Somersault signals, Carrickfergus... © Albert Bridge

J4187 : Somersault signals, Carrickfergus station

taken 40 years ago, near to Carrickfergus, Co Antrim, Northern Ireland

Somersault signals, Carrickfergus station

Somersault signals were the standard form of signalling for the ex-Northern Counties Committee lines of NIR (except Belfast York Road – Greenisland and Bleach Green Jct – Monkstown J3583 : Railway signals, Bleach Green Jct near Whiteabbey which had colour lights dating from the 1930’s and Larne Harbour D4102 : Larne Harbour station (1980) with upper-quadrant semaphores). This is Larne end of Carrickfergus station with the down starter on the right and the down starting signal from the loop on the left. See also J4087 : Somersault signal, Clipperstown, Carrickfergus.

The Belfast - Larne railway

The line between Belfast York Road and Larne Harbour opened as far to Carrickfergus in 1848 and from Carrickfergus to Larne Harbour in 1862. There were stations at Belfast York Road (1848), Greencastle (1849/1916), Whitehouse (old station 1861/1906 replaced by a new station, further north 1906/1954), Whiteabbey (1848), Bleach Green 1934/1977), Jordanstown (by 1853), Trooperslane (by 1850), Mount (1925/72), Carrickfergus (old station 1848/62), Clipperstown (1925), Carrickfergus (1862), Barn (1925/77), Downshire (originally Downshire Park, 1925), Eden (1925/77), Kilroot (1862/77), Whitehead (first station 1863/64), Whitehead (second station 1864/77), Whitehead (1877), Whitehead Excursion (1907), Ballycarry (1862), Ballylig (now Magheramorne, 1862), Glynn (1864), Larne (1862/1974), Larne Town (new alignment, 1974) and Larne Harbour (1862).
York Road station closed in 1992, replaced by Yorkgate (on a different site) as part of the opening of the new cross-harbour line to Belfast Central.
The line between Belfast Central and Bleach Green Jct is also used by trains serving the Londonderry/Portrush lines.

Sources: Irish Railways Today (1967), the Northern Counties Railway (1973) and Johnson’s Atlas & Gazetteer of the Railways of Ireland (1997).

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Grid Square: J4187, 669 images (more nearby )
Photographer: Albert Bridge (find more nearby)
Date Taken: Sunday, 22 April, 1984 (more nearby)
Submitted: Tuesday, 28 September, 2010
Category: Railway signals (more nearby)
Subject Location: Irish: J 412 877 [100m precision]
WGS84: 54:43.0639N 5:48.4893W
Camera Location: Irish: J 412 877
View Direction: East-northeast (about 67 degrees)