Downpatrick and County Down Railway facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Downpatrick and County Down Railway
The DCDR logo, based on a monogram design used by the BCDR
Locale	Northern Ireland
Commercial operations
Name	Belfast and County Down Railway
Built by	Belfast and County Down Railway
Original gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Preserved operations
Operated by	The Downpatrick and County Down Railway Society Limited
Stations	Four
Length	Approximately 3 miles (4.8 km)
Preserved gauge	1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)
Commercial history
Opened	1859
Closed	1950
Preservation history
1985	Work started on building preserved railway
1987	First public trains ran
1995	South Line extended to Magnus' Grave
2005	North Line extended to Inch Abbey
2014	Carriage Gallery officially opened
2020	Railway closes during COVID-19 pandemic
2022	Railway reopens to public
Late 2023	Railway Temporarily Closes due to severe flooding and resulting damage
Website
downrail.co.uk

The Downpatrick and County Down Railway (DCDR) is a special old railway in County Down, Northern Ireland. It's called a "heritage railway" because it keeps old trains and tracks working. This railway uses a unique track width, called "gauge," which is 5 feet, 3 inches (1,600 mm) wide.

Volunteers run the DCDR, operating passenger trains with steam and diesel engines. They also use diesel railcars and old carriages. The railway has about three miles (4.8 km) of track laid out like a triangle. This connects the town of Downpatrick to historical places like Inch Abbey in the north and King Magnus’ Grave in the south. The DCDR also has a museum filled with old railway items and rolling stock (trains and carriages) from Ireland, some dating back to the 1860s!

A group of local train fans started the DCDR in the early 1980s. Work began on building the railway in 1985. Most of its tracks are on parts of the old Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) line, which used to run between Belfast, Downpatrick, and Newcastle. The DCDR first opened to the public in December 1987. Back then, it was just a short track with one diesel engine and a brake van (a special carriage for the guard). It has grown a lot since then, reaching its current length when the Inch Abbey line was finished in 2005.

The DCDR is the only railway in Ireland that uses the 5-foot, 3-inch track width for heritage trains. This has been the standard size for tracks across Ireland since the 1840s. The Downpatrick station is near Down Cathedral and the Saint Patrick Centre. This makes the railway a popular spot for tourists and it has hundreds of members. The DCDR has many steam and diesel engines, plus the biggest collection of Victorian railway carriages in Ireland. Some of these old carriages were in bad shape but were carefully fixed up by volunteers, even winning awards for their restoration!

History of the Railway
How the Railway Works
Stations & Buildings
Rolling Stock (Trains and Carriages)
- Engines
- Railcars
- Carriages
- Wagons
Awards
Television and Film Appearances
Images for kids
See also

History of the Railway

The First Downpatrick Railway

The first railway in Downpatrick opened in March 1859. This was part of the Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR) main line from Belfast Queen's Quay. Downpatrick had a big station building, a train shed (where trains were stored), a goods store, an engine shed, and a turntable (a spinning platform for turning engines around).

The BCDR's chief engineer, Sir John Macneill, oversaw the building of this line. It included a bridge over the River Quoile estuary, which was a marshy area outside Downpatrick. The original bridge was replaced with a stronger steel bridge in 1929. Because the railway was built on the river's flood plain, the line often got flooded, especially in winter.

The railway first ended in Downpatrick. But in 1869, another company built an extension from Downpatrick to the seaside town of Newcastle. The BCDR operated this new Newcastle line and bought it in 1881. This extension made train journeys longer because trains going from Belfast to Newcastle had to stop in Downpatrick. The engine had to unhook, move to the other end of the train, and re-hook to continue. This caused delays and crowding at the Downpatrick station.

