SLNCR Railcar B

The SLNCR was a small standard gauge line linking Enniskillen on the Great Northern system with Sligo on the Midland Great Western system, later to become part of the Great Southern Railway and finally CIE. It traversed fairly sparsely populated country and the bulk of its traffic was cattle, passenger traffic representing a relatively small proportion of its custom.


Railcar 'B' was powered by a 102hp Gardner diesel engine mounted on a four-wheeled power bogie on which was constructed the forward driving cab which enclosed the engine assembly. The power bogie was of the four coupled wheel arrangement with outside rods. It was articulated to the main passenger coach, which was carried on a plain bogie. Transmission consisted of a fluid flywheel, a Wilson epicyclic gearbox, propeller shaft, and an air-operated final drive and reverser unit.

The railcar was 54' 11�" long, 9' 6" wide and weighed 18 tons 12 cwt. Maximum speed was 45 mph. It returned a fuel consumption of 12 mpg and operating costs of 4d. per mile, one eighth those of a steam train

It could accommodate 59 passengers in a two-three seating arrangement. Unlike the Donegal and the G.N.R.'s 'C'-class railcars, also Walker Bros.' designs, railcar 'B' could be driven from either end. There was a full cab at the engine end and a half-cab was set into the rear of the coach section.. The vehicle was, for its time, modern, comfortable, attractive looking and was well liked by both passengers and staff.


When the GNR closed in 1957, Railcar 'B' was bought by CIE and became railcar 2509. It was used for driver training, light passenger work, and a few enthusiasts' railtours. It was finally withdrawn from regular passenger workings in 1970-71, its last duties having been on the Limerick-Nenagh line, and ran its last railtour, for the Irish Railway Record Society, in 1971 . At present it is stored at Downpatrick in very poor condition, and various avenues are being explored to hopefully see this railcar restored.
Railcar 'B's SLNCR colour scheme was the two-tone green scheme also applied to the company's road and railbuses. When in service with CIE it carried that operator's green livery up until 1962 and after that date the black and orange livery.