Inchicore

Inchicore, west of Dublin's city centre, is the principal locomotive and carriage works of Irish Rail, where locomotives, diesel railcars and rolling stock are maintained. Built by the Great Southern & Western Railway in 1846 with the opening of their mainline from Dublin to Carlow, Inchicore is the largest single industrial complex in Ireland, and includes one of the last remaining active locomotive sheds on Irish Rail, as well as a turntable. For over a 150 years, Inchicore has witnessed the building, assembly and maintenance of many generations of steam and diesel motive power. With the setting up of the Great Southern Railways in 1925, and later CIE's formation in 1945, the works became the principal location for the overhaul of rolling stock, while other smaller workshops around the country were run down and closed altogether.

Today, Inchicore still plays a role in the maintenance of Irish Rails locomotive fleet, mainly the 071 and 201 Class locomotives, along with the railcars and DART units, although these latter two have also been gradually maintained at other modern Irish Rail depots such as those at Portlaoise and Drogheda.
201 Class locomotive No.233 is seen receiving heavy attention within one of the main workshops at Inchicore in late 2002. This loco which entered service in May 1995 has since been repainted into the 'Enterprise' livery and frequently operates on the Dublin to Belfast main line. Another 201 Class loco, this time No.218 named 'River Garavogue', is seen resting outside 'Diesel Shop No.1' at Inchicore works, awaiting overhaul in 2002. Two very different generations of General Motors built motive power are seen outside the running shed at Inchicore, with 1960 built 121 Class loco No.123, and 1995 built 201 Class loco No.217. Today 217 remains in use, while 123 has since been consigned to history. This is No.123 again, seen from the cab end of the loco at Inchicore following its withdrawal from Irish Rail service in August 2008. For thier first few months of service in 1961, the 121s operating bonnet first like thieir counterparts in the USA.
The difference between CIE's 1960s built GM locomotives are seen to good effect here at Inchicore, with double cab 181 Class pioneer No.181, and single cab 121 Class loco No.128. Seen in 2002, both these locomotives have since been withdrawn and scrapped. Due to a bent frame, 141 Class loco No.143 was confined as a pilot locomotive, carrying out only minimal duties. It is seen stabled by the running shed at Inchicore in 2002. 201 Class locomotives share the surroundings of Inchicore's running shed with a Spanish built 2700 Class diesel railcar. The 2700 units in their orange and black 'Arrow' livery was employed at this time on Kildare line commuter services. Locomotives Nos.189 & 133, and what appears to be 152 on the left, are viewed from within the running shed at Inchicore in 2002. Today loco 152 is the only survivor of the three seen here, having been purchased for preservation by the Irish Traction Group in November 2010.
Another view of 121 Class loco No.133, seen in the company of 181 Class No.189 at the running shed at Inchicore. 133 had been officially withdrawn as of February 2003, while 189 still had some way to go before secumbing in May 2008. 201 Class loco, No.227, in its orange Irish Rail livery, is receiving basic attention within the running shed at Inchicore. The marker lights and buffers seem to be the main concern here. In its blue Northern Ireland Railway livery, 111 Class loco No.112 visits Inchicore works in 2002, seen while operating during spell with Irish Rail. Entering service in 1981, 112 is named 'Northern Counties'. Entering service on the 13th December 1962, GM built No.159 was one of the few 141 Class locos to traverse the former Kilkenny to Portlaoise line just prior to its closure at the end of that month. Seen resting at Inchicore in late 2002, it was withdrawn and scrapped in September 2006.
