Ballymena and Larne Railway - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

The Ballymena and Larne Railway was a narrow gauge railway in County Antrim

County Antrim

County Antrim is one of six counties that form Northern Ireland, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland. Adjoined to the north-east shore of Lough Neagh, the county covers an area of 2,844 km², with a population of approximately 616,000...

, 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 first part opened in July 1877 and regular passenger services began in August 1878, the first on the three foot (914 mm) Irish narrow gauge. Passenger services ended in 1933 and the last part of the railway closed in 1950.

Routes

From east to west, the railway ran for 32 miles (51.5 km) between 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...

and 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....

via Kilwaughter, Headwood, Ballyboley, Ballynashee, Collin, Moorfields, Kells

Kells, County Antrim

Kells is a village in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, near Ballymena. The area encompasses Kells and the village of Connor which are very close together and have a joint primary school, library, development association etc. It had a population of 1,745 people in the 2001 Census...

and Harryville. A branch line operated from Ballyboley to Doagh

Doagh

Doagh is a village and townland in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It is in the Six Mile Water Valley about two miles southwest of Ballyclare. It had a population of 1,130 people in the 2001 Census....

via Ballynure

Ballynure

Ballynure is a village near Ballyclare in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 677 people in the 2001 Census.The village is effectively split in two by the A8 main road, which runs from Belfast to Larne. A stream called the Ballynure Water runs through it and the houses are a...

and Ballyclare

Ballyclare

Ballyclare is a small town in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,770 people in the 2001 Census...

. From Larne, the line rose for 12 miles (19.3 km) to a summit of 660 feet (201.2 m) at Ballynashee. The gradient was, in places, as steep as 1 in 36. The line operated both passenger and goods traffic; transport of locally mined iron ore was the main reason for the construction of the line.

Early years

The line between Larne and Ballyclare opened in 1877. The line between Ballyboley and Ballymena opened in August 1878. The railway originally terminated at Harryville on the outskirts of Ballymena; in 1880 it was extended to Ballymena's main line (Belfast and Northern Counties Railway (B&NCR)) station, where it also made a connection with the 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:...

. The extension from Ballyclare to Doagh opened in 1884. The line's original steam locomotives were built by Beyer Peacock of Manchester to a design similar to those built for the Isle of Man Railway

Isle of Man Railway

The Isle of Man Railway is a narrow gauge steam-operated railway connecting Douglas with Castletown and Port Erin in the Isle of Man. The line is built to gauge and is long...

. By the late 1880s the County Antrim iron ore industry was in decline. The railway experienced financial difficulties and was taken over by the B&NCR in July 1889.

Later years

The B&NCR was itself taken over by 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) in 1906, which in turn became part of 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. The Midland and the LMS operated its lines in Northern Ireland through its Northern Counties Committee

Northern Counties Committee

The Northern Counties Committee was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines...

(NCC). Following the takeover, the parent companies were able to invest in new locomotives and equipment. Following 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...

, the line experienced a further decline in mineral traffic and increasing road competition. Nevertheless, the LMS invested in new carriages for the line in 1928. These carriages were arguably the most comfortable and modern ever built for an Irish narrow gauge line, including steam heating, electric lighting, lavatories and corridor connections between the coaches.

In early 1933 the railway system 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...

was severely disrupted by a train strike. The management announced that passenger services would not resume. The strike also saw the closure of the Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway

Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway

The Castlederg and Victoria Bridge Tramway was a narrow gauge railway , operating in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland...

. Passenger services between Ballyclare and Doagh had already ended in October 1930. Goods trains between Ballymena and Ballyboley Junction ended in 1940. The 12 mile long Larne to Ballyclare railway remained open until 3 July 1950, when 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...

(which took over the LMS/NCC

Northern Counties Committee

The Northern Counties Committee was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines...

in 1949) closed the remaining part of the line. This followed the closure of a paper mill at Ballyclare, which had supplied much of the line's remaining freight traffic. The UTA also closed the 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:...

on the same day.

Routes

Early years

Later years

See also