Londonderry return for end of steam anniversary?
RPSI’s May tour will mark 50 years since last steam on Northern Ireland Railways.
Steam is expected to return to Londonderry in 2020, marking the 50th anniversary of the end of steam in Northern Ireland.
The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland is in negotiation with Irish Rail and Translink NI Railways over the options for its traditional May tour, which usually takes place over the second weekend of the month.
Although no details are confirmed, there is a strong likelihood that Londonderry’s new station will feature in the itinerary.
Steam last visited the city in June 2016, when Compound No. 85 Merlin ran round after hauling a Royal train from Coleraine to Bellarena, where the Queen opened a new halt.
Since then, Waterside station has been redeveloped as part of the proposed North West Transport Hub, and a new run‑round loop installed, mainly to facilitate Belmond’s ‘Grand Hibernian’ luxury train.
Pathing is a problem, but there are options in the Sunday timetable, when frequency is reduced from the weekday schedule of hourly trains to one every two hours.
The concourse for the new station is located in a stone building which was the original train shed of the Belfast & Northern Counties Railway station.
2020 will mark the 50th anniversary of the end of steam on NIR, with the final steam‑hauled passenger trains operating on the Larne line at Easter 1970.
The remaining ‘WT’ 2‑6‑4Ts continued in traffic with stone trains from Magheramorne to Belfast, which finished in May, and the final workings were permanent way trains and bridge girder specials.
The sole surviving ‘WT’, No. 4, is now operational in the RPSI collection. Although the locomotive line‑up is still to be confirmed for the May tour, the lack of turning facilities at Londonderry makes the ‘Jeep’ a likely contender.