive, No.22. The completion of the track relaying programme was put in hand immediately.

  • 25 September 1902. A special troop train from Ballincollig
    Ballincollig
    Ballincollig is a satellite town in County Cork, Ireland, approximately 9 km west of Cork city. It is located beside the River Lee on the R608 regional road. In 2006 the population of Ballincollig DED was 16,308. The nearest towns include: Ballinora, Ovens, Killumney, Inniscarra, Blarney ,...

    , County Cork
    County Cork
    County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...

     to Larne Harbour became divided. The detached rear portion subsequently collided with that in front between Greenisland and Trooperslane
    Trooperslane railway station
    Trooperslane railway station serves Trooperslane in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.Trooperslane is a hamlet between Greenisland and Carrickfergus. The station was opened on 11 April 1848. For many years it was served by a handful of trains Mondays to Saturdays only...

    . Four vehicles were destroyed and many others damaged; three cavalry horses were killed but there were no other injuries. Major Pringle felt that the locomotive crew had not been sufficiently vigilant in keeping a proper lookout. Furthermore, he censured the Great Southern and Western Railway
    Great Southern and Western Railway
    The Great Southern and Western Railway was the largest Irish gauge railway company in Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th centuries...

    , the GNR(I
    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...

    ) and the BNCR, over whose metals the train had run, for treating it as goods or cattle and marshalling the passenger vehicles behind the non-braked cattle wagons with the result that the vacuum brake was not in operation throughout the train.

Amalgamation

The Midland Railway had invested heavily in new harbour facilities at Heysham
Heysham
Heysham is a large coastal village near Lancaster in the county of Lancashire, England. Overlooking Morecambe Bay, it is a ferry port with services to the Isle of Man and Ireland. Heysham is the site of two nuclear power stations which are landmarks visible from hills in the surrounding area...

 and was anxious that its influence in Ulster would not end at Donegall Quay in Belfast. To extend its activity in Ireland it decided to purchase an interest in a large Irish railway. The BNCR was an efficient, prosperous company and well suited the Midland's purposes; it connected the two largest cities in the north of Ireland and had direct links to County Donegal. The Midland made a very tempting offer which the BNCR's directors advised the shareholders to accept. This was also agreed by the Midland's shareholders.

The date of vesting was set for 1 July 1903 and on 21 July 1903, the parliamentary bill necessary for amalgamation passed into law. Thus ended the separate existence of the railway that was affectionately nicknamed "Big Nancy Coming Running". Henceforth, the BNCR would be known as the Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee).

Midland Railway (Northern Counties Committee)

The amalgamation of the BNCR with the Midland Railway
Midland Railway
The Midland Railway was a railway company in the United Kingdom from 1844 to 1922, when it became part of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway....

 took place on 1 July 1903. The railway retained a great deal of autonomy and was run by a management committee based in Belfast - the Northern Counties Committee (NCC). Locomotive and rolling stock liveries remained very much as they had been under the BNCR except for the adoption of the Midland Railway coat of arms and NCC monogram.

The following railways became part of the MR(NCC) (opening date(s)/amalgamation date):
  • Londonderry and Strabane section, formerly part of the narrow gauge Donegal Railway (14.25 miles; 23 km) was vested in the MR(NCC) in May 1906.
  • Limavady and Dungiven Railway (10.75 miles; 17 km) (July 1883/February 1907).


Total mileage in 1911 was 263.25 miles (421 km)

Two steam railmotor
Railmotor
Railmotor is a term which was used by several British railway companies for a steam railcar.-Overview:William Bridges Adams started building railmotors as early as 1848, but only in small numbers...

s were obtained from Derby and entered service in 1905. Originally proposed for Belfast suburban services, the traffic department put them to work on Belfast-Ballymena stopping services. Hauling vans and horseboxes, they soon became worn out and were withdrawn in 1913.

Meanwhile valuable iron ore traffic was obtained in 1907. Iron ore had been transported by road from the mines near Parkmore to Waterfoot
Waterfoot, County Antrim
Waterfoot is a small village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is in the parishes of Ardclinis and Layd, within the barony of Glenarm Lower. The 2001 Census recorded a population of 504 inhabitants....

 for shipment but the poor condition of the roads was making this impossible. The traffic was put on rail via Ballymena to Larne Harbour, 100 new wagons and two new locomotives were built to handle the 35 000tons of ore that was to be transported annually.

The NCC purchased two Thornycroft
Thornycroft
Thornycroft was a United Kingdom-based vehicle manufacturer which built coaches, buses, and trucks from 1896 until 1977.-History:Thornycroft started out with steam vans and lorries. John Isaac Thornycroft, the naval engineer, built his first steam lorry in 1896...

 motor char-a-bancs in 1905 and hired a third for at least one season. One was used to take guests at the Northern Counties Hotel on trips to the Giant's Causeway and other tourist attractions while the second provided a service between Parkmore, Glenariff Glen and Cushendall
Cushendall
Cushendall and formerly known as Newtown Glens is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.It is on the A2 coast road between Glenariff and Cushendun, in the Antrim Coast and Glens Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty...

. The hired vehicle was used on tours of the Antrim Coast Road.

Statistics - 1910

  • In 1910 the Committee owned 79 locomotives; 364 passenger train vehicles; two railmotor cars; and 2328 goods vehicles
  • Locomotives were painted "invisible green" (a very dark bronze green that looked almost black) picked out with yellow, blue and vermilion lining; passenger rolling stock, lake, picked out with gold and vermilion lining.
  • The Portstewart Tramway owned 3 locomotives and four other vehicles
  • The Committee owned three hotels: Midland Station Hotel, Belfast; Northern Counties Hotel, Portrush; and Laharna Hotel, Larne
All details in this section are from Railway Year Book 1912 (Railway Publishing Company)

Tourism

The NCC continued the BNCR's policy of encouraging tourism.

The hotels were not neglected. The Belfast hotel, now known as the Midland Station Hotel continued to prosper and additional bedrooms were added in 1905. In 1906 additional accommodation was added to the rear of the Northern Counties Hotel at Portrush. The work increased the number of rooms to 150 and provided a splendid new ballroom. The NCC acquired a third hotel, the Laharna Hotel at Larne, from the Holden company in 1909 and with it the Holden train.

Glenariff continued to be a popular tourist destination and Sunday trains were run on the Cushendall line during summer to meet public demand.

The Gobbins cliff path on Islandmagee had not been completed in BNCR days. While it had been intended to carry the path three miles (5 km) to Heddle's Port, the engineering and other construction works this would entail were considered to be too expensive. Instead a final extension of the path only as far as the Seven Sisters caves opened in 1908.

Steamer services

The Larne-Stranraer steamer service continued to prosper. A new steamer, the Princess Maud, was delivered in May 1904. She was the first turbine steamer to operate on any of the cross-channel services on the Irish Sea. A further steamer arrived in 1912. The Princess Victoria was broadly similar to the Maud but with more powerful engines and improved passenger accommodation.

Meanwhile, the Midland Railway's Heysham-Belfast service began operations in September 1904 with three new ships, Antrim, Donegal and Londonderry. The NCC was less involved in this route than that to Stranraer but managed the facilities at the Donegall Quay berth in Belfast and provided booking facilities both in Belfast and through booking from its stations.

World War I

The NCC was relatively unaffected by the events of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

. Most cross-channel traffic was carried on the principal Kingstown
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...

-Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

 route and the NCC did not experience any spectacular increases in goods traffic.

Conscription was never applied in Ireland but 318 of the NCC's employees enlisted in the armed forces of whom 60 were to be killed during the hostilities.

In September 1914 the NCC undertook to build seventy road transport wagons at York Road for the War Department
War Department (UK)
The War Department was the United Kingdom government department responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the pursuance of military activity. In 1857 it became the War Office...

 and in October 1915 subcontracted work on munitions for Workman Clark & Co.

The war created severe shortages of permanent way materials and a number of little used sidings were lifted for the materials they yielded. It was also necessary to resort to using sleepers made from home-grown timber rather than the imported Baltic variety. Steel boiler tubes replaced copper and brass in locomotives for economy and a different pattern of uniform overcoat had to be sourced since the government had commandeered the wool crop.

Greencastle, the first station out of Belfast, closed in June 1916 because of competition from the extended Belfast tramways.

The NCC along with other Irish railways adopted Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time
Greenwich Mean Time is a term originally referring to mean solar time at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, London. It is arguably the same as Coordinated Universal Time and when this is viewed as a time zone the name Greenwich Mean Time is especially used by bodies connected with the United...

 in October 1916. This was 25 minutes ahead of Dublin or Irish time which had previously been used throughout Ireland.

