Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway

Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway
Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway
	Map of the route of the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway
Operation
Locale	Cavehill, Whitewell
Open	1 July 1882
Close	2 June 1911
Status	Closed
Infrastructure
Track gauge	4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm)
Propulsion system(s)	Steam, Horse and Electric
Statistics
Route length	3.1 miles (5.0 km)

Last updated October 13, 2019

The Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway operated steam powered, then horse drawn and finally electric tramway services between Cavehill and Whitewell in Belfast, Ireland between 1882 and 1911.^[1] It was subsumed into Belfast Corporation Tramways.

Cave Hill, sometimes spelled as Cavehill, is a basaltic hill overlooking the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland. It forms part of the southeastern border of the Antrim Plateau. It is distinguished by its 'Napoleon's Nose', a basaltic outcrop which resembles the profile of the emperor Napoleon. Cave Hill spelt as Cavehill is also the name of an electoral ward in Belfast. Previously it was known as Collinward Mountain, and more historically as Ben Madigan, which is derived from the Irish Beann Mhadagáin, meaning "Madagán’s peak"—so named after a king of Ulster called Madagán who died in 856AD.

The Whitewell Road is an interface area in north Belfast and Newtownabbey, Northern Ireland, and historically the site of occasional clashes between nationalists and loyalists. The Whitewell Road and the surrounding area is a residential community in the Greencastle parish. The Whitewell area is considered a working class area. For much of its length the Whitwell Road runs parallel to the M2 and also provides a direct link between the A2 and the A6.

Belfast City in the United Kingdom, capital of Northern Ireland

Belfast is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast of Northern Ireland. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdom. It had a population of 333,871 as of 2015.

History

The tramway was authorised by the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway Order of 1881. Track-laying started on 23 January 1882,^[2] an inspection was undertaken by Major General Charles Scrope Hutchinson on 16 June 1882, and he declared it fit for traffic. The line was opened on 1 July 1882^[3] with just one steam engine, ordered from Kitson and Company. The route ran from Chichester Park Gate at the terminus of the Belfast Street Tramways line and terminated at the Glengormley Arms. By 1892 the steam tram engines were giving trouble and horses were employed to maintain the service. By 1896, all steam engines had been sold. By 1905, the company had concluded a contract with British Electric Traction for the electrification of the line and this was completed and opened to the public on 12 February 1906. This modernisation project had cost £43,555. In 1910 Belfast Corporation made an offer to purchase the company, and this agreement received Royal Assent on 26 July 1910, however, legal difficulties delayed the formal takeover until 1911.

Major General Charles Scrope Hutchinson (1826–1912) was Chief Inspecting Officer for Railways from 1892 to 1895.

Kitson and Company was a locomotive manufacturer based in Hunslet, Leeds, West Yorkshire, England.

The Belfast Street Tramways operated horse-drawn tramway services in Belfast from 1872 to 1905.

Fleet

The steam tram engines were obtained from Kitson and Company:^{[ citation needed ]}

No. 1 – Kitson Works No T/49 1882
No. 2 – Kitson Works No T/54 1882 (sold in 1891 to the Vale of Clyde Tramway Company)
No. 3 – Kitson Works No T/51 1886 (bought from D. and W. Grant, Belfast)

There were ten electric trams bought from Brush Electrical Engineering Company of Loughborough in 1906. Two were sold to Mansfield and District Light Railways in 1912.

Mansfield & District Light Railways was an electric tramway network operating in Mansfield from 16 July 1905 to 9 October 1932. The tramway company was a subsidiary of Midland Counties Electric Supply Company, who in turn were owned by Balfour Beatty.

Closure

Subsequent to the closure of the Cavehill and Whitewell Tramway in 1911, the route was operated by Belfast Corporation Tramways until 1949, when the trams were replaced by trolley buses.

Belfast Corporation Tramways formerly served the city of Belfast, Northern Ireland.

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References

↑ The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.
↑ Belfast Newsletter, 23 January 1882
↑ Belfast Newsletter, 30 June 1882

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[1] The Golden Age of Tramways. Published by Taylor and Francis.

[2] Belfast Newsletter, 23 January 1882

[3] Belfast Newsletter, 30 June 1882