Railway Preservation Society of Ireland

The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland (RPSI) is an Irish railway preservation group operating throughout Ireland, founded in 1964. The society has a base in Whitehead, County Antrim, and operates out of Dublin. It operates steam train excursions primarily from Dublin and from Belfast, but occasionally from other locations as well. In the 1970s and 1980s, the society ran trains from Mullingar.
The RPSI has the largest collection of steam locomotives, preserved carriages and wagons in Ireland.
Dublin Branch.
Largely separate to Whitehead, the RPSI Dublin Operations grew out of the Mullingar base and have been active since the late 1980s. This started as part of the Dublin Millenium Festival in 1988. 
The Dublin Operations more or less operate independently of Whitehead with own rake of coaching stock and a rent of the Irish Rail locomotive shed at Connolly station.
It is said that the Dublin Operations section is actually responsible for the greater majority of income for the organisation. 
Unlike Whitehead operations, no Dublin operation has ever run at a loss.
Operations.
Passenger excursions.
The Society runs mainline trains on the Irish railway network using steam traction and vintage carriages. It also owns a small fleet of vintage diesel locomotives. Its longest running and most famous train, the "Portrush Flyer", takes day trippers from Belfast to Coleraine during the summer. Out of Dublin, several trains are operated over the scenic Rosslare line to Greystones and Wicklow throughout summer.
Each year the society organizes a major weekend event, operating usually from Dublin in May and covering major routes in Ireland.
Excursion trains run throughout the year from both Dublin and Belfast, primarily at weekends. An operational set of vintage carriages is kept both at Whitehead and in Dublin for these purposes.
Other operations.
On many occasions the RPSI has provided trains for films and television dramas, notably "The First Great Train Robbery" in 1979 and Michael Collins. RPSI also provided a train for filming on the Sky TV series Moone Boy.
The RPSI runs the Whitehead Railway Museum, opened in 2017.
The RPSI also runs special charter trains for companies like Steam Dreams and Railtours Ireland. 
In winter months the Society runs public meetings in Belfast, comprising slide shows, films, and guest speakers. Topics featured often include the Derry Road and the last days of steam in Ulster.
Recognition.
In 1983, the Association of Railway Preservation Societies (now known as the Heritage Railway Association) presented the RPSI with its annual award for "continuing highly successful operation...of steam excursions", and for the restoration of steam locomotive No. 4 and carriages 87, 1142 and 91.
In 1987 the RPSI won a certificate of commendation in the British Coal Annual Steam Heritage Awards for the restoration of No. 85 "Merlin". Unfortunately 85 developed problems and was withdrawn again in 1989. 
In 2000 the Heritage Railway Association gave the Supreme Champion award in the carriage and wagon category to the RPSI for its work on Irish State coach No. 351.
The HRA has also presented the RPSI with the John Coiley Award for Locomotive Preservation (in 2004, for No. 186); a certificate of commendation in 2006 (for its part in the Bleach Green to Whitehead track relay) and the Wagon Award in 2009 (for the restoration of a GNR(I) brake van).
2018 saw the society win the Manisty Award in recognition of opening the new Whitehead Railway Museum.
Dublin volunteer and popular board member, Joe McKeown was awarded with "Volunteer Of the Year 2019" by the society. 
Fleet.
The RPSI owns a total of ten steam and six diesel locomotives, a mixture of large main line and small industrial shunting types, all to the Irish gauge of 5 ft 3in. In addition it has had No.85 "Merlin", last of the GNR(I) Class V, on loan from the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum since the 1980s. In addition they intend to build a new W Class engine No.105. The Society also owns or cares for a large collection of carriages and wagons of varying ages.
The group has three operational mainline steam locomotives, DSER K2 class 2-6-0 No. 461 (last overhaul completed 2011), the borrowed Great Northern Railway (Ireland) V Class 4-4-0 No. 85 "Merlin" (last overhaul completed 2014) and LMS NCC WT 2-6-4T No. 4 (last overhaul completed 2015). No. 461 is the only surviving mogul locomotive to have inside cylinders in either Ireland or the UK, while No. 85 is the only operational compound railway locomotive. Normally, one locomotive is based in Dublin and one in Whitehead, with locomotives occasionally being swapped round to suit local requirements.
The RPSI has a diesel department. 141 class locomotives B141 and B142 were acquired in 2010, repainted in original CIÉ black livery. But since then 142 is being repainted at Whitehead and has been half painted for several years now due to extensive bodywork repairs to both cab bodywork and floors. , 175, along with 121 class locomotive B134 are also owned by RPSI. B142 aka the B Special was used as a shunter at Whitehead before suffering engine failure in 2020; it is currently (May 2021) having cylinder liner gaskets replaced after coolant leaks were discovered in same. The Dublin GMs have been started successfully with no issues. B141 and 175 are stored in the engine shed at Connolly Station in Dublin which is leased from Iarnród Éireann, and in early 2017 B134 was sent to Irish Rail's Inchicore depot for restoration to mainline standard. 
141 is in good running order at Connolly shed.
As of 2014, the society has in operation three distinct rakes of carriages. One is made up of a mixture of NIR, Irish Rail, and BR Mark 2 vehicles, based at Whitehead. This set is painted in the RPSI's dark green livery. In Dublin, there exists two further rakes of carriages. One, the "heritage set", is mainly made up of 1950s vintage CIÉ Park Royal and laminate stock, along with some ex-GNR(I), GSR and GSWR vehicles (including 1st corridor No. 1142). These are mostly painted in 1950s CIÉ green livery. The other is made up of ex-Iarnród Éireann Cravens coaches, along with a BR steam heating van.
Some carriages have at times been displayed in the Ulster Folk Museum at Cultra. These include GNR(I) Director Saloon No.50 and CIE dining car No.2422.
Controversy.
In 2009, a founding member Irwin Pryce was arrested and charged for possession of child pornography. Pryce died in 2010, before trial.. Despite the circumstances, the RPSI included a tribute article in their magazine..
Also in 2009, volunteer Ernest Gilmore was jailed for rape and abuse of a minor in the 1980s. 
Also around this time, another volunteer, Paul Newell was charged with indecent exposure, following which he continued to volunteer. When asked about this by the Sunday World, an RPSI representative told the journalist that it was 'none of the "Sunday World"s business' how they roster their trains..
On 7 November 2014, an RPSI train chartered by Web Summit blocked a level crossing in Midleton for over 25 minutes. The operation was referred to the Commission for Railway Regulation. The resulting investigation found that the Society had knowingly run a train that was too long for the station's platform and that it would block a level crossing, yet senior IR management overrode their internal safety department by allowing the train to run. 
In 2017, the Society drew controversy on social media after it was discovered that the Whitehead based rake of mk2 coaching stock's toilets carried politically incorrect signage asking customers not to put 'girlie things' down the toilets. One Dublin steward claimed that he is to be "in very bad taste and in my opinion, it is also offensive to women" with another claiming to be "disgusted".