The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland will be starting its mid-summer steam train season by offering people a unique and stylish way to travel to Bangor for the afternoon on Saturday 26th May.
Passengers on this year’s Bangor Belle Steam Train will be able to experience the thrill of steam train travel from the Titanic era.
Indeed, should you want to, this is an opportunity to let the steam train take you all the way from Whitehead Excursion Station, Carrickfergus, Belfast Central or Lisburn to Bangor and back again. All the way around Belfast Lough where Titanic first sailed.
By offering a steam train – a unique and enjoyable means of travel – passengers, especially families, will be able to enjoy a few hours by the sea, without the hassle of traffic jams and car parking.
It is hoped that the locomotive at the head of the train will be No.461, built in Manchester and celebrating its 90th birthday this year. It has only just returned to operation following an 11 year restoration, largely carried out by volunteers at the Society engineering workshops at Whitehead, County Antrim. The Bangor Belle Steam Train will be its first public passenger train to Bangor. It is sure to make plenty of steam locomotive noise as it tackles the steep climb from Holywood, through Cultra!
The train will offer passengers travel in lovingly restored carriages, the opportunity for children (and more nostalgic adults) to get close to the steam engine and talk to the driver and fireman and a relaxing journey through the North Down countryside to Bangor.
RPSI Operations Officer Mervyn Darragh commented: “We are pleased to offer this car-free means for passengers to travel to Bangor on a summer Saturday. The steam train works in perfectly; offering families time in Bangor for a walk, some shopping or even to sample some model steam trains at the First Bangor Model Railway Society exhibition for which ticket holders will get discounted admission.”
“We always enjoy helping the public and especially children to get closer to the industrial heritage we maintain. A steam train just oozes atmosphere and we would especially appreciate the public sending us drawings, notes or poems about their day out on the steam train for posting on our website.”
Departure times:
Whitehead RPSI Excursion Station 12:35
Carrickfergus 12:50
Belfast Central 13:20
Lisburn 14:25
Return departure from Bangor at 17:40
Tickets (Adult £14, Child £12) are available in person, by phone or on-line only
from:
Belfast Welcome Centre
47 Donegall Place
Belfast
BT1 5AD
+44 28 9024 6609
Advance ticket purchase IS essential!
A series of evening “Steam and Jazz” trains on 8th, 15th and 22nd June and 6th July, with the Apex Jazz Band on-board, make up the rest of the mid-summer steam train calendar. Tickets are already on sale for these popular trains.