CIÉ 2600 Class
Encyclopedia
The Córas Iompair Éireann
(CIÉ) 2600 Class were Associated Equipment Company (AEC)–engined diesel multiple unit
s (normally termed railcars in Ireland) that operated intercity and suburban services on the CIÉ system between 1951 and 1975. Many were later converted for push–pull
operation with diesel locomotives, finally being withdrawn when displaced by the electric Dublin Area Rapid Transit
service in the mid-1980s.
and Clogher Valley
railways in the early 1930s. The Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
and Northern Counties Committee
followed shortly thereafter. However, early railcar trains did not exceed two cars in length. Early in 1948, the GNR(I) ordered a fleet of 20 railcars
, capable of operating in pairs with one or two intermediate trailer cars, from AEC. Introduced in 1950 and 1951, these vehicles drew on AEC's experience with the Great Western Railway's pre-war railcars
. The cars combined AEC diesel engines (two per car, each of 125 bhp (93 kW)) with bodywork by Park Royal Vehicles
.
CIÉ had been interested in railcars since its inception in 1945, but an initial plan for a four-car diesel-electric unit was cancelled. However, the success of the GNR(I) cars and the 1948 Milne Report's recommendations in favour of railcars (but not diesel locomotives) encouraged the company to place a large-scale order with AEC in September 1950. (Note also that 10 of the 20 GNR(I) AEC cars were inherited by CIÉ on the Great Northern's dissolution in 1958, along with 10 of 24 later cars built by the Great Northern Railway Board on British United Traction (BUT) underframes; the remainder went to the Ulster Transport Authority
—see also UTA AEC
.)
, Oliver Bulleid
. (It may be noted that CIÉ had faced political pressure to build the bodywork of the original cars itself, rather than importing complete vehicles.) Although the cars' length and width were identical to those of their predecessors, they were distinguished by flat sides and a high, flat front end. Even-numbered cars had the standard composite (two-class) seating arrangement, whereas odd-numbered ones had a single-class layout. The Bulleid cars had a short career in their original form, soon being rebuilt as powered intermediates (see below).
Examples included three composite (i.e. two-class) vehicles specially modified to work as through Cork–Belfast coaches on the Enterprise, and 14 buffet car
s capable of functioning either as a conventional buffet car (in which passengers consumed their food in the car itself) in locomotive-hauled trains, or as a kitchen vehicle with ordinary seating in railcar trains (whose passengers were served food at their seats, either in the car or elsewhere in the train) were built in 1953 and 1954. Trailers generally ran between a pair of power cars, although there were a number of driving trailers, described below; additionally, ordinary trailers were sometimes marshalled at the tail of a train, particularly in the 2600s' early days.
Two special Park Royal trailer vehicles for service on the isolated Waterford and Tramore Railway
were built in 1955. These vehicles, like the railcars they worked with, had high-density seating arrangements. One of them was, additionally, fitted out as a driving trailer, with a guard's compartment at the non-cab end and a large area set aside for prams. Two further driving trailers, known as "mules," were converted from 1953-built hauled stock but were used only briefly, working as part of the Westport portion of a Dublin–Galway/Westport train.
five-speed preselector gearbox
es, with cardan shafts driving forward/reverse gearboxes on the ends of the axles. Multiple working
was via 24-core jumper cables. The cars were fitted with two parallel vacuum brake
systems—a conventional system and a second high-vacuum, quick-release system, based on reservoirs in which a vacuum was continually maintained, for use on services with frequent stops. Steam heating was originally fitted; even-numbered cars had a boiler
in the guard's compartment, capable of supplying steam for up to four cars. Cars used on suburban services were subsequently fitted with a bus-type heating system that utilised the engines' cooling water.