In 1892, a new opportunity came with the opening of the Downpatrick, Killough and Ardglass Railway. This new line included Downpatrick Loop Platform. The Ardglass line was also built and run by the BCDR. It branched off the main line about a kilometre south of Downpatrick station. To make things easier, a loop line was built to connect the Newcastle and Belfast lines directly. The Loop Platform was at this South Junction. This meant trains from Belfast going to Newcastle (and vice versa) could skip the main Downpatrick station. They would stop at the Loop Platform for passengers going to Downpatrick or Ardglass to switch trains. This created a unique triangular-shaped track layout. Most of the DCDR's working railway line today uses the path of this old triangular track.

The original Loop Platform from the South Junction. The line on the left went to Belfast, and the line on the right went to Downpatrick.

The Railway Closes Down

After a major incident in 1945, the BCDR faced huge financial difficulties. This led to the company being taken over by the government, becoming part of the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA) in 1948. Railways needed a lot of money for repairs after years of little funding during World War II. So, the government decided to look at the future of public transport. In December 1949, they decided to close almost all former BCDR lines, except for one, to save money and focus on road services.

The entire Belfast – Newcastle line south of Comber, including Downpatrick, closed on Sunday, January 15, 1950. The tracks and most of the railway buildings were removed by 1953. The station building was then used by the UTA's bus company, which later became Ulsterbus. Most of the land where the tracks used to be was sold to private owners. The land around Downpatrick was bought by Charles Mulholland, 3rd Baron Dunleath, and it remained mostly untouched until the DCDR arrived. While the 1929 Quoile Bridge was taken apart for scrap, the Loop Platform and some smaller bridges nearby were left standing. The old station building was knocked down in the 1970s, and part of the old station yard became a storage area for the Road Service.

The Heritage Railway Begins

Local architect Gerry Cochrane M.B.E. was inspired to start a new railway after walking along the old line. By 1982, he had support from the local council to rebuild part of the line as a heritage steam railway. Lord Dunleath, whose father had bought the railway land near his estate, gave the new railway society land to build the line and station for a very low rent. This land was near the old Downpatrick station, which had been demolished.

Work to rebuild the railway started in 1985. Public trains finally ran in the town again on Friday, December 4, 1987. This made it the first heritage railway in Ireland to carry passengers on its own tracks. Nearly 6 km (4 miles) of track have been relaid on the old Belfast and County Down Railway path. There are also plans for a 1.6 km (1 mile) extension south to Ballydugan.

The railway was first called the Downpatrick & Ardglass Railway because the original plan was to extend it to the fishing port of Ardglass. This name was changed in 1996 when that plan was dropped. It became the Downpatrick Railway Museum until 2005, when it got its current name, Downpatrick & County Down Railway, after the Inch Abbey extension opened.

The railway was closed to the public from March 2020 to July 2022 (except for a short time at Christmas 2021) because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Volunteers kept working during this time, and normal service started again on July 16, 2022.

In November 2023, the railway closed again after heavy rain from Storm Ciarán caused severe flooding. The entire site was under 3 to 6 feet of water for almost a week. The railway is still closed as volunteers are checking and fixing the damage to the trains and tracks.

How the Railway Works

About three miles (4.8 km) of track are open for trains to run. The railway uses steam engines, like O&K No. 1 or 3, and diesel engines from the 1950s and 60s. These engines pull preserved rolling stock (carriages and wagons).

Passenger trains usually use special carriages like coach 3223 (built in 1954), coach 728 (built in 1951), and coach 1944 (built in 1954). The railway also has older, very special carriages from the Victorian times. These are usually on display in the Carriage Gallery and are only used for a few special events because they are so historically important.

The DCDR also plans to have a working mechanical signalling system. This will use old signal cabins and semaphore signals (the arms that move up and down to tell trains what to do). There's also a "Double Track Project" planned, which will allow trains to run on both the North and South lines at the same time.

