IE 201 Class
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IÉ No. 218 in Mark 4 InterCity livery at Templemore Station, July 2011
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The Iarnród Éireann (IE) 201 Class locomotives are the newest and most powerful diesel locomotives operating in Ireland, and were built between 1994 and 1995 by General Motors. They are model type JT42HCW, fitted with an EMD 12-710G3B engine of 3,200 hp (2,400 kW), weigh 108.862 tonnes (107.143 long tons; 120.000 short tons) and have a maximum speed of 164 km/h (102 mph). A freight version, the EMD Series 66, with the same engine is used on privately operated European mainline freight duties.
Contents
History
By the early 1990s, the locomotives operating passenger services in Ireland were becoming increasingly obsolete, with the newest type in service being the 071 Class introduced in 1976. The economic boom in Ireland in the mid-1990s allowed Iarnród Éireann to begin significant investment in the infrastructure of the railways, which began with an order for 32 brand new express locomotives from GM-EMD. Northern Ireland Railways also purchased 2. The first were delivered in 1994, with deliveries continuing until 1995.
To allow clearance tests and driver training to commence in advance of the delivery of the main order of 201s, it was decided to transport the first locomotive, number 201, to Dublin by air. An Antonov An-124 was used to transport the locomotive from London, Ontario to Dublin Airport, arriving on 9 June 1994. The first light-engine test run operated from Inchicore works to Kildare on the 14th.[1]
Unfortunately, the locomotives have had a chequered service history. The authors of Jane's Train Recognition Guide noted that IÉ had had problems with engine fires and bogie cracks.[2]
Technical details
- Main Generator Assembly: AR8PHEH/CA6
- Head End Alternator (HEP): Dayton-Phoenix, model E7145, 438 kVA, 220/380VAC, 3-phase, 50 Hz
- Standby HEP: 220 kVA from AR8, available only when stationary
- Auxiliary Generator: 5A-8147,[3] 18 kW (24 hp)
- Air Compressor/Exhauster: Gardner Denver, model WLPA9B
- Multiple Working: All IE & NIR EMD locos
- Push Pull Working: Locos 206-209 & 215-234
- Curve Negotiation Capability:
- Yard: 80 m (262 ft)
- Running line: 115 m (377 ft)
- Coupled to train: 141 m (463 ft)
Equipment new to IÉ locos
- Air Dryer
- Teloc 2200 Event Recorder[4]
- Electrically heated windscreens
- Active noise control in both cabs
- Enclosed body style, last seen on 1950s Metro-Vic A and C Classes
- Head End Power (HEP)
- This system supplies AC power to the train for heating, battery charging, etc. and was intended to replace the existing Mk2 & Mk3 Generator Vans. In the event HEP is only used on the cross-border De Dietrich service. The later CAF MK4 trains include their own generators in the Driving Van Trailer (DVT).
- EM2000 digital traction computer
- Train (coach) door control
- D43 Traction Motors
- Super Series wheel creep control [5]
- Cab mounted electronic fuel gauges
- Fire suppression system, FM200 extinguisher
Variants
There are three versions within the Class 201:
- 201 to 205 & 210 to 214
- Fixed buffers, shackle coupling
- 215 to 226, 229, 232 and 234
- Retractable buffers, electronic fuel gauges, automatic or shackle coupling, Push-pull capability.
- 206 to 209, 227, 228, 230, 231 & 233
- Retractable buffers, electronic fuel gauges, automatic or shackle coupling, Push-pull capability, fitted with HaslerRail 2500 Event recorder, NIR train radio and TPWS/AWS for cross-border service
Fleet
Subclass | Number built | Number range | Operator | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
201 (NPP) | 10 | 201-205, 210-214 | InterCity | In storage |
201 (PP) | 24 | 215-226, 229, 232, 234 | ||
206-209, 227, 228, 230, 231, 233 | Enterprise | 208-209 owned by NIR; others owned by IÉ. 230 remains out of service after fire in 2013. |
* NPP = Non Push-Pull Capable; PP = Push-Pull Capable
InterCity
InterCity operated, push-pull equipped members of the 201 class were repainted in a new livery of Fern Green to coincide with the deployment of new Mark 4 carriages which were rolled out during 2006-2007 to serve on the Dublin-Cork line. Apart from the Enterprise Dublin-Belfast line, This is the only in Ireland were locomotive hauled coaches are in use. All locomotives have full yellow ends to improve visibility.
Enterprise
Numbers 206, 207, 8208, 8209, 227, 228, 230, 231 & 233 are dedicated for use on the Enterprise passenger service between Dublin and Belfast, and are painted in a special livery of Light Grey, a Purple stripe and a Red stripe. All locomotives have full yellow ends to improve visibility.
Because of the shared nature of these services, 8208 and 8209 are owned by Northern Ireland Railways. This explains the different naming arrangements for these two locomotives. Until September 2012, Enterprise services required electrical power to be supplied from the locomotive - head end power, when four Mark 3 generator vans entered service.
List of locomotive names
The entire class is named after Irish rivers, with the IÉ locomotives carrying two nameplates, one in Irish and one in English, on each side of the locomotive. As 8208 and 8209 are owned by Northern Ireland Railways, they carry English language only nameplates. The nameplates are trapezium shaped, with the names in upper case.