Moreover, the fact that CIÉ operated its railcars in four-car (two power cars, two trailers) or eight-car (four power cars, four trailers) sets, whereas the Great Northern—and, in general, its successor in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Transport Authority
—used its near-identical vehicles in two-car (both power cars) or three-car (two power cars, one trailer) sets, meant that the 2600s had a poor power-to-weight ratio
. CIÉ attempted to address this by introducing powered intermediate cars, discussed below. By 1969, although suburban workings on "the relatively flat sections around Dublin" were formed of two power cars and two trailers, the remaining mainline workings used two-car sets.
In 1969, the only mainline services remaining railcar-operated were one round trip per day on each of the Sligo–Dublin and Dublin–Rosslare routes. The last mainline working was on the Dublin–Rosslare route in April 1970. By 1971, conversions of the cars to push–pull stock had begun. Early in 1972, it was reported that only a small railcar fleet would be retained in operational condition, pending the introduction of the push–pull trains. In late 1974, eight cars were reportedly being kept operational to address a shortage of locomotives "by reason of damage by accidents and bomb incidents." The last five railcars were withdrawn on September 20, 1975. Ten of the 2600 class, along with 19 of the AEC and BUT cars inherited from the Great Northern, were broken up rather than converted to push–pull stock.
locomotives. The objective was, again, improvement of the power-to-weight ratio; additionally, spare parts for the railcars were becoming difficult to obtain by this time. The first test runs were made on the Dublin–Cork line in mid-February 1972. Trials on the Dublin suburban lines commenced in June 1972, and sets began entering service in February 1973.
Both driving trailers and connector cars retained boilers for steam heating, but all cars' toilets were removed. There were originally nine five-car and three four-car sets. The first sets to enter service had the locomotive at the north end, but later ones were marshalled with the locomotive at the south end; the earlier sets were then turned on the triangle at Limerick Junction
to standardise the position. However, the number of available driving trailers declined due to a spate of fires (at one stage, a "spare man" travelled in each driving trailer's generator compartment to detect and extinguish fires) and the fatal collision at Gormanston
in 1974. There were only six driving trailers available by 1982; conventional locomotive haulage was, thus, often substituted for push–pull operation.
The push–pull sets were "not very attractive and were not very comfortable", particularly due to ride problems arising from the vehicles' reduced weight compared to the original railcars. However, they "were cheap and could be quickly produced" and survived, "deeply unloved by those travelling," until (and, in some cases beyond) electrification.
and the other as a spare. One of these sets was withdrawn in 1986, the other surviving to pass into Iarnród Éireann
ownership in 1987 and managing to outlast its normal motive power; the remaining 201 class locomotives were withdrawn in 1986, and 121 Class
locomotives were used thereafter. During Hurricane Charley
in August 1986, the shuttle train was even used to stand in for electric trains on the partially flooded main Dublin–Bray line. However, the shuttle was withdrawn in mid-September 1987, due to the poor condition of the rolling stock (the service was resumed at the end of October, using an 80 Class train hired from Northern Ireland Railways
).
when delivered in 1994. Previously, the 61xx and 63xx series had been used, respectively, for driving and intermediate push–pull cars based on the British Rail Mark 3
design.
Córas Iompair Éireann
Córas Iompair Éireann , or CIÉ, is a statutory corporation of the Irish state, answerable to the Irish Government and responsible for most public transport in the Republic of Ireland and, jointly with its Northern Ireland counterpart, the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, between the...
(CIÉ) 2600 Class were Associated Equipment Company (AEC)–engined diesel multiple unit
Diesel multiple unit
A diesel multiple unit or DMU is a multiple unit train consisting of multiple carriages powered by one or more on-board diesel engines. They may also be referred to as a railcar or railmotor, depending on country.-Design:...
s (normally termed railcars in Ireland) that operated intercity and suburban services on the CIÉ system between 1951 and 1975. Many were later converted for push–pull
Push-pull train
Push–pull is a mode of operation for locomotive-hauled trains allowing them to be driven from either end.A push–pull train has a locomotive at one end of the train, connected via some form of remote control, such as multiple-unit train control, to a vehicle equipped with a control cab at the other...
operation with diesel locomotives, finally being withdrawn when displaced by the electric Dublin Area Rapid Transit
Dublin Area Rapid Transit
The Dublin Area Rapid Transit is part of the suburban railway network in Ireland, running mainly along the coastline of Dublin Bay on the Trans-Dublin route, from Greystones in County Wicklow, through Dublin to Howth and Malahide in County Dublin.Trains are powered via a 1500V DC overhead catenary...
service in the mid-1980s.
