Downpatrick and County Down Railway has added a remarkable piece of Irish railway history to its museum collection with the rescue of what was believed to be a completely extinct type of Irish railway wagon — an iconic CIE ‘bubble wagon’.
The newly arrived wagon, No. 25199, built in 1972 at Inchicore Works in Dublin, is the very last of its class of 150 vehicles. For over 30 years, the distinctive ‘bubbles’ were a familiar sight across Ireland, north and south, hauling cement until the traffic ended in 2009 and every known example was scrapped. Enthusiasts believed the entire class was lost forever — that is, until now.
Chairman of the Downpatrick and County Down Railway (DCDR), Robert Gardiner, said this sole survivor had been “preserved” by a dedicated enthusiast. “One look at it and you can see how these wagons got their nickname. Ours was the last of 150 built at Inchicore Works in 1972, and for more than 30 years the bubbles were a familiar sight on cement trains across Ireland, regulars in NIR’s depot in Adelaide. When the cement traffic ended in 2009, every last one was withdrawn and scrapped — or so everyone thought,” he explained.
Unbeknownst to just about everybody, one wagon was spared the cutter’s torch, thanks to the efforts of one dedicated enthusiast, who then moved it to a secret remote collection. For 16 years, it remained undisturbed and undiscovered.
Mr Gardiner continued: “Anybody who knew what cement bubbles were simply assumed they were all gone — another piece of Irish industrial heritage lost to time. The sole survivor had been secretly preserved by dedicated enthusiast Mike Murphy, who kept its existence a closely guarded secret. Thanks to his generosity, the last ‘bubble’ has now been donated to Downpatrick and County Down Railway, ensuring its long-term survival.”
Mr Gardiner concluded: “It’s like finding a dodo in your back garden!”
