Railway Preservation Society of Ireland facts for kids
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) is an Irish railway preservation group operating throughout Ireland. It was founded in 1964. The society has its headquarters at Whitehead, County Antrim, and also maintains an operational base in Dublin. It operates steam train excursions primarily from Dublin and from Belfast, but occasionally from other locations as well. In the 1970s and 1980s, the society ran trains from Mullingar.
The RPSI has the largest collection of steam locomotives and preserved carriages in Ireland. It is also the longest established mainline heritage operator in Ireland.
Operations
Passenger excursions
The Society runs mainline trains on the Irish railway network using steam traction and vintage carriages. It also owns a small fleet of vintage diesel locomotives. Its longest running and most famous train, the Portrush Flyer, takes day trippers from Belfast to Portrush during the summer. Out of Dublin, several trains are operated over the scenic Rosslare line to Greystones and Wicklow throughout summer.
Each year the society organises a major weekend event, operating usually from Dublin in May and covering major routes in Ireland.
Excursion trains run throughout the year from both Dublin and Belfast, primarily at weekends. An operational set of vintage carriages is kept both at Whitehead and in Dublin for these purposes.
Other operations
On many occasions the RPSI has provided trains for films and television dramas, notably The First Great Train Robbery in 1979 and Michael Collins. RPSI also provided a train for filming on the Sky TV series Moone Boy.
The RPSI runs the Whitehead Railway Museum, opened in 2017.
The RPSI also runs special charter trains for companies like Steam Dreams and Railtours Ireland.
In winter months the Society runs public meetings in Belfast, comprising slide shows, films, and guest speakers. Topics featured often include the Derry Road and the last days of steam in Ulster.
Recognition
In 1983, the Association of Railway Preservation Societies (now known as the Heritage Railway Association) presented the RPSI with its annual award for "continuing highly successful operation...of steam excursions", and for the restoration of steam locomotive No. 4 and carriages 87, 1142 and 91.
In 1987 the RPSI won a certificate of commendation in the British Coal Annual Steam Heritage Awards for the restoration of No. 85 Merlin.
In 2000 the Heritage Railway Association gave the Supreme Champion award in the carriage and wagon category to the RPSI for its work on Irish State coach No. 351.
The HRA has also presented the RPSI with the John Coiley Award for Locomotive Preservation (in 2004, for No. 186); a certificate of commendation in 2006 (for its part in the Bleach Green to Whitehead track relay) and the Wagon Award in 2009 (for the restoration of a GNR(I) brake van).
2018 saw the society win the Manisty Award in recognition of opening the new Whitehead Railway Museum.
Fleet
The RPSI owns a total of ten steam and six diesel locomotives, a mixture of large main line and small industrial shunting types, all to the Irish gauge of 5 ft 3in. In addition it has had No.85 Merlin, last of the GNR(I) Class V, on loan from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum since the 1980s. The Society also owns or cares for a large collection of carriages and wagons of varying ages.
