Portrush Flyer is back in town

The engine for the much loved Portrush Flyer is back on track this summer, complete with a new set of tyres.

No. 4, 1947-built steam engine which will haul the Portrush Flyer, is fresh out of the workshops at Whitehead having undergone a six-month refurbishment during which its steel tyres were replaced.

Mark Walsh of RPSI explained: “A locomotive’s wheels wear out just like a car’s, so they need to be replaced occasionally due to the wear and tear caused by the steel wheels rolling along the steel rails. When steam was supreme, the great engineers of the day realised the best solution to save the expense of replacing the wheel itself was to encircle it in a metal tyre. The No.4’s tyres have taken over 50 years to wear to the minimum tolerance.”

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To make the most of a great family day out on a traditional locomotive, tickets can be booked for the Portrush Flyer. Train rides from Belfast to Portrush will run on August 11 and 18. For more information visit: www.steamtrainsireland.com

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