The Belfast and Portrush hotels continued to function fairly normally although they had lost their French and German employees at the outbreak of war. The Laharna, on the other hand, was suffering from a shortage of tourists and was requisitioned by the army in 1917.

The steamer services were affected by the war. The Princess Victoria was requisitioned as a troop ship leaving the Princess Maud to operate the Larne-Stranraer mail service which was sometimes the only crossing available due to enemy submarine activity in the Irish Sea. The Princess Victoria returned to cross-channel service in 1920. The Heysham service was suspended in the latter part of the war and the steamer Donegal was sunk while on war service in 1917.

Government control

The railways in Great Britain had come under government control from the outbreak of war but those in Ireland had not. The trades unions believed that under control their members would achieve parity in wartime bonuses with cross-channel railwaymen and applied constant pressure to achieve this. Frustrated with a lack of progress the unions threatened to strike in December 1916 which prompted the government to agree to taking control of the Irish lines. On 22 December 1916 they came under Board of Trade supervision which acted through the Irish Railways Executive Committee (IREC).

The government paid compensation to the railways to bring their net yearly receipts up to those of 1913 subject to limitations on capital expenditure. The NCC had already been affected by virtue of its Midland Railway parent having been under control since 1914. The cost of war bonuses was also met by the government.

The tremendous consumption of coal by industry meant that less was available for Ireland and in March 1918 the Board of Trade ordered the Irish railways to cut their consumption by 20%. The NCC maintained its goods mileage but reduced passenger working by a quarter.

Control did not end with the Armistice
Armistice with Germany (Compiègne)
The armistice between the Allies and Germany was an agreement that ended the fighting in the First World War. It was signed in a railway carriage in Compiègne Forest on 11 November 1918 and marked a victory for the Allies and a complete defeat for Germany, although not technically a surrender...

 in 1918. The IREC enforced the eight-hour day for railwaymen starting in January 1919. This resulted in the NCC having to employ an additional 158 men in the traffic department.

The newly created Ministry of Transport
Department for Transport
In the United Kingdom, the Department for Transport is the government department responsible for the English transport network and a limited number of transport matters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which are not devolved...

 assumed the powers of the IREC which ceased to function on 31 December 1919. Negotiations between the railways and the ministry for de-control and compensation continued throughout 1920 and early 1921 and governmental supervision came to an end on 15 August 1921.

The troubles

There was widespread political unrest in Ireland during the 1920s. The railways were prime targets although the NCC did not suffer as seriously as other lines. On 25 March 1921, wooden buildings at Crossroads, Cargan, Parkmore and Retreat on the Cushendall line were set on fire and completely destroyed. The same night the signal cabins at Killagan and Dunloy
Dunloy
Dunloy is a village and townland in the Borough of Ballymoney, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is between Ballymena and Ballymoney . It had a population of 1,071 people in the 2001 Census, a gain of 21 % since 1991.Dunloy's most striking building is the modern Roman Catholic church...

 on the main line were destroyed by fire while that at Glarryford suffered minor damage.

Two trains that were crossing at Staffordstown on 29 June 1921 were held up by armed men who robbed mailbags. In a similar incident armed men stopped a train from Parkmore near Martinstown and again rifled mailbags.

On 3 May 1922 an attempt was made to set fire to coaches stabled at Limavady but was foiled by the prompt action of staff. A more serious arson attack on 19 May destroyed part of Ballymena station.

The only recorded attempt to damage the track itself was on 19 May when a bridge between Killagan and Dunloy was damaged by explosives. Repairs took four days during which time passengers had to pass the gap on foot.

Sadly two members of staff were murdered in Belfast. The first incident took place on the night of 14 April 1922 when a driver was shot near the engine shed and in the other a ganger was killed in broad daylight on 22 May. One other casualty was a police constable who was hit by a train while guarding Randalstown viaduct.

Changed conditions

The railways had regained control of their own finances in August 1921 and were again dependent on their own resources. However, a large number of former military lorries had come on to the second hand market and, with no system of licensing in place, anyone who wished could set up as a common carrier. In August 1921, James Cowie, the NCC's manager, estimated that 50 000 tons of goods traffic was being lost annually.

Ireland had been partitioned in 1921 and in May 1922 the newly created Northern Ireland government
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...

 set up a commission to enquire into the railways operating in 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...

. The majority report recommended continuing the existing system of private management but recommended several economies such as common use of wagons and plant. The minority report recommended nationalisation.

The unsatisfactory financial condition of all the companies was noted with only the NCC considered to be in a strong position by virtue with its British connections even though it receipts were markedly reduced. The committee recommended that the struggling Ballycastle Railway should be amalgamated with the NCC. The government took no action, being preoccupied with other matters.

Between 1913 and 1922 there had been a 26% reduction in passenger traffic and 25% less goods traffic. Receipts had increased by nearly 60% but working expenditure has risen by an alarming 112% and the necessity for economy was to become a dominant factor in operating the railway.

London, Midland and Scottish Railway (Northern Counties Committee)

The Midland Railway, and with it the NCC, was grouped by the Railways Act 1921
Railways Act 1921
The Railways Act 1921, also known as the Grouping Act, was an enactment by the British government of David Lloyd George intended to stem the losses being made by many of the country's 120 railway companies, move the railways away from internal competition, and to retain some of the benefits which...

 into the London, Midland and Scottish Railway
London, Midland and Scottish Railway
The London Midland and Scottish Railway was a British railway company. It was formed on 1 January 1923 under the Railways Act of 1921, which required the grouping of over 120 separate railway companies into just four...

 (LMS) in 1923. On grouping, it was recorded as having 201 miles (322 km) of Irish broad gauge and 64 miles (102 km) of 3 ft (0.9144 m) narrow gauge track. The LMS started painting NCC locomotives and carriages into crimson lake (also known as Midland red).

A new railway bridge over the River Bann
River Bann
The River Bann is the longest river in Northern Ireland, the total length being 80 miles . The river winds its way from the south east corner of Northern Ireland to the north west coast, pausing in the middle to widen into the enormous Lough Neagh...

 at Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...

 was opened in March 1924. It had been built to replace an older bridge dating from 1860. The construction of this 800 ft (243.8 m) long bridge was carried out to the design and largely under the supervision of Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

. The opening span was the first application of the Strauss underhung bascule principle
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....

 in the United Kingdom.

The NCC took over the operation of the narrow gauge Ballycastle Railway
Ballycastle Railway
Ballycastle Railway was a narrow gauge railway line which ran from Ballycastle to Ballymoney, both in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.-History:...

 in August 1924, completing its acquisition of the line in June 1925. This brought the NCC up to its maximum route mileage of 282 miles (454 km).

The first line closure took place when the Portstewart Tramway ceased operating on 31 January 1926 due to continuing losses, deferred maintenance and obsolete equipment. The NCC sponsored a replacement bus service.

York Road station, Belfast was resignalled with colour light signalling. The installation, which was brought into use in 1926, was the first of its kind in Ireland and among the earliest large installations in the United Kingdom.

During the 1920s, the railways began to face increasing competition from road transport operators. The NCC responded by taking over competing bus services and running its own bus network.

Statistics - 1932

  • In 1932 the Committee owned 73 locomotives, of which 14 were tank engines; 190 passenger carriages; 150 other coaching vehicles and 2389 goods vehicles.
  • The company's locomotives ran a total of 1 941 407 engine miles of which 1 213 336 were loaded train miles.
  • Carried 2 682 291 passengers; 99 053 head of livestock and 549 087 tons of goods traffic.
  • The Committee owned 115 buses and 36 goods and parcels road vehicles.
  • The Committee owned the Midland Station Hotel, Belfast; Northern Counties Hotel, Portrush; and the Laharna Hotel, Larne
All details in this section are from London Midland and Scottish Railway Company (Northern Counties Committee) Financial Accounts and Statistical Returns. Year 1932.

Developments in the 1930s

Although the NCC had dealt with the issue of competing passenger road transport by running its own bus services, competition from unregistered road freight operators remained a problem.

A number of innovations were introduced during the 1930s with the intention of bringing about greater economies or improving services to retain existing customers and attract new ones.

On the single line sections of the Main Line north-west of Ballymena and on the Larne Line north of Whitehead, crossing loops were relaid in the 1930s to provide one completely straight or "fast" line to allow the passage of express trains at high speed in both directions.

Greenisland Loop Line

It had long been recognised that the need for Main Line trains to reverse at Greenisland
Greenisland
Greenisland is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 7 miles north-east of Belfast and 3 miles south-west of Carrickfergus. The village is on the coast of Belfast Lough and is named after a tiny islet to the west, the Green Island....

 was undesirable. Various plans for a direct line bypassing Greenisland had been proposed over the years but the engineering problems faced by having to cross Valentine's Glen near Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey
Whiteabbey is a townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is within the urban area called Newtownabbey and the wider Newtownabbey Borough...

 and surmount Mossley Col had precluded these. However, construction started on such a scheme on 1 January 1931.

