Your favourite CIE/IR loco class ?

Itssoeasy

As the title says which loco class in either CIE/IR ownership was your favourite.

My favourite would be the 071s simply because they are the locos of my childhood and having gone Dublin alot in the mid to late nineties it was the one I saw most.

Cookie_Monster

I really don't get the 071 lovein everyone seems to have. They just look like overbuilt 141s to me...

K801 would have to be my fav, absolutly unique loco on Irish rails. Pity it had such a crappy end.

steamengine

Not exactly CIE although they fell into their ownership when GNR(I) was taken over. V and VS class 4-4-0 steam locomotives. They hauled the Enterprise when I was a kid. Merlin is one of the V's and survived fortunately - preserved by RPSI.

CaptainFreedom

steamengine wrote: »

Not exactly CIE although they fell into their ownership when GNR(I) was taken over. V and VS class 4-4-0 steam locomotives. They hauled the Enterprise when I was a kid. Merlin is one of the V's and survived fortunately - preserved by RPSI.

Not quite - preserved by the Ulster Folk and Transport museum (engine only, not the tender) Run by the RPSI who also own the boiler

Rud

Itssoeasy wrote: »

My favourite would be the 071s simply because they are the locos of my childhood and having gone Dublin alot in the mid to late nineties it was the one I saw most.

121s are probably my favourite class but 071s are seriously close second.Like yourself they were the main traction i got to travel behind in the 90s alongside the 201s and now i enjoy seeing them on the freights and the sound of them is like music to me especially 082

Run_to_da_hills

A's were my favorite, more so for the sound of them.

corktina

G601

end of the road

corktina wrote: »

G601

does she run?

I actually like the 201s... *awaits severe slapping*

I guess they're the locos I remember most from my rail travel between Tralee and Dublin before I ever took the hobby seriously. Before I knew anything about them I used to notice the river nameplates on the side after getting off in Heuston or Tralee and wonder which one I'd see next. I often wondered why I never saw River Liffey at the time, now I know (being an Enterprise loco).

Nice bit of power in them too.

Judgement Day

end of the road wrote: »

does she run?

Not recently.
http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/ITG_locos/loco_601.htm

Always had a soft spot for the A (Ahhhhhhh) class myself. Magnificent beasts that refused to die.



Lined up in an invasion fleet like a locomotive version of a cyberman!

lord lucan

Always loved the 121's. Grew up seeing them double headed hauling a rake of MKII's on the Sligo,a very unique looking loco,in this part of the world anyway.

steamengine

Karsini wrote: »

I actually like the 201s... *hear the sustained clapping* ::D

I guess they're the locos I remember most from my rail travel between Tralee and Dublin before I ever took the hobby seriously. Before I knew anything about them I used to notice the river nameplates on the side after getting off in Heuston or Tralee and wonder which one I'd see next. I often wondered why I never saw River Liffey at the time, now I know (being an Enterprise loco).

Nice bit of power in them too.

FYP

Sligo Quay

Inchicore sulzers, unique beasts, 1100 and 1101, then they got the CIE numbers B113 and B114.

Millem

lord lucan wrote: »

Always loved the 121's. Grew up seeing them double headed hauling a rake of MKII's on the Sligo,a very unique looking loco,in this part of the world anyway.

Have to agree - the 121s were my favorite loco. Brings back fantastic memories of holidaying in rosslare strand in the early to mid 90s and getting a pair of 121s and MK2s down from Connolly. Great times...

We stayed in holiday homes just beside the junction, added bonus was seeing the morning & evening Waterford trains too

dowlingm

just for interest - how many Mk3PP coaches (including DVT) would a single 121 be reasonably able to move?

Oscar Bravo

And another question lol,when did the p/pulls get the InterCity logo put on the side of them and when did they start useing them on Intercity services to the South and West Ex Heuston albeit with a gen van rather than a DVT. Lovely photo btw.

Oscar Bravo

Oscar Bravo wrote: »

And another question lol,when did the p/pulls get the InterCity logo put on the side of them and when did they start useing them on Intercity services to the South and West Ex Heuston albeit with a gen van rather than a DVT. Lovely photo btw.

