There is something magical about the sight and distinctive sound of a steam train leaving the platform – as people wave it on its way, before it meanders through the countryside. For some, it might be Thomas the Tank Engine-inspired; for others, it’s like stepping into an elegant period drama.

In Co Laois, just off the main thoroughfare and behind a large and imposing gate, is Stradbally Woodland Railway, the oldest volunteer-run heritage railway on the island of Ireland. It began back in 1969 with a short section of track so that an old Guinness Brewery steam locomotive could carry passengers before it was later relaid by enthusiasts to a 3ft gauge railway track, measuring just over a kilometre through the forest.

Irish Country Living arrived at the site – which is leased from Stradbally Hall – on a crisp, cool Saturday morning. The place is a hive of activity as volunteer members from the Irish Steam Preservation Society, founded back in 1964, get ready for one of their busiest times of year – the arrival of Santa.

Róisín, an ex-Bord na Móna locomotive used on the bogs to transport turf in nearby Portarlington, has found a second life post-retirement as the Santa Train. She will be ferrying children and not-so-young steam fans through the 1.1km track loop in the forest over two weekends on 6-7 December and 13-14 December.

But there is much to do before that, not least getting the woodland fully decorated with over 1km of lights. There are Christmas statues and tinsel to be installed around every corner, Santa’s cabin to decorate and an old fairground organ and steam engines to put in place. Cartoon characters like the Snow Queen and the Grinch are also positioned to greet the many visitors.

“The children absolutely love it. We would have a minimum of 40-50% repeat customers for the last three years,” says Nigel Glynn, the group’s CEO, of the sell-out experience. “The smiles on the children’s faces are just brilliant.”

But what is it that ensures the steam railway continues to captivate? Manager Alfie Hanbridge from Castledermot in Co Kildare sums it up, saying, “It’s that idea of steam [history] and going back in time.” He jokes that many parents want to come just as much as the youngsters.

“While there is a lot of work to get ready for the Santa train, it is worth it,” he says. “Where else in Ireland do you have a steam train doing Santy? There are others with trains but not a steam train,” Alfie points out.

He got involved 16 years ago by accident after his brother-in-law brought him along. While Alfie has no railway background, the banter with his fellow volunteers brings him back again and again.

What also stands out about Stradbally Woodland Railway is that it is now a carbon-free rail experience. The old picture of the man shovelling black coal into the furnace has been replaced by biomass, supplied by Arigna Fuels since 2023.

“While it’s not 100% as good as this [coal], it is getting there. This has no smoke coming out of it. It’s carbon-free, no carbon whatsoever, which is a first in Ireland,” outlines Nigel, whose wife Nicola is also secretary of the group.

Stepping off the locomotive to chat is Sean Cain from Portlaoise, who has been volunteering here for 25 years, having followed in his father’s footsteps in his late teens.

“I just find trains captivating,” he says, quipping that it’s a bit of a “busman’s holiday” because he also works in maintenance in Irish Rail.

“The strong ethos is keeping local heritage alive. Most of these engines would have worked in Co Laois or in Offaly. That steam engine [Róisín] was built before sustainability was a thing.

“It was to burn local turf, but with good design we were able to convert it to biomass without any modifications,” he explains.

Sean points to diesel locomotives that operated in Portlaoise in a nearby shed and other peat wagons used in the former Rhode Power Station in Co Offaly. “It’s not just a random series of trains plucked and dropped in Stradbally. It’s a very specific collection,” he stresses, all of which have a link to the midlands area.

Refocusing on the family market has been a “game-changer” for the voluntary group, he maintains, and now many of their visitors are talking about relatives who drove the locomotives they have on-site or have memories of a grandfather working on the trains.

Sean’s son, Evan, who has autism, is also a volunteer, and he notes a massive interest in the railway from young people with additional needs, part of which he attributes to the “ordered nature” of the rail system.

“A lot of families come with young boys with autism, and they find it captivating. It’s a bit smaller than a mainline steam train, and they can see it up close and experience it, and we have time to explain stuff to them. That means a lot for people with additional needs,” he remarks.

The group’s other big venture is the National Steam Rally every summer at the adjacent Stradbally Hall, which draws thousands of people to the Laois venue. They also open the steam narrow guage railway, which first started running in 1971, for visitors over 12-14 weekends in the summer.

Steam Rally

For Nigel, whose Carlow family is known the length and breadth of the country for their association with steam engines, keeping the history alive is a big part of his ongoing involvement.

“We’re in our 62nd year. My grandfather was the president, my father was the president, and I’m the CEO now, so we have a long heritage of keeping Stradbally going,” he comments, before pointing to a photo inside of him helping his father unload a diesel loco back in 1978.

“It’s the love of it and seeing everyone so happy, especially the steam rally, which is phenomenal. This year’s rally was one of the biggest we ever had here,” says Nigel, who is hugely thankful to Laois County Council, Laois Partnership and Thomas Crosby for their ongoing support of what they do.

While harking back to the past, this active group is always looking forward and developing.

Nigel says part of their five-year plan is to sell the museum they have in the town and build it on-site “with a glass front so that we can back the steam train and carriages in it, so the days we are not running people can still come and view the train”.

“We also want to build a new platform and extend the track by a kilometre so it would be a 2km track and double the time,” he ends.

See irishsteam.net