This involved creating a new junction at Bleach Green where the Larne and Loop Lines diverged. The former main line from Greenisland Junction was singled and joined the new Main Line at a new connection, Mossley Junction, to the east of Mossley station. The old main line became known as the "Back Line". The ruling gradient on the Loop Line was 1 in 75 which could only be achieved by excavating and lowering a section of the existing Main Line near Mossley station. The new lines were carried over Valentine's Glen on imposing ferro-concrete viaducts. The smaller of these curved to the east from Bleach Green Junction as a burrowing junction passing under a skew span of the larger Main Line viaduct which curved westwards. The old masonry Main Line viaduct was retained to carry what had become the up Larne Line.

A strike by Irish locomotive men in 1933 delayed completion and it was not until 22 January 1934 that the new lines opened for regular service.

Part of the programme included resignalling the lines between Belfast, Greenisland and Mossley Junction with automatic colourlight signals. A new signal cabin was built at Greenisland to control train movements over the triangle formed by the Loop Line, Larne Line and the Back Line.

Although the distance covered by the Loop Line was only two miles less than by the old route, eliminating the reversal at Greenisland saved as much as fifteen minutes allowing services to be accelerated. Some up Main Line trains were divided at Ballyclare Junction with coaches for Larne Harbour being detached and worked over the Back Line to Greenisland while the main part of the train continued to Belfast.

North Atlantic Express

Given the opportunity for accelerating services provided by the opening of the Greenisland Loop Lines and the availability of the new powerful Class W 2-6-0 locomotives, a new express service known as the "North Atlantic Express" was introduced between Portrush
Portrush
Portrush is a small seaside resort town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, on the County Londonderry border. The main part of the old town, including the railway station as well as most hotels, restaurants and bars, is built on a mile–long peninsula, Ramore Head, pointing north-northwest....

 on the north coast of County Antrim and Belfast.

The "North Atlantic Express" began operation on 1 June 1934 and was intended to exploit the market in prestigious long-distance commuter traffic. A set of three luxurious new coaches with large picture windows, including a 60 ft (18.3 m) buffet car, was built for the service.

Initially, 80 minutes was allowed for the 65¼ mile (105 km) journey with a stop of one minute at Ballymena but this was progressively reduced to 73 minutes by 1938. Slick working was needed as slightly more than half of the route was single track. For the first time on the NCC a start-to-stop booking of 60 mph (97 km/h) was required as only 31 minutes were allowed for the 31 miles (50 km) from Ballymena to Belfast.

Two further coaches were built for the "North Atlantic Express" in 1935 and on arrival at Belfast in the morning the set was speedily attached to the Larne Harbour boat train to provide a through Portrush to Larne service.

The "North Atlantic Express" was discontinued on the outbreak of World War Two although the coaches would be used on prestige services in the immediate post-war years.

Railcars

Four railcar
Railcar
A railcar, in British English and Australian English, is a self-propelled railway vehicle designed to transport passengers. The term "railcar" is usually used in reference to a train consisting of a single coach , with a driver's cab at one or both ends. Some railways, e.g., the Great Western...

s entered service on the NCC's lines between 1933 and 1938. They were all double-ended single units with underfloor engines and running on two four-wheel bogies.

The first of these, No.1, was 56 ft (17 m) long and seated 61 passengers. It had a traditionally constructed wooden body and was powered by two Leyland
Leyland Motors Ltd
Leyland Motors Limited was a British vehicle manufacturer of lorries, buses and trolleybuses. It gave its name to the British Leyland Motor Corporation formed when it merged with British Motor Holdings, later to become British Leyland after being nationalised...

 130 bhp petrol engines with hydraulic transmission in the form of Lysholm-Smith torque converter
Torque converter
In modern usage, a torque converter is generally a type of hydrodynamic fluid coupling that is used to transfer rotating power from a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine or electric motor, to a rotating driven load...

s. No.1 was re-engined with Leyland diesels in 1947 and again in 1959.

The next car, No.2, introduced in 1934, was to a radically different design. An ungainly looking machine, it had a 62 ft (18.9 m) long, slab-sided lightweight body that was to prove problematic. To eliminate the need to run round its trailer at termini, it was equipped with an elevated driving position at each end (similar to some French railcars
Micheline
Michelines were a series of rubber-tyred trains developed in France in the 1930s by various rail companies and rubber-tyre manufacturer Michelin...

) so that the driver could see over the top of a trailer that was being propelled. No.2 could seat 75 third class and five first class passengers and was powered by two 125 bhp Leyland Diesel engines with a similar transmission to No.1. No.2's looks were improved somewhat when the raised drivers' cabs were removed during its NCC service.

Railcars Nos.3 and 4 were built in 1935 and 1938 respectively and were virtually identical. Like No.2, they were 62 ft (18.9 m) long with elevated driving positions but there the similarity ended as the cars had "air smoothed" bodywork. Each seating 80 passengers, they too were powered by two 125 bhp Leyland Diesel engines with hydraulic transmission.

In 1934, two railcar trailers emerged from York Road works. Of light weight construction, they weighed only 17 tons (17 tonne) but each could seat 100 passengers. They had a low roof profile so that the railcar driver in his elevated cab could more easily see ahead when propelling them. Elderly former BNCR Class I1 bogie brake tricomposite coaches dating from the 1890s supplemented the purpose built trailers and provided an interesting contrast between the latest technology and Victorian design.

Besides pulling their trailers, the railcars could also be seen hauling 4-wheel vans. With top speeds of around 60 mph (97 km/h), the railcars were not restricted to branch lines but could also work stopping trains on the main lines.

Railcar No.2 was withdrawn in 1954 and No.3 was destroyed by fire in 1957 but the remaining two cars were to continue in service until the mid 1960s.

Pole report and the NIRTB

The railways continued to lose business to unlicenced, "pirate" road freight operators and in 1932, the BCDR
Belfast and County Down Railway
The Belfast and County Down Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948...

, GNR(I) and NCC formally asked the government to create a monopoly covering road transport throughout Northern Ireland. Sir Felix Pole
Felix Pole
Sir Felix John Clewett Pole was a British railway manager and industrialist. He was general manager of the Great Western Railway , before becoming executive chairman of Associated Electrical Industries, a post he held until 1945.-References:...

, a former manager of the Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

 (GWR), was appointed to investigate the road transport situation. After taking evidence from a wide range of interests, such as the railways, road transport operators, transport users and trades unions, his report was published in July 1934. Pole recommended that a board be set up to control all bus and lorry operations which would cooperate and coordinate its activities with the railways.

The government accepted these proposals and, on 1 October 1935, the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board (NIRTB) came into being and absorbed buses and coaches from the three railway companies. The NCC handed over 131 buses and 56 lorries together with operating and maintentance staff, the Smithfield bus station in Belfast and other facilities. A joint NCC/NIRTB passenger timetable was issued from 1 October and it was arranged that the NIRTB could continue to use the former NCC bus and lorry facilities at railway stations. However, the hoped for cooperation between road and rail failed to materialise and the new board appeared to be only interested in coordinating road transport to better compete with the railways. There were complaints from the public that the NIRTB's rates were higher and its services poorer than those previously provided.

In response to demands from the railways and other interested parties, the government set up two enquiries into the road transport situation. A committee headed by Sir William McClintock made a wide ranging and complex investigation into the financial and organisational structure while a commission of His Honour Herbert Thompson KC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...

 specifically investigated rates and fares. The scope of these reports overlapped to some extent and they were published together in late 1938.

The McClintock report ascertained that there was organised competition on the part of the NIRTB against the railways' freight services. It recommended abolishing the NIRTB and setting up a single authority to control road transport, the NCC and the BCDR (the GNR(I) was excluded because of its international nature). A select committee of both Houses of the Northern Ireland Parliament was appointed to review the reports. It completed its deliberations in mid 1939 and recommended that the Government should compel the NIRTB and the railways to coordinate their services. The political climate in the late summer of 1939 was, however, such that no action would be taken and the unsatisfactory transport situation continued.

World War II

Following the declaration of war on 3 September 1939, Emergency Time Table 'A was introduced. Services were cut back to reduce train mileage and decelerated so that the running speed of many trains did not exceed 45 mph (72 km/h). However, the speed limit was not rigidly enforced and subsequent issues of the time table progressively expanded the service. A regular routine was established which lasted until the air raids in 1941.

