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LATEST UPDATES 16th March - Events News: - The 2012 Programme has a booking form for the diesel-hauled Mystery Train on 23rd June. - Some pictures from the South Clare Railtour:
8th May - Events & Website News: - The South Clare Railtour is now totally sold out. - The Five Foot Three archive now has issues 1 to 44 complete. - The Garret FitzGerald Commemorative train - statement: This excursion was organised so that the RPSI could make a small gesture of our appreciation for all the support and good work that the late Dr FitzGerald did on our behalf. It was much to our dismay and disappointment that a late departure and poor steaming led to a number of further delays that could not be prevented. The RPSI wish to apologise for this and to express our gratitude and appreciation to the FitzGerald Family and to all who travelled on the excursion on the day. The atmosphere and ambience was so positive and uplifting that it made a hard day for the RPSI a little more bearable then we could have hoped for or expected. We would also like to thank the staff of Irish Rail who helped to ensure that we did return to Dublin by steam! 30th April - Events & Website News: - The 2012 Programme has a booking form for the MGWR Shuttles (Maynooth & M3 Parkway). - The Garret FitzGerald Commemorative train is sold out. - The Five Foot Three archive now has issues 1 to 38 complete. 27th April - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated: - 11th May: The North Atlantic diesel railtour is now fully booked. - 27th May: Sea Breeze changed to MGWR Shuttles. 22nd April - Update Website tidied to remove the "171 for 171" train details. 19th April - Events News: The "171 For 171" diesel excursion from Dublin to Cork will be running on Saturday 21st April. Tickets available on the train. Check out the Five Foot Three page. Extra issues have been added, plus some existing issues have been updated with photographs. 15th April - Sales News: The following books are available through our Online Shop:
The 2012 Programme has been updated with booking details for the Bangor Belle and Steam & Jazz trains. 6th April - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated with preliminary details of the Bangor Belle train. 2nd April - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated with more detailed times for the North Atlantic diesel railtour. 30th March - Events News: The Spare Link weekend has been and gone. The next trains are the Titanic Week Easter Eggspress outings on Easter Monday and Tuesday. Details and booking forms can be found on the 2012 Programme. 12th March - Belfast Meeting update: Wednesday 14 March The final meeting of this year will feature the official launch of a new book on Irish Railways. Rails through the West is the title of this new book that will be a very welcome addition to any Irish railway library. The book’s cover has the subtitles “Limerick to Sligo” and “An illustrated journey on the Western Rail Corridor”. This book delivers just that – and very much more too! As well as the former Waterford, Limerick and Western’s line from Limerick to Sligo, the book also includes the former MGWR main line from Athenry to Galway and the MGWR’s branch from Claremorris to Ballina. The work begins with a route map and an introductory chapter on the history of the lines covered. The following chapters include Limerick to Athenry, Athenry to Galway, Athenry to Claremorris, Claremorris to Sligo, Claremorris to Ballina, the Tuam Sugar Beet Factory, and Knock Specials as well as the reopening of the Western Rail Corridor. Crammed into its 144 pages, you will find 166 pictures taken between the early 1960s and today from 8 different photographers. No fewer than 142 of the pictures are from the camera of Barry Carse who covered both the everyday and the unusual in equal measure – even including a glimpse of the Ballinrobe branch! The motive power illustrated is a range of I?locos and railcars with a couple of NIR 80 class railcars and two views of NIR 110 class locos on tour. There are 13 shots with steam locos. These range from the joint tours of 1961 and 1964 through various RPSI tours (in 13 pictures) to some shots of J30 No. 90 in action when operating under the aegis of Westrail. Also included are a couple of signal box diagrams and 7 station diagrams as well as a copy of the Working time Table for Summer 1961 and details of the working arrangements for the beet traffic to the Tuam sugar factory in 1962/63. This is a book to relish. The book will be launched at the Belfast Meeting in the Parke Hall of Orangefield Presbyterian Church at 7.30pm on Wednesday 14 March 2012. Copies will be on sale, of course! 10th March - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated:
Wednesday 14 March This meeting has been advertised as the illustrated recollections of Roger Bell, There were some doubts as to whether that could definitely happen and the poster included the caveat that it was "subject to his personal health and travel from Gloucester". Unfortunately, Roger will not be able to present his material on the date planned - though we are very hopeful that he will be able to visit us on 10th October, when the 2012/3 season starts. It will be well worth the wait. In Roger's place, Charles Friel will present a lavishly illustrated talk "Rails Around Craigavon". This was the title of the first talk that Charles delivered in the old St Jude's Hall back in late 1974 but it has undergone many reworks since then! The revised talk will be an amalgamation of those presented last year for the Craigavon Historical Society and the Craigavon Museum Service. Not surprisingly, some recent discoveries have been included too. The talk will take us on two journeys from Kilmore in the east through Lurgan and Portadown to the Derry Road, the Armagh line and the main line as far as Knock bridge. One journey will be in the pre-1965 railway and the other post-1965. There will be lots of steam in both halves for our own trains have often traversed the main line through all of the changes. It should be a fitting end to our 2011/2 season. 5th March - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated:
No.461 was moved to Dublin on Sunday 4th March and operated a proving run to Maynooth in the afternoon.
22nd February - Events News: Maynooth Shuttle tickets - all now sold out. 20th February - Events News: A poster has been added for the Easter Express. It has been attractively designed by Debra Wenlock, a local artist. It would help us a lot if you could download the poster, print it out and ask your local shop to display it. Alternatively you could link to it on from your Facebook or Twitter. Thank you. 11th February - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated:
The 2012 Programme has been updated:
The RPSI has taken yet another historic carriage into its care. On 23rd January a 50 year lease was signed for Presidential Saloon No.5408. Like its predecessor No.351, 5408 will continue to be owned by the Irish state, while being looked after by the RPSI.
25th January - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated:
Ownership of the Society's diesel locomotive, Hunslet 102, has been transferred to the Ulster Folk & Transport Museum. The locomotive was delivered to the Irish Rail Gallery at Cultra on Sunday 22nd January. 9th January - Events News: The 2012 Programme has been updated with:
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