|
Welcome to the Web Site of The Belfast & County Down Railway Museum Trust
'Down' Memory Line An Associate Member of the Northern Ireland Museums Council Index History of the B.& C.D.R. Locomotives of the B.& C.D.R. Trust's Plans Ballynahinch Branch An
Irish Railway Challenge Membership
The Railway at War Trust
Publications Help us to build the only Standard (4' 8½") Gauge Heritage Railway in Northern Ireland! |
|
Click on STOP PRESS below for latest news - or go to the 'Trust's Plans' page above for more information. STOP PRESS - Click here for latest information. Last updated 5th February, 2012 URGENT APPEAL A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO OUR ARMED FORCES Two Engines to be named 'HERO' and 'REMEMBRANCE'
The
Belfast & County Down Railway Museum Trust has been offered a unique
opportunity to purchase two Polish steam locomotives for preservation.
One of these is in working order, whilst the second will need a heavy
overhaul. The Trust is in process of restoring a portion of the former Belfast & County Down Railway between Saintfield (Rowallane Gardens) and Crossgar, as well as the branch line from Ballynahinch Junction to Ballynahinch, giving a total running line of approximately 10 miles, as a tourist steam railway, and proposes to purchase these two engines to operate services on the line. There is also a proposal for a military museum linked to the line, as the company had close associations with the army installations at Kinnegar, Holywood Palace Barracks, and Ballykinlar, and also with the Royal Naval Air Yard at Sydenham. Many of the company’s stations and installations were also used by the military during the Second World War. (See he page on 'The Railway at War'). The Trust proposes therefore to name the two engines ‘HERO’, in recognition of those who fought in the various conflicts, and who returned, and ‘REMEMBRANCE’ in recognition of those who fought, and who did not return. These two engines are considered to be ideal for our purpose. Firstly they are of a size that would be suitable for the line on which they will be operating. Secondly, because they are Polish, as one of the Polish Squadrons operated out of Ballyhalbert Air Field in County Down during the Second World War. To secure these two engines we need to raise £30,000 to cover the cost of their purchase. We will need also to raise at least a further £70,000 to cover the cost of transportation to Northern Ireland, plus the overhaul and restoration, so we are appealing to all possible sources of funding to please help us to secure the funding required. We
would appeal therefore to all who support our forces to please help us to secure
these two engines, and thereby provide a permanent memorial. Our line is to be marketed as ‘Down’ Memory
Line, firstly, being based in County Down, and secondly, being a means
of keeping memories alive. On
the one hand it will re-create much of the character of the former Belfast &
County Down Railway, whilst on the other hand it will be a place where people
can come to relax, remember loved ones, or pay tribute to friends. We
would appeal to you therefore for your support, the support of your friends,
work associates, and indeed anyone who is interested in honoring our own
soldiers, sailors, and airmen, as well as those of our allies who fought
alongside them in the various campaigns over the years. All
contributors will receive a special certificate when the engines have been fully
restored and the names applied. A
special register of all contributors will be kept for
posterity, and will be available for inspection when our memorial has been
completed at one of our stations. As well as appealing to the general public, and to industry, we would also like to include the serving members of our Armed Forces, and would welcome their participation in this tribute to their colleagues. We would also like to include the Royal British Legion, not only in arranging this tribute, but also in the development of the permanent memorial and museum that will be located at one of our stations. Click here to download brochure Click here to download 'Pledge' form
Spitfires of 315 Squadron (Polish) over Ballyhalbert in August 1943.
Lysanders from Ballyhalbert over County Down in 1943.
British Troops in Afghanastan - 2011.
We walked among the crosses Where our fallen soldiers lay, And Listened to the bugle As TAPS began to play. The Chaplain led a prayer, We stood with heads bowed low, And I thought of fallen comrades I had known so long ago. They came from every city Across this fertile land, That we might live in freedom They lie here 'neath the sand, I felt a little guilty, My sacrafice was small, I only lost a little time, But these men lost their all. Now the services are over For this Memorial Day, To the names upon these crosses I just want to say, Thank's for what you've given No one could ask for more, May you rest with God in Heaven For now and evermore! =====================================================================
Links
http://www.rail.co/en/heritage/
=================================================================================================== It is also to promote the Trust's plans for the restoration of part of the system between Saintfield and Crossgar, and the branch line to Ballynahinch as a Heritage Railway that will truly depict as closely as possible the image, the aura, and the character of the Belfast & County Down Railway during its hundred years of operation through the drumlin countryside of County Down.
