The 40th anniversary of the ending of steam traction on Northern Ireland Railways coincides with our 2010 May railtour and appropriately, for the first time since 2001, the International Railtour will visit Northern Ireland as its destination. The Dalriada Railtour will feature around 500 steam and 113 diesel-hauled miles over three days.

It is planned that both LMS (NCC) 2-6-4 WT class locomotive No.4 and GSWR 0 6 0 J15 class locomotive No.186 will be used. Our comfortable RPSI Mk2 carriage set will be used throughout.

End of Steam Background
While main line steam ended on British Rail in August 1968, steam haulage continued on NIR until 1970. The principal steam work was to haul quarry waste (spoil) from near Larne to the Belfast Lough foreshore for the use in the construction of a motorway. The last spoil train operated on Saturday 2nd May 1970 while the last passenger train had operated at Easter. Belfast (York Road) depot effectively closed to steam traction by the end of that May. The spoil trains marked not only the last commercial use of steam traction in Ireland but also the last example of Company revenue earning broad-gauge steam operation in the British Isles.

The Dalriada Railtour Programme:

Saturday 8th May
No.186: Dublin (Connolly) - Whitehead.
No.4: Whitehead - Carrickfergus - Larne Harbour - Belfast Central.

Sunday 9th May
No.186: Belfast Central - Bangor - Whitehead.
No.4: Whitehead - Ballymena - Coleraine - Lisburn - Belfast Central. Locomotives cannot work beyond Coleraine until the Portrush Branch is relayed in the autumn.

Monday 10th May
No.4: Belfast Central - Dublin (Connolly).
GM: Dublin (Connolly) - Belfast - Whitehead.

Fares:  £165 (Under 16/Over 65, £140). Non member supplement of £25 applies.

Fringe Activities:

Thursday 6th May (£25)
Carriage positioning train: GM diesel and Mk2s from Whitehead to Dublin (Connolly), with pick up at Carrickfergus, Belfast Central, Lisburn and Portadown.

Friday 7th May (£43)
"Silvermines Railtour": Diesel-hauled railtour using Irish Rail GM locomotives. Dublin to Limerick via Nenagh and return by the Cork line. A stand-alone booking form will be available later for this railtour through the web site.

Tuesday 11th May (£35)
Coach tour from Belfast with a heritage theme.  Includes lunch.

Fares:  All, or separate, elements of the Heritage Weekend can be booked:
• The Thursday diesel-hauled carriage positioning train.
• The Friday diesel-hauled railtour.
• The Dalriada Railtour (Saturday, Sunday & Monday). Adult and Under 16/Over 65 fares.
• The Tuesday coach tour (includes lunch).

A special thank you to Iarnród Éireann and Northern Ireland Railways for facilitating this comprehensive steam and diesel operation.

No.4 running round her train at Clonmel during the 2008 May railtour.

Our website has pictorial reports some previous RPSI International Railtours - 

2009 "Carrowbeg" and "Comeragh" railtours
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

2008 "Barrow Bridge railtour"
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5

2007 "Garavogue Railtour"
2006 "Earl of Desmond Railtour"
2005 "Suir Valley Railtour"
2004 "Slieve Kimalta Railtour"

Some comments from passengers on our previous RPSI International Railtours:

• "this year the Three Day Tour received overall the highest satisfaction ratings of any tour ever surveyed"
• "I just want to send my vote of thanks for your recent railtour. As usual from the excellent turn out of the locomotives and rolling stock the planning of the trip in general. The friendliness of the staff and other volunteers. I just wish to offer you success to the rest of the year."
• "A big thank-you to everyone for one of the very best railtours I have ever been on. Superb organisation, timekeeping (compared with most!) and service. We will definitely come again next year, EXCELLENT!"
• "Many memorable moments."
• "Please pass on sincere thanks to the operations committee for another superb and hugely enjoyable tour.  The organisation was hugely complex, and everyone involved deserves great credit.  Another landmark for the Society"