I think the hauled push-pulls, as they were known (running push-pull coaches with an EGV instead of the DVT), were a late inception. The EGVs were only originally capable of working the standard Mark 3s but some were later modified to work push-pull coaches and the Cú na Mara set.

I'm stumped as to dowlingm's question - I don't know enough about the 121s. I couldn't see them handling the full six piece very well though.

Captain Chaos

dowlingm wrote: »

just for interest - how many Mk3PP coaches (including DVT) would a single 121 be reasonably able to move?

The Mk3 PP could operate as a set of 5 plus the DVT max, as that's all the genny in the DVT could power. A 121 with a full length rush hour loaded Mk3 set would struggle and often did on the northern line. A 3+DVT would be ideal for a 121 with the constant stopping and starting on that commuter run.

Oscar Bravo

The hauled MK3 P/P operated Loco+Gen Van+5 63XX coaches. When 6402(Cafe/Bar) was used it had to be located the opposite end of the Gen Van.

Judgement Day

A single 121 managed 10 bogies (Cravens + misc timber bodied stock) on the IRRS "Sea Breezes Express" to Youghal in 1985.

Judgement Day

Judgement Day wrote: »

A single 121 managed 10 bogies (Cravens + misc timber bodied stock) on the IRRS "Sea Breezes Express" to Youghal in 1985.

There's also a clip of a 121 hauling a large number of coaches in the original Teilifís Éireann national anthem closedown from the early '60s. Not sure how many but it's at least eight.

Losty Dublin

The 121's and Mark 3 PP's were used as a stopgap measure at the time, pending the tendering and order of what became both the 201 class locomotive and 2600 class railcars. Back then, there were spare mark 3's available but also a severe shortage of suitable trains for suburban trains, a market Irish Rail wanted to expand. As railcars weren't available as an immediate option, the spare mark 3's were designed and fitted out for suburban services, with the intention to cascade them onto longer suburban trips and some inter city trips.

Consideration was given to using the 001 class was given but with their lack of an air brake and poor reliability and the 121's single cab being more suited for push pull work, a few sets were fitted to work the PP sets until new motive power arrived to replace them. As it happens, the need for carriages saw to it that the PP never really got moved of suburban links while the Cravens they should have replaced almost outlasted them.

Losty Dublin

Judgement Day wrote: »

A single 121 managed 10 bogies (Cravens + misc timber bodied stock) on the IRRS "Sea Breezes Express" to Youghal in 1985.

That was only Cravens; they weighed about 3 lb 8 ounces each

Itssoeasy

The 121s had a unique look that I was assume was strange for people in 1962. Can anyone name the last 121 to be returned to service after fitting them to run in multiple ?

end of the road

071s or 141s as their the ones i remember 071s i having more experience of pulling the mark 2s and sometimes cravens on the trains from wexford, if only i hadn't preyed for them to go and end up with them 2700 heaps of junk replacing them and me lamenting the old stock and hoping they would come back naively, oh well.

end of the road

end of the road wrote: »

071s or 141s as their the ones i remember 071s i having more experience of pulling the mark 2s and sometimes cravens on the trains from wexford, if only i hadn't preyed for them to go and end up with them 2700 heaps of junk replacing them and me lamenting the old stock and hoping they would come back naively, oh well.

I was the same. Hated the Cravens when they were on the Kerry road due to their dire state at times, then missed them when the 2700s came in.

end of the road

i remember one time getting a set of blue cravens? the doors from the hall way were timber doors the same as the toilet doors and they opened into the carrige unlike the normal ones which the doors opened out. lights didn't seem to work or weren't turned on the time i was on that particular set. anyone any ideas?

Cookie_Monster

end of the road wrote: »

i remember one time getting a set of blue cravens? the doors from the hall way were timber doors the same as the toilet doors and they opened into the carrige unlike the normal ones which the doors opened out. lights didn't seem to work or weren't turned on the time i was on that particular set. anyone any ideas?

the RPSI cravens are blue but would not have been on regular mainline duty...

end of the road

yeh its strange all right, this was a good while before the cravens were with-drawn though, during one of the times the community games were on if i remember rightly.

flyingsnail

NIR Mk 2 perhaps
http://rfe.railclub.ru/pix/ie/car/NIR/nir_mk2b_912_cd.jpg

gobnaitolunacy

Sligo Quay wrote: »

Inchicore sulzers, unique beasts, 1100 and 1101, then they got the CIE numbers B113 and B114.

