Foyle Valley Railway Museum
Narrow-gauge railway museum in Derry with County Donegal Railways locomotives and carriages around a recreated station platform.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The Foyle Valley Railway Museum preserves rolling stock from the narrow-gauge railways that once served north-west Ireland, above all the County Donegal Railways Joint Committee, whose last line closed in 1960. A railway society first opened a museum at Victoria Road station in 1973 and ran a short heritage line from 1975, but the site was sold in 1978 and the collection moved away.
Derry City Council built a new museum in 1986 on the site of a former Great Northern Railway goods yard, and the collection returned to the city. Railcars ran on a line of about 3.6 km towards Carrigans until the council took over operations in 2000, after which trains stopped. The disability charity Destined took a 50-year lease on the building in 2016, and the museum reopened in 2023 after renovation.
The exhibits are arranged around a recreated station platform. They include steam locomotives built in 1907, a diesel railcar, carriages and a goods van, as well as a Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway carriage that is the only known survivor of its type. Guides lead visitors around the exhibits.
Highlights
- Recreated station platform with County Donegal Railways stock
- Steam locomotives built in 1907
- Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway carriage, the only known survivor of its type
- Run by the charity Destined with guides who have learning disabilities
Permanent exhibitions
- County Donegal Railways collection – Narrow-gauge locomotives, railcars and carriages arranged around a recreated station platform, including a steam locomotive built in 1907.
- Londonderry and Lough Swilly carriage – A third-class carriage of 1901, the only known surviving carriage of the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway.
- Operated by
- Destined
Admission & discounts
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Accessibility
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Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Amenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
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Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| Good to know | Guides from the operating charity lead visitors around the exhibits. |