Every year, the DCDR runs special trains for different events:

Saint Patrick's Day Specials: Trains run to Inch Abbey on Saint Patrick's Day.
Easter Specials: Trains run to Inch Abbey around Easter.
May Day Specials: Trains run to Inch Abbey on May Day.
Summer Specials: Trains run every weekend during summer to Inch Abbey. Some days have special events, including an annual diesel day.
EHOD Days: These happen with the last Summer Specials weekend. Visitors can get free rides in a diesel engine's cab and go on behind-the-scenes tours.
Halloween Specials: Trains run to Magnus' Grave on the weekend before and on Halloween night.
Santa Specials: Trains run to the Loop Platform on the weekend before Christmas.
Mince Pie Specials: These run on the last weekend of the year to Magnus' Grave or Inch Abbey, usually pulled by a diesel engine.

They also have extra trains for bank holidays, special shunting (moving trains around) events, private bookings, and even for filming movies!

On days when trains are running, visitors can explore the BCDR Museum upstairs in Downpatrick railway station. They can also see the Downpatrick East signal cabin, a model railway room, the workshop viewing area (where carriages are being fixed), and the Carriage Gallery. There's also a gift shop and a buffet carriage (for snacks and drinks) usually parked at Inch Abbey or Downpatrick Loop Platform railway station.

Stations & Buildings

Stations

Downpatrick Station is the main station where all passenger trains start. It has two platforms, but one is not currently used. The original station was on Market Street but was knocked down before the DCDR was built.
Downpatrick Loop Platform cannot be reached by road, which is why it wasn't demolished in the 1950s. It's where trains switch between the DCDR's South and Loop lines. It has two platforms.
King Magnus' Halt is the end of the South Line. It has one platform and leads to the grave of Viking King Magnus Barefoot. This site was hard to reach before the railway arrived. This halt wasn't an original BCDR station.
Inch Abbey Halt is the end of the North Line. It has two platforms and serves the ruins of Inch Abbey. This station was not part of the original BCDR line.

Buildings & Structures

Many of the railway's buildings, like its engine shed and two signal cabins, are original railway structures. They were first built in other parts of Northern Ireland and then carefully moved and rebuilt brick-by-brick at Downpatrick.

Downpatrick Station Building was originally the town's Gas Manager's House. It was moved brick-by-brick from across the road.
Downpatrick Signal Cabin, from the BNCR, was moved brick-by-brick from Kingsbog Junction.
Downpatrick East Signal Cabin, from the GNR, was originally Bundoran Junction's North Cabin. It was moved to DCDR in 2011 and opened to the public in 2017.
Downpatrick Locomotive Shed, also from the BNCR, was moved stone-by-stone from Maghera, where it was a goods shed.
Downpatrick Station Canopy was originally part of the Maghera Shed.
Downpatrick Water Tower was moved from Antrim station.
The Arch, which is over the main gate, has the railway's name and is based on a design from Cookstown.
Bridges 163 & 164 are original BCDR bridges that cross a small stream.
Downpatrick Loop Platform and Canopy are the only original BCDR buildings left in Downpatrick.
The Cutting is just past where passenger trains usually go on the South Line. It's a path cut through the ground, with high walls on either side, that takes trains up a small hill.
The Quoile Bridge is the longest bridge on the DCDR. It carries the North Line over the River Quoile. While the main parts of the bridge are new, the concrete middle support is original.

Carriage Gallery

Finished in 2012, the Carriage Gallery is the DCDR's museum for trains and carriages that aren't being used for public rides. Like other transport museums, it keeps vehicles indoors where visitors can get a close look and learn about them and Irish railways. Even though it's called the "Carriage Gallery," it also has steam and diesel engines, and even an old road vehicle for tar! The gallery is designed to look like grand Victorian railway stations. The collection is set up on three tracks with platforms, so visitors can even go inside some of the vehicles. You can see exhibits in all sorts of conditions, from fully restored to how they were found, showing how much work goes into fixing them up.

The Carriage Gallery was officially opened by the Earl Of Wessex in 2014.

