Summer Diesel Day at Downpatrick Saturday 23rd August 2025

[Niles]

The first diesel loco running day since the floods of 2023, locos 146 and A39 will be in action between Downpatrick & Inch Abbey along with 'thumper' railcar set 458 on Saturday 24th August.

Full details at tickets available at:  https://www.downrail.co.uk/event/summer-diesel/

(The last diesel day sold out within weeks so I'd recommend booking sooner rather than later, unlike heritage lines in GB we don't have the luxury of being able to add more carriages unfortunately).

If you're travelling from Dublin, there will be a Táilte Tours bus connection, bookable seperately at https://www.tailtetours.com/event-details/bus-to-downpatrick-diesel-day-23rd-august-2025

Edited Monday at 21:26 by Niles

[Mol_PMB]

Excellent. I’ve booked a long weekend in Belfast to coincide with that date. Hopefully I can get to Whitehead and Cultra too, and see the new Grand Central. 

[Galteemore]

Brilliant news. Exciting to see Downpatrick getting back on its feet slowly but surely. I’d thought about a trip back to NI in late summer..although the 450 gives me horrible flashbacks to my school commute….

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, Mol_PMB said:

Excellent. I’ve booked a long weekend in Belfast to coincide with that date. Hopefully I can get to Whitehead and Cultra too, and see the new Grand Central. 

I'd stick with Cultra and Whitehead - Grand Central has all the atmosphere of a Soviet-era cigarette and steel manufacturing factory, and as much charm as a wet February Tuesday morning in Carrickfergus............!

[Mol_PMB]

9 hours ago, Galteemore said:

Brilliant news. Exciting to see Downpatrick getting back on its feet slowly but surely. I’d thought about a trip back to NI in late summer..although the 450 gives me horrible flashbacks to my school commute….

I still have to commute on the 150s - their underfloor-engined equivalents. I'm afraid I can't get dewy-eyed over 450s (or 150s), but at least they were better than Pacers. 

The diesel locos are of much more interest, as are the other exhibits and rolling stock. I've never been to Downpatrick before. It looks like there's a reasonable bus service from Belfast?

[Niles]

2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I still have to commute on the 150s - their underfloor-engined equivalents. I'm afraid I can't get dewy-eyed over 450s (or 150s), but at least they were better than Pacers. 

The diesel locos are of much more interest, as are the other exhibits and rolling stock. I've never been to Downpatrick before. It looks like there's a reasonable bus service from Belfast?

Yes Translink routes 15/215/515 are quite frequent on a Saturday, and the bus station is about 2 mins on foot from the DCDR station.

Point of note,  the Downpatrick buses now start from Adelaide St in Belfast rather than Grand Central (I'd allow 10 min to walk from either GC or Lanyon).

[Tractionman]

10 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I'd stick with Cultra and Whitehead - Grand Central has all the atmosphere of a Soviet-era cigarette and steel manufacturing factory, and as much charm as a wet February Tuesday morning in Carrickfergus............!

what I do like about GC (agree, not much to commend it) is the ability to change trains quickly, and between platforms, no footbridge to hoof over!

great to see the diesel day, hope I can make it--well done ITG and DCDR 

[jhb171achill]

6 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

I still have to commute on the 150s - their underfloor-engined equivalents. I'm afraid I can't get dewy-eyed over 450s (or 150s), but at least they were better than Pacers. 

The diesel locos are of much more interest, as are the other exhibits and rolling stock. I've never been to Downpatrick before. It looks like there's a reasonable bus service from Belfast?

Yes, there’s an hourly bts service.

If you fly to Dublin, Tailté Tours will be operating a day trip from Dublin.

[Mol_PMB]

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Yes, there’s an hourly bts service.

If you fly to Dublin, Tailté Tours will be operating a day trip from Dublin.

This time, I have decided to sail on the Birkenhead - Belfast service, and stay in Belfast. I'll be arriving Friday morning and leaving Monday morning, so hopefully time for one day at Cultra, one at Whitehead, and one at Downpatrick, plus a bit of train travel. No 111+Gatwicks or 80 class to enjoy these days, but Grand Central and the 4000s will be new for me.

[Tractionman]

11 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

This time, I have decided to sail on the Birkenhead - Belfast service, and stay in Belfast. I'll be arriving Friday morning and leaving Monday morning, so hopefully time for one day at Cultra, one at Whitehead, and one at Downpatrick, plus a bit of train travel. No 111+Gatwicks or 80 class to enjoy these days, but Grand Central and the 4000s will be new for me.

if you're travelling around over here a bit it's worth getting one of these https://www.translink.co.uk/ilink-travelcard which basically gives you bus and train travel for the whole of NI for one day for around £20!

the Sunday Tracker ticket is £10 for all lines in NI (train not bus): https://www.translink.co.uk/sunday-day-tracker 

the Birkenhead boat is my favoured mode of travel between here and there, even daytime sailings the time passes nicely.

cheers,

Keith