During 1940 two ambulance trains were prepared for emergencies. For each train the LMS provided three regauged coaches and the NCC and GNR(I) each supplied four vehicles. Initially both were stationed at Whitehead but one was later moved to the GNR(I). The ambulance trains were little used and returned to railway ownership in 1944. At the same time, the War Department
War Department (UK)
The War Department was the United Kingdom government department responsible for the supply of equipment to the armed forces of the United Kingdom and the pursuance of military activity. In 1857 it became the War Office...

 converted a number of GNR(I) wagons into diesel-engined armoured trolleys. Disguised as cement wagons, they were initially stationed at Whitehead and later Magherafelt.

Unlike the situation in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...

, government control was not imposed on the railways of Northern Ireland during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

.

NCC trains covered almost twelve million miles during the six years of war.

The Blitz

The Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

 attacked Belfast three times in 1941. The first air raid was on the night of 7/8 April. Although some doors and windows were blown out, little damage was done to NCC installations. An attack in greater force on the night of 15/16 April was a much more serious affair
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...

. York Road station was hit, the facade suffering considerable damage. The general stores department and various offices were burned out.

The last air raid was on 4 May and concentrated on the docks and shipyard. The NCC suffered severe damage because of its closeness to the docks and York Road station was made unusable. Almost all the remaining station offices, its overall roof and the Midland Hotel were gutted by fire. Both the inwards and outwards goods sheds were destroyed and the works section extensively damaged with several workshops completely burned out and a consequent loss of stores and equipment. Bombs also cut the running lines in two places between York Road and Whitehouse.

Unfortunately, manning problems meant that it had not been possible to evacuate rolling stock to other locations as planned and several trains were caught in the air raid. Twenty coaches were destroyed along with more than 250 wagons representing heavy losses of 10% and 15% of total stock respectively. Despite the surrounding destruction, however, the locomotive sheds and the signal cabin remained undamaged.

Temporary passenger termini were set up at Whitehouse and Whiteabbey with shuttle bus services to the city operated by the NIRTB. Goods services were transferred to the GNR(I)
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...

 Grosvenor Road goods yard. Meanwhile, the Civil Engineer's staff and military personnel worked to clear debris and demolish dangerous structures at York Road. The station reopened to passengers on 8 May and shortly afterwards it was possible to accept goods traffic.

The loss of rolling stock imposed severe constraints on the NCC's ability to maintain its services. The LMS provided twenty ex-Midland Railway coaches that were no longer included in its capital stock and these were regauged in Belfast. Meanwhile, arrangements were made for the Great Southern Railways
Great Southern Railways
The Great Southern Railways Company was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State .-Formation:...

 (GSR) and GNR(I) to build and repair 250 wagons.

Military traffic

The first special trains carrying soldiers ran on 27 September 1939 when two trains carried a Belfast territorial battalion from a camp in Portstewart.

The NCC served both of Northern Ireland’s most important harbours, Belfast and Larne, during the war. From the beginning Larne-Stranraer was the principal route used by military personnel; the Irish state
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

 remained neutral and the Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...

-Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....

 route was not available. Various territorial units were transferred from Northern Ireland to Great Britain. At first each movement numbered less than 400 personnel but this soon increased to over 1 000 which required multiple special trains and additional steamer sailings.

The first significant move into Northern Ireland was in late 1939 when 2 700 men of the British 158th Infantry Brigade
British 158th Infantry Brigade
The 158th Infantry Brigade formed part of the 53rd Infantry Division during World War II. It fought with the division throughout the North-West Europe campaign, before finally being disbanded in March 1947.-The Brigade's Victoria Cross:...

 were sent to various destinations. Although there were logistical problems on this occasion, valuable lessons were learned. The build up of troops in Northern Ireland for training continued and with it came the need to arrange for leave traffic. Few special trains were required at first but in July 1940, an extra steamer sailing was put on from Larne Harbour and additional trains were run from Londonderry and Belfast to connect with it. By 1941, the reverse working from Larne Harbour required a train of up to seventeen coaches.

The first United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 troops to land in the United Kingdom in World War II disembarked at Belfast on 26 January 1942. Although some were billeted in Belfast the majority were bound for other destinations. The NCC provided seven special trains and was thus the first railway in World War II to transport American troops in Europe. There were many more such arrivals over the following two years. The need for leave trains decreased considerably as the continued influx of Americans displaced their British counterparts and had almost ceased by mid-1943.

The training programmes for British and American troops involved battle exercises for which heavy military vehicles had to be transported. The NCC converted existing rolling stock to provide 61 end-loading wagons.

Having completed their training, the United States’ forces began leaving Northern Ireland in the spring of 1944 in readiness for the Normandy landings. The NCC worked hard to ensure that each train arrived in Belfast on time so that the troopships could sail with a minimum of delay. Once the invasion of Europe was underway the number of troops in Northern Ireland decreased rapidly and with them the special problems they had created for the NCC.

Londonderry became an important naval base supporting the Battle of the Atlantic and a large traffic in personnel and materiel
Materiel
Materiel is a term used in English to refer to the equipment and supplies in military and commercial supply chain management....

 developed. At its peak in April 1943 some 20 500 men travelled to Londonderry. The facilities at Londonderry were inconvenient and rapidly became inadequate to cope with the build up in naval activity; in late 1941 the Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 started work on an additional base with extensive jetties at Lisahally about four miles (6 km) from Londonderry. The NCC already had a siding at this location and a new signal cabin and crossing loop were installed. Lisahally base was much used by allied navies during the Battle of the Atlantic and at the end of the war as a berth for captured German U-boats.

Some movements of prisoners of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...

 (POW) took place, mostly of captured submarine crews, who were transported by train from Londonderry to Belfast en route to internment at Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...

. Later, vacated army camps were used as POW centres, those on the NCC being near Dunloy and Cookstown.

Civilian traffic

Civilian passenger journeys increased rapidly from the start of the war, partly because of evacuation from Belfast and the petrol restrictions which made the railway the only available means of transport. This was particularly so after the 1941 Blitz when many people fled to the countryside.

The following table shows the number of passenger journeys for each of the six years of war, when a total of nearly 45 million passengers were carried, with those for 1937 included for comparison.
Year First class

passengers
Second class

passengers
Third class

passengers
1937 53 000 48 000 3 606 000
1939 46 000 35 000 3 475 000
1940 71 000 36 000 3 820 000
1941 133 000* 51 000 7 592 000
1942 196 000 68 000 7 786 000
1943 266 000 92 000 7 768 000
1944 317 000 126 000 8 023 000
1945 282 000 127 000 7 826 000

* The sharp increase in first class passengers reflects the effects of petrol rationing followed by the withdrawal of private cars from the roads in 1942.

The passenger train service was greatly changed with only a few old-established trains remaining. War work increased traffic during the morning and afternoon peaks on the Larne line requiring additional trains and even affected services on the main line as far as Cullybackey
Cullybackey
Cullybackey or Cullybacky is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It lies 4 miles north of Ballymena, on the banks of the River Maine, and is within the Borough of Ballymena. It had a population of 2,405 people in the 2001 Census....

.

The boat train services were completely altered due to the upsurge in steamer traffic. The pre-war through coaches that had provided a Londonderry-Larne Harbour service via Belfast were replaced by a direct service of up and down trains routed along the Back Line from Monkstown Junction to Greenisland.

Before the war most of the military works had been centred on Belfast but now workmen had to travel all over the system, especially between Coleraine and Londonderry where several airfields were being constructed. Further services were operated between Coleraine and Aghadowey
Aghadowey
Aghadowey is a village and townland in east County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It lies in Aghadowey civil parish, and is part of Coleraine Borough Council...

 and from Cullybackey and Randalstown to Aldergrove for airfield construction and from Belfast and Cullybackey to the Royal Naval torpedo factory at Antrim. The long closed halt at Barn near Carrickfergus reopened in 1942 to serve nearby mills producing parachutes.

There was one unusual occurrence of a station having to close because of excessive demand. The tiny halt at Eden between Carrickfergus and Kilroot had platforms that were barely one coach long yet about one hundred passengers were forcing themselves on to it at the morning peak. There was a danger that some would be swept off by non-stop trains and the halt was closed. Later, Eden was reopened for some off peak services.

Freight

There was a significant upsurge in freight traffic. The following table shows the tonnages of traffic moved by freight trains in the years between 1938 and 1945.
Year Freight

(tons)
1938 402 600
1939 477 300
1940 570 200
1941 713 900
1942 874 900
1943 755 200
1944 807 700
1945 724 300

Five new classes of freight traffic contributed to this increase:
  • Government stores for the Royal Navy, War Department and Royal Air Force
    Royal Air Force
    The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

     depots;
  • Construction materials for airfields, etc.;
  • Traffic dispersed for safe storage away from Belfast;
  • Development of materials not used in peacetime;
  • Traffic directed from road to rail because of petrol rationing.