Background
The first single-unit diesel railcars in Ireland were introduced on the narrow-gauge County DonegalCounty Donegal Railways Joint Committee
The County Donegal Railways Joint Committee operated an extensive 3 foot gauge railway system serving county Donegal, Ireland,from 1906 until 1960...
and Clogher Valley
Clogher Valley Railway
The Clogher Valley Railway was a 37 mile long narrow gauge railway in County Tyrone and County Fermanagh, Northern Ireland. It opened in May 1887 and closed on 1 January 1942 .-Route:...
railways in the early 1930s. The Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
Great Northern Railway (Ireland)
The Great Northern Railway was an Irish gauge railway company in Ireland.The Great Northern was formed in 1876 by a merger of the Irish North Western Railway , Northern Railway of Ireland, and Ulster Railway. The Ulster Railway was the GNRI's oldest constituent, having opened between Belfast and...
and Northern Counties Committee
Northern Counties Committee
The Northern Counties Committee was a railway that served the north-east of Ireland. It was built to Irish gauge but later acquired a number of narrow gauge lines...
followed shortly thereafter. However, early railcar trains did not exceed two cars in length. Early in 1948, the GNR(I) ordered a fleet of 20 railcars
GNRI AEC Class
After 1945, both CIE and the GNR found themselves in a poor financial position as a result of the deprivations of World War II and increased competition from road traffic. They looked to diesel power as a way to streamline costs and bring them back into profitability...
, capable of operating in pairs with one or two intermediate trailer cars, from AEC. Introduced in 1950 and 1951, these vehicles drew on AEC's experience with the Great Western Railway's pre-war railcars
GWR railcars
In 1933, the Great Western Railway introduced the first of what was to become a very successful series of railcars, which survived in regular use into the 1960s, when they were replaced with the new British Rail "first generation" type diesel multiple units....
. The cars combined AEC diesel engines (two per car, each of 125 bhp (93 kW)) with bodywork by Park Royal Vehicles
Park Royal Vehicles
Dating its origins back to 1889, Park Royal Vehicles along with its Leeds-based subsidiary Charles H. Roe was one of Britain's leading coachbuilders and bus manufacturers based at Park Royal, west London, UK.-Associated Commercial Vehicles:...
.
CIÉ had been interested in railcars since its inception in 1945, but an initial plan for a four-car diesel-electric unit was cancelled. However, the success of the GNR(I) cars and the 1948 Milne Report's recommendations in favour of railcars (but not diesel locomotives) encouraged the company to place a large-scale order with AEC in September 1950. (Note also that 10 of the 20 GNR(I) AEC cars were inherited by CIÉ on the Great Northern's dissolution in 1958, along with 10 of 24 later cars built by the Great Northern Railway Board on British United Traction (BUT) underframes; the remainder went to the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...
—see also UTA AEC
UTA AEC
Following the end of World War II, most railways throughout the world were looking to either update their fleet of steam locomotives with new and more economical designs or look towards alternatives, which for many meant a programme of dieselisation. The main considerations were the rising cost of...
.)
