The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland

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With a unique collection of working steam locomotives, and a unique collection of vintage railway carriages, we are an ideal choice for any film or TV Commercial maker who wishes to portray a railway scene at any time between the1880's and the 1960's.
Below is a table outlining the filming work that the RPSI has been involved in over the last 30 years.

No.461 pictured at Pearse Station in Dublin for the filming of Rebel Heart in March 2000. Photo by B.Solomon

(above) No.461 at Pearse Station during filming of the major BBC/RTE
production "Rebel Heart" in March 2000. Photo by B.Solomon

Start Date	End Date	Name Of Production	Period Portrayed	Locos Used	Filming Location	Additional Comments
		The Dead	1910s	184		A dramatisation of Joyce’s work – possibly the last film of John Houston.
10-06-1973	10-06-1973	Power To Move	1970s	171	Whitehead – Antrim– Lisburn – Moira	BBC TV programme.
12-06-1976	13-06-1976	A Portrait Of The Artist As A Young Man	1910s	171, 186	Dublin – Cork – Cobh	Filmed on the Society’s “Seandun” railtour.
12-04-1978	16-06-1978	First Great Train Robbery	1890s	184, 186	Cork, Dublin Heuston, Moate	Not continuously.
23-09-1978	23-09-1978	Lady Gregory		171	Whitehead	RTE TV production.
22-03-1979	22-03-1979	The Flame Is Love	1890s	184	Bray - Greystones	Set between Paris and Le Havre using coaches from First Great Train Robbery.
16-07-1980	16-07-1980	My Dear Palestrina	1950s	171	Poyntzpass	BBC TV play.
26-08-1980	26-08-1980	Canada Dry TV Commercial	1930s	171	Malahide	Night filming.
25-09-1982	25-09-1982	The Life Of Richard Wagner	1890s	171	Dublin	Loco transfer date - not necessarily filming date.
20-03-1983	20-03-1983	Aunt Suzanne	1910s	171	Carrickfergus	BBC TV play.
14-05-1983	15-05-1983	Country Girls	1960s	171	Waterford area	Lineside shots from the “Port Lairge” railtour
14-10-1983	14-10-1983	Irish RM	1890s	184	Mullingar - Moate	Station scenes at Moate.
20-12-1983	20-12-1983	A Painful Case		184	Mullingar - Moate
21-11-1986	23-11-1986	Remington Steele	1980s	85	Dublin Connolly	Static station (supposedly Paddington) with platform fight scene. BR logo on tender.
13-09-1987	14-09-1987	Troubles	1920s	184	Greystones - Wicklow	TV Film.
17-09-1987	18-09-1987	Echoes	1950s	184	Carrick-On-Suir - Fiddown
14-10-1987	14-10-1987	The Old Jest		184	Moate
04-05-1989	05-05-1989	The Real Charlotte	1890s	184	Moate, Dublin Heuston	Loco not in steam.
01-07-1990	01-07-1990	Satzenbrau TV Commercial	1990s	Coaches	Dublin Heuston
06-09-1992	06-09-1992	NITB TV Advert	1990s	171	Downhill	Filmed at tunnels and strand.
25-04-1993	25-04-1993	Derry To Kerry	1993	171	Derry - Belfast	BBC TV Great Railway Journeys.
02-05-1993	02-05-1993	Derry To Kerry	1993	461	Dublin - Rosslare	BBC TV Great Railway Journeys.
16-07-1995	01-10-1995	Michael Collins	1920	171-- 461	Dublin, Rush, Laytown, Wicklow	Not continuously.
31-07-1995	31-07-1995	Corr's Music Video	1995	Diner 88	Dublin Pearse	Coach 1335 also made an appearance.
28-09-1995	28-09-1995	Visa TV Commercial	1995	Coaches	Killarney
18-10-1995	18-10-1995	Bookworm	1995	Coaches	Dublin Heuston	BBC/RTE Arts Programme.
04-04-1996	04-04-1996	Karet Coffee Commercial	1990s	85	Whitehead- Larne Harbour - Whitehead	Advert for an Israeli coffee company
16-10-1997	17-10-1997	Amongst Women	1950s	Coaches	Castlerea	BBC/RTE Series. Set hauled by ITG's A39 diesel locomotive.
17-08-1998	17-08-1998	Her Own Rules		461	Malahide	TV production.
19-08-1998	20-08-1998	Durango		461	Rathdrum	Film production.
29-11-1998	20-12-1998	Angela's Ashes	1930s	461	Dublin Pearse	Film production - 2 days.
23-05-1999	23-05-1999	Norah Barnacle	1910s	Coaches	Dublin Pearse	Film production.
26-03-2000	27-03-2000	Rebel Heart	1916	461	Dublin Pearse	BBC/RTE production.
01-07-2001	02-07-2001	Cake	2001	1463	Inchicore	TV production for TG4.