Northern Ireland’s strategic importance led to an increase in the number of airfields from three to twenty one. This massive construction programme required huge quantities of stone, cement and general building materials. The NCC’s ballast quarry at Ballyboyland and others at Portrush and Coleraine supplied the majority of the stone needed for the airfields in the NCC’s area. Cement came by rail from the British Portland Cement Manufacturers'
Blue Circle Industries
Blue Circle Industries was a British public company manufacturing cement. It was founded in 1900, and was bought out by the French company Lafarge in 2001.-History:...

 works at Magheramorne
Magheramorne
Magheramorne is a hamlet in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is about 5 miles south of Larne on the shores of Larne Lough. It had a population of 75 people in the 2001 Census. It is within the Larne Borough Council area....

 and via the GNR(I) from Drogheda
Drogheda
Drogheda is an industrial and port town in County Louth on the east coast of Ireland, 56 km north of Dublin. It is the last bridging point on the River Boyne before it enters the Irish Sea....

 in County Louth
County Louth
County Louth is a county of Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Louth. Louth County Council is the local authority for the county...

.

Additional military supply depots were built near NCC lines at Ballyclare
Ballyclare
Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...

, Lismoney near Magherafelt
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...

 and at Desertmartin
Desertmartin
Desertmartin is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is four miles from Magherafelt, at the foot of Slieve Gallion. In the 2001 Census Desertmartin greater area had a population of 1,276. It had a population of 2257 in 1837 and 3101 in 1910. It lies within Desertmartin...

 on the Draperstown branch. There were petrol depots at Randalstown and Limavady all of which generated a great deal of traffic. Ammunition generally came into Northern Ireland through the harbours at Coleraine and Warrenpoint
Warrenpoint
Warrenpoint is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the northern shore of Carlingford Lough and is separated from the Republic of Ireland by a narrow strait. The town sprang up within the townland of Ringmackilroy...

 and was forwarded by rail to depots at Antrim and Dungiven
Dungiven
Dungiven is a small town and townland in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is on the main A6 Belfast to Derry road. It lies where the rivers Roe, Owenreagh and Owenbeg meet at the foot of the Benbradagh. Nearby is the Glenshane Pass, where the road rises to over...

.

Post-war era

Large-scale troop movements and additional passenger and freight traffic had ensured the NCC's prosperity during World War II. The ending of hostilities, however, saw passenger and goods traffic receipts decline rapidly as fuel for road transport became available.

Despite the worsening financial situation, the NCC introduced a number of measures in an attempt to improve the railway's competitive position. Services were accelerated and, although the poor condition of the track due to deferred maintenance meant that it was not possible to attain pre-war timings, strenuous efforts were made to ensure that trains adhered to the published schedules.

In 1944 the NCC had decided that its system should be worked by tank engines and placed an initial order for four locomotives to be built at Derby and erected in Belfast. The first of these WT Class 2-6-4 tank locomotives were delivered in the late summer of 1946. Additional orders followed and by the end of 1947 ten engines were in service. Passenger rolling stock was augmented by eight elderly ex-Midland Railway coaches from the LMS which were refurbished in Belfast and fitted with salvaged 5 in 3 in (1.6 m) gauge bogies.

A start was made on restoring the permanent way and air-raid damage at York Road station was repaired.

The company's hotels, which had closed during the war years, were reopened to the public by mid-1947 although the Midland Station Hotel in Belfast, which had suffered severe damage during the 1941 Blitz, was not fully operational. Paths and bridges at Glenariff were repaired but the Gobbins cliff path, on which maintenance had ceased in 1942, would not reopen under NCC management.

The Northern Ireland Government resumed its deliberations into the transport situation that had been postponed during the war. It published a White Paper
White paper
A white paper is an authoritative report or guide that helps solve a problem. White papers are used to educate readers and help people make decisions, and are often requested and used in politics, policy, business, and technical fields. In commercial use, the term has also come to refer to...

 in 1946 that proposed the amalgamation of the BCDR, the NCC and the NIRTB, together with that portion of the GNR(I) which lay in Northern Ireland, into a single organisation to be known as the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...

 (UTA). In the event, however, the GNR(I) was to be excluded from the provisions of The Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1948 and when the UTA came into existence on 1 April 1948, only the BCDR
Belfast and County Down Railway
The Belfast and County Down Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948...

 and the NIRTB would be absorbed at first; the NCC's British connection meant that there was a delay in its acquisition by the new organisation.

Nationalisation, centenary and sale

On 1 January 1948, the LMS was nationalised and passed to the Railway Executive of the British Transport Commission
British Transport Commission
The British Transport Commission was created by Clement Attlee's post-war Labour government as a part of its nationalisation programme, to oversee railways, canals and road freight transport in Great Britain...

. The NCC became known as the Railway Executive (NCC) and was operationally part of the London Midland Region of British Railways.

The NCC celebrated the centenary of the opening of the Belfast and Ballymena Railway on 11 April 1948 with a minor flourish. An illustrated booklet was printed and distributed to customers and staff. It included a chronology of the NCC and its predecessors, a history of the steamer services, a route description of the Main Line and a map of the system. The BBC Northern Ireland Home Service
BBC Home Service
The BBC Home Service was a British national radio station which broadcast from 1939 until 1967.-Development:Between the 1920s and the outbreak of The Second World War, the BBC had developed two nationwide radio services, the BBC National Programme and the BBC Regional Programme...

 broadcast a centenary programme on 12 April; it was narrated by John D. Stewart, the writer and dramatist.

Under the provisions of The Transport Act (Northern Ireland) 1948, the Northern Ireland Government
Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland
The Executive Committee or the Executive Committee of the Privy Council of Northern Ireland was the government of Northern Ireland created under the Government of Ireland Act 1920. Generally known as either the Cabinet or the Government, the Executive Committee existed from 1922 to 1972...

 purchased the NCC in 1949 for £2,668,000
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...

, and the NCC became part of the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...

 from 1 April 1949.

Today (2007) the former NCC main line from Belfast to Londonderry, the Larne line and the Portrush branch
Coleraine-Portrush railway line
The Coleraine-Portrush line is a short branch railway line in Northern Ireland between the town of Coleraine in County Londonderry and the seaside resort of Portrush in County Antrim...

 remain open and are operated by Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...

.

Signalling

The majority of the NCC system was signalled
Railway signalling
Railway signalling is a system used to control railway traffic safely, essentially to prevent trains from colliding. Being guided by fixed rails, trains are uniquely susceptible to collision; furthermore, trains cannot stop quickly, and frequently operate at speeds that do not enable them to stop...

 using somersault signals
Railway signal
A signal is a mechanical or electrical device erected beside a railway line to pass information relating to the state of the line ahead to train/engine drivers. The driver interprets the signal's indication and acts accordingly...

. This type of lower quadrant semaphore signal, with a centrally pivoted arm, had originated on the Great Northern Railway
Great Northern Railway (Great Britain)
The Great Northern Railway was a British railway company established by the Great Northern Railway Act of 1846. On 1 January 1923 the company lost its identity as a constituent of the newly formed London and North Eastern Railway....

 in England.

Upper quadrant semaphore signals were installed at Larne Harbour station
Larne Harbour railway station
Larne Harbour railway station, Larne, County Antrim, Northern Ireland, serves the ferry port for ferries to Cairnryan and Troon, Scotland and Fleetwood, England...

 when the layout was remodelled in 1933.

Two types of mechanical ground signals were installed. The majority were similar to the LNER
London and North Eastern Railway
The London and North Eastern Railway was the second-largest of the "Big Four" railway companies created by the Railways Act 1921 in Britain...

 standard type but others of a Westinghouse type were to be found at Larne Harbour and a few other locations.

There were three colour light signal installations on the NCC. The earliest was at York Road station
Yorkgate railway station
Yorkgate railway station serves the north of the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. The station opened in 1992, replacing the previous York Road station nearby.-York Road Railway Station:...

, Belfast where two-aspect colour light signals had been installed in 1926. The subsidiary signals were of a unique "pointer light" type.

Two-aspect searchlight signals were installed on the Main and Shore Lines in 1934 in connection with the opening of the Greenisland Loop Line. Finally, Coleraine was resignalled with three-aspect colour light signals in 1938.

At those crossing loops on the Main and Larne Lines which had been relaid with straight "fast" lines, the fast lines and loops were both fully signalled for working trains in the up and down directions. The use of Manson tablet exchange apparatus at these locations allowed tablet
Token (railway signalling)
In railway signalling, a token is a physical object which a locomotive driver is required to have or see before entering onto a particular section of single track. The token is clearly endorsed with the name of the section it belongs to...

 exchanges to be carried out regularly at speeds of up to (and on occasion in excess of) 60 mph (96 km/h).

