European Railroad Discussion > Made in Ireland, Dublin Inchicore Works 1969

The Inchicore Works in Dublin, Ireland can trace its origins as a locomotive shop to 1844. It was the main shop for the Great Southern & Western Railway, whose headquarters were nearby at Dublin Heuston station.

Inchicore built locomotives into the diesel era. In 1969, an open day was held to celebrate the 125th Anniversary of the facility. The images show restored GS&WR J15 0-6-0 184 and a 2-6-0 15.

As the main shop for CIE (Irish Rail), Inchicore built some of the first generation of diesel locomotives. Ireland dieselised ahead of Britain. B114 was built at Inchicore Works with B-B trucks and a 960 hp. Sulzer prime mover. B113 is preserved.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/18/22 09:31 by eminence_grise.

Inchicore built shunters (switchers) also. E417 had a Maybach prime mover providing 420hp and was built in 1957.It was scrapped in the 1970's .

D303 was an 0-6-0 diesel shunter with a 487hp Mirrlees engine. It is very similar to a standard British Railways Class 08 shunter, perhaps built from BR plans? Scrapped in the early 1970's.

Both CIE and the Northern Irish Railways were pioneers and innovators in diesel multiple unit passenger trains. CIE DMU 2654 is shown departing Dublin Connolly Street station. This class of DMU saw service on the Dublin-Belfast "Enterprise" express.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/09 09:50 by eminence_grise.

With rapid dieselisation, the CIE ordered locomotives from England in 1956, mainly from Metropolitan-Vickers near Manchester. Two types were supplied, in B-B and C-C truck configuration. They were supplied with Crossley prime movers. These proved unreliable, and in the 1960's, these locomotives were re-engined with EMD 567 prime movers.

CIE C215 is shown at Dublin Connolly, still with its original prime mover. The driver of this train told me of the "Open Day" at Inchicore over the din of the Crossley Engine.

A44 is one of the C-C Metro-Vicks shown at Inchicore, as is B-B C205

The CIE was so impressed by the EMD 567's that they re-engined the Metro-Vick locomotives with that they ordered EMD locomotives direct from the USA . The earliest were in an end cab configuration followed later with locomotives with cabs on both ends. CIE has remained a loyal EMD and GMD customer since the 1960's.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/09 10:20 by eminence_grise.

Thanks for the great photos and history!

Brian Ehni

What type of braking system? What about mu?

John Gezelius
Tustin, CA

john1082 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What type of braking system? What about mu?

The vertical pipe and long hose show that in 1969, all the diesels illustrated were vacuum brake equipped. Note that the 0-6-0 shunting locomotive has no hoses atall, indicating that shunting movements took place with use of continuous brakes. Starting in the 1960's, there was a gradual shift toward air brakes. With older equipment around, I'm thinking the EMD's likely bacame "dual braked" with both air and vacuum for a time.

Only the double cab EMD has an MU connection, and the hoses by the buffer beam may be the m.u. hoses.The end cab EMD may have m.u. connections on the other end. The diesel multiple units had some type of m.u., typically the power car hauled several trailers.

I don't believe any of the road diesels had steam generators .The UK built "Spanner", was as cantankerous or more than the US "Vapor-Clarkson" steam generator. Note that in 1969, the locomotive hauled train at Dublin Connolly was driver only. I'm thinking the T&GWU manning rules allowed for driver only if a steam generator wasn't part of the locomotive.
CIE used "heater vans", in other words, steam generator cars not under the control of the driver.

Curiously, I think Westinghouse did produce vacuum brake exhausters for the railways.

The ornate kerosine lamps were class lights, placed on small upright stantions. The arrangement of the class lights designated what type of train the locomotive was hauling to signalmen (towermen). This was important so the signaller knew which trains had vacuum brakes and which had hand brakes only and were capable of running away if a coupling broke.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 11/03/09 16:26 by eminence_grise.

Thanks so much for the great pictures, in particular, for the picture of C215 in which there are two wonderful coaches behind with individual compartment doors. The one on the left looks like a wooden bodied vehicle of great age!

That's a great set of pictures, many thanks.

Colourpoint Books 'Diesel Dawn' is a very readable account of Ireland's pioneering work in the field of DMU development. It covers the period from the mid 30s to the mid 60s and focuses on the GNRI, NCC, CIE and UTA's efforts, both successful and less successful.

Whoops: I committed a cardinal sin; in Ireland self propelled diesel railcars are NEVER called DMUs, they have always been, and always will be, railcars, pure and simple.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/04/09 15:11 by 86235.

The D303 (5th photo) is hands-down winner of World's Ugliest Locomotive award.

Ugly, but somewhat resembles the first B&O diesel in the US. Take a look at the new Utah commuter loco's if you want to see realy ugliness... least this locomotive looks utilitarian. :-)

What are the V-shape apperati forward of the cabs of A44 and B191 ? I haven't the foggiest!
...Lorenzo

It is an automatic token catcher. Irish railways used a token block system in single track territory. A token machine in a signalbox (interlocking tower) would issue a metal token . The signaller (leverman) would place it in a leather pouch and put it on a trackside post, and the catcher on the locomotive would grab the token. A crewman on the locomotive would throw the previous token from the train and the signaller would retrieve it. The token machines were interlocked so that tokens would not be issued to an opposing train.

eminence_grise Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> It is an automatic token catcher. Irish railways
> used a token block system in single track
> territory. A token machine in a signalbox
> (interlocking tower) would issue a metal token .
> The signaller (leverman) would place it in a
> leather pouch and put it on a trackside post, and
> the catcher on the locomotive would grab the
> token.
The equipment in question is that designed by James Manson, when Locomotive Superintendent (Master Mechanic) of the Great North of Scotland Railway. It enabled trains to exchange tokens at up to 50 mph, speeding up traffic on single lines. Manson didn't profit from his invention, he refused to patent it on the grounds that by so doing he could impair safety.