22 May 2024 With Lance King in Ulster: The Great Northern Lines: 1957-65

Presenter: Leslie McAllister

On 22 May we were treated to an excellent presentation about the Railways of Ulster by Leslie McAllister

 Before the presentation the only thing I knew about railways in Northern Ireland was that they were of the unusual gauge of 5 foot 3 inches - only found elsewhere in Australia.

 I didn’t even know whether this was only the case in Ulster, or as is actually the case, in both Northern Ireland and Eire ; because of course when the railways were laid in Victorian Times Ireland was a single country under British rule. It was further explained that the unusual choice of gauge was the result of consulting three engineers as to the ideal size, Brunel said 7’1/4’’, another said 5’ and the third 5’6”. A compromise was found between the latter two and Brunel’s suggestion ignored.

 The photo presentation revealed that the lines had a unique character recognisably different from English mainland lines, with few large express Loco’s simply due to the relatively short distances involved, with much of the stock appearing quite old fashioned in design although perfectly adequate. Mention was also made of the three foot gauge network once extensive but mainly in the south, principally serving the peat working industry. This is no longer used for passenger services except for a few preserved historic Lines.A splendid and very interesting evening.