Saturday 2nd August 2025 was a very special day at the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, for it marked 40 years since our heritage railway was incorporated on 2nd August 1985 (then under the name Downpatrick & Ardglass Railway).
As a prelude to our gala dinner in the evening Slieve Donard hotel that evening, we decided to use our vintage carriage set on our operations for the day: GSWR No.836 and BCDR Nos.148 and 72. 40 years ago all three carriages were in a derelict condition, in fact, the two BCDR ones were not only devoid of bogies, wheels and running gear, they were cut into halves and lying on farms. Their restoration, and the opening of our ‘north line’ to Inch Abbey, is one of our railway’s crowning achievements, so it was great to run them back and forth between Downpatrick and Inch all day.
With our steam locomotives unfortunately being out of use pending repairs to the Maghera Shed, the carriages were hauled by 1950s vintage A class diesel No.A39R, owned by our friends in the Irish Traction Group. With the ITG having played a major role in our railway’s success over the past few decades, it was quite appropriate they should play a key day on our special day.
It was wonderful to see so many friends, supporters and veteran volunteers come back to join us on our special day, we hope you enjoyed it. Special thanks also to shunt team, who got up in the early hours of the day to shunt the vintage set from its slumber in the gallery and then stay on to put everything to bed at the end of the day.