Most of the signal cabins
Signal box
On a rail transport system, signalling control is the process by which control is exercised over train movements by way of railway signals and block systems to ensure that trains operate safely, over the correct route and to the proper timetable...

 on the broad gauge lines were to a BNCR hipped roof design by Berkeley Dean Wise that was introduced c1889. They had a brick base with wooden superstructure but usually also a brick back wall to the operating floor. A principal feature of these cabins was the overhanging roof supported by large eaves brackets which served to protect the window sashes from the weather. Newer cabins to the traditional design, such as those at Larne Harbour and Coleraine, omitted the eaves brackets but retained a distinctive appearance.

The new signal cabins at York Road, Greenisland, Antrim and Mount were built entirely from brick with flat concrete roofs. Another exception was Templepatrick cabin which was of all wood construction.

Broad gauge lines

Automatic and semi-automatic two-aspect searchlight signals together with magazine train describers:
  • Main and Shore Lines: Belfast to Greenisland and Monkstown Junction.


Tyer's three-position Absolute Block instruments:
  • Main Line: Greenisland - Ballyclare Junction - Kingsbog Junction - Templepatrick - Dunadry - Muckamore - Antrim - Cookstown Junction - Ballymena Goods Yard - Ballymena Passenger Station;
  • Larne Line: Greenisland - Carrickfergus Harbour Junction - Carrickfergus Station - Kilroot - Whitehead.


Electric Direction Lever:
  • Main Line: Macfin - Coleraine.


Tyer's electric train tablet instruments:
  • Main Line: Ballymena Passenger Station - Cullybackey - Glarryford - Killagan - Dunloy - Ballymoney - Macfin; and Coleraine - Castlerock - Bellarena - Limavady Junction - Eglinton - Lisahally - Londonderry;
  • Larne Line (short section working): Whitehead - Ballycarry - Magheramorne Loop - Larne - Larne Harbour;
  • Ballyclare Branch: Kingsbog Junction - Ballyclare;
  • Cookstown Line: Cookstown Junction - Toome - Castledawson - Magherafelt - Moneymore - Cookstown;
  • Derry Central Line: Magherafelt - Maghera - Kilrea - Garvagh - Macfin;
  • Portrush Branch: Coleraine - Portstewart - Portrush;
  • Limavady Branch: Limavady Junction - Limavady.


Railway Signal Company electric key token instruments:
  • Larne Line (long section working): Whitehead - Larne.


Train Staff and Ticket with Tyer's two-position Absolute Block instruments:
  • Dungiven Branch: Limavady - Dungiven.


One engine in steam or two or more engines coupled together:
  • Draperstown Branch: Draperstown Junction - Draperstown.

Narrow gauge lines

Tyer's electric train tablet instruments:
  • Ballymena and Larne Line: Larne Harbour - Larne - Ballyboley - Ballymena Passenger Station.


Train Staff and Ticket with Tyer's two-position Absolute Block instruments:
  • Ballycastle Line: Ballymoney - Ballycastle.


Electric train staff:
  • Londonderry and Strabane Line: Londonderry - Donemana - Strabane.


One engine in steam or two or more engines coupled together:
  • Doagh Branch: Ballyboley - Doagh;
  • Parkmore Line: Ballymena - Parkmore.

Details of signalling systems in this section are mainly from LMS NCC Appendix to the Working Time Table.

BNCR and constituents

The early locomotives of the constituent companies were to assorted designs from a number of manufacturers. The first locomotives for the Belfast and Ballymena Railway were purchased from Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis, and Kennedy
Bury, Curtis and Kennedy was a steam locomotive manufacturer in Liverpool, England.Edward Bury set up his works in 1826, under the name of Edward Bury and Company. He employed James Kennedy, who had gained experience of locomotive production under Robert Stephenson and Mather, Dixon and Company,...

. These were four 2-2-2 singles and one 0-4-2 goods engine. Later, four more 2-2-2s were ordered but this time from Sharp Brothers. Fairbairn
William Fairbairn & Sons
William Fairbairn and Sons, was an engineering works in Manchester, England.-History:William Fairbairn opened an iron foundry in 1816 and was joined the following year by a Mr. Lillie, and the firm became known as Fairbairn and Lillie Engine Makers, producing iron steamboats.Their foundry and...

 2-2-2s were to be found on the Ballymena Ballymena, Ballymoney, Coleraine and Portrush Junction Railway but this company also favoured Sharp locomotives which were double framed 2-4-0s. These latter engines proved to be a sound investment, of those ordered in 1856, four were still in service in 1924. These locomotives were inherited by the BNCR.

The first engine to be built for the BNCR was No.35, an 0-6-0 by Sharp Stewart and Company in 1861. Additional 2-4-0 and 0-6-0 locomotives were obtained from Beyer, Peacock and Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company
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...

.

During his tenure as Locomotive Superintendent from 1876 to 1922, Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

 was responsible for creating an extensive stud of Worsdell
Thomas William Worsdell
Thomas William Worsdell was a British locomotive engineer. He was born in Liverpool into a Quaker family.-Family:...

-von Borries
August von Borries
August Friedrich Wilhelm von Borries was one of Germany's most influential railway engineers, who was primarily concerned with developments in steam locomotives....

 two-cylinder compound locomotive
Compound locomotive
A compound engine unit is a type of steam engine where steam is expanded in two or more stages.A typical arrangement for a compound engine is that the steam is first expanded in a high-pressure cylinder, then having given up heat and losing pressure, it exhausts directly into one or more larger...

s for the BNCR. The first of these entered service in 1890. There were "Light Compounds" which included small 2-4-0s with a peculiarly truncated appearance and larger, more powerful "Heavy Compounds". Noteworthy were the two Class D 2-4-0s Jubilee and Parkmount which had 7 ft (2.1 m) diameter driving wheels and would be rebuilt as 4-4-0s. A 2-4-2 tank version, Class S
BNCR Class S
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Class S was a class of 2-4-2T two-cylinder compound steam locomotives that was introduced for service on the 3ft narrow gauge railways of County Antrim in north-east Ireland.- History :...

, was designed for the narrow gauge lines. Many of these engines were built at York Road works, Belfast.

A good number of these locomotives were to survive throughout the LMS NCC period although many were rebuilt to two-cylinder simple expansion.

Ross "pop" safety valve

Class C 2-4-0 locomotive No.57 was the first engine in the world to be fitted with a Ross "pop" safety valve
Safety valve
A safety valve is a valve mechanism for the automatic release of a substance from a boiler, pressure vessel, or other system when the pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits....

. The Ross valve was patented in 1902 by fitter R.L. Ross, a Coleraine man who had the first experimental valve made at York Road workshops. This type of two-stage safety valve had a very positive action designed to prevent 'dribbling' of steam from a locomotive boiler at full pressure. In its developed form, the Ross "pop" safety valve would become a standard fitting on British steam locomotives and was also used overseas.

NCC

MR (NCC) locomotive policy continued BNCR practice and remained largely independent of Derby
Derby Works
The Midland Railway Locomotive Works, known locally as "the loco" comprised a number of British manufacturing facilities in Derby building locomotives and, initially, rolling stock in Derby, UK.-Early days:...

 until Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

 retired at the end of 1922. Von Borries compounds were still being built during this period. The last were two narrow gauge Class S 2-4-2 tank engines outshopped in 1919 and 1920. In 1920, the NCC's broad gauge stock included twenty five 2-4-0 tender locomotives as compared with twenty two 4-4-0s. The remaining broad gauge locomotives were sixteen 0-6-0s, four 2-4-0 saddle tanks and two 0-4-0 dock tanks.

Midland Railway and LMS influence became increasingly apparent during the building and renewal programmes undertaken by Malcolm's successors W.K. Wallace
William Kelly Wallace
William Kelly Wallace was an Irish railway engineer who joined the Northern Counties Committee and later became Chief Civil Engineer of the London Midland and Scottish Railway .- Biography :William Kelly Wallace was born in 1883...

 and, later, H.P. Stewart. The modernisation and standardisation of NCC locomotives began in 1923 with the delivery of three standard G7 boilers from Derby. Two of these were to be used in rebuilding "Light Compounds" Nos.59 and 62 to Class U1 4-4-0 locomotives. From this time on, with few exceptions, all boilers would be LMS standard ones (G6, G7, G8). Derby works could more economically deal with these boilers than York Road and so they would be sent to Derby for overhaul. The boilers would return some four or five months later with a new firebox fitted, ready for installing in the next suitable engine coming into the works.

NCC locomotive classes

The BNCR introduced class letters for its locomotive stock in 1897. The MR (NCC) and later the LMS (NCC) continued to use the system adding new classes as required.

