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26th September - Update
The shop page has been updated with details of the recently released second edition of the popular 1998 book Fermanagh's Railways.  With no fewer than 88 of its 250 pictures never published anywhere before, this will be of great interest to anybody with an interest in Irish railways or in the history of Fermanagh - whether they have a copy of the first edition or not!

Please also note that our very popular OO gauge mark II carriages are almost sold out!  Only 40 carriages remain in stock - hurry to avoid disappointment!

19th September - News
A change of plan has been forced on us by circumstance! No.4 suffered some damage to her valves on a recent "Sea Breeze" train. Teams from Whitehead have travelled to Dublin to try and repair the damage in time for the "Dundalk 50" trains next week.

Unfortunately a combination of working away from home (and the specialised tools required) and the inaccessability of the components has meant that it has proved impossible to repair No.4 in Dublin. No.4 has been reassembled and will be moved to Whitehead for a full repair shortly. Sadly she is not fit to haul a train on the "Dundalk 50".
 

After a second day's struggling in Dublin Connolly with No.4, and with a heavy heart, Dave reassembles No.4 in preparation for her light engine run to Whitehead.

However, our friends at Northern Ireland Railways have come up trumps, and are going to loan us one of their 111 class diesel-electric locomotives to stand in for No.4 at the last minute.
 

But if you were looking forward to some steam on the day don't panic, No.186 will be in action! Firstly she will haul the Mk.2 coaches to Dundalk from Whitehead. She will work the 1300 from Dundalk to Drogheda, and the 1410 from Drogheda to Dundalk. Later in the day she will take our newly outshopped rake of Cravens on to Dublin. No.186 is pictured earlier today ready to work tomorrow's "Country Comes to Town" specials.

The view you'll get if you come on the "Dundalk 50"! NIR GM No.111 powers Northbound out of Drogheda. An NIR GM locomotive will haul the Cravens from Dublin to Dundalk on the morning of the 28th. It will be the motive power on the 1200 ex Dundalk and the 1300 ex Drogheda. As a turbodriven end to the day, the diesel-electric will take the Mk.2 set back to Belfast, recreating the "Enterprise" of the 1980s. Our Mk.2 set includes two veterans of this era, No.300 and recently restored Dining Car No.547.

For enthusiasts, this will be the first outing for our rake of Cravens carriages - one of which will be in a new livery!

17th September - updates
It's that time of year again!  As the nights draw in, railway enthusiasts in the Belfast area are invited to warm themselves around a glowing projector as a new season of talks begins at St Jude's church hall off the Ravenhill Road.

Click here to read the full details.

Click here to download a poster in PDF format.  Why not spread the good news by printing it off to display in some prominent place?

15th September - updates
These items have been added to our shop page:

DVD by VIDEO 125 - Belfast to Londonderry – Driver’s Eye View
130 minutes,  narrated by Eamonn Holmes, £19.95
The Portrush branch and the Giant’s Causeway Steam Railway are also included.

DVD by Demand – Trolleybus Days in Belfast
35 minutes, £9.99

3rd September - updates
Details now online of how to book tickets for our Country Comes to Town steam train shuttles between Lisburn and Portadown on Saturday 20th September.
Details also online for how to book tickets for the Belfast-Whitehead "Broomstick Belle" steam trains on Sunday 26th October.

2nd September - updates
Details now online of how to book tickets for a steam train extravaganza to commemorate the 50th anniversary of closure of Dundalk railway workshops.

25th August - updates
If you missed the Bangor Belles, a short video of yesterdays train can be found on YouTube by clicking here.  Our next public mainline steam trains in Northern Ireland will be for the Country Comes to Town festival on 20th September - details to follow shortly.  Dont forget that we have open days at our Whitehead site on August 31st and September 14th.

20th August - updates

• A photonews report has been put online detailing the last two weeks of work on the GNR(I) Brake Van "Ivan" (No.81) leading up to its official launch. Click here to view it.
• The fourth of seven photonews reports on the "Barrow Bridge" railtour has been placed online. Click here to view the highlights of the Saturday of the tour.

10th August - update and news

• A photonews report is now live detailing a proud day for the RPSI - 30th July 2008 - the press launch of our newly restored Dining Car (No.547) and GNR(I) Brake Van "Ivan" (No.81).
• Following the success of the 9th August Portadown-Bangor trains, the Events Page has been updated.  If you missed this train, there are 2 more steam trains to Bangor on Sunday 24th August and you should buy your tickets asap.

