Whitehead

Whitehead, Co.Antrim, is located north of Belfast on the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway line to Larne, which was opened in May 1863, and was taken over by the Midland Railway in 1906, becoming part of the LMS NCC lines. The station at Whitehead has up and down platforms, and its original BNCR brick built station buildings, complete with canopy, were restored a few years ago. The typical tall BNCR signal cabin was closed in 1988 when CTC signalling was extended north from Belfast. North of the station an excursion platform was built in 1907 by the NCC, but it had fellan out of use by the 1930s. The excursion platform is now owned and used by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, who have established their northern base at Whitehead since 1965. The base contains a yard, engine & carriage sheds, as well as workshops. Several of the society's locomotives and rolling stock are stored here and are awaiting overhaul and restoration.
450 Class No.8459 stands at Whitehead Station, awaiting departure time to Belfast. The 450 Class railcars were built in 1986, but utilise former 1966/7 built 70 Class railcar engines. The Belfast Northern Counties Railway Victorian built station buildings at Whitehead. The tall signal cabin, which remained in use until 1988 is a typical BNCR design. Note also the original platform canopy. This is the RPSI's Whitehead base, located just north of the station. The platform in the foreground was originally an excursion platform, which had fellan out of use by the 1930s. The RPSI base consists of workshops, engine and carriage sheds, as well as a tall water tower. The RPSI's base utilises an ex NCC level crossing gate, that of Antrim Station, which was automated about 10 years ago.
Currently under overhaul is ex Dublin South Eastern Railway 1922 built 2-6-0 loco No.461. No.461 was built by Beyer Peacock. She was withdrawn by CIE in 1962. Great Northern Railway V Class compound 4-4-0 loco No.85 'Merlin', is seen stored at Whitehead, complete with 'Enterprise' headboards. No.85 was built at Dundalk Works by the GNR in 1932. Ex GNR 4-4-0 S Class No.171 'Slieve Gullion', is seen awaiting overhaul at Whitehead, complete with 'Bundoran Express' headboard. No.171 was built in Manchester by Beyer Peacock in 1915, but was rebuilt in 1938 at the GNR's Dundalk Works. No.171 was eventually withdrawn in 1965. Inside the shed is ex LMS Northern Counties Commitee 2-6-4 tank loco No.4, built in 1947 at Derby, Britain. This loco is in regular use with the RPSI.
A British Rail Derby built Mk3 sleeper coach, is seen stored at the back of Whitehead yard. Northern Ireland Railway's 101 Class loco, No.101 'Eagle', is seen stored at the rear of Whitehead. Built by Hunslet at Doncaster in 1970, it was withdrawn in 1993. In this view is the centre headlamp. Nature is slowly taking over No.101 at the back of the RPSI yard at Whitehead. After some years of storage the forlorn looking loco was eventually disposed of. Ex Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway 0-6-4 tank 'Lough Erne', built in 1957 by Beyer Peacock, and withdrawn by NIR in 1969 as No.27, is seen stored at Whitehead.
Ex Great Southern Western Railway J15 0-6-0 No.184, which was built at Inchicore Works in Dublin in 1880 and withdrawn by CIE in 1963, is seen in stored at Whitehead. One of the RPSI shunting locos is an ex 0-4-0 saddle tank loco No.3BG, which was built by Hudswell Clarke in 1919 for shunting the railway yard in Guinness's brewery at St James Gate, Dublin. After withdrawal in 1965, the loco was presented to the RPSI. 80 Class railcar No.8089 is seen having broken down at Whitehead Station while operating the Irish Traction Group's 'Cross-Border' railtour from Belfast. The 80 units were built for NIR at Derby between 1974 and 1978. The other 80 Class power car on the ITG railtour is No.8069, is seen at the north end of Whitehead Station. These units originally entered service in a striking blue and maroon livery.
