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C231
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Locomotive C231 was built for Coras Iompair
Éireann (CIE), the Irish State owned transport company by
Metropolitan Vickers at their premises at Dukinfield,
Manchester, in 1956. C231 was part of a class of 34 Bo-Bo
locomotives, designated “C” class and numbered C201 – C234
inclusive, which were ordered as part of the drive to eliminate
the majority of steam traction from the railways of the Irish
Republic in the late 1950s. The contract to build these
locomotives was signed at Heuston Station, Dublin, on 5th
May 1954. The bodies for the thirty-four “C” class locomotives
were constructed by Metropolitan Cammell at their Midland Works
in Birmingham between 1956 and 1958. The English Steel
Corporation constructed the bogies in Sheffield, and Crossley
Brothers at Openshaw, Manchester, supplied the engines. The
electrical equipment for these locomotives was provided by
Metropolitan Vickers Electrical Co. Ltd. The completed
locomotive bodies were then transported by low loader to
Metropolitan Vickers’s premises at Dukinfield, Manchester, for
fitting of their engine/generator sets, bogies and for testing
prior to shipping to Ireland. Following several years stored in the scrap line at Iarnród Éireann’s Inchicore Works in Dublin, 231 was purchased by the Irish Traction Group (ITG) on 16th November 1992, originally as a source of spare parts for 226, for the sum of I£ 930 plus VAT. It was moved from Inchicore Works to Carrick-On-Suir for storage in December 1992. However, as this locomotive was virtually complete, and we had already acquired a good stock of spare parts from other withdrawn “C” class locomotives, it was decided that 231 was in too good a condition to dismantle for parts, and was now an excellent candidate for restoration as well. In December 1995, after spending nearly three years in store at Carrick-On-Suir, 231 was first moved to Waterford, and then back to Inchicore Works in readiness for its eventual display at the “Inchicore 150” open weekend in June 1996. Over the following few months, various corroded sections of the locomotive’s body side were re-panelled. The locomotive was eventually repainted into CIE green livery, and renumbered C231, a few days before the open weekend. Following the event, the locomotive remained at Inchicore Works. In June 1999 Iarnród Éireann offered the Group the opportunity to have the locomotive shipped back to the UK on a low-loader that would otherwise have gone back empty. Negotiations were started with RMS Locotec at Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, to have C231 returned to working order. The locomotive was subsequently moved to Dewsbury on 30th September 1999. Whilst there, the locomotive was completely re-wired and the cooler group overhauled, with some parts being manufactured to replace rotten items. The locomotive’s engine was successfully started for the first time in seventeen years on 14th July 2000. Following this, the locomotive was shipped back to Inchicore Works, Dublin, in August 2000 following its display at the Old Oak Common Depot open weekend on 5th and 6th August 2000. It was then the intention to have Iarnród Éireann undertake further work on the locomotive to complete its restoration. However, this never happened, but most of the remaining work has since been undertaken by ITG volunteers. C231 is currently drained down and sheeted over to help protect it from the elements. Locomotive C231 was moved by low-loader from Inchicore Works to the West Clare Railway, Moyasta, Co. Clare, on 25th November 2009 for eventual display inside a new museum that is due to be constructed there in 2010.
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231 before restoration.
C231 following restoration. |