The following tables list details (where available) of NCC locomotive classes that were extant at the time of the amalgamation of the BNCR with the Midland Railway in 1903 and those classes which entered NCC stock subsequently.
Broad gauge steam locomotives
Class Wheel

arrangement
Driving

wheel diam
Cylinders

bore x stroke

(in)
Boiler

pressure

(psi)
Tractive

effort

(lbs)
Locomotive

weight
Remarks
4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 18 & 26 x 24 175 16 065 45t 1cwt Compound
A1
NCC Class A1
The LMS Class A1 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotives were rebuilds of Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Class A two-cylinder compound locomotives...

 
4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 18 x 24 200 18 360 46t 7cwt
B
BNCR Class B
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Class B was a class of 4-4-0 two-cylinder compound steam locomotives that was introduced for passenger service in the north-east of Ireland during the late 1890s.- History :...

 
4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 16 & 23¼ x 24 160 11 560 39t 17cwt Compound
B1 4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 16 & 23¼ x 24 160 11 560 43t 9cwt Compound
B2 4-4-0 6 ft 0 in
B3
NCC Class B3
The LMS Class B3 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotives were rebuilds of Belfast and Northern Counties Railway two-cylinder compound locomotives...

 
4-4-0 6 ft 0 in 18 x 24 200 18 360 45t 2cwt
C 2-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 16 & 23¼ x 24 160 11 560 37t 6cwt Compound
C1 2-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 16 & 23¼ x 24 43t 8cwt Compound
4-4-0 7 in 0 in (2.13 m) 18 & 25 x 24 160 13 685 46t 9cwt Compound
D1  4-4-0 7 in 0 in (2.13 m) 19 x 24 170 14 904 46t 12cwt
E 0-6-0 5 ft 2½in 18 & 26 x 24 Compound
E1 0-6-0 5 ft 2½in 18 & 26 x 24 175 18 593 43t 11cwt Compound
F 2-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 17 x 24 37t 10cwt
F1 2-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 17 x 24 38t 1cwt
G 2-4-0 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) 16 x 22 34t 0cwt
G1 2-4-0 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) 16 x 22 38t 1cwt
H 2-4-0 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) 15 x 22 33t 5cwt
I 2-4-0 5 in 6 in (1.68 m) 15 x 20 29t 4cwt
J 2-4-0ST 5 ft 2⅜in 15 x 20 140 8 925 37t 8cwt
0-6-0 5 ft 2½in 17 x 24 170 16 184 38t 9cwt
K1  0-6-0 5 ft 2½in 17 x 24 170 16 184 39t 8cwt
L 0-6-0 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) 17 x 24 38t 16cwt
L1 0-6-0 4 in 6 in (1.37 m) 17 x 24 38t 15cwt
M 0-4-2 17 x 24 39t 8cwt ex-L&C Rly
N
BNCR Class N
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Class N was a class of 0-4-0ST dock engines that worked on the Belfast Harbour Commissioners' lines in north-east Ireland. No.42 was the first of the class and was built by Sharp, Stewart and Company in 1874...

 
0-4-0ST 4 ft 0⅛in 16 x 22 130 12 707 30t 0cwt Dock engines
T* 0-2-2T 25t 10cwt Railmotor units
U 4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 19 x 24 47t 12cwt
U1  4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 18 x 24 170 15 696 50t 14cwt
U2
NCC Class U2
The Northern Counties Committee Class U2 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotives consisted of 18 locomotives built for service in north-east Ireland. Ten of the engines were new builds supplied by the North British Locomotive Company or constructed at the NCC's York Road works...

 
4-4-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 19 x 24 170 17 388 51t 10cwt
V  0-6-0 5 ft 2½in 19 x 24 170 20 031 28t 17cwt
2-6-0 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 19 x 26 200 22 160 62t 10cwt
WT
NCC Class WT
The NCC Class WT is a class of 2-6-4T steam locomotives built by the Northern Counties Committee's parent company, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway for service in Northern Ireland.-History:...

 
2-6-4T 6 in 0 in (1.83 m) 19 x 26 200 22 160 87t 0cwt
0-6-0T 4 in 7 in (1.4 m) 18 x 26 160 20 830 49t 10cwt ex-LMS Class 3F
LMS Fowler Class 3F
The London Midland and Scottish Railway Fowler 3F 0-6-0T is a class of steam locomotive, often known as Jinty. They represent the ultimate development of the Midland Railway's six-coupled tank engines.- Introduction :...

91 0-4-0T Sentinel
Sentinel Waggon Works
Sentinel Waggon Works Ltd was a British company based in Shrewsbury, Shropshire that made steam-powered lorries, railway locomotives, and later, diesel engined lorries and locomotives.-Alley & MacLellan, Sentinel Works, Jessie Street Glasgow:...

 shunter


* Class T became extinct in 1913; the designation was reassigned to the ex-Ballycastle Railway 4-4-2T narrow gauge locomotives when they were acquired in 1924.

No class letter was assigned to No.91.

Narrow gauge steam locomotives
Class Wheel

arrangement
Driving

wheel diam
Cylinders

bore x stroke

(in)
Boiler

pressure

(psi)
Tractive

effort

(lbs)
Locomotive

weight
Remarks
0-4-2ST 3 in 1 in (0.9398 m) 12 x 19 140 8 800 22t 10cwt ex-Cushendall Rly
Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
The Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway was a narrow gauge railway between Ballymena and Retreat, both in County Antrim, in what is now Northern Ireland. It operated from 1875 to 1940.-History:...

2-4-0T 3 in 9 in (1.14 m) 11 x 18 120 4 937 17t 12cwt ex-B&L Rly
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...

0-6-0T 3 in 3 in (0.9906 m) 13½ x18 140 10 010 21t 2cwt ex-B&L Rly
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...

2-6-0ST 3 in 3 in (0.9906 m) 14 x 18 140 10 765 25t 13cwt ex-B&L Rly
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...

S
BNCR Class S
The Belfast and Northern Counties Railway Class S was a class of 2-4-2T two-cylinder compound steam locomotives that was introduced for service on the 3ft narrow gauge railways of County Antrim in north-east Ireland.- History :...

 
2-4-2T 3 in 9 in (1.14 m) 14¾ & 21 x 20 160 13 150 31t 17cwt Compound
S1
NCC Class S1
The Northern Counties Committee Class S1 was a class of two-cylinder compound 2-4-2T steam locomotives that was introduced for service on the 3 ft narrow gauge railways of County Antrim in north-east Ireland...

 
2-4-2T 3 in 9 in (1.14 m) 14¾ & 21 x 20 160 13 150 33t 0cwt Compound
S2
NCC Class S2
The Northern Counties Committee Class S2 was a solitary two-cylinder compound 2-4-4T steam locomotive that was introduced for service on the 3ft narrow gauge railways of County Antrim in north-east Ireland. It was heavily rebuilt from a BNCR Class S locomotive by the addition of a standard gauge...

 
2-4-4T 3 in 9 in (1.14 m) 14¾ & 21 x 20 200 16 438 42t 1cwt Compound
4-4-2T 3 in 7 in (1.09 m) 14½ x 21 160 13 964 39t 11cwt ex-Ballycastle Rly
Ballycastle Railway
Ballycastle Railway was a narrow gauge railway line which ran from Ballycastle to Ballymoney, both in County Antrim, Northern Ireland.-History:...


Diesel locomotives
Class Wheel

arrangement
Driving

wheel diam
Engine

horsepower

(bhp)
Tractive

effort

(lbs)
Locomotive

weight
Remarks
X
NCC Class X
The Northern Counties Committee Class X was a solitary diesel-hydraulic shunting locomotive built by Harland and Wolff for service in the NCC's yards and at Belfast docks...

 
0-6-0 4 ft 1⅛in 330 24 000 49t 0cwt No.17, diesel-hydraulic
20* 0-6-0 3 in 7 in (1.09 m) 225 15 000 28t 6cwt No.20, diesel-mechanical
22* 0-6-0 3 in 2 in (0.9652 m) 225 15 000 27t 3cwt >- 28* 1A-A1 3 in 7 in (1.09 m) 500 48t 0cwt No.28, ex-BCDR
Belfast and County Down Railway
The Belfast and County Down Railway was an Irish gauge railway in Ireland linking Belfast with County Down. It was built in the 19th century and absorbed into the Ulster Transport Authority in 1948...

, diesel-electric 

* No class letters were assigned to Nos.20, 22 and 28.
The tabulated data in this section are mainly derived from a review of NCC locomotive diagrams.

Coaching stock

As with the locomotives, Midland Railway influence on NCC coaching stock design only became apparent after Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcolm
Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

 retired in 1922.

The NCC was a small railway and did not require the variety of coach types that its parent the LMS did. However, the NCC provided accommodation for three classes of passengers throughout its existence and this led to there being several coach designations that were unique to the NCC.

