Glenariff Iron Ore and Harbour Company
Encyclopedia
The Glenariff Iron Ore and Harbour Company (GIOH) was a railway and harbour company in Glenariff
, County Antrim
, in what is now Northern Ireland
. It operated Red Bay Pier on the Antrim coast and about 4 miles (6.4 km) of narrow gauge
railway between the pier and Cloughcor Mines in Glenariff. The railway was gauge and carried iron ore from the mines to the pier, where it was loaded onto cargo ships for export to ironworks in Scotland
and England
.
T tank locomotives built by Robert Stephenson and Company
and built its own shunter with a vertical boiler
that had previously powered a plant to crush stone for use as ballast. Ore was carried in four-wheeled wagons built by Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
. Horses hauled the wagons onto Red Bay Pier, where the ore was manually shovelled from the wagons down wooden chutes into the ships.
Cloughcore Mines produced less ore than the promoters hoped and the area was short of skilled and willing labour for the mine. Red Bay is not a sheltered harbour so ships at the pier were vulnerable to bad weather. The iron industry became depressed in the 1870s and in 1875 the GIOH ceased operation.
The track was left in place for a number of years. In 1880 William Traill, promoter of the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Railway & Tramway Company
, sought to build an Irish gauge
gauge railway across Glenariff to link the GIOH line with on the narrow gauge Ballymena, Cushendall and Red Bay Railway
, which connected with Ireland's gauge railway network at . Traill was unsuccessful and the GIOH line remained out of use.
The final attempt to revive the iron ore operation ended in about 1884 when the GIOH's growing losses forced it to default on its ground rent
to William McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim
. The Earl served a writ on the GIOH, which was duly wound up and its assets auctioned to defray its debts. The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
bought the two 2-4-0T locomotives and the iron ore wagons. The 2-4-0Ts were numbered 5 and 6 in the L&LSR locomotive fleet. In 1899 number 5 was scrapped and number 6 was renumbered 6A. 6A was scrapped in 1904.
The GIOH track was not lifted until 1890, after 3 miles (5 km) of it had been stolen in a single night.
. The span would have been iron or steel and has been removed, but the two Ulster White Limestone
piers
and the embankment approaching one of the piers survive. The piers are called the White Arch.
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....
, 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...
, in what is now Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It operated Red Bay Pier on the Antrim coast and about 4 miles (6.4 km) 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 :...
railway between the pier and Cloughcor Mines in Glenariff. The railway was gauge and carried iron ore from the mines to the pier, where it was loaded onto cargo ships for export to ironworks in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
History
The pier and railway were completed in 1873, making it the first gauge railway in Ireland. The railway operated two 2-4-02-4-0
Under the Whyte notation for the classification of steam locomotives, 2-4-0 represents the wheel arrangement of two leading wheels on one axle, four powered and coupled driving wheels on two axles, and no trailing wheels....
T tank locomotives built by Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company
Robert Stephenson and Company was a locomotive manufacturing company founded in 1823. It was the first company set up specifically to build railway engines.- Foundation and early success :...
and built its own shunter with a vertical boiler
Vertical boiler
A vertical boiler is a type of fire-tube or water-tube boiler where the boiler barrel is oriented vertically instead of the more common horizontal orientation...
that had previously powered a plant to crush stone for use as ballast. Ore was carried in four-wheeled wagons built by Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
Ashbury Railway Carriage and Iron Company Ltd
The Ashbury Carriage and Iron Company Limited was a manufacturer of railway rolling stock founded by John Ashbury in 1837 at Knott Mill in Manchester, England, near the original terminus of the Sheffield, Ashton-under-Lyne and Manchester Railway...
. Horses hauled the wagons onto Red Bay Pier, where the ore was manually shovelled from the wagons down wooden chutes into the ships.
Cloughcore Mines produced less ore than the promoters hoped and the area was short of skilled and willing labour for the mine. Red Bay is not a sheltered harbour so ships at the pier were vulnerable to bad weather. The iron industry became depressed in the 1870s and in 1875 the GIOH ceased operation.
The track was left in place for a number of years. In 1880 William Traill, promoter of the Giant's Causeway, Portrush and Bush Valley Railway & Tramway Company
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...
, sought to build an 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....
gauge railway across Glenariff to link the GIOH line with on the narrow gauge 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:...
, which connected with Ireland's gauge railway network at . Traill was unsuccessful and the GIOH line remained out of use.
The final attempt to revive the iron ore operation ended in about 1884 when the GIOH's growing losses forced it to default on its ground rent
Ground rent
Ground rent, sometimes known as a rentcharge, is a regular payment required under a lease from the owner of leasehold property, payable to the freeholder. A ground rent is created when a freehold piece of land or a building is sold on a long lease...
to William McDonnell, 6th Earl of Antrim
Earl of Antrim
Earl of Antrim is a title that has been created twice, both times in the Peerage of Ireland and both times for members of the MacDonnell family, originally of Scottish origins. This family descends from Sorley Boy MacDonnell, who established the family in County Antrim...
. The Earl served a writ on the GIOH, which was duly wound up and its assets auctioned to defray its debts. The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway
The Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway Company is an Irish public transport and freight company incorporated in June 1853. Despite its name it operates no railway services. It formerly operated 99 miles of railways but closed its last line in July 1953...
bought the two 2-4-0T locomotives and the iron ore wagons. The 2-4-0Ts were numbered 5 and 6 in the L&LSR locomotive fleet. In 1899 number 5 was scrapped and number 6 was renumbered 6A. 6A was scrapped in 1904.
The GIOH track was not lifted until 1890, after 3 miles (5 km) of it had been stolen in a single night.
White Arch
A bridge carried the railway across the Antrim Coast Road near WaterfootWaterfoot, 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....
. The span would have been iron or steel and has been removed, but the two Ulster White Limestone
Chalk
Chalk is a soft, white, porous sedimentary rock, a form of limestone composed of the mineral calcite. Calcite is calcium carbonate or CaCO3. It forms under reasonably deep marine conditions from the gradual accumulation of minute calcite plates shed from micro-organisms called coccolithophores....
piers
Pier (architecture)
In architecture, a pier is an upright support for a superstructure, such as an arch or bridge. Sections of wall between openings function as piers. The simplest cross section of the pier is square, or rectangular, although other shapes are also common, such as the richly articulated piers of Donato...
and the embankment approaching one of the piers survive. The piers are called the White Arch.