With Lance King in Ulster – The Great Northern Railway Lines: 1957-1965

Leslie McAllister pays a tribute to his late friend Lance King, with a selection of Lance’s colour photography taken in the North of Ireland in the last years of steam traction. Leslie witnessed much of what is included, as a schoolboy!

The 1960s saw a halving of the Province’s railway mileage, but not before Lance faithfully recorded train working on the former Great Northern Railway lines. Both the main line from Dublin, the much-lamented route to Derry (which closed in 1965) and several branches will be covered. Steam hauled both passenger and goods trains and saw extensive use at holiday periods – all faithfully recorded. Even a glimpse of the Sligo Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway and the County Donegal narrow gauge lines.

Lance did not ignore modern traction, which appears from time to time during the presentation. A heady mixture of nostalgia at a time of change!