The majority of LMS (NCC) coaches can be described as conforming to the design criteria of LMS Period I stock. This was perpetuated into the mid-1930s with repeat orders to existing designs. These coaches were mounted on steel under frames that were generally 57 ft (17.4 m) long, weighed between 28 and 31 tons depending on type, and ran on two four-wheeled bogies. They had wooden framed, fully panelled bodies with semi elliptical roofs and three-link screw couplings.

Side corridor stock such as the J6 thirds and F2 composites had doors with adjacent quarter lights to all compartments and ventilation was by droplights set into the doors. G1 tea cars had a small dining saloon and kitchen set into one end of a composite coach. Although there were no external doors to the dining saloon, the windows retained the droplight and quarter light arrangement.

On the other hand, open stock had a two-window arrangement whereby each seating bay had two windows side by side. One window was fixed and the other was a droplight. Restaurant vehicles such as the B2 first class dining car and the B3 third class dining saloon had Stone’s pattern ventilators above the fixed windows but this feature was not included in other open stock. The J5 open thirds were unusual in having four doors per side rather than two. The doors had adjacent quarter lights like those on the side corridor stock and opened directly into the passenger saloon rather than the end vestibules which only accommodated the lavatories.

The “North Atlantic” stock clearly belonged to Period II but the large picture windows and toplight ventilators had been inspired by contemporary Great Western Railway
Great Western Railway
The Great Western Railway was a British railway company that linked London with the south-west and west of England and most of Wales. It was founded in 1833, received its enabling Act of Parliament in 1835 and ran its first trains in 1838...

 practice. The full set of five coaches was made up of four types. These were a B4 buffet car, an H3 side corridor tricomposite, two J8 side corridor thirds and a K3 side corridor brake third. The buffet car was 60 ft (18.3 m) long and the others 57 ft (17.4 m) long.

The class V14 bogie brake vans that appeared in 1936-37 were superficially similar to the LMS variety. However, they had standard 57 ft (17.4 m) underframes as opposed to 50 ft (15.2 m) ones and beading strips on the sides to cover panel joints.

The 60 ft (18.3 m) J10 open thirds that were built at the same time as the V14s generally reflected the styling of Stanier
William Stanier
Sir William Arthur Stanier, FRS was Chief Mechanical Engineer of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway.- Biography :...

 Period III stock but these too had beading strips. The provision of lavatories on these coaches appears to have been an afterthought. There were three doors on one side but only two on the other; a single lavatory had been squeezed into the vestibule where the missing door would have been. Despite their modern appearance, their bus type seats were not popular with passengers.

NCC Coaching Stock Designations

Designation Type*
A Saloon First
B Dining Car
C All First
D Brake First
E Brake Composite (1st & 2nd)
F Composite (1st & 2nd or 1st & 3rd)
G Tricomposite Tea Car
H Tricomposite
I Brake Tricomposite
J Third
K Brake Third
V Fitted vans and other non-passenger coaching vehicles
X All six-wheeled stock

* Note that there is no distinction made between corridor and non-corridor stock.
Much of the information in this section is derived from a review of NCC coach diagrams.

Preserved vehicles

A number of NCC vehicles have been preserved.
  • Class U2
    NCC Class U2
    The Northern Counties Committee Class U2 4-4-0 passenger steam locomotives consisted of 18 locomotives built for service in north-east Ireland. Ten of the engines were new builds supplied by the North British Locomotive Company or constructed at the NCC's York Road works...

     4-4-0 No.74 Dunluce Castle is on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...

    , Cultra, County Down.

  • Class WT
    NCC Class WT
    The NCC Class WT is a class of 2-6-4T steam locomotives built by the Northern Counties Committee's parent company, the London, Midland and Scottish Railway for service in Northern Ireland.-History:...

     2-6-4T steam locomotive No.4 is owned by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
    Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
    The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is an Irish railway preservation group operating in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964. The Society has its headquarters at Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and a base at Mullingar, County Westmeath...

     at Whitehead which operates it on special excursion trains on the Irish railway network. The society also owns a number of NCC carriages.

  • Railcar No.1 is stored in a dilapidated condition at the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
    Railway Preservation Society of Ireland
    The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is an Irish railway preservation group operating in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. It was founded in 1964. The Society has its headquarters at Whitehead, County Antrim, Northern Ireland and a base at Mullingar, County Westmeath...

     site at Whitehead.

  • Coaches Nos.238 and 241, former Midland Railway vehicles which had been transferred to the NCC from the LMS as replacements for stock destroyed in the air raid of 4 May 1941, were repatriated in 2004 and 2005 respectively and are at the Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
    Embsay and Bolton Abbey Steam Railway
    The Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Railway is a heritage railway in North Yorkshire, England, . It is part of the former Midland Railway branch from Skipton to Ilkley . The E&BASR currently runs from Embsay via Draughton and Holywell to Bolton Abbey station, a distance of...

    , Embsay
    Embsay
    Embsay is a village in the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England and is situated about 2 miles north-east of Skipton. The village is grouped with the neighbouring village of Eastby in the civil parish of Embsay with Eastby, which has a population of 1,758.-Landmarks:The rock formation to the...

    , near Skipton
    Skipton
    Skipton is a market town and civil parish within the Craven district of North Yorkshire, England. It is located along the course of both the Leeds and Liverpool Canal and the River Aire, on the south side of the Yorkshire Dales, northwest of Bradford and west of York...

    , Yorkshire.

  • Portstewart Tramway 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...

     0-4-0 tram locomotive No.1 was an early candidate for preservation, crossing the Irish Sea in 1939, and is in the collection of the Streetlife Museum of Transport
    Streetlife museum of transport
    The Streetlife Museum of Transport is a transport museum located in Kingston upon Hull, England. The roots of the collection date back to the early 20th century, however the purpose-built museum the collection is housed in was opened in 1989 by the then Hull East MP, John Prescott...

    , Kingston-upon-Hull, Yorkshire.

  • Portstewart Tramway 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...

     0-4-0 tram locomotive No.2 is on display at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...

    , Cultra, County Down.

  • An ex-NCC Lister
    R A Lister and Company
    R A Lister & Company was founded in Dursley, Gloucestershire, in 1867 by Sir Robert Ashton Lister , to produce agricultural machinery. The family was originally from Yorkshire but Ashton's father relocated to Dursley in 1817....

     internal combustion engined platform truck may also be seen at the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    Ulster Folk and Transport Museum
    The Ulster Folk and Transport Museum is situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. It comprises two separate museums, the Folk Museum and the Transport Museum...

    .

  • LMS (NCC) 36 ton steam breakdown crane (Cowans Sheldon and Co., 1931) and a number of vans may be found at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway
    Downpatrick & County Down Railway
    The Downpatrick & County Down Railway is a heritage railway in County Down, Northern Ireland. The project is based at Downpatrick, on part of the former route of the Belfast & County Down Railway....

    , Downpatrick
    Downpatrick
    Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...

    , County Down.

Belfast & Ballymena Railway / BNCR

  • Thomas H. Higgin (1848–1857)
  • Edward John Cotton (1857-1899)
    Edward John Cotton
    Edward John Cotton was an English accountant who became manager of the Waterford and Kilkenny Railway and, subsequently, the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway where he was influential in developing tourism in the north of Ireland.-Biography:...

  • James Cowie (1899–1903)

NCC

  • James Cowie (1903–1922)
  • James Pepper (1922–1931)
  • Major Malcolm S. Spier MC (1931–1941)
  • Major Frank A. Pope (1941–1943)
  • Robert H.W. Bruce (1943–1946)
  • James W. Hutton (1946–1949)

Belfast & Ballymena Railway / BNCR

  • Ellis Rowland (1847–1849)
  • Alexander Yorston (1849–1868)
  • Edward Leigh (1868–1875)
  • Robert Findlay (1875–1876)
  • Bowman Malcolm (1876-1903)
    Bowman Malcolm
    Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...


NCC

  • Bowman Malcolm (1903-1922)
    Bowman Malcolm
    Bowman Malcom was an Irish railway engineer. He became Locomotive Superintendent of the Belfast and Northern Counties Railway at the age of 22 and later took on the additional role of Civil Engineer...

  • William K. Wallace (1922-1930)
    William Kelly Wallace
    William Kelly Wallace was an Irish railway engineer who joined the Northern Counties Committee and later became Chief Civil Engineer of the London Midland and Scottish Railway .- Biography :William Kelly Wallace was born in 1883...

  • Hugh P. Stewart (1930–1933)
  • Malcolm Patrick (1933–1946)
  • John Thompson (1946–1949)

Sources and further reading

(This, with volume 2, is the definitive history of the NCC) [For its essay on "The Irish Enclave”] (For descriptions of NCC railcars and railbuses)

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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