Initial order
In 1951, CIÉ ordered a series of 60 cars similar to the GNR(I) examples, again combining AEC engines and Park Royal bodywork. These vehicles were almost identical to the GNR(I) units but incorporated improvements derived from experience with the latter; most notably, up to four power cars, rather than two, could operate in multiple. They were delivered between March 1952 and September 1954 and numbered in the series 2600–59.Bulleid cars
Six additional cars (2660–65) were ordered in August 1954. Delivered in 1956, they were mechanically identical to the earlier vehicles—although the engines were now designated as BUT, rather than AEC, products. However, the cars' bodywork was constructed at CIÉ's Inchicore works to a distinctive design by the company's Chief Mechanical EngineerChief Mechanical Engineer
Chief Mechanical Engineer and Locomotive Superintendent are titles applied by British, Australian, and New Zealand railway companies to the person ultimately responsible to the board of the company for the building and maintaining of the locomotives and rolling stock...
, Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Bulleid
Oliver Vaughan Snell Bulleid was a British railway and mechanical engineer best known as the Chief Mechanical Engineer of the Southern Railway between 1937 and the 1948 nationalisation, developing many well-known locomotives.- Early life and Great Northern Railway :He was born in Invercargill,...
. (It may be noted that CIÉ had faced political pressure to build the bodywork of the original cars itself, rather than importing complete vehicles.) Although the cars' length and width were identical to those of their predecessors, they were distinguished by flat sides and a high, flat front end. Even-numbered cars had the standard composite (two-class) seating arrangement, whereas odd-numbered ones had a single-class layout. The Bulleid cars had a short career in their original form, soon being rebuilt as powered intermediates (see below).
Trailer cars
Various carriages were fitted or retrofitted with jumper cables to allow their operation in a railcar train. There were at least 88 trailers in total, including pre-1950s stock (one example dating from 1902), 1950s CIÉ vehicles, other 1950s stock from Park Royal Vehicles (manufacturer of the railcars' own bodywork) and 1960s Cravens vehicles.Examples included three composite (i.e. two-class) vehicles specially modified to work as through Cork–Belfast coaches on the Enterprise, and 14 buffet car
Buffet car
A buffet car is a passenger car of a train, where snacks and beverages can be bought at a counter and consumed. Typically, passengers are not allowed to consume brought-along food and drinks in the car, and are therefore only able to eat in this area by buying their food in the car.- Further...
s capable of functioning either as a conventional buffet car (in which passengers consumed their food in the car itself) in locomotive-hauled trains, or as a kitchen vehicle with ordinary seating in railcar trains (whose passengers were served food at their seats, either in the car or elsewhere in the train) were built in 1953 and 1954. Trailers generally ran between a pair of power cars, although there were a number of driving trailers, described below; additionally, ordinary trailers were sometimes marshalled at the tail of a train, particularly in the 2600s' early days.
Two special Park Royal trailer vehicles for service on the isolated Waterford and Tramore Railway
Waterford and Tramore Railway
The Waterford and Tramore Railway was an independent line which opened on September 5, 1853, connecting Manor St. in the city of Waterford, Ireland, to the seaside resort of Tramore, away. Construction began on February 10, 1853. The Waterford business community financed the 77,000 pounds cost...
were built in 1955. These vehicles, like the railcars they worked with, had high-density seating arrangements. One of them was, additionally, fitted out as a driving trailer, with a guard's compartment at the non-cab end and a large area set aside for prams. Two further driving trailers, known as "mules," were converted from 1953-built hauled stock but were used only briefly, working as part of the Westport portion of a Dublin–Galway/Westport train.
Description
The 2600 class were effectively identical to the GNR(I) cars in overall configuration, having a full-width driver's cab at one end, a gangway at the other, and underfloor engines. Their bodywork was conventional for CIÉ stock of the time, consisting of steel panels on timber framing. The underframe was of steel channel construction.Mechanical
The 2600s shared the engines and transmission of their GNR(I) predecessors, having two 250 bhp, 9.6-litre, six-cylinder, four-stroke engines driving the inner axles of the two bogies via fluid flywheels and Self-Changing GearsSelf-Changing Gears
Self-Changing Gears was a British company, set up and owned equally by Walter Gordon Wilson and John Davenport Siddeley to develop and exploit the Wilson or pre-selector gearbox...