No.159 looks very sorry for itself as it finally bids fairwell to its Irish railway career at Inchicore. However at least four members of the 1962 built 141 locomotive class, Nos.141, 142, 146 and 152, have been securred for preservation. Preserved as C231, this C Class loco was built by Metropolitan Vickers in Manchester in 1958. Withdrawn by CIE in 1985, it was purchased by the ITG. Seen in restored green livery in 2002 at Inchicore, this loco now resides at Moyasta, Co.Clare. 121 Class loco No.127 appeared to be in a sorry state when photographed at Inchicore in 2002. The loco was subsequenty scrapped, having been withdrawn from Irish Rail service in February of that year. A (001) Class locomotive, No.015, had languished at Inchicore works since withdrawal in September 1995. Built in 1955 by Metro-Vicks of Manchester, she received GM engines in the late 1960s. The locomotive is now stored at Moyasta on the West Clare Railway.
Another A Class loco, this time No.A3r, displays the original black & tan CIE livery of 1962. The 'r' stands for 're-engined', as with loco 015, the 1955 Crossley engines were replaced in the 1960s with GM ones. This ITG loco is now also at Moyasta. Seen in the elevated sidings away from the main line at Inchicore, from left to right is a 1954 built Park Royal coach, an 8100 Class DART unit, and a 2600 Class railcar in orange 'Arrow' livery, seen in 2002. Seen at Inchicore are two ancient Midland Great Western Railway 6-wheel carridges, dating from 1894. These vehicles are currently at the Downpatrick Railway in Northern Ireland awaiting restoration. AEC railcar No.6111, is the only surviving type of CIE's first diesel railcars delivered in 1955. In the late 1970s, 6113 was converted into a pushpull trailer to work on Dublin suburban trains. 6113 was withdrawn following the end of the Greystones shuttle trains in 1986 and has languished ever since at Inchicore.
The cab of AEC railcar No.6113. These trains worked on suburban trains with the re engined C 201 Class locos, until around 1984 when the electrified DART services replaced them. B133, one of CIE's first two main line diesel locos to be delivered in 1950/1.Built by Sulzer of Derby, it was originally numbered 1100. Displaced from services by other later CIE locos, B133 was withdrawn in December 1977. It was given a cosmetic restoration in 1996, but was seen having returned to a poor dilapidated state in late 2002 at Inchicore. With some recent TLC, loco No.B113 was again restored to its 1950s green livery and looks well at Inchicore. Prior to withdrawal in the 1970s, B113 and sister loco B114 worked transfer goods trains between Heuston Station and the North Wall yards by Dublin Port. E428, one of the CIE's E Class built diesel shunters fitted with Maybach engines. Withdrawn in 1983, E428 ran with Co.Galway's 'Westrail' trains at Tuam in the early 1990s until that organisation was disbanded. Seen in 2002 at Inchicore, E428 now happily resides on the former Loughrea branch at Dunsandle Station, Co.Galway.
Sligo Leitrim & Northern Counties Railcar B, built in 1947 by Walker of Wigan, ran on the former Sligo to Enniskillen line, which closed in 1957. Railcar B passed to CIE but was withdrawn in 1971. B is seen here at inchicore in a poor state, but thankfully this historic vehicle is now preserved at Downpatrick, awaiting restoration. 201 Class loco No.202 had acquired full yellow ends when seen at Inchicore during an overhaul. Named after the River Lee (Abhainn na Laoi) which runs through Ireland's southern capital Cork, it entered service with Irish Rail on the 15th August 1994. Seen minus its bogies, 121 Class loco No.124 resides at the workshops at Inchicore. This, the forth member of the 121 Class, entered service with CIE on the 23rd of February 1961. Three contrasting liveries for the 201 Class locomotives are seen at Inchicore, with loco No.224 in the original 1990s livery, No.218 in the newer 'Intercity' livery and No.213, again in the original livery, but with addition of yellow painted ends.
Seen with its engine room doors open, 181 Class loco No.186 is seen within the network of lines at Inchicore. No.186 had entered service with CIE in November 1966 and in later years it received an ex 121 Class engine. The running shed at Inchicore was rebuilt in the late 1970s, with part of the original stone built 1840s Great Southern & Western Railway structure been removed. A mix of locomotives, including a solitary 071 Class loco, are seen outside the shed. Loco No.163 displays the last livery to be applied to the 141 Class engines in Irish Rail service. Originally 'B163', this loco entered service in December 1962 in black & tan livery. A rather weather worn looking 071 Class loco, No.071, is seen resting at Inchicore while awaiting overhaul. No.071, the pioneer 071 Class loco, has since been repainted into the silver & black livery.
