The

Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Light Railway The Timoleague and Courtmacsherry Railway was a long light railway connecting Timoleague station and Courtmacsherry station. It was the last roadside railway operating in Ireland. History The railway was incorporated in October 1888 and ope ...

, opened in April 1891, was originally operated by two locomotives, both from the Leeds works of the

Hunslet Engine Company The Hunslet Engine Company is a locomotive-building company, founded in 1864 in Hunslet, England. It manufactured steam locomotives for over 100 years and currently manufactures diesel shunting locomotives. The company is part of Ed Murray & S ...

, named ''

Slaney Slaney is a surname. Notable people with this surname include: * Geoffrey Slaney (1922–2016), British surgeon and academic * Ivor Slaney (1921–1998), England musical composer and conductor * John Slaney (born 1972), Canadian ice hockey player ...

'' and '' St. Molaga''. These two were joined by a third locomotive, again from Hunslet in 1894. This third locomotive carried the name ''Argadeen'' and under the classification adopted by the

Great Southern Railways The Great Southern Railways Company (often Great Southern Railways, or GSR) was an Irish company that from 1925 until 1945 owned and operated all railways that lay wholly within the Irish Free State (the present-day Republic of Ireland). The p ...

on amalgamation in 1925 became the sole representative of Class K5.

History

When delivered in 1894, the locomotive, works number 611, was typical of a type used on unfenced lines, particularly in an area where livestock is reared and the horse and cart or even the

packhorse A packhorse, pack horse, or sumpter refers to a horse, mule, donkey, or pony used to carry goods on its back, usually in sidebags or panniers. Typically packhorses are used to cross difficult terrain, where the absence of roads prevents the use of ...

the main mode of local goods transportation. The locomotive, built with a round-topped firebox and dome was also fitted with a bell, mounted on the boiler between the chimney and the dome. To aid its progress around the tight track work on the line it had a rigid wheelbase of just band the centre driving wheel was without flange. As part of the line ran alongside the road cowcatchers front and rear and side-skirts, to prevent the scaring of animals by the motion of the coupling rods and the seeping of steam from the cylinders, were also fitted. The locomotive was basically an but the axle load was lightened by the addition of a leading truck and to accommodate this the frames and

footplate A footplate provides the structure on which a locomotive driver and fireman stand in the cab to operate a British or continental European steam locomotive. It comprises a large metal plate that rests on top of the locomotive frame, usually it is ...

were extended forward by a couple of feet or so. It was, to the eye, a Tram-type locomotive. In due time the side-skirting was removed, only the deep, almost enclosed cab steps and the fixing points giving a clue as to it ever being there. The locomotive was subsequently rebuilt, the cab was enlarged and fitted with new steps, a

Belpaire firebox The Belpaire firebox is a type of firebox used on steam locomotives. It was invented by Alfred Belpaire of Belgium in 1864. Today it generally refers to the shape of the outer shell of the firebox which is approximately flat at the top and sq ...

and a flat-topped dome fitted. The TCLR locomotives did not carry numbers, all were named, these being carried on cast plates fitted to the side tank. The

makers plate A builder's plate is usually a metal plate that is attached to railway locomotives and rolling stock, bogies, construction equipment, trucks, automobiles, large household appliances, bridges, ships and more. It gives such information as the name of ...

was fitted to the coal bunker. Hunslet No. 611 was named ''Argadeen''. This locomotive, along with '' St. Molaga'', passed to the GSR on amalgamation in 1925. It was scrapped in 1957.

Livery

''Argadeen'' was originally black with cast brass makers plate raised letters against vermilion background. After the 1925 amalgamation, she received the standard GSR unlined grey livery which she wore for the rest of her days.

References

* {{cite journal, title=Industrial Locomotives Overseas, No.3, Ireland , first=D., last=Cole, journal=Industrial Railway Record (Journal of the IRRS), issue=8, date=December 1965 Steam locomotives of Ireland 2-6-0T locomotives Hunslet locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1894 5 ft 3 in gauge locomotives Scrapped locomotives