five-speed preselector gearbox
Preselector gearbox
A preselector or self-changing gearbox is a type of manual gearbox used on a variety of vehicles, most commonly in the 1930s...
es, with cardan shafts driving forward/reverse gearboxes on the ends of the axles. Multiple working
Multiple working
Multiple working is a term used on the UK rail network to describe the practice of having more than one diesel or electric locomotive hauling a train under the control of one driver.-Terminology:...
was via 24-core jumper cables. The cars were fitted with two parallel vacuum brake
Vacuum brake
The vacuum brake is a braking system employed on trains and introduced in the mid-1860s. A variant, the automatic vacuum brake system, became almost universal in British train equipment and in those countries influenced by British practice. Vacuum brakes also enjoyed a brief period of adoption in...
systems—a conventional system and a second high-vacuum, quick-release system, based on reservoirs in which a vacuum was continually maintained, for use on services with frequent stops. Steam heating was originally fitted; even-numbered cars had a boiler
Steam generator (railroad)
Steam generator is the term used to describe a type of boiler used to produce steam for climate control and potable water heating in railroad passenger cars...
in the guard's compartment, capable of supplying steam for up to four cars. Cars used on suburban services were subsequently fitted with a bus-type heating system that utilised the engines' cooling water.
Seating layout
Almost all the cars were delivered with a two-class layout. A 12-seat first class saloon was located at the cab end of the car, a glazed partition behind the cab permitting forward (or rearward) views through the windscreen. A 32-seat second class (known as third class until 1956) saloon was positioned towards the gangway end, and there was also a guard's compartment and, in cars 2600–47, a toilet. Cars 2648–57 were intended for suburban use and devoid of toilets, permitting an extra four second class seats; apart from a lack of tables, they were otherwise identical to cars intended for longer-distance service. However, odd-numbered cars in this series subsequently had their guard's compartments removed to provide additional seating. Exceptionally, two cars (2658–9) for use on the Waterford and Tramore Railway were delivered with high-density, single-class (although still divided into two saloons) layouts without toilets; the guard's compartment was also omitted from one car. Special trailer cars (see above) with similar high-density layouts operated with them. Most other cars were refitted with high-density, single-class layouts in the 1960s and early 1970s; these layouts seated between 70 and 91, depending on whether the toilet, guard's compartment or both were retained.Career as railcars
When originally delivered, the railcars were employed on mainline express trains, including crack workings such as a three-hour nonstop service between Dublin and Cork. Eight-car formations were commonly deployed on these duties, sometimes splitting en route to serve (for example) Tralee and Cork or Galway and Westport. By 1954, they were also operating on longer secondary and branch routes, such as Cork–Bantry. However, the arrival of diesel locomotives from 1955 onwards displaced the 2600s to secondary workings.Moreover, the fact that CIÉ operated its railcars in four-car (two power cars, two trailers) or eight-car (four power cars, four trailers) sets, whereas the Great Northern—and, in general, its successor in Northern Ireland, the Ulster Transport Authority
Ulster Transport Authority
The Ulster Transport Authority ran rail and bus transport in Northern Ireland from 1948 until 1966.-Formation and consolidation:The UTA was formed by the Transport Act 1948, which merged the Northern Ireland Road Transport Board and the Belfast and County Down Railway...
—used its near-identical vehicles in two-car (both power cars) or three-car (two power cars, one trailer) sets, meant that the 2600s had a poor power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio
Power-to-weight ratio is a calculation commonly applied to engines and mobile power sources to enable the comparison of one unit or design to another. Power-to-weight ratio is a measurement of actual performance of any engine or power sources...
. CIÉ attempted to address this by introducing powered intermediate cars, discussed below. By 1969, although suburban workings on "the relatively flat sections around Dublin" were formed of two power cars and two trailers, the remaining mainline workings used two-car sets.
