1966? From the Geoff Plumb Collection of original slides. Perhaps because of their unusual 0-6-4T wheel arrangement, the two engines of the Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway "Lough" class looked much older than they actually were. Built by Beyer, Peacock in 1949 they were delivered in 1951 and as such were the last two new steam engines to go into service in Ireland. "Lough Erne" (BP 7242/1949) was the second of the two engines and both were sold to the Ulster Transport Authority after their home railway closed. They became "Class Z" and gained the numbers 26 and 27. Here, No. 27 is shunting at Belfast York Road depot, carrying UTA livery and coat of arms, also still with nameplates. The engine was taken out of service in 1969 and was preserved by the RPSI at their Whitehead base, No. 26 going for scrap earlier. Photographer and date unknown.

1968/09/xx, 01. I arrived in Belfast only just in time to see this, as it had been loaded onto a flat-bed trailer to be taken away for scrap and disappeared later the same day. It is ex-Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway "Lough" Class 0-6-4T "Lough Melvin", built by Beyer, Peacock in 1949 (Works No. 7138), but not delivered until 1951, becoming one of the last two steam locomotives to go into service in Ireland. On closure of the SL&NCR the engine was sold to the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA), becoming Class Z No. 26. Already its nameplate has been crudely cut from the tankside. Fortunately, classmate No. 27 "Lough Erne" was saved for preservation by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland and survives today at their Whitehead base. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 02. While WT Class 2-6-4T No. 5 shunts the ECS for a boat-train to Larne Harbour at Belfast York Road, classmate No. 7 has reached the end of the line and is now being cannibalised to keep other engines going, before being scrapped. In the centre of the picture is one of the DMU's, still in the old green livery. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 04. 0-6-0 No. 186 was one of 111 engines of Great Southern & Western Railway class 101. These engines were designed by McDonnel and built over the years from 1866 to 1903, many at Inchicore Works. 186, however, was built by Sharp, Stewart in Manchester in 1879, works number 2838. Later classified J15 by the Great Southern Railway and withdrawn by the CIE when steam traction was abandoned in 1962, 186 was acquired by the RPSI in 1965 and moved north of the border for restoration. Here, some members of the maintenance team discuss the next move while the engine is supported by the shear legs at Belfast York Road depot in September 1968. Once again, the engine is back in working order based at Whitehead.

1968/09/xx, 04. Perhaps because of their unusual 0-6-4T wheel arrangement, the two engines of the Sligo, Leitrim & Northern Counties Railway "Lough" class looked much older than they actually were. Built by Beyer, Peacock in 1949 they were delivered in 1951 and as such were the last two new steam engines to go into service in Ireland. "Lough Erne" (BP 7242/1949) was the second of the two engines and both were sold to the Ulster Transport Authority after their home railway closed. They became "Class Z" and gained the numbers 26 and 27. Here, No. 27 is out of use at the back of Belfast York Road depot, carrying UTA livery and coat of arms, also still with nameplates. The engine was taken out of service in 1969 and was preserved by the RPSI at their Whitehead base, No. 26 going for scrap earlier. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 05. UTA No. 48 was Class UG 0-6-0, designed by McIntosh in 1937, here fitted with a Stanier type tender. The Fowler type tender which has fallen off the end of the track was from one of the 4-4-0 or 2-6-0 engines. Together with one of the WT tanks, they are dumped at the back of Belfast York Road depot. WT No. 10 is disappearing into the distance with a boat-train for Larne. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 06. Preserved ex-Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Class S 4-4-0 No. 171 "Slieve Gullion" (Beyer, Peacock No. 5629/1913) had just undergone an overhaul at Harland & Wolff and is still in undercoat for its blue livery at Belfast York Road depot. The tender has also still to be repainted and will require turning before re-coupling to the engine! No. 171 was later based at the RPSI depot at Whitehead. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 07. Preserved ex-Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Class S 4-4-0 No. 171 "Slieve Gullion" (Beyer, Peacock No. 5629/1913) had just undergone an overhaul at Harland & Wolff and is still in undercoat for its blue livery at Belfast York Road depot. The tender has also still to be repainted and will require turning before re-coupling to the engine! No. 171 was later based at the RPSI depot at Whitehead. In the background is one of the 18 "WT" Class 2-6-4T's (known as "Jeeps") built by the LMS at Derby from 1946 for the Northern Counties Committee, designed by Ivatt but similar to the Fowler 2-6-4T. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 08. With their 6' 0" driving wheels and rakish lines, the "WT" Class 2-6-4T's (AKA "Jeeps") were capable of a fair turn of speed, easily reaching 80mph on some of the faster turns. I didn't make a note of which engine this was, but 18 engines were built by the LMS at Derby Works from 1946, designed by Ivatt but very reminiscent in looks to the earlier Fowler locomotives. They were delivered to the Northern Counties Committee which shortly afterwards became the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) and had just become Northern Ireland Railways (NIR) in 1968, this engine having the new logo in place of the UTA crest. Belfast York Road shed, September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 09. The entrance to the yard and engine shed at Whitehead was protected by these wonderful somersault shunting signals at the Larne end of the up platform. WT No. 6 is at the head of a spoil train from Magheramorne to Belfast, while WT No. 51 is out of sight on the rear of the train. The yard and engine shed had already been taken over by the RPSI, and this is now their major base for steam loco operation and maintenance. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 10. WT 2-6-4T No. 50 is on the rear of an empty spoil train returning to Magheramorne (classmate No. 5 is on the front of the train) as they arrive at Whitehead station to wait for a southbound DMU to come off the single track section from Ballycarry. The WT's were numbered 1 - 10 and 50 - 57, carrying their numbers painted on the front and rear bufferbeams and on a numberplate on the bunkersides. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 11. At Whitehead, the line to Larne Harbour skirts the shores of Belfast Lough on the Antrim coast and there are fairly high cliffs at this point, the down line to Larne traversing a short tunnel through the cliff. WT 2-6-4T No. 50 is on the rear of an empty spoil train returning to Magheramorne (classmate No. 5 is on the front of the train) as they wait in Whitehead station for a southbound DMU to come off the single track section from Ballycarry. The signals here were a delightful mix of somersault semaphores, the up starter is in the "off" position for the DMU heading for Belfast. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 12. It's a hazy sort of day and difficult to see where the sea ends and the sky begins in this shot from high up on the cliffs at Whitehead, County Antrim. WT 2-6-4T No. 6 is at the head of an empty spoil train (No. 51 on the rear is out of sight) which has just emerged from the short tunnel through the cliffs on the shores of Belfast Lough, returning to Magheramorne to be reloaded. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 13. WT Class 2-6-4T No. 50 rounds the cliffs of the headland at Whitehead in charge of a loaded spoil train from Magheramorne to Belfast, a classmate bringing up the rear of the train, out of sight. The track here was double, the down line to Larne burrowing through the cliffs in a short tunnel. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 14. Some of the DMU operated services from Belfast York Road terminated at Whitehead, on the line to Larne Harbour, and then returned to Belfast. One such working is crossing from the down line over to the up line on a crossover controlled by a small somersault semaphore signal. It will then return to the station, out of picture to the left, before setting off for Belfast. September 1968.

1968/09/xx, 15. NIR "Jeep" Class WT 2-6-4T No. 6 is at the head of a heavy spoil train from Magheramorne to Belfast with classmate No. 51 pounding away at the rear as they attack the 1 in 98 gradient up to Greenisland, the wonderful somersault home signal being "off" for them. September 1968.