Tullow Line

Members 1k Good evening Josefstadt Your information from 2014 on this French-built diesel shunter has become very relevant nine years on as the locomotive has been brilliantly restored, painted in the colours of GPX Rail, contractors for Irish Rail and Luas permanent way works, and will be a Heritage Week featured beside the company's newly built depot at Naas. As I neighbour the site, I would be glad of any more information you might be able to help with. In particular the reference to it being built for the French military - what kind of rail operation or rail operating units did the French military have circa 1960? Would you know how long it remained in French service and what was its story in the years prior to arriving in Dublin for the Luas construction in 2003/4? Were the two you refer to the only ones of its precise class or was it part of a larger fleet? And did it differ in any respect from the similar French civil rail shunting die diesel? Apologies for all the questions but it is fine looking piece of machinery and your information was the only background I could find on the world wide web, so thank you! Tullow LIne Posted August 10, 2014 This is one of two locomotives acquired by Luas construction contractor MVM Australia and which arrived in Dublin in December 2003 and January 2004. As Driver301 says, the locomotives had been built in 1960 by the French company B Richard of St Denis de L'Hotel for the French Military and were used in various depots around the country. They were fitted with a 54 hp Alsthom three-cylinder air-cooled diesel engine and had mechanical transmission. The locomotives were numbered ENG-5873-13-003 and ENG-5873-13-006 and each was used on the two original lines (Line A and Line B) during their construction phases. Once construction work was completed it would appear that the contractor 'gave' the locos to the RPA as it no longer required them. ENG-5873-13-006 was cosmetically restored and stationed outside the Red Cow depot building. The other locomotive, ENG-5873-13-003, was dumped and was soon heavily vandalised. It is not known what has happened to it in the interim.

Stunningly impressive model ... where is it in 2023?