In 1969, the only mainline services remaining railcar-operated were one round trip per day on each of the Sligo–Dublin and Dublin–Rosslare routes. The last mainline working was on the Dublin–Rosslare route in April 1970. By 1971, conversions of the cars to push–pull stock had begun. Early in 1972, it was reported that only a small railcar fleet would be retained in operational condition, pending the introduction of the push–pull trains. In late 1974, eight cars were reportedly being kept operational to address a shortage of locomotives "by reason of damage by accidents and bomb incidents." The last five railcars were withdrawn on September 20, 1975. Ten of the 2600 class, along with 19 of the AEC and BUT cars inherited from the Great Northern, were broken up rather than converted to push–pull stock.
Powered intermediates and other modifications
Cars 2614, 2617 and 2656 from the original fleet were rebuilt following severe collision or fire damage. Cars 2614 and 2617 were returned to service in 1960 with new bodies whose sides resembled the Bulleid cars' but whose ends were similar to those of the original batch. These cars were further rebuilt in 1961, this time along with 2656 and all the Bulleid cars, into "powered intermediates" with engines but not cabs, which were renumbered into the 2660 series. Odd-numbered powered intermediates seated 60, while even-numbered cars had 52 seats and a guard's compartment. The cars were substituted for trailer vehicles in certain trains, improving the trains' power-to-weight ratio. Other cars underwent changes in the seating layout, discussed above, as they were reassigned from long-distance to suburban service.Career as push–pull stock
In 1971, with the process of modifying railcars for suburban operations still underway, work began on the first conversions to push–pull stock for service with the then recently re-engined 201 ClassCIE 201 Class
The Córas Iompair Éireann 201 Class was a class of 34 diesel electric locomotives manufactured by Metropolitan-Vickers at their Dukinfield Works in Manchester. They were a smaller, lighter and less powerful version of the 001 Class and were originally intended for branch line passenger and freight...
locomotives. The objective was, again, improvement of the power-to-weight ratio; additionally, spare parts for the railcars were becoming difficult to obtain by this time. The first test runs were made on the Dublin–Cork line in mid-February 1972. Trials on the Dublin suburban lines commenced in June 1972, and sets began entering service in February 1973.
Car types and train formations
There were four types of push–pull vehicle:- Driving trailersControl car (rail)A control car is a generic term for a non-powered railroad vehicle that can control operation of a train from the end opposite to the position of the locomotive...
, numbered in the 61xx series, retained an operative cab and were marshalled at the end of the train remote from the locomotive; - Connector cars, numbered in the 62xx series, were marshalled with their cabs (which were converted to vestibules, the windscreens being blanked off) next to the locomotive, to which they were connected with special control couplings;
- Intermediate cars of the most common type, numbered in the 63xx series, were semi-permanently coupled in pairs at their (again inoperative) cab ends and marshalled in the middle of a set, their gangwayed ends being coupled to those of the control and connector cars to form a four-car consist;
- Other, less numerous intermediates, confusingly interspersed with the other type within the 63xx series, were converted from railcar powered intermediates and, thus, had a gangway at each end and no cab. These vehicles could be marshalled between a driving trailer or connector car and an intermediate of the first type to give a five-car set.
Both driving trailers and connector cars retained boilers for steam heating, but all cars' toilets were removed. There were originally nine five-car and three four-car sets. The first sets to enter service had the locomotive at the north end, but later ones were marshalled with the locomotive at the south end; the earlier sets were then turned on the triangle at Limerick Junction
Limerick Junction
Limerick Junction is an important railway station in South Tipperary, Ireland which was originally named "Tipperary Junction". Tipperary town is about two miles away to the south-east. Limerick Junction, with a cluster of pleasantly presented railway cottages and a pub, is a small hamlet...
to standardise the position. However, the number of available driving trailers declined due to a spate of fires (at one stage, a "spare man" travelled in each driving trailer's generator compartment to detect and extinguish fires) and the fatal collision at Gormanston
Gormanston railway station
Gormanston railway station opened in May 1845 and serves Gormanston in County Meath, Ireland.- External links :*...
in 1974. There were only six driving trailers available by 1982; conventional locomotive haulage was, thus, often substituted for push–pull operation.
