IMAGES TAKEN NEAR TO
Minorca Drive, CARRICKFERGUS, BT38 8WS

See Image Carrickfergus down outer home signal, seen from the Woodburn Road bridge (background in Image), at Clipperstown station. Carrick signal cabin could be switched out to give long-section working between Greenisland and Whitehead -usually in the evenings and at the weekend. The site of the junction for harbour branch Image is just behind the train on the left. The disused building on the right was the site of a saltworks which had its own siding. The train, of MPD railcars, is the 09.50 Belfast York Road – Larne Harbour. Image shows the same view in 2011.

See Image More than 35 years later the somersault semaphore has been replaced by a colour light signal. All traces of the old harbour branch have gone. There are houses on the left (partly hidden by trees and hedges) while the old saltworks site (right) has been extensively redeveloped. There were no Translink trains or buses today during the UK-wide strike against proposed changes to public-sector pensions.

See Image This is the 10.35 Belfast Central-Larne Harbour approaching the station.

The bridge carrying the Woodburn Road across the railway at Clipperstown station – background in Image

Clipperstown Station looking towards Belfast. The bridge in the background was constructed in 1946 by the LMS/NCC railway Co.

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See Image Five years earlier when Clipperstown station had utilitarian shelters of (painted) brick and concrete. This was an Easter Tuesday when the junior lodges walked to the field on the Woodburn Road. The train is the timetabled 10.25 Belfast York Road – Carrickfergus (91, 778, 733). The previous timetable train had been the 09.45 ex-York Road but there had also been specials at 10.00 and 10.10 and a relief which followed this. This signal Image can be seen on the other side of the bridge. Continue to Image

See Image Four years later and Clipperstown still had the utilitarian shelters of (painted) brick and concrete. The train is the 12.20 Belfast York Road – Larne Harbour.

See Image This one goes back to the days when the “corporate identity” included a generous application of red paint. The view is towards Belfast with the 09.30 Whitehead – Belfast York Road disappearing into the distance. Continue to Image - 1984.

The 11.57 Larne Harbour – Belfast Central, formed of 1986-built 450-class railcars, departing Clipperstown, under the Woodburn Road bridge.