As well as supplying locomotives and coaches, we can advise on historical authenticity and on other practical matters in relation to your filming proposals.
In order to arrange a filming sequence with a railway subject, there are a number of things to consider.

Firstly, is a train required just as a static backdrop, or is a locomotive in steam required? Then, does the train need to be going anywhere, or is it sufficient to have it just move away out of camera view? If one of the above is all that is needed, it may be possible to arrange the whole shoot on our premises at Whitehead, Co. Antrim, or at a location on the national railway system (and we can give you clues on where best to go for different purposes). If you need a fully fledged train, travelling on a main line, we need to involve the railway authorities as well. Let us know what you require and we can suggest how best to approach it.

Costs are based on the following:

Hire of Locomotive and / or Coach(es).
Running expenses i.e. coal and lubricant costs, railway company line occupancy charges, railway crew charges. Running expenses are calculated on a mileage basis, and on the basis of coal etc. used while stationary.
Generally, your film company will incur charges from the railway company as well, which you need to negotiate separately. Should you require diesel haulage of our rolling stock for positioning purposes, this would also be subject to negotiation with the relevant railway company.

See the railway map of Ireland below to have a look at where it is possible to go - anywhere is theoretically possible, though some destinations are more suitable for steam trains to go to than others.

Contact us today for a quotation.

RAILWAY PRESERVATION SOCIETY OF IRELAND
P.O. BOX 171
LARNE
COUNTY ANTRIM
NORTHERN IRELAND
BT40 1UU

Our fax number / recorded message phone number is (028) 2826 0803.
Email us!

CORPORATE HIRE / ENTERTAINMENT

valued clients:
The RPSI has a valued history of providing our steam trains for corporate events. Examples of train hire in 2005 have been:

Steam trains from Lisburn/Belfast to Cultra for evening meal events - NITB, Association of British Neurologists, British Transplant Society
A steam train from Belfast to celebrate VE/VJ Day - The Mount Vernon Community Association
A steam train from Dublin to publicise the launch of the latest Harry Potter Book - Tesco Ireland
A steam train from Dublin for the Iarnrod Eireann Permanent Way Institute
Steam trains for special events, for example Belfast City Councils "Steam over Belfast Lough" as part of Titanic Week

whats on offer:
Apart from a completely unique experience - we are the only providers of mainline steam trains in Ireland!
We can offer anything from the complete hire of our steam train to the reservation of seats in first class carriages on one of our scheduled public trains. A corporate event in the Transport Gallery of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 2004. Delegates arrived and departed on a RPSI steam train from Cultra station.

A corporate event in the Transport Gallery of the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 2004. Delegates arrived and departed on a RPSI steam train from Cultra station.

In Northern Ireland, we have successfully collaborated with the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum to provide a unique corporate package. This very successful format sees the steam train picking up delegates at Lisburn or Belfast Central, taking them to Cultra station where it is a very short walk to the Transport Gallery, a very exciting and inspiring venue for an evening meal (see photograph above). Full conference facilities can be provided. The steam train then returns delegates to the heart of Belfast and Lisburn later in the evening.

No.186 crosses Cahir viaduct in May 2005 - where would you like to hire our train? Photo by G Lockley On board the train we can offer full bar and tea-bar facilities if requested. From Dublin, a full train will comfortably seat over 300 people. From Belfast, a full train will comfortably seat 220 people. A single carriage will hold anything from 50 - 60 people (depending on which carriage you want) or, a single compartment in one coach will hold 8 people. See the railway map of Ireland above to have a look at where it is possible to go.

what does it cost?:
In all cases, we advise you to contact us to discuss pricing an event or corporate train. As a 'rule of thumb' the hire of a full train in Northern Ireland will cost £2000 per day plus £16 per route mile operated (this includes any journeys the train will have to cover to get to your starting station and to return to our depot from your finishing station).

what should you do next?:

Have a think about where you would like to travel and consider a budget.
Send us an email with your idea and we will be able to work with you to make it a reality.
It really is THAT SIMPLE!!

Keeping Steam alive in Ireland since 1964

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