
Irish Steam Preservation Society
SOS: Support Our Steam
2020 was an incredibly difficult year for all of us. The Irish Steam Preservation Society opted in March to close the Stradbally Woodland Railway for the year due to Covid-19 and not long after that, was forced to cancel the annual National Steam Rally.
As a new year begins, we are looking to the future. Our steam loco Róisín has been locked up in her shed all year and we’re counting down the days until she can pull trains for the public again. In a different shed in England, another engine of ours is waiting to come home to Stradbally in steam for the first time in years. The Mann engine is a road-going steam vehicle belonging to the Society and it’s return to steam on home turf is imminent.
In order to make sure that Róisín can leave her shed and that the Mann engine can come home, we’re appealing to the public for donations to make up for our losses in income during 2020.
The funds raised will ensure that the Railway can open to the public again (subject to any public health guidelines which may be in place in the future) and to cover the transportation costs of bringing the Mann engine back home again.
If you’d like to help us reach these goals in 2021 and help keep Irish steam heritage alive in the years to come, please consider donating to our case via our iDonate page.
The Society has created innumerable happy memories and memorable occasions for untold thousands of people throughout its 55-year history. Please help us make sure we can continue to do this long after Covid-19 is gone and for many years into a much brighter future.
overview
The Irish Steam Preservation Society is a voluntary organisation based in Stradbally, Co Laois whose aim is to preserve and maintain machinery connected to Ireland's industrial, agricultural and social heritage.
The Society's SOS: Support Our Steam appeal aims to cover the transportation costs of bringing our Mann steam traction home from England following its restoration to working order, cover unavoidable overheard costs associated with running the Stradbally Woodland Railway and make up for revenue lost as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
where your money goes
Transport costs to bring our Mann engine, No. 1216 of 1917, back from England.
Cover overhead costs associated with carrying out essential maintenance on the Stradbally Woodland Railway to ensure it can operate for the public again when it is safe to do so.
Bridging the gap in revenue that has been lost as a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic which forced the cancellation of the 2020 National Steam Railway and has resulted in the Stradbally Woodland Railway being closed to the public since October 2019.