Engine restoration work is going full steam ahead

Engine restoration work is going full steam ahead

15 October 2025

ALMOST two years after the worst flooding in living memory engulfed the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway, work is underway to breathe new life into its fleet of steam engines.

The flood – which swamped the railway and a huge swathe of the town centre – left a repair bill running into millions of pounds.

Business were decimated with the estimated repair bill facing the heritage railway alone in the region of £3m.

Railway officials say the devastating flood left them facing their biggest ever crisis, but they have been working hard and trains are now running with the next big event the Halloween Spooktacular featuring the Phantom Flyer.

Last weekend railway volunteers began work on bringing steam back to Co Down in another landmark event in what is its 40th anniversary year.

The volunteers moved the 150 year-old No 90 steam train from the flood-damaged Maghera Shed over to the workshop to restart work on its boiler overhaul at its Market Street base.

The work involved disconnecting the boiler, removing it from its frames and sending it to a specialist for testing and maintenance. 

As that happens, volunteers will work on the rest of the loco while the boiler is away, including on its axles and valve gear.

Ten volunteers worked feverishly on the 90 and made remarkable progress in just a day. They beavered away, removing the front of the cab which will allow the boiler to be removed.

The boiler was stripped of its metal cladding and insulation, with the volunteers also disconnecting major auxiliary fittings, including the manifold, injectors and whistle. 

A number of the young volunteers put their shoulder to the wheel, with the more senior members delighted to pass on their skills and knowledge to the latest recruits.

And while it’s not known when No 90 will be ready to hit the tracks, it is hoped to have No 3 steam engine back in service at some point next year.

There are also plans to launch a fundraising appeal for No 90’s overhaul over the next few months. When 90’s overhaul is completed, it will be the oldest operating steam locomotive on the island of Ireland.

It was built in Dublin in 1875 for use on branch lines in Cork and Kerry, and was finally withdrawn from service in 1961. It fell into disrepair until it was rebuilt at Tuam in Co. Galway in the 1980s and it ran mainline excursions to locations including Galway, Athenry, Claremorris and even Cork until the mid-1990s. 

After that, it fell out of use again until it was brought to Downpatrick in 2007. 90 has always been a favourite among railway staff and the public because of its unique appearance and long history. Since the catastrophic flood in November 2023, the transformation at the heritage railway has been nothing short of remarkable.

The Downpatrick railway bore the full front of the devastating flood after the Quoile river burst its banks and engulfed the Lower Market Street car park facility, before flood water swamped the town centre.

Contaminated flood water caused substantial damage to rolling stock and infrastructure with railway officials admitting they faced a long road to recovery but were optimistic about recovering from what they described as their “darkest hour”.

An appeal fund has been launched to help the railway to get back to full steam and among the early visitors to survey the scale of the damage was Secretary of State Hilary Benn and NIO Minister Lord Cain.

Senator Nial Blaney also met with railway officials and earlier this year, Stormont Infrastructure Minister 

Liz Kimmins visited the railway to learn about the impact of the flood 

and the recovery operation that was underway.

Following the flood, one of the immediate priorities for railway officials was focusing on the 450 class diesel railcar set, which suffered from less flood immersion than other rolling stock, with volunteers checking every wheel bearing on the set for water damage. 

This involved removing 24 axlebox covers, removing any lying water and contaminated grease, checking the bearing for damage, then replacing the grease with fresh material and replacing the axlebox covers. 

It was a process that had to be repeated on every single item of rolling stock on site and while tedious, it was an extremely necessary task. The traction motors on the bearings also had to be checked for damage.

With Halloween just around the corner, the focus is on readying the railway for some ghostly going ons as the Phantom Flyer is rolled out.