• These books have been added to the website online sales order form:

Dublin Northwards in the 1950s by Gaius Sutton and Keith Smith - Hardback, 24 x 17 cm, 140 b&w photos, 96 pages,  £14.95.
Ulster in the 1950s – photos from the UTA Archive 2 by Norman Johnston - Paperback, 20 x 24 cm, 60 b&w photos, 64 pages,  £8.99.
• Over 400 sets of our Mark 2 model carriages have now been sold.  If you've been thinking about buying a set, think no more - once they are sold out, that's it!  Get your order in today.

The dining car, which was built in 1970, and the guard's van, dating back to 1945, have been overhauled and refurbished over the past two years in the Society's workshops at Whitehead. The £400,000 project has been funded by the International Fund for Ireland, administered through the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, which contributed £160,000, to the carriage modernisation scheme. The remainder of the funding has been raised by the Society, with support in kind from Translink, which made the former Enterprise carriages available to the RPSI when they went out of service, as well as £3,000 of support from the Northern Ireland Museums Council, for the guard’s van. 

Speaking at the event Alexander Smith, Joint Director General of the International Fund for Ireland, said he was delighted to see that the Society's activities were going from strength to strength.  He said: "The Fund has enjoyed an immensely successful relationship with the RPSI since 1993 when we helped support the construction of a railway carriage shed at Whitehead. This new project, which includes the restoration of the diner and its sister carriages, will play a vital part in educating visitors about the region's rich heritage while bringing together different communities under a common interest underpinning the Fund's strategy of community relations and reconciliation.  "The completion of this project will enable the Society to offer people across Ireland the opportunity to enjoy a trip back in time and savour the unforgettable experience of a trip of a steam train."

Siobhan McCauley, Director of Product Development at the Northern Ireland Tourist Board, said the RPSI's steam train activities were an important part of the tourism package on offer in Northern Ireland.   Siobhan said; “This initiative will create a sustainable and authentic product that is well placed to serve domestic and international visitors. It will help to spread the economic benefits of tourism while also providing visitors with a unique steam train experience. 
“I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate everyone involved in this excellent project and I look forward to experiencing the steam trains for myself.”

Catherine Mason, Group Chief Executive of Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company (NITHCo) and Translink, unveiled two plaques to mark the return to service of the two vehicles.  She said: "We are proud of our rich railway heritage and many of our stations and facilities have been carefully restored to reflect this. As such we are pleased to support the work of the RPSI and very much commend their efforts to capture and nurture Ireland's railway heritage for future generations.”

Lexie Scott, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Museums Council, said they had been delighted to have been asked to be a principal funder of the restoration of 'Ivan', as the brake van has been nicknamed.  He said: "This project sees the preservation of a significant part of our railway heritage, but more than that, the RPSI is to be congratulated on the way it was done.  "In building a team of young members to carry out the work, the Society offers a model of good practice and one I am sure will be emulated by other museums and heritage organisations."

Lord O'Neill, President of the RPSI, said the return to traffic of the two vehicles was a landmark occasion for the Society, and further evidence of the skillbase which had been developed at Whitehead.  "We are very grateful to the International Fund for Ireland, the Tourist Board and the Northern Ireland Museums Council whose funding has helped us turn a dream into reality," he said.  "We are also indebted to Translink and Iarnrod Eireann who continue to facilitate the operation by our historic steam trains and manage to accommodate our trips in the busy timetable of the modern railway network.  "The Society is now a major player in the tourism sector and as time goes by our trains both north and south are proving more popular than ever."  "This year the RPSI has taken its steam trains to destinations from Ballymena to Rosslare, and from Waterford to Bangor, carrying several thousand passengers in all and turning many heads as they steam through city and countryside."

The diner, which has a fully functioning bar and kitchen, will be used on the RPSI's Bangor Belle excursions which are due to run on August 9 and 24.
The guard's van, built in Dundalk at the end of World War Two, has been restored from scrap condition to working order by the RPSI's youth wing, who christened the vehicle Ivan (short for GNR(I) van). It is the last Great Northern guard's van in existence and it will be used on the Whitehead train rides which operate on Sunday afternoons during the summer.

27th July - update
Our Dublin area Santa booking form has been updated.  Please note that seven of the 18 trains are now sold out, so book now to avoid disappointment!

14th July - update
Back by popular request - the latest news from our youth project. Click here to see what's happened to IVAN so far this summer.

