The Downpatrick and County Down Railway has announced that it has completed repairs to the mechanical interlocking at its Bundoran Junction signal cabin, which sustained damage in the serious flooding two years ago in 2023.

Interlocking bars in a signal cabin prevent signallers from accidentally misleading train drivers or causing an accident when they pull a lever in the cabin to operate points or signals.

The Railway’s volunteers have been working hard over the last few months on the repairs.

Their work involved dismantling the whole signal cabin interlocking mechanism and removing the dirt and rust left by the flood.

They also cleaned and oiled the components of the system and inserted shims (thin pieces of material which are used to fill gaps, provide support, or adjust the alignment of objects) or ground down contact areas in order to ensure that everything will run smoothly.

After carrying out this work, they reassembled the system. The Railway reports that doing this was like “a giant game of Tetris, except it’s 3D and everything is a different size!”

The interlocking is now operational, which means that the Railway can now make a start on the next stage of work, which involves connecting the cabin to points and signals in the headshunt area, enabling it to control the passing loop and yard access.

The Railway expects that it will take “a few years” to get this in place. Once fully completed, the system will include original signalling components from the historic Irish railway companies, including the Belfast and County Down Railway (BCDR).

In the eighteen months since the flood happened, the Railway’s volunteers have been working hard to repair the damage, with their work enabling the Railway to resume operating eleven months after the flood. Their repair work is set to continue for some time.

The Railway welcomes any donation towards this work. Donations can be made on the Railway’s website.

The Downpatrick and County Down Railway is a heritage railway in County Down, Northern Ireland, running on 5 foot, 3 inch (1,600 mm) gauge. It operates passenger trains hauled by both steam and diesel locomotives, as well as diesel railcars and vintage carriages. Its three-mile route follows a triangular shape, connecting the town of Downpatrick with the historical sites of Inch Abbey to the north and King Magnus’ Grave to the south.