downpatrick steam railway

Climb on board for a short train ride - or travel further afield on a special mainline steam excursion. Many engines and coaches are on display in transport museums and railway centres, with memorabilia from the golden age of steam. The first railway in Ireland opened in 1834, and the network quickly reached into all corners of the island. By 1920 almost 3,500 miles of track threaded the countryside and no Irish town was more than 10 miles from a railway station.

Ireland's national railway gauge is 5ft 3 inches. This, together with the widespread use of the 3 ft narrow gauge, makes Irish railways quite distinctive.