Foyle Valley Railway facts for kids
The Foyle Valley Railway is a fun railway museum located in Derry, Northern Ireland. It's a great place to learn about the history of trains and railways in the area.
Contents
A Look at the Museum's History
The Foyle Valley Railway Museum first opened its doors in 1990. It was built on the spot where the old Foyle Road train station used to be. This station was part of the Great Northern Railway (Ireland).
After some time, the museum closed to visitors in 2002. But good news came in August 2016! A charity called Destined Ltd took over the building. This group helps adults with learning disabilities.
Destined Ltd worked hard to reopen the museum. Some of their members even got special training to help run the museum. Now, everyone can enjoy learning about trains again!
What You Can See at the Museum
When you visit the Foyle Valley Railway Museum, you'll step back in time. You can explore a recreated station platform. This shows you what a train station looked like long ago.
The museum also teaches you about the different railway companies. Many train companies used to operate out of Derry. You can discover their stories and how they helped people travel.
Meet the "Meenglas" Steam Train
One of the most exciting things to see is the steam locomotive outside the museum. This impressive train is called "Meenglas" and is numbered No. 4. It's a special type of train called a narrow gauge locomotive. This means its wheels are closer together than standard trains.
"Meenglas" was built in 1907 for the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee. It was first named "Donegal" and had the number 16. Later, in 1937, it was renamed "Meenglas" and became No. 4.
This train worked hard until December 31, 1959. That's when the County Donegal Railways stopped running trains. "Meenglas" is now a proud part of the museum's collection.
The Diesel Railcar's Journey
In the past, the museum also had a diesel railcar. This was a train that ran on diesel fuel. It used to travel about 3 miles along the riverbank.
However, in 2002, this railcar moved to a new home. It was taken to the Fintown narrow gauge railway in County Donegal. So, while it's not here anymore, it's still helping people learn about trains elsewhere!
Trains and Carriages on Display
The Foyle Valley Railway Museum has several interesting railway vehicles. These include different types of trains and carriages. They show how people and goods traveled in the past.
For example, you can see another steam locomotive, No. 6, named Columbkille. There's also a small diesel shunter, which is a type of engine used to move trains around.
The museum also displays old passenger carriages. These include a third-class carriage from 1901 and composite carriages from 1893 and 1885. A composite carriage means it had different classes of seating. You can also see an old goods van and even a hand-worked crane!
Original Use of the Site
The museum building and tracks are on a historic site. This was once the Londonderry Foyle Road railway station. It was the main station for the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) line. This line connected Derry to towns like Strabane and Omagh. It was a very busy place for trains on the west side of the River Foyle.
