Underneath the arches as railway landmark takes shape

Underneath the arches as railway landmark takes shape

14 March 2013 - by BY DAVID TELFORD

A NEW landmark is rising into the Downpatrick skyline. The shining steel structure is being erected at the entrance to the Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway outside its Lower Market Street base.

Railway chairman and project manager, John Wilson, said the organisation’s new gallery and visitor centre came in under-budget, thanks to the generosity of the Heritage Lottery Fund and Tourist Board.

“Rather than see that money unspent, we suggested funding a number of extra improvements which we are now doing,” he said.

“We have been very keen to regenerate this area of the car park and try to improve the visual attractiveness of the station for some considerable years. But our resources have always had to go on keeping our vintage fleet of steam and diesel locomotives and carriages running.”

Mr. Wilson said the railway’s funders agreed the entrance needed to be upgraded, explaining everyone wanted something dramatic with the “wow factor.”

He continued: “It was our late chairman Michael Collins who came up with the idea of the arch; inspired by an original feature of the Great Northern Railway station, still standing at Cookstown.

“Like all great ideas at the railway, we thought it was almost too ambitious but we did some mock drawings, asked our consulting engineers Armstrong and Taylor to cost it and we were delighted that they felt it was very doable.”

Mr. Wilson said when it came to the brickwork at the base of the arch “no detail was left undone.” He said historical accuracy has always been the ethos of volunteers at the Downpatrick and Co. Down Railway do.

He continued: “The dwarf wall replicates the style of brickwork of a similar wall that used to stand at the old Belfast & County Down Railway’s station at Bangor, while the piers copy the brickwork styles of the BCDR’s stations at Cultra and Tullymurry.”

Meanwhile, as part of final touches to the gallery project, a new interpretative display has been installed in the railway’s workshops.

Mr. Wilson added: “For some time now, visitors have been prevented access to our carriage workshop because of safety issues.

“However, we have now created a dedicated area safely away from machinery or tools where they can go in and watch restoration work going on, along with interpretative displays illustrating carriage construction which complements the new carriage gallery perfectly.”