The Downpatrick and County Down Railway’s ex-CIÉ BR Steam Heating Van No. 3189 came to an end yesterday (14th May).

The van had a long service with CIÉ and Iarnród Éireann and was moved to Downpatrick from 2007, where it finally retired from service in 2019 after the Lapland Express season.

The van was used as a guard’s van, a storage area and a generator facility.

An assessment carried out shows that it was deteriorating past the point of restoration. They offered it to other railways, who came to the same conclusion, and they decided to carry out component recovery.

Thomas Hamill and Sons carried out its disposal, with the carriage being cut in two and the steam heat boiler removed. The bogies and bogie bearings were also removed to be retained for future use.

The two halves were loaded onto lorries for their final journey to Ahoghill.