10th July - updates

• Tickets are now on sale for our "Steam Train Excursion to Bangor" from Portadown on Saturday 9th August.  Tickets are available from the Millennium Court Arts Centre in Portadown (telephone 028 3839 4415).
• Tickets have also gone on sale for our "Bangor Belle" trains on Sunday 24th August from Lisburn-Belfast Central-Bangor and return.  Tickets are available from the Belfast Welcome Centre.  Full details of both these trains can be found on our Events Page.

• The third of seven photonews reports on the "Barrow Bridge" railtour has been placed online. Click here to view the highlights of the Friday of the tour.
• A photo of No.4 on the "Narnia Express" has been added to the gallery. Click here to view it.

21st June - update
The first of seven photonews reports detailing our "Barrow Bridge" railtour has now been placed online. Click here to view it.

19th June - News

• All tickets are now sold out for the "Steam and Jazz" on Friday 20th June.
• All tickets are also sold out for the "Strawberries and Steam Enterprise" on Sunday 22nd June.

19th June - News and updates

• There are only a few seats left on Sunday's "Strawberries and Cream" train. Book now to avoid disappointment!
• The dates have been published for this year's "Summer steam" train rides and tours at our Whitehead engineering base.
• IVAN is coming!

7th June - News
On Friday the RPSI's Whitehead based train got back on track with the first of four Steam and Jazz trains. Appearing in the train for the first time was our newly overhauled Dining Car No.547, which proved popular with our passengers.

No.547 has received one of the most extensive rebuilds we have ever carried out on a carriage - from bogies refurbished to make them as good as new, including replacement of structural parts damaged in a shunting accident many years ago, conversion from air brakes to vacuum brakes, installation of central door locking, a new longer bar, the heating system was modified from electric heating to steam heating, and the electrical line was completely replaced with a new three phase supply from our newly overhauled brake steam generating van, No.462.
 

	No. 547 glistens in the evening light at Lisburn.
Peter Marsden serves from behind the new bar.
	The seating area awaiting passengers.

Watch this space for the full story of No.547 - the latest addition to the RPSI fleet!

29th May - News
Our OO gauge model Mark 2 carriages are selling out fast.  Order Now to avoid disappointment!
If you want to know what you're missing, take a look at the new Model Gallery page.

29th May - News

• Tickets are now on sale for June's "Strawberries and Steam Enterprise" train. Click here for details.
• Our thanks to everyone who helped us by completing the online survey. Your opinions and suggestions will be considered carefully for inclusion in our plans for the RPSI's future. 

• Tickets for this year's "Santa Steam Trains" operating from Dublin are now available from our Dublin agents. Click here for details.
• These items have been added to the website sales order form:

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

DVD by Markle - Irish Railway Review No.7.  72 minutes, £18.95

"Barrow Bridge Railtour” Souvenir Brochure May 2008, Dublin - Mullingar - Dublin - Waterford - Rosslare - Dublin - Dundalk, 54 photos, 84 pages,  £3
You can order these items by post and pay by cheque or you can order on line and pay securely by credit card.  To make a purchase, and to view our full sales stock, click here. 

1st May - Website update
The locomotives section has been updated with more information and a new picture of No. 27 'Lough Erne'.

28th April - Website update
Our Events Page has been updated with a full list of Dublin based steam trains, a booking form for Dublin based steam trains and details of our Whitehead Sooty Face event on May 17th. 

21st April - Sales News
These items have been added to the website order form: 
DVD by Brian Stinson - Hibernian Steam Scene Volume 4  88 minutes, £15
RPSI steam trains from May to December 2006, plus the diesel hauled Rosslare Special train.
DVD by Brian Stinson - Hibernian Steam Scene Volume 5  72 minutes, £15
RPSI steam trains from June to September 2007, plus shot of new railcar on first run to Sligo .
DVD by Brian Stinson - Hibernian Steam Scene Volume 6  61 minutes, £15
RPSI steam trains during December 2007, including “Mince Pie and Mulled Wine” special.
DVD by Brian Stinson – Steam Crew Training Specials 2007, 90 minutes, £15.
Dundalk – Mosney and return during October/November 2007.
DVD by Markle - Irish Rail Archive Volumes 1 & 2 , 105 minutes, £16.95 
Dundalk and the West of Ireland , 1967 to 1999. 
DVD by Markle - Irish Rail Archive Volumes 3 & 4 , 105 minutes, £16.95
The South and South East of Ireland , 1967 to 1999. 
Great Northern Railway ( Ireland ) – Some Gen from the Past by Cecil Carson.  Paperback, 30 x 21 cm, 84 pages, £5.00
The late Cecil Carson compiled this random collection of items relating to the GNR(I).

