Celebrating the 30th Anniversary Diesel Gala Saturday 12th October at Downpatrick & County Down Railway.
Crowds gathered at Downpatrick railway last Saturday to enjoy the 30th anniversary celebration of the Irish Traction Group.
Robert Gardiner, Downpatrick and County Down Railway said: “The Irish Traction Group caters specifically for the heritage diesel enthusiast, providing up to date news of events, stock movements, and information about our own operations and preservation work, via the Group’s quarterly journal, The Irish Mail.
“We were delighted that such a good crowd turned up on an autumn day coming into Halloween.
“The Irish Traction Group has the largest collection of privately owned diesel locomotives in Ireland. At present, there are four operational locos which see regular use at the Downpatrick and County Down Railway, with a fifth currently undergoing work to return it to working order. Four are at the Irisction Groups permanent restoration base at Carrick-on-Suir, Co Tipperary, and the remainder are stored at the West Clare Railway, Moyasta, Co Clare.”
Robert Gardiner added that the Irish Traction Group is a registered charity and relies on members and donors to fund the maintenance of our operational locos and other ongoing restoration work. All the work is carried out by a small, dedicated team of volunteers who share a passion for Irish diesel locomotives.
“They are always keen to welcome new volunteers,” added Robert GArdiner, “however, if volunteering is not for you, there are still a number of ways in which you can help us, such as donating on this site (securely via Paypal), becoming a member, or by utilising the easyfundraising page, which provides a quick and easy way to contribute, simply by doing your shopping online with hundreds of well-known retailers. See the Get Involved page for full details.
