Repairs to signal cabin interlocking completed
Over the last few months our volunteers have been repairing the mechanical interlocking in our Bundoran Junction signal cabin, which was damaged in 2023’s devastating flooding. This means that when a lever is pulled in the cabin to operate points or a signal, interlocking bars will prevent the signaller from accidentally misleading train drivers or […]
80 class power car: June 2025 restoration update
Our 80 Class power car 69 has seen a lot of rapid progress over the last month or so. During the shunting for the Moyexit locomotive arrivals, Project Manager Robert had the wheeze of using the Gallery platforms to get 69’s side door (recently refurbished) back into place, rather than struggle with lifting it up […]
Horticultural heroes brighten up our station
A huge thank you to Sean and Stephen in Downpatrick Community Allotments who’ve given some TLC to the baskets and plants in our station and created some gorgeous displays of petunias, marigolds, geraniums and a whole host of horticultural heroes to brighten the place up. As you will see from the photographs, they really have […]
Travelling Post Office workers reunited with their carriage
Yesterday we had the pleasure of welcoming some very special visitors to our railway: thirteen postal sorters who worked aboard our Travelling Post Office (TPO) carriage. The group travelled from Dublin to Downpatrick for a reunion with their fellow postal sorters and our TPO 2977, which was built in 1958 and is still owned by […]
Railbus off to a new home
After a 24 year stay in Downpatrick, former NIR Leyland Railbus RB3 has been transferred to the ownership of the Gwendraeth Valley Railway in Wales. This heritage line has a restricted loading gauge caused by some low bridges, meaning that most mainline rolling stock isn’t able to traverse the line. However, RB3 will be perfect, […]
NI Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmons visits the railway
Ministers are like buses, you wait for one then two visit you! On Thursday 6th June, we were pleased to welcome Northern Ireland Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins to our railway. This followed on from the visitor of her predecessor, John O’Dowd, last year. Minister Kimmins toured our site with officials from the Rail Safety Authority […]
Historic GM locomotives join the Downpatrick fleet
Were you stuck in a massive traffic jam on the road from Lisburn to Saintfield on Sunday 1st June? Sorry, that was us! We had a rather large delivery arrive at the railway. A year of planning, paperwork, negotiations, behind the scenes work, disposals, and tracklaying has paid off, as four diesel locomotives belonging the […]
A case of mistaken identity?
The restoration work on our ex-CIÉ/Iarnród Éireann ‘Tin Van’ continues to progress well. Recently, our volunteers started work on sanding down the bodywork prior to repainting. During the course of this sanding down the vehicle, our Marketing Officer made a bit of a discovery… When first acquired this vehicle back in 2019, there were no […]
Superhero showdown at Downpatrick
The Trickster God, Loki, returned to the Downpatrick & County Down Railway on Saturday 24th May, bringing with him his own brand of chaos. Fortunately, we are able to call upon some of the world’s greatest superheroes for help, with Spider-Man Captain Marvel and Captain America answering the call, ably assisted by little heroes from […]
Power car 69 escapes the workshop
We all like making the most of this sunny spell, and our preserved 80 class ‘thumper’ power car No.69 is no exception. She has spent most of the past couple of years sequestered inside our workshop for her bodywork overhaul. However, last Saturday she managed to get out for the first time in a few […]