What
is
the B.& C.D.R. Museum Trust?
The
Belfast & County Down Railway Museum Trust is a voluntary organisation that
was established by a small group of railway enthusiasts in 1972, the primary aim
being to preserve relics, artifacts, and photographic material relating to the
railways of Ireland in general, and of the former Belfast & County Down
Railway in particular.
The formation of the Trust was prompted by the loss in
the early 1970's of a number of extensive collections of Irish railway archive
materials which where not unfortunately protected in any way.
As a safeguard therefore, the Trust was registered through the Northern
Ireland Legal system at the time of its formation, thereby giving a guarantee of
security to the materials and artifacts within its collection.
The collection is overseen by a Board of Trustees who are charged with
the responsibility of ensuring its continued preservation.
The day to day running of the Trust, is in the hands of
a committee that is made up of members of the Trust who are elected at an A.G.M.
each year. This Committee
also has a representative from the Board of Trustees, who acts as the 'Go
Between', being the link between the Trustees and the membership.
Soon after its formation the Trust proposed the
development of a Working Railway Museum using a portion of the track bed of the
former Belfast & County Down Railway, and indeed was the first railway
preservation organisation in Ireland to promote the idea of an operational
railway museum. The
section of line chosen was that between Saintfield and Ballynahinch, which
incorporated two miles of the former main line between Rowallane Gardens at
Saintfield (The headquarters of the National Trust), and Ballynahinch Junction,
and also the 3½ mile branch line from Ballynahinch Junction to Ballynahinch
Town. It is still the Trust’s intention, to relay the track between Saintfield and Ballynahinch, but to do so using the standard British and International track gauge of 4' 8½", rather than the Irish track gauge of 5' 3". Towards achieving this objective the Trust has acquired a section of track bed at Cahard, on the Ballynahinch branch, and is currently in negotiations to acquire the remainder of the route. Trust is now undertaking a major operation to have track laid before the end of the year, and Planning Application for the Ballynahinch Branch line is currently in course of preparation. Full details of the Trust's proposed developments, and how you can help, can be found on the 'Trust's Plans' page of the web site. ====================================================================================================================== WANTED ALL
KINDS OF OLD
RAILWAY PHOTOGRAPHS, BOOKS
and MAGAZINES Particularly
anything relating to the Belfast
& County Down Railway FOR
PERMANENT PRESERVATION PLEASE
CONTACT THE
B.& C.D.R. MUSEUM TRUST 9 Kilbright Road Carrowdore NEWTOWNARDS Co. DOWN, BT22 2HQ Freephone:
0800 980 1242
E-mail info@bcdr.co.uk All items in our collection are protected for posterity under the terms of our Deed of Trust =========================================================================================== THE LAST TICKETS HAVE BEEN ISSUED, NEWCASTLE HAS SEEN THE LAST TRAIN OFF, AND THE SHARP WHISTLE BLASTS THAT DAILY RENT THE MORNING STILLNESS HAVE BEEN SILENCED
AFTER EIGHTY YEARS. A
shade of sadness cast its sentimental gloom over sweet County Down when the last
train passed over the many miles of the serpentine iron ribbon between Newcastle
and Comber. Yes,
that train rocked and shook and passed by the hills and dales and vanished like
a phantom on its journey into the past, and reminded one of the funeral cortege
of a gallant warrior who had served his country well.
Though there was no muffled drum, a death-knell did sound, not from a
louvered belfry but from the occasional short blasts from the locomotive
whistle, the signal of a duty being performed for the last time. As
those sonorous blasts died away in the evening air, so passed into the limbo of
history a major portion of a railway whose embankments and cuttings will
perpetuate it in the archaeological future when much of its story will have been
long forgotten. To
those of us who remember its heyday, its decline and fall in this age of
automotive transport on the highways and byways, the old 'County Down Railway
will remain one of our most cherished memories.
Reprinted
from the
BELFAST
TELEGRAPH at
the closure of the main line of the Belfast
& County Down Railway on
16th January, 1950. =========================================================================================================== All photographs on this site are copyright, and are not to be copied for re-sale. |