The push–pull sets were "not very attractive and were not very comfortable", particularly due to ride problems arising from the vehicles' reduced weight compared to the original railcars. However, they "were cheap and could be quickly produced" and survived, "deeply unloved by those travelling," until (and, in some cases beyond) electrification.
Further seating modifications
Although the railcars had already received high-density seating, overcrowding of the push–pull trains was such that the transverse seats were replaced by longitudinal ones to give more standing room. Notoriously, the seating provided was similar to contemporaneous plastic stacking chairs in dingy shades of green and orange. In 1980, the driving trailers and connector cars typically had 58 seats, the standard intermediates 70 and the former powered intermediates 66; however, there were minor variations among the individual cars. Yet another modification took place in early 1984, when some cars intended for retention after electrification received "more comfortable seating." This consisted of the then standard class high backed bench seats, seating three and two passengers respectively. The seats were upholstered in blue moquette with a vinyl headrest running along the top of the bench.Final withdrawal
At the end of February 1984, five months before the inauguration of DART, only four sets remained. Most vehicles were withdrawn soon after electric services began; by 1985, there were only two sets of three cars each, one set used to provide a shuttle service between Bray and GreystonesGreystones railway station
Greystones railway station serves Greystones in County Wicklow, Ireland. It is the southern terminus of the DART electrified rail network, and is not served by all DART trains. Trains had previously terminated at Bray Daly Station. Construction began on the extended service between 1995 and 1999,...
and the other as a spare. One of these sets was withdrawn in 1986, the other surviving to pass into Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann
Iarnród Éireann is the national railway system operator of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann . It operates all internal intercity, commuter and freight railway services in the Republic of Ireland, and, jointly with Northern Ireland Railways, the...
ownership in 1987 and managing to outlast its normal motive power; the remaining 201 class locomotives were withdrawn in 1986, and 121 Class
CIE 121 Class
The Córas Iompair Éireann 121 class is a railway locomotive which was manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. These locomotives were in regular service on the Irish railway network until 2002, with the last two remaining in service until 2008....
locomotives were used thereafter. During Hurricane Charley
Hurricane Charley (1986)
Hurricane Charley was the costliest tropical cyclone of the 1986 Atlantic hurricane season. The third tropical storm and second hurricane of the season, Charley formed as a subtropical low on August 13 along the Florida panhandle. After moving off the coast of South Carolina, the system...
in August 1986, the shuttle train was even used to stand in for electric trains on the partially flooded main Dublin–Bray line. However, the shuttle was withdrawn in mid-September 1987, due to the poor condition of the rolling stock (the service was resumed at the end of October, using an 80 Class train hired from Northern Ireland Railways
Northern Ireland Railways
NI Railways, also known as Northern Ireland Railways and for a brief period of time, Ulster Transport Railways , is the railway operator in Northern Ireland...
).
Disposal
Almost all the push–pull vehicles were scrapped at Mullingar or Dundalk. One, driving trailer 6111 (the former railcar 2624), was set aside for possible preservation. It remains at Inchicore in a derelict condition.Reuse of number series
Both the number series originally carried by the railcars and that used for the push–pull conversions have been reused. Iarnród Éireann's first order of diesel multiple units, from Tokyu Car of Japan, received numbers in the 26xx seriesIE 2600 Class
The 2600 Class is a type of Diesel Multiple Unit operated on the Irish railway network by Iarnród Éireann, used mainly for short-haul Commuter services. At present the entire class is based in Cork, and is used on local services to Mallow, Midleton, Cobh and on token services to Tralee...
when delivered in 1994. Previously, the 61xx and 63xx series had been used, respectively, for driving and intermediate push–pull cars based on the British Rail Mark 3
British Rail Mark 3
British Rail's third design of standard carriage was designated 'Mark 3' , and was developed primarily for the InterCity 125 High Speed Train...
design.