• RPSI Website Photo News
• Irish Railway News photographs of RPSI steam trains.
• Wilson Adams Irish transport photographs
• Gordon Hawkins Irish transport photographs
• RPSI Photo Gallery

• Steam Enterprise tickets are now on sale.  This will be the last chance to travel behind No.4 before she is temporarily taken out of service for fitting of new safety equipment for a number of weeks.
• A press release of interest to RPSI members.

 

 
 
 
 
 

The courtyard of Buckingham Palace was the scene for some RPSI discussion on 24th June as RPSI President, Lord O'Neill received a KCVO and RPSI Council member John Lockett received an OBE.

• A series of photonews reports have been put online for this years May International Railtour.  The tour was called the "Carrowbeg Railtour" and included a diesel hauled day called the "Comeragh Railtour".  The photonews reports cover 7th May, 8th May, 9th May, 10th May and 11th May.  I'd like to thank everyone who contributed photographs, but particularly Charles and James Friel for their work in resizing the photographs for display, providing captions and proof reading.
• The events page has been updated with the following ticket status:

19/6/2009 Steam & Jazz: Tickets available
21/6/2009 Sea Breeze: SOLD OUT
26/6/2009 Steam & Jazz: SOLD OUT
03/7/2009 Steam & Jazz: SOLD OUT
05/7/2009 Sea Breeze: Tickets available but selling fast

9th June 2009

• Steam and Jazz ticket sales update.  The current situation is that there are still tickets available for the train on Friday 19th June and a handful for the train on Friday 3rd July.  Remember that you can pre-order your wine for this train.
• On Sunday 7th June, 285 passengers travelled on a charter train for Malahide Lions Club.  The train consisted of No.4 and the RPSI Cravens carriage set.  The train operated from Malahide to Dundalk and participants also enjoyed a tour of the Cooley Peninsula by bus (6 coaches).

While the bus tour took place, over 300 locals enjoyed a trip from Dundalk to Drogheda and back.

No.4 arrives at Dundalk with the Lions Club charter.  Photo S Murphy

28th May 2009 - Update
The 12th June and 26th June Steam and Jazz trains are now sold out.  Tickets are still available for the trains on 19th June and 3rd July.  Remember that you can save yourself the hassle of bringing wine on our Steam and Jazz trains this year (and support the RPSI in the process).  Order your wine for collection at the bar.  Our wine order form is now available

21st May 2009 - Update
Save yourself the hassle of bringing wine on our Steam and Jazz trains this year.  Order your wine for collection at the bar.  Our wine order form is now available.

20th May 2009 - News

• A significant improvement has been made to the Top Link photonews report.  Thank you to everyone who provided photographs of this tour and to Charles Friel for his corrections, captions and photographs.  The report now illustrates full coverage of the weekend.
• These items have been added to the Sales Order Form:

“Comeragh Diesel Railtour” Brochure, Dublin–Waterford–Limerick Junction-Dublin, 34 photos, 44 pages, £3
“Carrowbeg Railtour” Brochure, Dublin-Westport-Ballina-Dublin-Whitehead, 53 photos, 80 pages, £3 
"The Atock/Attock Family – a Worldwide Railway Engineering Dynasty" by Ernie Shepherd      Paperback, 21 x 15 cm, 162 b&w photos, 264 pages,  £15.95
**FREE COPY OF “COMERAGH DIESEL RAILTOUR” BROCHURE WITH EACH POSTAL ORDER WORTH £20 OR MORE (WHILE STOCKS LAST)**

16th May 2009 - Updates

• From Tuesday 19th May, all enquiries for steam trains from Dublin should be directed to RPSI / RPSI Railtours / RPSI Tickets, Docklands Innovation Park, 128-130 East Wall Road, Dublin 3.  The telephone number is (01) 480 0553.
• Although some time after the event, it is important to mark the "Top Link Railtour", both for the fabulous photos sent in and also to mark the retirement of Tony Renehan, the driver for whom the railtour was operated.  A new photonews page has been created to cover the Top Link train.  Any corrections or additions are welcomed.

3rd May 2009 - Update
A new photonews page has been added showing work at Whitehead last weekend. Click here to view it.

25th April 2009 - Update and news

• Our RPSI Shop page has been updated with the latest DVD from Brian Stinson.  This 97 minute DVD covers the "Top Link" Railtour in January 2009.
• FUNDING NEWS

Two new grant awards have been made this year to date, from Northern Ireland Museums Council (NIMC) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), to assist with funding for a Small Exhibits project and the next stage of all important Heritage Skills training for NIR personnel involved with steam operations.

The RPSI Whitehead Youth Team, led by Mark Walsh, will benefit from £14,000 funding, shared equally by NIMC and HLF, to allow the Society’s small exhibits, presently stored by members in diverse locations, to be brought together at Whitehead and made available for public display, interpretative and educational purposes. The project will entail repairs to part of the Whitehead Stables block, to provide suitable and secure conditions for central storage, and work to Dining Car 87, including the creation of an exhibition area with display cases.