One of the Mk3 driving van trailers, No.6105, is seen at Inchicore following a respray, as evident by the pristine body exterior. Built for pushpull train services in 1988/9, these trailers operated on both Intercity and Dublin commuter services until displaced by diesel railcars. CIE's ex brakedown crane is seen to the rear of Inchicore works. Steam powered, this crane assisted the Dublin area electrification scheme of the early 1980s for the DART trains, mostly reconstructng the bridges along the route. One of the cast iron roof supports at Inchicore, used by the Great Southern & Western Railway in 1847. The design is like that found at their Kingsbridge terminal, now Heuston Station, in Dublin. Of the 141/181 Class locomotives, No.192 was the highest numbered of them all, entering service with CIE in December 1966. It is seen having been withdrawn for sometime at Inchicore.
To celebrate 25 years of the electrified DART (Dublin Area Rapid Transit) services in Dublin, a special 'DART 25' logo was applied to the units, such as 8200 Class No.8403, seen receiving attention at Inchicore. Reflecting its commuter branding, 2600 Class diesel railcar No.2613 is seen resting at Inchicore following a repaint. The 2600s were the first railcars to be delivered to Irish Rail in 1993 since those of the AEC types ordered by CIE in 1952. 071 Class loco No.079 represents the new order in its gleaming black & silver livery at Inchicore, seen in the company of 'Enterprise' liveried 201 Class loco No.207, while in the background can be seen a number of 141 Class locos. Restored to their CIE 1960s vintage 'black & tan' livery, 141 Class locomotives Nos.B141 & B142 stand outside the running shed at Inchicore shortly after their acquisition by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland. To the right of B142 is the engine hood off a 201 Class loco.
141 Class No.177 is seen shunted with a rake of sister locomotives outside the running shed at Inchicore. Behind 177 is No.146 which now operates at the Downpatrick Railway in Co.Down, having been preserved by the Irish Traction Group. Locomotive No.134 was the second last member of the 121 Class engines to be built by GM, entering service in February 1961. Amongst some of its travels, 134 operated on the rarely traversed Clonsilla to Navan railway line which closed in April 1963. No.134 has since been earmarked for preservation. This is 1955 Metro-Vick built A Class locomotive No.A39, restored to its mid 1960s CIE all over black livery. Following its withdrawal in September 1995, 039 as it was numbered then, was preserved by the Irish Traction Group. The loco now operates regular services at the Downpatrick Railway in Northern Ireland. A39 is seen in the company of 121 Class loco No.124. 124 has since been preserved by the ITG and now resides at Moyasta, Co.Clare. The 121s originally entered service in a shortlived grey and yellow livery.
The 10th member of the 201 Class locomotives, No.210, rests outside the main buildings at Inchicore works which date from the 1840s Great Southern & Western Railway era. No.210 was built by General Motors at their London, Ontario works in Canada in 1994. A 141 Class loco, No.175, and an 071 Class loco No.076, are seen paired together outside the shed at Inchicore. 076 has since been repainted into the black & silver livery. Brightly orange liveried 201 Class loco No.211 adds a splash of colour to the quiet surroundings found to the rear of Inchicore. This particular loco is named after the 'River Suck'. The Great Southern & Western Railway's architect, Sacton Wood, designed the castelled styled works at Inchicore in 1846, as well as this 'look out' tower seen here.
This is the similarly castelled styled GSWR signal cabin at Inchicore, located on the up side of the line. The signal cabin was taken out of use in 2002. Seen passing the signal cabin at Inchicore on the main line is 201 Class loco No.219 in 'Intercity' livery, heading an up express consisting of Mk3 coaching stock.