Antrim, county town of the same name in Northern Ireland, is located on the main Belfast to Derry line, constructed by the Belfast & Northern Counties Railways. Antrim Station opened in 1848, and became a junction for the Great Northern branch line to Lisburn in 1871. The Lisburn to Antrim branch closed in 1961, but reopened in 1974 by NIR, and recently lost its passenger service again in 2005. The branch line remains in use for empty stock and diversion trains. The BNCR station buildings, designed by Berkeley Dean Wise, all remain in fine order at Antrim. The NCC built signal cabin at the south end of the station was demolished in the mid 1980s and replaced by a newer structure adjacent to the level crossing at the north end of the station.
1 111 Class locomotive No.8113 stands at Antrim Station having arrived on Ian Walsh's 'Blue Thunderer' railtour, which had operated from Belfast via the Antrim branch.
2 The Belfast & Northern Counties built station buildings at Antrim are located at the north end of the station. To the right on the up platform is the excellently preserved waiting room.
3 Part of the 19th century BNCR canopy at Antrim Station has been removed, but this section at the north end remains in situ.
4 8113 is seen running around the 'Blue Thunderer' railtour at the north end of Antrim Station. It was once double track north to Ballymena, but this was removed in 1990 leaving the main line a single track.
5 Viewed from the level crossing at the north end of Antrim Station, the wooding waiting room is seen on the up platform.
6 8113 at Antrim Station, prior to departure south to Belfast on the 'Blue Thunderer' railtour. 8113, originally just numbered No.113, was built by General Motors in 1983.
7 The three Northern Ireland Railway's 111 Class locomotives are named after the three former principal railway companies in the north, No.113 is 'Belfast & County Down'.
8 8113 at the south end of Antrim Station. The track on the extreme right leads into the former Great Northern Railway's bay platform.
9 Designed by Berkeley Dean Wise, the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway's architect, Antrim Station building remains largely in original condition.
10 One of the 1980s style Northern Ireland Railways station nameboards at Antrim, seen in Translink colours.
11 The 'Blue Thunderer' railtour operated via the former Great Northern Railway's Antrim branch, which now no longer sees any regular passenger service. The bridge visible here is the Crumlin viaduct, south of Antrim.
12 8113 on the approaches to Antrim Station from the ex GNR branch from Lisburn. On the left is the former GNR bay platform.
