downpatrick & county down railway

We were really excited to go to this but found it was a let down. For 2 adults and 1 child it cost £21.50 - there wasn't even a complimentary tea/coffee or mince pie included in the price.The wait for the train was really long and it was freezing.The xmas decorations were completely outdated and broken. The train was cold and the refreshments in the Buffett carriage were dire.Had to pay extra for the refreshments and the tea and hot chocolate were undrinkable. The upside was that Santa tried his best and was cheery and the present was ok but the overall experience was a let down and the reality was nothing like the promotional photos. Disappointing :-(

This is certainly a visit not to be missed if you are in the area. The rail journey begins from a re-created Downpatrick station past one face of the Downpatrick loop platform to a halt. The train then returns to a different face of the Downpatrick Loop platform to Inch Abbey station. It reverses again and returns direct to its original starting point at Downpatrick Station. We were given a tour of the museum by a very enthusiastic and knowledgeable young lad. It was good to see many young people assisting with the running of the railway. The museum contains some very old and interesting carriages. The only difficulty we found was understanding the days on which the railway operates as listed in the publicity leaflet.

Brillaint good value for money nothing beats a steam Train wonderful to explore and the volenters were wonderful i would vist again

My husband and I went on this last Saturday afternoon. Got the first train of the afternoon @ 2 pm to Inch Abbey. It is only a couple of miles on the steam train, but it is the novelty of it which was great. Don't get to do this every day. I love trains, only wish they were still in our part of the country. Walked up a short distance to the Abbey and got the 15:05 back again. If it was a good day, you could take a picnic. My husband is originally from nearby Saintfield, and he was not aware of this train. I had seen it while looking for places to visit in Co Down on Google.

Went as a family mother , father, wife and my 2 year old son, even a very wet day didn't dampen the experience, the staff where both very pleasant and very informative experience, started wih a train ride out to inch abbey , then a nice walk to inch abbey , back to the buffet cart then a return trip to the Downpatrick station, visited the train museum , we all had a great time I would highly recommend this experience to everyone, my 2yr absolutely loved it he total joy in his face was priceless

We visited with our toddler, and we were charmed to bits by the lovely staff who were so attentive and genuine. Our wee man thought he was in heaven. It's not the world's longest railway journey but it is truly lovely - passing through the Quoile basin and over the river on a scary bridge. Inch Abbey was so peaceful. One the way back we were in a Hogwarts Express carriage. A truly special afternoon, and very good value at £5.50 per adult. Children under 3 go free. Let's hope the enthusiasts keep this going for future generations.

Went with some friends who were visiting from America. They loved it and so did I, although I hadn't expected to! A nice train ride, a walk around Inch Abbey, an enjoyable way to kill a few hours on a sunny afternoon.

Well worth a visit, a lot of different railway stock, very helpful staff. A ride of the train was great fun.

Visited with my family on 6th July last year. Wonderful preserved railway line with a good range if rolling stock on view both outside and in a specially constructed coaching shed. Staff all very genuine and helpful eager to share their knowledge. Small scale oo gauge railway for kids too. Worth checking website for special events we took the kids back for the Santa Special at Christmas.

The only full sized preserved railway on the island of Ireland. Runs chiefly from Downpatrick to Inch Abbey ,very near to the ruined 1000 year old Cistercian abbey ,which is in itself worth visiting with its lakeside setting and fine distant view of the Cathedral in Downpatrick. There is a small play area and teashop (in a an old railway carriage) at Inch. At Downpatrick Station itself there is a selection of old rolling stock to view, some of it in a purpose built gallery, with photos and relics on display. The first and last train of the day are worked by a vintage diesel loco, of which there are several dating back to the mid 1950s, the rest of the trains are hauled by a steam loco, using period carriages.Downpatrick Cathedral is very near the station (albeit a couple of hundred feet higher up) and the grave of St Patrick is in the Churchyard.

During my late 30s I began to realize that I missed my childhood fascination with all things trains. Now at the grand old age of 41, my wife and I have visited the Down Steam Railway many times. It is the only thing of its kind in Northern Ireland (sadly). Every time we come it is wonderful. For us, the weather doesn't matter. If it's sunny, you can amble about the (now newly updated) museum and station, take the train, and enjoy the walk to Inch Abbey, and spend a whole day. If it's raining, you can still do the museum, but then get on the train, get a vestibule, sit back and relax and watch the rain hit the windows, listen to the little steam engine puffing away, and enjoy the sights and smells of 50+ years ago. Then grab a biscuit and a cup of tea at Inch, and go back at your leisure.Nope, its not Alton Towers, it's not even Barry's, but it's run by passionate railway enthusiasts, who will answer all your questions, chat for ages, and always be obliging. I don't think it is overpriced, and dirty toilets are rectified by telling the staff, and blaming the public that left them that way.Roll on the branch line opening one day! Thanks to all the staff (who are exclusively unpaid volunteers by the way), we love it, and will be back in the spring!

Everyone enjoyed this, from the teenagers to the adults, but the older visitor who remembers the days of steam - and of these carriages - was enraptured. Although it's only a very short journey (very, very short to anyone who knows the Severn Valley Railway) it has all the excitement you expect of a steam train trip. Arriving at the other end, it's only a short walk to the ruins of Inch Abbey with its impressive view over Quoile to Downpatrick. It's easy it imagine the Mediaeval monks here in this peaceful setting. Back at the station there's time for a good cup of tea in the old railway carriage in the sidings. Not cheap, but certainly a special treat.

Lovely journey, very friendly staff, our little Cocker Spaniel loved it. It was a lovely day so the walk to Inch Abbey was very pleasant. If you only had time for one return journey then it was rather expensive as the train ride only lasted minutes, however if you had time to ride the train more than once and look round the museum it was ok.

Worth every pence! My wife and I arrived at this museum 30 minutes prior to closing with our three very excited boys. One of the museum employees rode with us in our train car for the ride to and from Inch Abbey and gave us a extensive history lesson about the line and about Irish Rail. The train ride includes entry into the museum as well and when the staff realized that we would only have 5 minutes in the museum after the ride they kept the museum open longer so we could see everything. The museum is one of the smaller ones we have been to (our boys make sure we take them to every available train museum possible) but they have quite a few rail cars in various stages of restoration, which enriches the experience (quality vs. quantity). They are actually restoring the trains in the museum rather than some mysterious sealed barn that visitor would not be able to see. The museum staff were extremely knowledgeable and unbelievably friendly. We enjoyed our visit as much as our visits to Holywood's (N.Ireland too) Ulster Transport Museum and Baltimore's B&O Railroad Museum.

so enjoyed this by in time train ride kids had a great time just a shame there not more trains these days much better than driving love the halloween theme trains an christmas ones defo worth seeing an suitable for all ages .....