| Number | Name | Class | Wheel Arrangement | Build Date | Original Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | R.H. Smyth | 0-6-0ST | 1928 | Londonderry Port & Harbour Commissioners |
Stored awaiting overhaul. It recently got a repaint at Whitehead by the volunteers. |
|
| 3BG | 0-4-0ST | 1919 | Arthur Guinness, Son & Co | Overhaul complete 2016. In traffic. | ||
| 4 | WT | 2-6-4T | 1947 | LMS NCC | Operational, Mainline Certified. Returned to steam after overhaul in June 2015. This locomotive has spent far longer in RPSI ownership than either of the three railway companies that owned it before or combined. | |
| 27 | Lough Erne | Lough | 0-6-4T | 1949 | SL&NCR | UTA No.27 of class Z. Stored. In need of extensive restoration. Only steamed in early days and now has extensive corrosion around smokebox and other areas.Proposed to loan to Westrail Tuam in the 1990s. |
| 131 | Uranus | Q | 4-4-0 | 1901 | GNR(I) | In traffic. Certified for mainline use 2018. Tender body is largely new. Loco was originally partly restored by the Great Southern Railway Preservation Society in Mallow. |
| 171 | Slieve Gullion | S | 4-4-0 | 1913 | GNR(I) | Under overhaul at Whitehead. |
| 184 | 101 | 0-6-0 | 1880 | GS&WR | Stored. Requires heavy overhaul. Cylinder block may need replacement. Restored at Mullingar. Only loco yet to run in the north. | |
| 186 | 101 | 0-6-0 | 1879 | GS&WR | Out of traffic. | |
| 461 | K2 | 2-6-0 | 1922 | DSER | Out of Traffic, Mainline Certified. Originally DSER No.15, renumbered by GSR. | |
| 85 | Merlin | V | 4-4-0 | 1932 | GNR(I) | Operational, Mainline Certified. On long term loan from UFTM Cultra. Tender is RPSI owned and was saved at Mullingar. It was rebuilt then at Whitehead. |
| 105 | W | 2-6-0 | 20?? | LMS NCC | New-build under construction. |
| Number | Name | Class | Wheel Arrangement | Build Date | Original Operator | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Carlow | Ruston 88DS | 4wDM | 1955 | Comlucht Siúcre Éireann Teoranta (Irish Sugar Co., Carlow | Shunter at Whitehead. Repainted to original livery 2018. |
| 4wPM | 1965 | UTA | 'Unilok' road-rail shunter, light overhaul in progress (2018) at Whitehead. | |||
| 23 | Planet | Hibberd 88 hp | 4wDM | 1951 | Irish Shell | Stored at Whitehead. It was originally used by Irish Shell in Dublin docks. The only 5'3 gauge loco of its make. |
| B134 | 121 | Bo-Bo | 1961 | CIÉ | Overhaul in progress at Inchicore works | |
| B141 | 141 | Bo-Bo | 1962 | CIÉ | Stored at Connolly | |
| 142 | 141 | Bo-Bo | 1962 | CIÉ | Stored awaiting engine overhaul after suffering bad cylinder damage due to improper care. | |
| 175 | 141 | Bo-Bo | 1962 | CIÉ | Stored at Connolly |
The group has three operational mainline steam locomotives, DSER K2 class 2-6-0 No. 461 (last overhaul completed 2011), the borrowed Great Northern Railway (Ireland) V Class 4-4-0 No. 85 Merlin (last overhaul completed 2014) and LMS NCC WT 2-6-4T No. 4 (last overhaul completed 2015). No. 461 is the only surviving mogul locomotive to have inside cylinders in either Ireland or the UK, while No. 85 is the only operational compound railway locomotive. Normally, one locomotive is based in Dublin and one in Whitehead, with locomotives occasionally being swapped round to suit local requirements.
The RPSI has a diesel department. 141 class locomotives B141 and B142 were acquired in 2010, repainted in original CIÉ black livery. 175, along with 121 class locomotive B134 are also owned by RPSI. B142 was used as a shunter at Whitehead before suffering engine failure in 2020; it is currently stored awaiting repair. B141 and 175 are stored in the society's shed at Connolly Station in Dublin, and in early 2017 B134 was sent to Irish Rail's Inchicore depot for restoration to mainline standard. 142 is being repainted into CIE black and tan livery as worn from the 1970s to 1980s.
As of 2014, the society has in operation three distinct rakes of carriages. One is made up of a mixture of NIR, Irish Rail, and BR Mark 2 vehicles, based at Whitehead. This set is painted in the RPSI's dark green livery. In Dublin, there exists two further rakes of carriages. One, the "heritage set", is mainly made up of 1950s vintage CIÉ Park Royal and laminate stock, along with some ex-GNR(I), GSR and GSWR vehicles (including 1st corridor No. 1142). These are mostly painted in 1950s CIÉ green livery. The other is made up of ex-Iarnród Éireann Cravens coaches, along with a BR steam heating van.
Some carriages have at times been displayed in the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra. These include GNR(I) Director Saloon No.50 and CIE dining car No.2422.
