The Downpatrick and County Down Railway has formed a partnership with the renowned Belfast shipbuilders Harland & Wolff to assist in the restoration of a distinctive Victorian railway carriage.

The initiative to reconstruct this distinctive railway carriage represents a crucial training venture for Harland & Wolff apprentices.

It will not only immerse them in heritage skills vital to fabrication and engineering but also rekindle the longstanding relationship between the shipbuilder and Northern Ireland’s railways.

During the 1930s, Harland and Wolff expanded their manufacturing capabilities beyond shipbuilding to include the production of diesel locomotives.

Two of these locomotives ran on the line between Downpatrick and Ardglass, plus the Ballynahinch and Saintfield branch.

Sadly, both locos have missed out on preservation. While other Harland & Wolff built diesel locomotives were used as far as Canada.

This proud heritage is being reinvigorated with the construction of the first railway vehicle by the shipyard since World War II.

Constructed in 1862, carriage No. 33 stands as the only remaining carriage from Northern Ireland’s inaugural railway company, the Ulster Railway. It is among the few Irish railway carriages that have endured from the early days of rail transport to the present.

Remarkably, this carriage shares a closer time frame to Stephenson’s Rocket than to the majority of other railway vehicles displayed in Northern Ireland’s railway museums.

The Ulster Railway, established in 1836, initially ran from Great Victoria Street to Portadown and Armagh, before evolving into the Great Northern Railway (Ireland) with routes extending to Dublin.

It is indeed poignant that the restoration of this historic vehicle coincides with the cessation of rail services at its original home, Great Victoria Street, which concluded in May 2024.

Carriage No. 33 was a first-class “family saloon” featuring two spacious compartments, divided by a pair of lavatories. Affluent families would often reserve these opulent compartments for private use during day trips, ensuring separation from Third-Class passengers, akin to the Titanic’s arrangements.

The carriage was withdrawn from service in 1920, and its body was detached from the chassis because of the deterioration of the structure of the under frames. The top half went onto serve as a railway office before being repurposed as a farm shed. It remained in this state until its rescue by the DCDR in 1987.

The wooden body that does survive now acts as a vital tool for the apprentices to enable its restoration, which once complete, will play a key role in Northern Ireland’s heritage railway history.

The design’s development has adhered to best practices observed by other heritage railways in England, with the Isle of Wight Steam Railway contributing specialist advice to the project.

The heritage railway initially collaborated with Queen’s University, Belfast, where students engaged in research and design for the frame, stress calculations, and braking systems.

Harland and Wolff have now joined the effort, advancing the project to the fabrication phase, with the necessary steel generously supplied by Walter Watson Ltd Steel Stockholders in Castlewellan, a long-standing supporter of DCDR.

The initiative is part of Harland & Wolff’s apprenticeship program, which provides students with comprehensive training in disciplines like fabrication, welding, and mechanical engineering.

Collaborating on a practical project with the Downpatrick & County Down Railway, the apprentices acquire essential real-world experience, facilitating the passage of vital expertise from experienced professionals to the emerging workforce.

“We are thrilled to partner with Harland & Wolff on this historic project. Their enthusiasm for the project to recreate  this Victorian gem has completely knocked us over, and is wonderful against the backdrop of our recovery from the devastating floods in November 2023, it is truly appreciated.”

“Their passion and expertise are invaluable in the restoration of the Ulster Railway No. 33. This collaboration not only honours our shared industrial heritage but also provides an excellent training ground for apprentices to learn and master heritage crafts.”

Robert Gardiner, Chairman of the Downpatrick & County Down Railway

The DCDR has been closed since severe flooding took hold in October 2023, though the railway is hopeful of resuming services by the end of the year.