Railway family mourning honorary vice-president

Railway family mourning honorary vice-president

16 February 2022

TRIBUTES have paid to one of the founding members of the Downpatrick and Co Down Railway, Mr Bob Edwards.

The Saintfield man — who was also the heritage railway’s honorary vice-president — passed away last week after a long illness.

Described as a “true legend”, he was known and loved across the world of steam in Ireland, working and operating steam locomotives and traction engines from Shanes Castle’s Railway. Bob was also chairman of the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

He also held the rare distinction of being the only person who has served as chairman of both the local railway and Railway Preservation Society of Ireland.

Bob was involved in the Downpatrick railway before it even existed in the early 1980s, helping advise Gerry Cochrane on some of the ins and outs of the perils of trying to establish such a heritage line, which had never successfully been achieved in Northern Ireland.

This was something Bob knew all too well, having been involved in a previous attempt to resurrect the former Scarva to Banbridge line.

He was also instrumental in securing the use and restoration of the Downpatrick railway’s first steam locomotive, No 3BG ‘Guinness’ back in the 1980s when she was in storage at Whitehead unused — a condition of funding was that heritage railway operated steam from the outset. 

Bob was at the heart of the restoration, maintenance, training and operation of all the railway’s steam locomotives for many years.

He was always hands-on from the start, definitely not a director who stood off from afar and only showed up for ceremonies. In fact, it is difficult to imagine him not being in his overalls, covered with soot and oil. 

Originally working in the banking sector, in the early 2000s Bob took a huge career change when he went from being a bank official to an HGV driver for Mar-Train Heavy Haulage Ltd, which may have surprised his former customers, but was probably a far better fit for Bob.

Those of us who worked with Bob over the years had a deep fondness for him. 

As well as his in-depth knowledge of how steam locomotives worked and how to repair them, his love of telling stories and anecdotes from his many years of experience made him a true pleasure to work alongside. 

So often, he would start a story completely deadpan and serious, getting people concerned, only to have everyone rolling around laughing at the end. 

Our firemen fondly recall having to watch out for Bob turning his trademark flat cap backwards when on the footplate — it was his telltale sign that he was about to go ‘boy racer’ and open the regulator up and bring the engine up to speed with a great display of smoke and steam.

Bob was a highly revered mentor and role model to many, especially our younger volunteers who have spent many a winter in the locomotive shed learning how to take apart and reassemble steam engines under his watch. 

His patience and enthusiasm for passing knowledge on to the next generation has been invaluable in ensuring the future of our steam engines. 

His quick wit, amusing tales and distinctive way of doing things will be sorely missed by all at Downpatrick, especially by his former trainees as they face their first boiler inspection without his expertise to call on.

Our railway family is in mourning following the loss of such a wonderful, funny, knowledgeable man. There will never be his equal again.

Our deepest condolences to Marion, Oonagh, Maeve, Patricia and all of the family.

Robert Gardiner Downpatrick and Co Down Railway chairman.