Malahide Lions Club - Steam Train Excursion

The next Steam Train Excursion is presently in the planning stages. It is hoped to have it on Sunday 10th June 2012. This year's route will take us to Mullingar, followed by a bus tour to Belvedere House. Further details will be posted when available.

Our Steam Train Outing for 2011 is over, and what a great day was had by all. Special thanks to the organisers of this wonderful event, The Railway Preservation Society and sponsors. Make sure you don't miss the next journey into the past on our Steam Train Outing!
See photos of the day HERE.

Sunday 7th August - Malahide to Wicklow Malahide Lions Club is delighted to welcome you on board this historic Steam Train journey. We would also like to thank you for your support, our sponsors and in addition our friends in the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, who by their unstinting voluntary efforts have made this trip of yesteryear possible for us to enjoy on this special occasion. The proceeds from this project will benefit The Ross Nugent Foundation. (Visit the website) Without the unstinting efforts of RPSI and your support, this trip would not be possible. Both the Malahide Lions Club and the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland hope you enjoy the trip and look forward to seeing you on board again.

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, is another voluntary organisation formed in 1964 to preserve in working order steam locomotives and other rolling stock that was built for and operated on the Irish railway system. The society is a non-profit charity managed and operated by voluntarily efforts.
At present there are 10 old Steam Locomotives, 8 Diesel Engines, 32 Carriages inc the State Coach – Nbr 351- built in 1903 for King Edward VII, guards vans and many other assorted wagons.
These items of rolling stock are overhauled, maintained and preserved at both Whitehead and at Inchicore, where they are restored and kept in a good serviceable condition by a group of dedicated volunteers.
If you have the time, visit their website at http://www.rpsi-online.org/

On 7th August both the RPSI and Malahide Lions Club are delighted to welcome you on board this historic trip to Wicklow.

The Journey: Malahide to Wicklow Road

The first part of our railway track is the line built for the GNR in 1844. Then the train, with 560 Passengers stopped in Malahide to collect Lord and Lady Talbot; on this day it stops to pick up the Malahide Lions and 250 passengers.
Since 1844 the track has been upgraded with continuous welded track and more modern signalling.  In Dublin City the Loop Line was erected in 1891, to connect the GNR line with the first rail track ever built in Ireland in 1834 for the DKR.
As we pass Grand Canal Dock we recall that it was here that the first railway company - in the world - built its own locomotives.
In 1844 between Dunlaoire and Dalkey the atmospheric railway operated.

We leave the Dalkey tunnel and make a lovely broad sweep of Killiney Bay.
As we pass Bray the line climbs Bray Head and we notice that coastal erosion has caused the track to be altered on four occasions requiring new tunnels to be bored.Today we go through four tunnels before arriving at Greystones.