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GIANT'S CAUSEWAY ELECTRIC TRAMWAY

   A sentence or two in the following page needs some clarification.  It reads, "The streetcars alone deserve a page of discussion.  They are known as trams powered by electricity.".
I didn't realize I was writing about the one and only "Giant' Causeway Electric Tramway".

   The next day I visited the office and was given a copy of a reprint of the "Formal opening" of the first electric tramway in the United kingdom".  This was September 28th, 1883 at Portrush on the northeastern coast of Northern Ireland. The starting point is at the terminus of another railway and runs to Bushmills (home of Bushmills whiskey) a distance of six miles, and on past the Dunluce Castle and terminates at the Giant's Causeway about two miles further on.  This is more than four times longer than the longest electric line at that time in the world.  I took a ride on it.

   The power is supplied by two dynamos purchased in New York and placed next to the River Bush. The water flows on to the dynamos and is regulated by valves which can terminate the power or increase it up to 80 horsepower.  This in turn controls the speed of the cars up to 10 miles per hour, and is done at the power house rather than by the car conductor.  The above picture is taken from a wood cut printed in one of the booklets I brought home.  There were other type cars not shown here.

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