IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Linfield Industrial Estate, Linfield Road, BELFAST, BT12 5LA

Looking west from the end of Platform 2. Items to note include the "brown van" at left, one of many built by the UTA for parcels and mail traffic. Just behind the water column can be glimpsed Harland & Wolff 1937 built 1A-A1 diesel locomotive No. 28. Last used in 1973, this unique unit was scrapped in 1974. Part of the Ulsterbus garage can be seen at right.

Taken from beside the famous "pond" (sadly not photographed), the area to the left was once the Ulster Railway Co's goods store and locomotive sheds. The signal cabin can be glimpsed in the centre, while the Europa Hotel and "Erinmore" tobacco factory are to the right.

Known as Belfast North to distinguish this cabin from another at Central Junction (closed 1966 and demolished), the cabin at Great Victoria Street controlled the lines as far as Dunmurry after a 1966 resignalling by the UTA. The more recent structure at left may have been added then. The huge water tower provided water for steam locomotives in the station - out of use from 1966 when steam was largely eliminated from the former GNR lines. The sheeting over the windows was added after 1973 to give some protection from bomb blasts and stone throwing. As the cabin was demolished after the station closed and the area is now almost unrecognisable, map location is approximate.

80-class No. 83 passes an MED set on its approach to the former Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Great Victoria Street station, Belfast. Taken from inside the signal cabin (with permission from the signalman), everything in this photograph vanished in the years following closure of the station in 1976. Built by BREL in 1975, 83 was withdrawn on 30 August 2006 and scrapped in 2008. MED 18 was built by the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1953 and withdrawn in October 1977 - no MEDs survive in preservation. While train services returned to a new Great Victoria Street station on 30 September 1995, much of the land in the background was given over to construction of the "Westlink" motorway.

Former GNR(I) S-Class 4.4.0 No. 171 "Slieve Gullion" hauls the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland "Ardee" railtour out of Great Victoria Street station. This was the last steam train to depart from the old GNR(I) terminus. The destination was Ardee, then a small town at the end of a 4.66 mile branch from Dromin Junction, between Dundalk and Drogheda. This line opened in 1896, lost passenger trains in 1934 and closed to all traffic on 3 November 1975. Images of the branch may be found: http://www.geograph.org.uk/snippet/7388

This purpose built business park offers offices and warehouseing and storage facilities in the heart of Belfast City Centre

See Image Today’s basic station is a far cry from the old GNR(I) Image one with its maintenance facilities, signal cabin, reservoir and oily sidings. The 11.15 Portadown – Bangor is departing from platform 2. Continue to Image

With 80-class DMBSO No. 81 at the rear, a train from Portadown approaches Great Victoria Street station. Entering service in November 1974, 81 survived until withdrawn with a major engine failure on 18 March 2004. It was scrapped in February 2005.

Ulsterbus buses (blue and white) which serve all parts of the province as well as certain adjoining part of the Republic and Belfast Metro buses (pink and white) - all state owned - can be seen in this photo.

See Image The view, from platform 3, towards Lisburn and Bangor.