3rd April - News
BARROW BRIDGE RAILTOUR 2008 - IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR PASSENGERS

You may be aware of a difficulty of late between Irish Rail management and drivers centring on rest day working. The extra training operations required to pass out steam crews as drivers has, as a result, had to be postponed. The difficulty within the Company and lack of expected crews had seriously threatened to cancel the railtour.

However, with the support of Irish Rail, the good news is that the railtour will be operating but with some modifications. One crew is being provided by the Company, and we have steam to and from Waterford.

A second issue is the commissioning of central door locking (CDL) sought for the Whitehead based Mk2 carriages by NIR. The work to fit the new system to the carriages is ongoing but may not be accepted in time for the railtour. This would mean that the coaches would be unable to carry passengers while travelling in Northern Ireland.

Consequently, as of today, the plan is to work No.4 to Dublin on Wednesday 7th May carrying passengers from Dundalk and similarly to Dundalk on Monday 12th May. If the CDL is approved by NIR prior to the tour we will operate as a passenger carrying train through to Whitehead, as was originally intended. We will keep you all advised in advance of the railtour.

The following important points should be noted:

• The railtour will be based on steam operations on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. On the Wednesday and Monday we propose to operate from and to Dundalk, rather than Whitehead.
• On Friday we operate with No.186 to Mullingar and return.
• Saturday and Sunday No.4 to/from Waterford.
• To comply with crew driver hours unfortunately we cannot feature Kilkenny early on Sunday.
• The Waterford positioning train on Tuesday 13th May will not operate.

We apologise for the delay in issuing the brochure and booking form which are being posted today.

The railtour tickets and with confirmations and key timings will be issued around 1st May. Your continuing support and understanding is appreciated.

Keep checking back for more information and updates.

15th March - News
Eggciting Times at Whitehead

In an unusual move for so early in the year, the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) will be throwing open its engine shed doors on Easter Monday. The Whitehead based charity contains the only workshop for overhauling steam locomotives in Ireland and proved a major hit with visitors during open days last year. Operations Officer Mervyn Darragh explains why, 'A guided tour of our site at Whitehead allows visitors to see see the full story of steam locomotive restoration, from scrapyard condition, through heavy overhaul and then, finally, to working order. There will be a working steam train on site giving short rides, a fully functional dining car and a shop with Easter Eggs on sale. It is an ideal way for families to spend the afternoon'.
 Ordinarily the RPSI would operate mainline runs on Easter Monday giving passengers the opportunity to sample the atmosphere of a steam train on the Belfast - Whitehead line. Johnny Glendinning, RPSI Chairman, explains the change to this year's schedule 'After a busy operating season we normally do most of our maintenance during the winter months. Unfortunately, with Easter being so early this year, the train will not be ready in time. We would like to appologise to our regular passengers and assure them the train will be back for the ever-popular ''Steam & Jazz'' mainline trains in June.'
 The RPSI's Whitehead Excursion depot will be open from 2pm-5pm on Easter Monday, 24th March 2008. There will be a steam train giving short rides, guided workshop and engine shed tours, a vintage diner serving tea and coffee, as well as a shop selling Easter Eggs, toys and items of railway interest. For visitors to Whitehead with energy to spare, there is the scenic Blackhead Coastal Path which can be walked in an hour and offers stunning views over Belfast Lough.

8th March - News
The much anticipated book by RPSI founder member W. T. Scott has arrived! "Locomotives of the LMS NCC" covers the early engines operated by the constituents of the BNCR from 1848, though from the 1861 amalgamation to purchase by the Midland Railway in 1903. Takeover by the LMS in 1923 led to the appearance of crimson lake locomotives in Northern Ireland and modern classes such as the outside cylinder 2-6-0s and 2-6-4Ts. 

It is available now from our online shop!

26th February - News
Unfortunately, the proposed Dublin-Mullingar/Longford trains on 8th and 9th March have also been cancelled.

25th February - News
Breaking news - frustratingly, due to matters beyond our control, the proposed Dublin-Mullingar/Longford trains on 1st and 2nd March have been cancelled.
At the minute the trains on 8th and 9th March are still planned (see our RPSI Events page).  We will keep our website as up to date as possible with information.

