Drumboe officially welcomed back home at Donegal Town
COUNTY Donegal Railways 2-6-4T Drumboe, which returned in triumph to Donegal in October 2021 after restoration by Heritage Engineering Ireland at Whitehead, was officially welcomed home on August 18.
Patsy McGonagle, of the Donegal Local Development Company, the principal funder of the £100,000 project, cut a tape on the locomotive’s footplate to officially declare it open to visitors.
Built by Naysmth Wilson in 1907, Drumboe won its place in history and in the heritage centre by hauling the last passenger train on the CDR on December 31, 1959.
The appeal to bring the engine home to Donegal was kicked off by a generous donation from Thailandbased businessman Graham Forbes, grandson of Henry Forbes, the legendary CDR manager from 1910 to 1943. Graham was patched by video link into the ceremony, which was attended by Pauric Kennedy, the Donegal Town Mayor, councillors, funders, heritage centre staff, and members. Graham told a delighted audience: “I was delighted to help bring Drumboe home to Donegal. My grandfather would be proud to see the locomotive so well restored at Donegal station today. I hope we will see her return to steaming condition in due course.”
Centre manager Niall McCaughan said: “The completion of the Drumboe Project, which includes restoration, transport to Donegal, the building of a platform and canopy, and provision of information material, is just one step on our journey of restoring Drumboe fully to working order and steaming over a stretch of CDR line.
“We are working hard to identify where that site will be, as it is our aim to run Donegal narrow gauge trains once again to ensure that this great railway is not forgotten.”