There's a reason they were unique, they were rubbish! An absolute nightmare to drive by all accounts, definitely unloved by drivers.

Sligo Quay

gobnaitolunacy wrote: »

There's a reason they were unique, they were rubbish! An absolute nightmare to drive by all accounts, definitely unloved by drivers.

They where solid, did you ever drive 1, you must be very old, only joking:cool:

end of the road

flyingsnail wrote: »

NIR Mk 2 perhaps
http://rfe.railclub.ru/pix/ie/car/NIR/nir_mk2b_912_cd.jpg

its very possible they were, were mark 2 bs similar to cravens? if so that would explain it. reading the article on wikipedia (i know i know) none seem to match my description of those particular carriges though. i think their were a coupl of different types of cravens on our network weren't their?

Captain Chaos

end of the road wrote: »

i think their were a coupl of different types of cravens on our network weren't their?

No, a Cravens was a Cravens. There were Park Royals that were mixed in with Cravens up to the late '80s/early '90s until the PRs were phased out. But none were ever blue. Only NIR Mk2s were blue.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coaching_stock_of_Ireland

end of the road

Captain Chaos wrote: »

No, a Cravens was a Cravens.

fair enough so.

Captain Chaos wrote: »

Only NIR Mk2s were blue.

thats what they were then, thanks for confirming that.

Eiretrains

Itssoeasy wrote: »

The 121s had a unique look that I was assume was strange for people in 1962.

The 121s are my favourite also, for one of the reasons above too. The striking livery was a huge contrast to the antiquated railway in this country when they first entered service. They also managed to traverse lines that have long since closed, such as the Banagher and Ballaghadereen branches, as well as the Meath Rd line. The fact they ran bonnet first in the first couple months must have been a unique sight also.

jca

Love the A class myself. They always had a great "crack" off them they didn't sound as refined as the GM's.

I like the 071class and miss hearing them in the wee hours on the sugar beet.
When I used to go to Kerry as a child it was probably the sound of up to 4 071s in Heuston that got me interested in railways as we got our tickets. Sadly never to be repeated.
Travelling out I remember passing all the dead C Classes in the sound barrier. I wondered would anyone save one.
Little did I know....!

A well respected rail enthusiast once told me that rebuilt they were louder than the 071s. I can confirm that the sciencer of a 141 has a bit more to it than the re-engined C type.

Perhaps JD might know?

Praetorian

071 for sure. Everything before them was underpowered and really struggled even hauling 5-6 carriages at a decent speed with terrible acceleration and top speeds in and around 70mph. Sure 001 / a class / 181 / 201 etc were all around 900 to 1300 hp.

071 class are beasts, 2250 hp, 90 mph max and an absolute magic sound. I always remember specifically waiting for the 8pm NIR service every Saturday which stopped at Skerries and Balbriggan. I would always take a seat at the front, or just stick my head out the window to take it all in!

Ahh the memories.

I am so sad they are not on regular passenger services anymore. The DMUs are soulless

jca

The DMUs are soulless, thats for sure, horrible yokes....

flyingsnail

jca wrote: »

The DMUs are soulless, thats for sure, horrible yokes....

Better than an EMU

gobnaitolunacy

jca wrote: »

The DMUs are soulless, thats for sure, horrible yokes....

The CIE/GNRI AEC's were quite good looking for their day. Pity we can't have a presentable one in Cultra, or anywhere for that matter.

Anthony S

For me it would have to be 071's

topnotch

I would have to go for 071. However the new irish navy style livery is chronic. They would use more colour in north korea. Will have to start giving them all girlie names next LE 071

Captain Chaos

topnotch wrote: »

I would have to go for 071. However the new irish navy style livery is chronic. They would use more colour in north korea. Will have to start giving them all girlie names next LE 071

I think they need a touch of red to set off the new slate livery. What I think would look good world be to keep the small red stripe on top from the current livery and make the buffers and buffer beams red like they used to be in the orange livery. Heck, even red horns like NIR's 112 now has.