Raise the roof
We’re excited that, after years of planning – and yes, frustration and impatience – work has officially begun on repairs to the Maghera Locomotive Shed While the roof works are 80% funded by Newry, Mourne and Down District Council, we now need to raise the remaining 20% of the project costs. If you’d like to […]
The big shed shunt
Last Saturday saw the final clearance work for our locomotive shed ahead of roofing contractors moving in this week. And what a clearance it is, it sure makes your garden shed look tiny – no lawnmowers here. We had to clear out steam and diesel locomotives and heavy tools and equipment. Our volunteers undertook a […]
New road-rail excavator arrives
Who said you ever grow out of Tonka toys? Because sometimes the toys just get bigger… and come with rail wheels. A huge thank you to the team at Railway Plant Services Ltd, especially Chris and John, who have come to our rescue with a brand new (to us) road-rail excavator. Since the floods, when […]
90 Restoration update: removing the ashpan
We’ve had an impressive influx of new volunteers over the past few months. What better way to get them started than having them work on our 150-year-old steam loco No. 90? A few weeks ago we started removing the firebars from 90’s firebox. These are metal bars which hold the coals in place and let […]
A record number of volunteers?
On Saturday, we had no fewer than 27 volunteers working away across several different projects simultaneously. This is the most people – in a single place at the one time – we’ve had on a non-running day in decades. Many parts of the island were represented, with attendees from both sides of the border. Members […]
SG Elite assist with vegetation clearance
Over the past week we’ve had SG Elite on our line tackling long-overdue lineside overgrowth, and they’ve made a huge difference, completely knocking the socks off our volunteer team. For years, trees had been steadily encroaching and overhanging the line, branches were scraping carriages, and recent storms had brought down even more dead and diseased […]
First train through refurbished level crossing
Last Saturday 121 class loco 124 took our wandering wagons up to Inch Abbey for storage. This was so as to keep the Loop Line clear for vegeration clearance. On the way, we took a moment to admire our recently refurbished farm crossing near the station. This was the first time that a train had […]
Permanent Way volunteers go back to school
t was back to school for our Permanent Way volunteers this week. Several of the team attended the RailSTAR-IOSH Safe Working on the Railway course which was held in Ballymena. Focusing on essential safety practices in the railway environment, this course was attended by Permanent Way workers from all across Northern Ireland. Whether mainline or […]
80 class restoration update: January 2026
With the weather warming up (a little), Robert has taken the opportunity to recommence work on our 80 class power car 69. The lower temperatures over the Christmas break had precluded the use of paints and fillers. The recently repaired and isoponed areas have now received a coat of light green. Don’t worry, we’re not […]
CIÉ carriage 1918 restoration—preparation continues
Last Saturday saw our hardy volunteers continue preparing 1950s-vintage CIÉ ‘laminate’ carriage 1918 for its restoration. Having dealt with the old bar area the previous week, this time our novice gang turned their attention to removing panelling from the guard’s compartment. Counterintuitive though it may seem, dismantling is a key stage for any thorough carriage […]