Days Out NI
Heritage site Donaghadee

Drumawhey Junction Miniature Railway

Ride Ireland's longest 7¼-inch miniature railway through tunnels and over a steel bridge.

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Check hoursSelected days only, weather-dependent, ro…
TicketedAdmission applies
DonaghadeeHeritage site
Get directionsOfficial website
One to two hoursHow long
TicketedEntry
Some accessAccess
FreeParking
Not stated —…Dogs

Drumawhey Junction Miniature Railway — Ride Ireland's longest 7¼-inch miniature railway through tunnels and over a steel bridge.

  • Getting in: £5 per ride, under-2s free. Cash only — no card payments.
  • Opening: Selected days only, weather-dependent, roughly Easter to end of September plus Halloween and Santa specials, about 1pm–4pm. Check the Facebook page before travelling.
  • Inside: It is an outdoor railway; you ride in open carriages around the line.
  • Dogs: Not stated — check before you go.
  • Parking: Free on-site parking.
  • Food: Picnic area with tables; small gift shop in the ticket office. No café — bring your own.
Plan your visit

A working railway in miniature

The 2km loop is laid with steel rail and built to look and behave like a full-size line. You pass over a lattice steel bridge, through a tunnel, across a level crossing and past cuttings, with a signal box controlling the turnouts using both colour-light and semaphore signals. Which locomotive pulls your carriages depends on what the volunteers have steamed up that day — it might be a coal-fired steam engine or a diesel. A ride lasts about 12 minutes, and there is a ramped, wheelchair-accessible coach with room for a carer.

£5 a ride Longest 7¼-inch line in Ireland Steam, diesel and electric trains Tunnel and steel bridge Free parking Wheelchair-accessible coach
Good to know before you go:

The railway runs special operating days through the year, including Halloween and Santa specials alongside its regular summer running days. Dates and themes change each season and depend on the weather, so check the society's Facebook page for the current list before you travel.

Before you set off

What to bring

  • 👟Comfy shoesThere is usually a bit of walking, some steps and uneven older ground.
  • 📷A cameraThe history, the architecture and the setting are all worth capturing.
  • 💷A few poundsSome heritage sites are ticketed or have a shop and café — handy to have.
  • 💧Water and a snackNot every site has a café on hand, so pack a little something.
Good to know

Everything before you go

Getting in
£5 per ride, under-2s free. Cash only — no card payments.
Opening
Selected days only, weather-dependent, roughly Easter to end of September plus Halloween and Santa specials, about 1pm–4pm. Check the Facebook page before travelling.
Can you go inside
It is an outdoor railway; you ride in open carriages around the line.
Food
Picnic area with tables; small gift shop in the ticket office. No café — bring your own.
Dogs
Not stated — check before you go.
Parking
Free on-site parking.
Accessibility
Ramped access to the platform and toilets; a wheelchair-accessible coach takes a wheelchair user plus carer.
How long to allow
One to two hours.
Address
60 Upper Gransha Road, Donaghadee, County Down, BT21 0LZ
Questions

Before you go

Is it free to visit?
£5 per ride, under-2s free. Cash only — no card payments.
Can you go inside?
It is an outdoor railway; you ride in open carriages around the line.
When is it open?
Selected days only, weather-dependent, roughly Easter to end of September plus Halloween and Santa specials, about 1pm–4pm. Check the Facebook page before travelling.
Can I bring the dog?
Not stated — check before you go.
Where do I park?
Free on-site parking.
Getting there

Drumawhey Junction Miniature Railway is at 60 Upper Gransha Road, Donaghadee, County Down, BT21 0LZ. Free on-site parking. Tap below for directions.

Directions on Google MapsOfficial website See it on our map
Nearby

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The story

The story of Drumawhey Junction

The Belfast & County Down Miniature Railway Society was founded in 1991 by a group of enthusiasts who set out to build a miniature railway — complete with locomotives, carriages and buildings — for their members and the public to enjoy. They chose a site at Four Road Ends on the Upper Gransha Road, sitting between Bangor, Donaghadee and Newtownards.

Over the following decades the volunteers built the line by hand: around 2km of 7¼-inch gauge track laid in steel rail, with member-built turnouts, a tunnel, a lattice steel bridge, cuttings and a level crossing. They added a station, a signal box to control the points, and engine and coach sheds. The result is the longest 7¼-inch gauge railway in Ireland, with smaller 5-inch and 3½-inch raised tracks alongside for model engineering.

In 2022 the society amalgamated with the Model Engineers' Society of Northern Ireland to form the Drumawhey Junction Railway & Model Engineering Society. It runs as a cross-community charity (NIC 100683), bringing together people who build their own locomotives, maintain the line, and run trains for visitors.

Today the railway operates steam, petrol-hydraulic, diesel-hydraulic and electric locomotives across its selected open days, keeping a volunteer-built line in working order for a new generation of passengers.