The Córas Iompair Éireann 113 class

locomotive A locomotive is a rail transport, rail vehicle that provides the motive power for a train. Traditionally, locomotives pulled trains from the front. However, Push–pull train, push–pull operation has become common, and in the pursuit for ...

s were the first mainline diesel locomotives used in Ireland, being built in January 1950 and October 1951 by CIÉ at their Inchicore Works. They were fitted with Sulzer 6LDA28 engines of (uprated to in 1956), with four

Metropolitan-Vickers Metropolitan-Vickers, Metrovick, or Metrovicks, was a British heavy electrical engineering company of the early-to-mid 20th century formerly known as British Westinghouse. Highly diversified, it was particularly well known for its industrial el ...

MV157 traction motors. They were of Bo-Bo

wheel arrangement In rail transport, a wheel arrangement or wheel configuration is a system of classifying the way in which wheels are distributed under a locomotive. Several notations exist to describe the wheel assemblies of a locomotive by type, position, and c ...

, weighed 80 tonnes and had a maximum speed of . They were initially numbered 1100–1101 in the steam locomotive number series (and designated class C2a), but were subsequently renumbered B113–B114 in 1957.

History

They were intended for mixed traffic duties, hauling both freight and passenger trains. When they were first introduced, they were used on some of the express passenger duties between

Dublin Dublin is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. Situated on Dublin Bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, and is bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, pa ...

and

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. However, with the arrival of production diesel locomotives (the 001 and

101 101 may refer to: *101 (number), the number * AD 101, a year in the 2nd century AD * 101 BC, a year in the 2nd century BC It may also refer to: Entertainment * ''101'' (album), a live album and documentary by Depeche Mode * "101" (song), a 19 ...

Classes) from 1955, these two locomotives were used more for freight work, mostly in the area around Dublin. They suffered from a recurring brake fault and following a serious incident in August 1971 when 114 ran away while working a goods train, both locomotives were withdrawn for modifications to be made to their brakes. In fact, 114 was never reinstated and 113 only worked for a few months at the end of 1974 before it too was stored again. Both were then used at Inchicore Works as part of a sound barrier with 101 Class locomotives. B113 was presented to the

Ulster Folk and Transport Museum Both the Ulster Folk Museum and Ulster Transport Museum are situated in Cultra, Northern Ireland, about east of the city of Belfast. Now operating as two separate museums, the Folk Museum endeavours to illustrate the way of life and traditions ...

in May 2011, but 114 was scrapped in March 1995.

Preservation

B113 was preserved by

Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann, () or Irish Rail, is the operator of the national Rail transport in Ireland, railway network of Ireland. Established on 2 February 1987, it is a subsidiary of CIÉ, Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ). It operates all internal I ...

at Inchicore works, Dublin, and received a cosmetic restoration there. It was then transferred to the RPSI's depot in

Whitehead, County Antrim Whitehead () is a small seaside town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland, lying almost midway between the towns of Carrickfergus and Larne. It lies within the Civil parishes in Ireland, civil parish of Templecorran, the historic ...

and later taken to the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum for static display in January 2012, along with NIR 101 Class No. 102. The two locos are currently incapable of running under their own power, and so NIR 111 class locomotives 112 and 113 provided motive power for the move.

References

External links

Eiretrains - Irish Locomotives
{{Ireland Diesel Locomotives Iarnród Éireann locomotives Bo-Bo locomotives Railway locomotives introduced in 1950 5 ft 3 in gauge locomotives Diesel–electric locomotives of Ireland