Last Train to Giantsville Traditional Cache
Last Train to Giantsville
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Terrain:
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Size: 
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Providing a passenger link between the historic town of Bushmills and the famous stone columns of the Giant’s Causeway World Heritage Site. The railway has been built to the Irish narrow gauge of three feet (0.915m) and runs for two miles along the track bed of the former Giant’s Causeway tram.
The Causeway Tramway was re-opened in Spring 2002, The locomotives and rolling stock which operate on the track were once used at Shane's Castle and include a Peckett 0-4-0 WT 'Tyrone' built in 1904 for the British Aluminium Company, Larne, a Barclay 0-4-0WT 'Shane' built in 1949 for Bord na Mona (incidentally the same year that the old tramway closed) and a Simplex 'T' class diesel locomotive (Rory). An interesting fact - 'Shane' was one of three locomotives built by Andrew Barclay of Kilmarnock for use on the peat bog rail by Bord na Mona and was specifically designed to burn peat. Prior to the initiation of the original Giant's Causeway Tramway in 1883, there had been several meetings, engineer surveys and costing done to evaluate the feasibility of constructing a railway line along the coast from Portrush to Ballycastle, the idea being to link the commercial coal, bauxite, iron, limestone, liganite and basalt industries along the north coast with the commercial harbour of Portrush. The ambitious proposal was shelved due to a lack of finance and doubts about the returns from such an investment. A narrow gauge railway was eventually built from Ballycastle to Ballymoney via Armoy and Dervock. The Giant's Causeway tramway was brought into being by the vision and enthusiasm of Col. William Traill of Ballyclough who himself was a keen advocator of the railway and kept well informed on technological development in engineering. It was this fact coupled with the Siemens Company showing the first electric railway system at the Berlin Trade Fair in 1879 that lead to that company being commissioned to incorporate their technology into the Giant's Causeway Tramway system. Col.Traill built the generating station at the Walkmill Falls (still there but minus the equipment) and installed water turbines to produce the necessary electrical power for the tram line. Sir Macnaghten of Dundarave was very opposed to the construction of the railway to the point that he diverted water from the river Bush above the Falls in an attempt to lessen the flow. However, the tramway opened in 1883 and was hailed as the world’s first commercially run 'hydro-electric' powered tram system. The initial electric cars were Midland Carriage and Wagons which were later followed by GEC and a Peckham car. Although hydro-electric power was used, most of the time two Wilkinson steam locomotives hauled the carriages. It originally ran from Portrush to Bushmills with a later extension added to the Giants Causeway. In 1899 the live rail which ran alongside the track, was replaced by an overhead electric wire, steam haulage ended in 1916. The tramway ran for 65 years before finally closing down in 1949.The carefully planned design of the railway’s station, workshops, carriage sheds and signs hark back to this golden era. The Giants Causeway station offers various facilities including a picnic area, restrooms cafe and car park The Giants Causeway & Bushmills Railway Company accepts no liability for any loss, inconvenience or delay. It is advisable to check if the service is operating. Trains are normally steam operated; exceptionally they may be diesel powered also.
Operating Dates 2011
22nd April 2011 - 2nd May 2011 (incl.)
Monday 30th May 2011
Saturdays and Sundays from 7th May until End of June
Daily July & August
Saturdays and Sundays September and October
PLEASE NOTE - GROUP BOOKINGS ARE AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THESE NORMAL OPERATING DATES FOR FURTHER DETAILS PLEASE TELEPHONE OR EMAIL US
Please telephone us on 028 20732844
We recommend that passengers are at the station 15 minutes before the departure time of the train.
Timetable Please be advised that the timetable will be as follows:
Departures from Giant's Causeway
10.00 11.00 12.00
13.00 14.00 15.00
16.00 17.00
Departures from Bushmills
10.30 11.30 12.30
13.30 14.30 15.30
16.30 17.30
Prices:
Adult Return £7.50
Adult Single £6.00
Child Return £5.50
Child Single £4.00
Concession Return (over 60's) £6.50
Concession Single £4.50
Family Return £25.50 (2 adults and up to 3 children).
Children under the age of 3 years are free.
CAR PARKING
There is a free car park at the Bushmills platform.
The car park at the Giant's Causeway Station charges a small fee.
Additional Hints
(Decrypt)
Vg'f jung ubyqf vg hc, qba'g yrg vg fjvat.
Gur obggbz bar vf gur pnpuref oyvat.
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