Heritage railways in Northern Ireland
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There are a number of heritage railways in Northern Ireland, reflecting Ireland's long railway history. Some of the primary sites include:
- The Downpatrick Railway Museum in County Down, located on part of the former Bangor & County Down Railway. A short distance of track is open to the public, with preserved steam locomotives and old carriages.
- The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland headquarters, in Whitehead, County Antrim. A large selection of steam locomotives and preserved rolling stock can be seen. Although there is not an actual heritage railway in Whitehead, there are regular railtours with the preserved stock running to various destinations in Ireland.
- The Giant's Causeway Tramway on the north coast in County Antrim. Steam-powered services run from Bushmills to the Giant's Causeway. The original tramway was electric-powered, with its own hydroelectric plant – the first such system in the world. (Some still exist in Switzerland).
- The Foyle Valley Railway, in County Londonderry. The project has faced some difficulties, but does hold a quantity of preserved railway stock, on part of one of Derry city's closed railway routes (the city once had four stations).