Number | Name | Push-pull capable |
Livery | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Irish | English | |||
201 | Abhainn na Sionnainne | River Shannon | No | InterCity |
202 | Abhainn na Laoi | River Lee | No | InterCity |
203 | Abhainn na Coiribe | River Corrib | No | InterCity |
204 | Abhainn na Bearu | River Barrow | No | InterCity |
205 | Abhainn na Feoire | River Nore | No | InterCity |
206 | Abhainn na Life | River Liffey | Yes | Enterprise |
207 | Abhainn na Bóinne | River Boyne | Yes | Enterprise |
8208 | - | River Lagan | Yes | Enterprise |
8209 | - | River Foyle | Yes | Enterprise |
210 | Abhainn na hEirne | River Erne | No | InterCity |
211 | Abhainn na Suca | River Suck | No | InterCity |
212 | Abhainn na Slaine | River Slaney | No | InterCity |
213 | Abhainn na Muaidhe | River Moy | No | InterCity |
214 | Abhainn na Broshai | River Brosna | No | InterCity |
215 | An Abhainn Mhor | River Avonmore | Yes | InterCity |
216 | Abhainn na Dothra | River Dodder | Yes | InterCity |
217 | Abhainn na Fleisce | River Flesk | Yes | InterCity |
218 | Abhainn na Garbhoige | River Garavogue | Yes | InterCity |
219 | Abhainn na Tulchann | River Tolka | Yes | InterCity |
220 | An Abhainn Dhubh | River Blackwater | Yes | InterCity |
221 | Abhainn na Feilge | River Fealge | Yes | InterCity |
222 | Abhainn na Dargaile | River Dargle | Yes | InterCity |
223 | Abhainn na hAinnire | River Anner | Yes | InterCity |
224 | Abhainn na Féile | River Feale | Yes | InterCity |
225 | Abhainn na Daoile | River Deel | Yes | InterCity |
226 | Abhainn na Siuire | River Suir | Yes | InterCity |
227 | Abhainn na Leamhna | River Laune | Yes | InterCity |
228 | An Abhainn Bhui | River Owenboy | Yes | Enterprise |
229 | Abhainn na Mainge | River Maine | Yes | InterCity |
230 | Abhainn na Bandan | River Bandon | Yes | Enterprise |
231 | Abhainn na Maighe | River Maigue | Yes | InterCity |
232 | Abhainn na Chaomaraigh | River Cummeragh | Yes | InterCity |
233 | Abhainn na Chlair | River Clare | Yes | Enterprise |
234 | Abhainn na hEatharlai | River Aherlow | Yes | InterCity |
Future
All of the non push-pull capable locomotives (201–205 and 210–214) were placed in storage at Inchicore during 2009, the last being 214 in July 2009. This is due to the withdrawal of the Mark 3 fleet and replacement with 22000 Class railcars on the vast majority of passenger services. This left only the Mark 4 Dublin–Cork services and the cross-border Enterprise service (with De Dietrich rolling stock) as the only locomotive hauled passenger services operated by Iarnród Éireann. The reduction in the number of locomotive hauled passenger workings, combined with the withdrawal of older GM locomotives, has seen Class 201 locomotives used on freight workings, whilst four push-pull capable units were transferred to join the original four dedicate locomotives in use on the Enterprise. In 2010 Iarnród Éireann planned to store some of its remaining push-pull capable Mark 3 coaches,[6] which could potentially have been used with 201 Class locomotives to enhance Enterprise's service. However, all Mark 3 carriages were scrapped during 2013 and 2014.[7]
Model
In 2001, Murphy Models commissioned LIMA to produce an '00' gauge model of these locomotives.[8] They were produced in IÉ orange (201, 216, 217, 219, 230) and Enterprise (206, 207, 208, 209) liveries, all in batches of 300 (the exception being 500 of #207).
[9]
In October 2010 at the Model Railway Society of Ireland Model Railway Exhibition, Murphy Models announced plans to produce their own version of the class 201 to an all new tooling, complete with a sample model for production in the next year.
Model Irish Railways produce a resin body shell kit that includes nameplates, numbering, brass grills and the standard yellow / black livery line transfers.
Marks Models also released a resin kit for these locomotives in 00 gauge around the year 2000.
There is also speculation that Hornby, who now own the moulds for these models, may make a full production run of these models. This would be a first, as they have never made an Irish loco for the mainstream market before.[citation needed]
Railtec Transfers [10] and Studio Scale Models [8] make transfers for the full range of 201 liveries, No's 201-234, original and updated Orange, original and updated Enterprise and Green Intercity.
The 201 class has also been released in virtual form as a player driveable locomotive in the Microsoft Train Simulator add-on, "Irish Enterprise North", by Making Tracks,[11] and for OpenBVE by Celtic Trainsim.[12]
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to IÉ 201 Class. |
- ↑ IRRS Journal 125, pages 450/451, October 1994
- ↑ Howard Johnston & Ken Harris, Jane's Train Recognition Guide, London, HarperCollins, 2005. p. 266.
- ↑ [1]
- ↑ [2]
- ↑ [3]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ IRRS Journal 170
- ↑ [4]
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ [5]
- ↑ [6]
- ↑ [7]
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- Articles that mention track gauge 1600 mm
- Articles with unsourced statements from January 2009
- Commons category link is locally defined
- Diesel locomotives of Ireland
- Iarnród Éireann locomotives
- Electro-Motive Division locomotives
- Co-Co locomotives
- Railway locomotives introduced in 1994