450 Class railcar No.8783 departs Whitehead with a service from Larne Harbour to Belfast. No.8783 entered service in December 1985. 450 unit No.8453 is seen entering the single track section on the rear of this Belfast bound 450 Class set, as viewed from the footbridge at the south end of the station. No.8789 approaches the station from the south with a northbound service to Larne Harbour, seen passing beneath the Victorian era footbridge at Whitehead. At the north end of Whitehead Station is the connection to the RPSI base, which diverges to the right in this view. A fence and gate surrounds the base for protection from vandals.
The large red brick built station building, located on the up platform at Whitehead. The majority of the structure is no longer in railway use. At the north end of the station at Whitehead is the pedestrian level crossing, complete with warning lights and signs. The crossing here originally replaced a footbridge. Spanish built 3000 Class railcar No.3019 forms the rear unit on a Belfast to Larne Harbour service, seen departing the down platform at Whitehead Station. The CAF built units entered NIR service in 2004. The Guinness loco, No.3BG, is seen at the south end of the RPSI platform at Whitehead while performing 'Summer Steam' train rides during an open day. The train consists of a British Rail built Mk2 coach and an ex Great Northern Railway brakevan.
No.3BG makes a spirited departure from the RPSI platform at Whitehead. The busy loco is employed for shunting as well crew training, and for the 'Summer Steam' train rides it is operating here. The Guinness nameplate, seen on the side tanks of No.3BG at Whitehead. These originally came off one of the Guinness's diesel locos which has long since been scrapped. Outside the shed on this occasion is 2-6-4 tank loco No.4. No.4 finished her career with NIR in 1971, been one of Ireland's last remaining steam locomotives in regular mainline use. One of the Great Northern Railway's common brakevans, No.81, is seen restored to use on the train rides at Whitehead. The van was originally built at Dundalk Works in 1945, and was fully restored in July 2008.
The vintage interior of GNR brakevan No.85 at Whitehead, nicknamed 'Ivan', showing the brake wheel and stove. Repainted into CIE's original black & tank livery, 1962 built 141 Class loco No.B142 stands outside the shed at Whitehead during the 'Summer Steam' open day. Loco B142 entered service in December 1962. It was built by General Motors at La Grange Illinois, USA, and was withdrawn from regular Irish Rail service in 2010. One of the Irish Sugar Company's 4-wheel diesel locos, No.1, is seen preserved at Whitehead. The loco was built by Ruston and was employed for shunting at the beet factory at Carlow.
The other 101 Class Hunslet built loco at Whitehead is No.102 'Falcon'. It was withdrawn from NIR service in 2002, and is currently under cosmetic restoration for the railway museum at Cultra outside Belfast. Two 1970s era Derby built Mk2 coaches are seen been attended to at the Whitehead RPSI base, one in NIR blue and the other in Irish Rail black & orange livery. No.171 'Slieve Gullion' is seen stored in the workshops at Whitehead. It is hoped that the Victoria loco will re-enter RPSI service in 2014. The large boiler belonging to the ex DSER loco No.461 at Whitehead. No.461 is expected to enter service in late 2011 as its overhaul nears completion.
The former Belfast & Co.Down Railway's overhead crane, once located at the company's workshops at Queens Quay in Belfast. The works were rundown in the early 1990s and the crane was then installed at Whitehead. No.23 was a small 4-wheel diesel loco built by Planet, and was employed by Irish Shell to shunt its oil terminal on the Alexandra Rd in Dublin Port. It was withdrawn in 1971 and was preserved by the RPSI. The Great Northern Railway's director's saloon carriage, dating from 1911, is seen preserved and stored in the carriage shed at Whitehead. An ex Midland Great Western Railway Victorian era coach, is seen under restorated in the carriage shed at Whitehead.
An ex LMS Northern Counties Commitee brakedown crane, seen painted in red Ulster Transport Authority livery, at the rear of the RPSI base at Whitehead. CAF 3000 Class railcar No.3019 returns from Larne Harbour with a service to Belfast, seen approaching the up platform at Whitehead Station. Refurbished 80 Class railcar No.8090 stands at the head of an Irish Railway Record Society special at Whitehead, operating from Larne Harbour to Bangor. The 80 unit at the rear is No.8094.