Bank Holiday Steam in Downpatrick
Catch the steam train at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway on this year’s Late Spring Bank Holiday. It’s perfect chance for another trip to Inch Abbey, taking the time to sample the delights of a real steam train and rail travel at its most traditional.
Monday 27th May
Departures from 1pm-4pm
Buy your tickets online, here!
The train is being hauled by a ‘Black Beauty’ of the steaming kind – Orenstein & Koppel steam locomotive No. 1, a German-built locomotive that hauled wagons filled with sugar beet during her working life in factories for the Irish Sugar Company. The steam loco will be hauling two beautifully restored carriages from our heritage collection.
If you’re looking for something to do in the gloriously sunny exam weather, you can catch the steam train out to the 12th Century Cistercian monastery at Inch Abbey, travelling through the drumlin countryside of County Down – perhaps taking a picnic out with you to enjoy some chill time on the banks of the River Quoile?
Hot and cold drinks and snacks will also be served all day on board the buffet train at Inch Abbey station; if you are travelling into the town from Inch Abbey the return journey can be made on any of the services.
A trip to the signal cabin (fully wheelchair accessible) and the Carriage Gallery visitor centre brings the golden age of railways vividly to life, and looks at the impact that the railways had upon the lives of those who worked and travelled on them. The Carriage Gallery is your chance to encounter some of the finest restored carriages in Ireland, and see first-hand the stark contrast between them and the ruined shells that they came to us as. You can also see our latest arrival, an original Travelling Post Office carriage from An Post, which used to race between Dublin and Cork sorting mail on the move.
For the younger train fans, children can enjoy their own ‘Kids’ Station’ in the Gallery, and dress up as a train driver or guard and climb on board the cab of a locomotive or carriage for their photograph to be taken, or can get to drive Thomas the Tank Engine on a model railway – ‘big kids’ might even get a go too.
You should also be sure to go up to the front of the train at either of our stations where you can get a good look at the footplate of the steam locomotive and talk to the driver and fireman, they will show you how a steam locomotive works. You might even get a lump of coal as a souvenir. Be sure to ask them lots of difficult questions!
For those who are a little more adventurous, and perhaps live out a childhood dream, you can add on a ‘Footplate Pass’ for just £20. Not only will you get to climb aboard and see the footplate of a genuine steam loco, but you’ll get a return trip to Inch Abbey in the delightful company of the driver and fireman. A reasonable level of fitness is required for this, and terms and conditions apply.
Trains depart from 1pm to 4pm, with all-day tickets costing:
- Adults: £7.50
- Children aged 4 and over: £5.50
- Children aged under 4: FREE!
- Families (2 adults + up to three kids): £22
- Concessions (Senior Citizens, students, unemployed etc.): £6.50
Tickets can be purchased at our online ticket office, here, or you can buy tickets when you arrive at our station in Downpatrick.
Find out more about what you can do on your visit here.
Don’t forget that DCDR members travel totally free of charge – check out how to become a member here. If you’re a member you can also consider being a volunteer, and become part of the team who runs Ireland’s only full size heritage railway. Find out more about volunteering.