Concrete progress on our point rodding
If you’ve visited our railway recently? You may have noticed a bit more of a “traditional mainline” feel about our track. Can’t put your finger on what it is? Well, the devil is in the detail. For some time now a small team, led by Robin Haldane, has been creating and installing what are known […]
Rare Irish freight wagons arrive at Downpatrick
Over the last two weeks, we’ve quietly been taking delivery of a few new additions to our historic wagon fleet. The ‘new’ (to us) wagons consist of two 22ft container flats, and the last remaining example of a CIÉ pallet van. Our thanks go to the private owner who saved these wagons and kindly donated […]
Another generous donation: an original UTA rolling stock book
Yesterday, we were grateful to receive a UTA rolling stock book as a donation from Terrance Bradley. The book dates from 1949 and contains images and diagrams of many examples of UTA vehicles, as well as a selection of unidentified structures and track plans. Our curator is already looking forward to the puzzle of figuring […]
Rare O&K ‘Zwiebelpfeife’ whistle donated to our railway
We recently got a very unexpected donation from a visitor. He had a piece of one of our steam engines in his attic for over 50 years! In the 1960s, Blundell lived close to where our two O&K locos, Nos. 1 and 3, were stored before they were preserved at Downpatrick. As the engines were […]
Jurassic Express weekend 2026 – something to roar about
What a weekend that was, with eight packed trains of brave adventurers travelling back to the age of the dinosaurs at our Jurassic Express dinosaur event, transported there by our team of train-a-saurus drivers (groan). With dinosaur eggs on the train out, a fantastic interactive dinosaur show in the leafy jungle at Inch Abbey, and […]
Trains return to the Loop Line
Saturday, June 26th, 2026, was a big date for our railway, with the Loop Line finally reconnected after an incredible ten years out of use. Following the completion of the work we described in last week’s post, the time had come to take some proper trains over the track. All was carefully observed by our […]
GSWR 90: restoration update June 2026
Over the past several months, our volunteers have been working hard on preparing GSWR tank engine No. 90 for its 10-year boiler overhaul. This involves dismantling the loco prior to sending the boiler to a contractor. We also need to inspect and carry out work on the frames, bearings, and valve gear. With the cladding, […]
Volunteers make great progress on Loop Line restoration
It’s been a busy few months for our dedicated track team, working out of sight out at the Loop Line. Great progress has been made towards reopening this side of the ‘triangle’ between the North Junction and the Loop Platform. This long-running project started in January 2017, after the final train crossed it in December […]
New ‘Thumper’ railcar badges launched
Some new designs have just arrived in our merchandise range. We felt that it’s about time that the classic Northern Ireland Railway’s “Thumper” diesel railcars were represented in badge form. It was a difficult decision—do we do the 1970s retro-liveried 80 class, or the (slightly) more modern 450 class design, of Derry Girls fame? Well, […]
Hop to it
Ribbit… ribbit…trespasser alert! There was a very small and friendly trespasser happily living in a drain in the Maghera Shed. That is, until one of our railway’s volunteers decided it was time to try to clean the drain out. They jumped higher in the air than the frog did. Our Compliance director Chris, clad in […]