Desmond Coakham, who passed away earlier today

Desmond Coakham, who passed away earlier today

We regret to have to announce as well the death of Desmond Coakham, aged 91, who passed away today, Thursday 4th October.

Desmond was a well-known authority on the old Belfast & County Down Railway, completing his life’s ambition of a comprehensive history of the BCDR last year, amongst his other photographic books, but always incredibly modest about the fantastic wealth of photographic archive he took of the old railway.

Desmond was an honorary life member of the DCDR and was as regular a visitor as he could be given his age, and was always on hand to assist advise on historical details to help with the restoration of the two BCDR carriages, even up to very recently, with livery details for the BCDR Railmotor.

He was a retired architect who was also a life-long railway enthusiast. His professional career led him to becoming a regular commuter on the Belfast & County Down Railway in the 1940s, and developed an intimate knowledge of the BCDR as a living entity.

He was a respected and long-standing member of the Irish Railway Record Society, to whose Journal he contributed many articles.

For those who wish to pay their respects to Desmond Coakham, his funeral will take place at 2pm this Monday, 8th October, at St. Patrick’s Church in Ballymoney.

Our deepest sympathy to his circle of friends.