Signalling project update: October 2025
Our signal cabin volunteers continue to work away on Bundoran Junction signal cabin as we get prepared to link it up to the points and signals around our yard. Robin and Jim have spent the last several weeks fitting plates to the bottom of the lever frame. These will eventually be attached to rods and […]
Work on returning No.90 to steam recommences
On Saturday 11th October, for the first time since the devastating flooding of November 2023, our volunteers began work on bringing steam back to County Down. As part of the previous week’s massive shunt, we moved 150-year-old tank engine No. 90 from the damaged Maghera Shed over to the Workshop so we can restart work […]
Rails return to Saintfield
After many years of rumours and false starts, rails have finally returned to Saintfield, seventy years after they were lifted by the old Ulster Transport Authority. As we mentioned a few weeks ago, we were delighted to assist Saintfield Community Association with their development of Windmill Park Saintfield, located just behind Saintfield Leisure Centre. The […]
DCDR welcomes iconic cement ‘bubble’ wagon to its collection
If you were following the “Moyexit” saga over the summer, you might have thought that we were finished collecting rolling stock when A3R arrived back in July. But yesterday we found ourselves welcoming another new vehicle to the railway, one that was thankfully much smaller and logistically easier to manage: ex-Iarnród Éireann “cement bubble” No. […]
Loco shed update
We’ve just received word that our proposals for replacing the Maghera Shed roof have received approval from the Council’s Building Control. This means we can now finalise and advertise the tender documents for the work. Given the imminent onset of winter, this is fantastic news and a major step towards restoring steam train services at […]
80 Class restoration update: reupholstered seats installed
This past weekend saw Niall and Robert continue to fit out the passenger compartment of 80 class power car 69, including the fitting of reupholstered seat cushions, resembling the original 80 class railcar seating as it was back in the 1970s. 69’s windows were removed over two years ago to repair about 40 years’ worth […]
Lapland Express: Quiet Train 2025
If you want to travel on our Lapland Express trains to meet Santa, Mrs Claus and the Elves but you have someone in your group who doesn’t respond well to crowds, music and other loud noises, you can now book for the Quiet Train on Saturday 29th November at 4:30pm. This session has been specially […]
The art of signwriting
We’ve quite the range of skillsets across our volunteers. However, when it comes to applying signwriting to our vintage carriages, we need to bring in a specialist. Over the last few weeks, we’ve been lucky enough to have the amazing John Gray of Farset Signs at our railway to hand paint some beautiful calligraphy onto […]
80 Class restoration update: welding
A further update on the restoration of our 80 class railcar set. Our new volunteer Harrison has been getting stuck in on his first day at Downpatrick by carrying out welding repairs on 1978-vintage ex-Northern Ireland Railways 80 class power car 69. At almost 50 years of age, the ducts that carry air to cool […]
IRSE Irish Section visit Downpatrick
Last Thursday we played host to a visit from the IRSE (the Institute of Railway Signal Engineers), Irish Section. Our chairman, Robert Gardiner, gave an overview of our railway’s story over the past 40 years, following which our Chief Civil Engineer, David Crone, discussed our future signalling plans and how we propose to achieve them. […]