23rd February - Update
Our RPSI Events page has been updated with our planned 2008 itinerary.  There has been a delay this year in arranging our trains with the railway companies.  Not all of our trains have been fully scoped and we will update the Events Page as more details are agreed for trains later in the year.
Notable trains in the near future are the "Midlander" trains from Dublin Connolly with loco No.4 and our Easter Train Rides and Shed Open Day at Whitehead on Easter Monday.  Due to ongoing enhancement work on our Northern Ireland based carriages, there will be no public mainline steam train at Easter.  Instead public steam train rides will operate at our engineering base at Whitehead, along with guided tours of our workshops.

19th February - News
As part of the on-going steam driver training programme on Irish Rail, no less than four extra early season operations have been arranged.  These trains are being sold to the public.  Named "The Midlander" the trains will take place as follows:
SATURDAYS 1ST & 8TH MARCH: Dublin Connolly depart 09:10, return by 17:00 
SUNDAYS 2ND & 9TH MARCH: Dublin Connolly depart 10:50, return by 19:55
The return fares are:  Dublin to Mullingar €10. Mullingar to Longford €10.
These can be purchased on the day. Passengers will also be offered an optional visit to Belvedere House in Mullingar. Tickets for this at €10 will be sold on board.

16th February - News
The May International Railtour pages have been updated to give some clarity around fares.  Remember that the advance booking form for the "Barrow Bridge" is available and should be returned to us as soon as possible to book your place.  There is a lot of activity over the weekend, sure to be a memorable weekend in Ireland.

6th February - News
In a new departure for the RPSI, we have great pleasure to announce details of a new set of Irish ‘Ready to Run’ OO gauge models. The models in question are part of the RPSI Mark II fleet- Brake No. 460, First No. 180 and Second Open No. 301.  Full details and an order form are available here.

4th February - News
The advance booking form for the "Barrow Bridge" May International Railtour is now available online.

23rd January - Update
A new photonews report has been created showing work being carried out last weekend at Whitehead. Click here to view it.

6th January - Updates

• Happy New Year!  Our next Belfast Meeting will be on Wednesday 9th January 2008 at St Jude's Church Hall, St Jude's Crescent, Ravenhill Road, Belfast

IRISH RAILWAY ACCIDENTS
Brian Mac Aongusa reviews some of our most notable accidents, from the humorous and the trivial to the serious and/or fatal, plus something of the lessons learned and the changes made as a result.  Illustrated with slides.
• For those of you just back to work, a reminder that No.186 moved to Dublin and No.4 to Whitehead on the 30th December as part of a "Mulled Wine and Mince Pie" special train.  A photonews is available on our website and some pictures can also be found here http://groups.msn.com/IrishRailwayNews/rpsisteam.msnw?Page=34 and here http://irishrailwayimages.fotopic.net/c1432145.html
• The Society's annual railtour in May 2008 will carry the name “Barrow Bridge” and is scheduled for the weekend of 10th and 11th May centring on Waterford, with fringe activities proposed on either side of that to create the extended weekend our customers, many travelling from Britain and further afield, are looking for.  We are currently awaiting confirmation  that the railway company have confirmed the full itinerary package.  It is hoped that the delayed advance booking form will be posted shortly.
• Online Shop update:

A number of years ago, Midland Publishing produced a series of nine VHS videos on Irish railway subjects, drawn from various cine film collections.  These have recently been issued in DVD format by Demand DVD, all priced at £12.99, and they are available from RPSI Sales.  The full list is:
Volume 1 – Irish Railways Miscellany from the 1950s to the 1970s
Volume 2 – The Swansong of Steam in Ulster by John Laird
Volume 3 – The Irish Narrow Gauge 1939 to 1959 
Volume 4 - Twilight of Steam in Ulster by John Laird 
Volume 5 – The 1940s and 1950s
Volume 6 – The Peat Railways of Ireland
Volume 7 – The 1960s  from Steam to Diesel
Volume 8 – From Baltimore to Belfast
Volume 9 – On Tracks Broad and Narrow
Two items have returned to the sales order form as fresh supplies have been obtained.  These are:
1) “The First Great Train Robbery” DVD – starring Sean Connery, plus locomotives 184 & 186, 116 minutes, £10.00
2) “LUAS Harcourt Street Memories” by Brian Mac Aongusa, Paperback, 23 x 23 cm, 86 b&w photos, 136 pages, £5.00, (reduced from £10.50)