The recently completed Conservation report, one of a number commissioned by the Society last year with HLF assistance, recommended that, as an accredited museum, steps should be taken to bring our collection of artefacts together as an educational and interpretative resource, adding another dimension for visitors to the site. External displays/exhibitions with other accredited organisations could also be supported.

The RPSI's Museums Committee will have the opportunity to check the record and descriptions of all artefacts held by the Society as they are moved to the central store, and it is hoped that this initiative will encourage the donation of new items over time.

HLF have also supported further training of NIR personnel, following upon the successful scheme last year which saw the passing out of two new steam drivers. More operating personnel will be identified to undertake a programme of theoretical and practical training which will allow them to progress to the steam footplate, thus ensuring that the heritage skills are maintained and used within the current railway operating environment.

Johnny Glendinning, RPSI Chairman and the RPSI Training Standards Officer, have worked closely with NIR who have supported, with considerable foresight, this important initiative.

The Society gratefully acknowledges the assistance of the funders in supporting these projects, and the ongoing help and guidance provided by NIR. It is recognition of the important part we play in keeping alive part of our industrial heritage, with all the participative and educational opportunities that it provides for future generations.

• 13th April Easter Eggspresses - both our Dublin and Belfast based Easter operations ran with capacity filled trains and happy passengers.

 

No.186 at Mullingar Station. Photo C Pabst

No.4 passes Jordanstown.  Photo D Grimshaw

10th April 2009 - Update
Details of this year's steam train dates have been added to the website. Click here to see what's on offer.

9th April 2009 - News
Our Easter Eggspress train from Dublin Connolly is now sold out.  The first of our two Easter Eggspress trains from Belfast Central is sold out and only a few seats remain for the second train.  Booking details are on our Events Page.

1st April 2009 - News
It has been announced that a new form of motive power has been introduced for shunting at Whitehead.  Click here for the full story.

23rd March 2009 - Update
Full details are now available for this year's May Tour.  Click here for the prospectus and here for the booking form.  All bookings must be received by the 15th of April, so don't delay!

20th March 2009 - Update 
A number of back issues of our Society magazine "Five Foot Three" have been added to our Five Foot Three webpage.  The latest is FFT35. 

6th March 2009 - Update

• Tickets are now on sale for the Easter Eggspress steam trains from Belfast-Whitehead and back on Monday 13th April.  Full details and online booking link from our Events Page.
• A number of back issues of our Society magazine "Five Foot Three" have been added to our Five Foot Three webpage.  The magazines have been either text-sanned and then the scan corrected, in 2 cases the full magazine has been scanned and in a number of cases the text has been retyped by our Honorary Secretary.  The journals represent a history of the RPSI and offer a fascinating read and reference material.  We hope you enjoy.  We will continue to add to the collection as time permits and our goal is to provide all the pictures as well (the webmaster already has a backlog to get through)!

18th February 2009 - Update
These items are now available from the RPSI shop:

• Crossing the Boyne : the Great Viaduct 1855 – 2005  by Iarnrod Eireann in association with the Old Drogheda Society.  Paperback, 20 x 21 cm, 12 colour and 35 b&w photos, 96 pages,  £7.50
• DVD by Brian Stinson - Hibernian Steam Scene Volume 7  65 minutes, £15.  Lineside scenes from eight Dublin based trains which ran during 2008 – Driver Tony Renehan’s final year before retirement.
• DVD by Brian Stinson - Hibernian Steam Scene Volume 8  62 minutes, £15.  Lineside scenes from nine Whitehead/Belfast based trains which ran during 2008, including steam on the mothballed Lisburn-Antrim line.
• Lough Swilly Buses  by Irvine Millar.  Hardback, 28 x 21 cm, 200 colour & 240 B&W photos, 224 pages, £25.00.  The transition from rail to road operations is described in detail.
• “The Top Link” Railtour Brochure, edited by Charles Friel.   Belfast - Dublin- Cork & return, 58 ph, 44 pp,  £3.  A limited number of these brochures is available for sale.

22nd January 2009 - Update
Details have been announced for this year's international railtour.  Click here to see the schedule and book tickets.

20th January 2009 - Update
The RPSI website was down today whilst we sorted out some problems.  We're sorry for the inconvenience and we are obviously back online now!

19th January 2009 - Update
Although tickets are sold out for the Dublin-Cork-Dublin part of the "Toplink" tour weekend, tickets are available for the positioning trains.  Tickets are available as follows and should be bought from the on train ticket inspector on the day:
Friday 30/01/09 - Whitehead-Belfast-Dublin - Tickets cost £20/€25
Sunday 01/02/09 - Dublin-Belfast-Whitehead - Tickets cost £20/€25

7th January 2009 - Update
Happy New Year.
Our Top Link train to Cork has now sold out. 
A lot of passengers have booked Metropole hotel in Cork and available rooms there are now low.  We advise those who find the hotel full to use the www.discoverireland.com website to search for B&B accomodation on the Glanmire Road in Cork.