Rolling Stock (Trains and Carriages)

The railway has a large collection of trains and carriages. This includes three steam engines, eight diesel engines, seven diesel railcar sets, twenty-four carriages, thirty-eight wagons, and four special vehicles for track work. In total, they have eighty-three railway vehicles!

Engines

Currently, steam engines O&K Nos. 1 and 3 are running. The oldest steam engine in Ireland that can still run is GSWR No.90, built in 1875. The DCDR also has several diesel engines, including two E Class diesels (E421 and E432) that were among the first to pull passenger trains here. They also have three G Class diesels and three larger mainline diesels on loan from the Irish Traction Group.

Railcars

The DCDR also has several railcars (trains that are self-powered and don't need a separate engine). These include Railcar B from the Sligo, Leitrim and Northern Counties Railway, which needs a lot of work to run again. They also have a special prototype railbus, RB3, and three former NIR railcars, including the last 450 Class (458 Antrim Castle), which has been turned into a buffet train, and two 80 class railcars.

Carriages

The DCDR uses different sets of carriages for different purposes:

Old Buffet: These are 1950s carriages used as a buffet (food) train and Santa's Grotto in autumn and winter.
New Buffet: A modern railcar set used as the buffet train in spring and summer.
Everyday Running Set: These are 1950s carriages used for most regular train rides.
Vintage Running Set: These are very old carriages (from the Edwardian period or earlier) usually displayed in the Carriage Gallery. They are used for special events because they are so valuable.

The everyday running set usually includes CIÉ 1944 and UTA 728. A generator van (CIÉ 3223) is added in autumn and winter for heating and lighting. For special days, the Vintage Set is used, which includes BCDR Nos. 72 and 148, and GSWR 836. The buffet train is open to the public on running days, parked at Inch Abbey or the Loop Platform.

The railway has a very diverse collection of carriages from almost every time period and Irish railway company. This includes five of the six remaining BCDR carriages, and the only surviving vehicle from the Ulster Railway, No. 33, which is Ulster's oldest carriage (built in 1862). Other special carriages include the BCDR Railmotor No. 72, the Royal Saloon No. 153 (which carried at least three British Monarchs!), and the last AEC railcar.

Wagons

The DCDR also has many wagons, goods vans, and train frames. The ex-NCC brake van No. 33 was the first vehicle to carry passengers on the railway. Their wagon collection also includes the most powerful steam crane in Ireland, NCC No. 3084, which can lift 36 tons! Most wagons are stored away, as they don't bring in money like the engines and carriages. The DCDR hopes to build a special goods shed to store them permanently. In 2022, they received a full ballast train (three hoppers and a plough van) from Dublin, used for laying new track.

They also have a small fleet of special vehicles for maintaining the tracks, all from NIR.

Awards

The Downpatrick and County Down Railway has won many awards for its hard work and preservation efforts:

National Railway Heritage Awards: Ian Allan Railway Heritage Award (First Class): Won in 1992 for the Downpatrick Station Building.
Northern Ireland Tourist Board and British Airways Tourism Awards (Highly commended): Won in December 1999 for 'Best Project'.
Heritage Railway Association Carriage and Wagon Award (Highly commended): Won in 1999 for the restoration of GSWR carriage No. 836.
Down District Council Tourism Heroes Award: Won in May 2008.
Co-operation Ireland Pride Of Place Award: Won in November 2012.
Heritage Railway Association Annual Small Groups Award: Won in 2014 for involving young people and for its great building and museum development.
Heritage Railway Association Carriage and Wagon Award: Won in 2019 for restoring BCDR railmotor No. 72.
Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Heritage Angel Awards (Highly commended): Won in October 2019 for restoring the Bundoran Junction North signal cabin.
National Railway Heritage Awards: Abellio Signalling Award (Highly commended): Won in December 2019 for restoring the Bundoran Junction North signal cabin.
Heritage Railway Association Lord Faulkner Young Volunteer Award: Runner-up in March 2022, and won in February 2024.