"Maedb" flying along

[jhb171achill]

Senior captured this in 1940. Not a great photo in all reality, but it has picked up well what the photographer described: "....she was absolutely FLYING along..."

One of the four 3rd class Pullmans behind the loco, in GSR brown and cream (as opposed to actual (British) "Pullman" brown and cream livery, in which guise they did not run here).

[jhb171achill]

I might add, he was watching her with his dad - who reckoned she was doing over 80 mph at that spot, which I believe was somewhere near Hazelhatch. 100% rural then.

[Mallow Junction]

Is this the largest Steam Loco that was in Ireland? Im not up to date on anything steam in Ireland. 

 

She's preserved right? But not functional.

[Westcorkrailway]

2 hours ago, Mallow Junction said:

Is this the largest Steam Loco that was in Ireland? Im not up to date on anything steam in Ireland. 

 

She's preserved right? But not functional.

Correct and correct

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Mallow Junction said:

Is this the largest Steam Loco that was in Ireland? Im not up to date on anything steam in Ireland. 

 

She's preserved right? But not functional.

Yes, she’s in the Ulster Folk & Transport museum at Cultra.

She was one of a trio; 800 (1939) and 801/2 (1940).

The other two were scrapped as steam ended in the very early 60s.

They were the biggest, fastest & strongest steam locomotives ever to run in Ireland, but never got much chance to show it, as first there was the fuel crisis 1942-46, then diesel railcars took over most main line passenger services in 1950, and diesel locos in 1955.

[Sean Hogan]

There is one on my mantlepiece in o gauge 

[WRENNEIRE]

 

 

O Gauge by Bren Kelly, the blessings of God on his curly hair ! 

 

 

[jhb171achill]

4 minutes ago, WRENNEIRE said:

 

 

O Gauge by Bren Kelly, the blessings of God on his curly hair ! 

 

 

A thing of beauty…!

[seagoebox]

802 in CIE livery resides on my desk !

[jhb171achill]

Surrounded by some great reading material!

 

[Westcorkrailway]

i believe this particular 0 gauge example belongs to a forum member. 

[hexagon789]

On 3/1/2022 at 1:37 PM, jhb171achill said:

I might add, he was watching her with his dad - who reckoned she was doing over 80 mph at that spot, which I believe was somewhere near Hazelhatch. 100% rural then.

I read with interest recently, that many of the mainlines in Ireland had no prescribed maximum linespeed until the late-1940s/early 1950s when a 70mph ceiling was imposed, there were just limits for junctions and curvature.

Apparently 80mph was not uncommon when drivers were looking to make up time.

This rather mirrors the situation with the GWR in Britain where Sectional Appendices prescribed no maximum linespeed but rather stated: "the maximum speed may be as high as is required to maintain the timetable". A situation which lasted until 1939 and then from 1955-1960 when a 90mph ceiling was imposed for a few years until regularly scheduled 100mph running was introduced.

[jhb171achill]

I was in the cab of an 071 on the Cork line about 1979 and he was delayed leaving, then held at a signal somewhere near Kildare, making him ten minutes down overall. Begad, he threw the anchor and parachutes away after that (about 8 or 9 Mk 2s and genny van behind), and on what they driver referred to as “the racetrack” between Templemore & Thurles he was doing 84…. I think, though stand to be corrected, that the line limit there was 70….

Edited January 5, 2022 by jhb171achill

[hexagon789]

11 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I was in the cab of an 071 on the Cork line about 1979 and he was delayed leaving, then held at a signal somewhere near Kildare, making him ten minutes down overall. Begad, he threw the anchor and parachutes away after that (about 8 or 9 Mk 2s and genny van behind), and on what they driver referred to as “the racetrack” between Templemore & Thurles he was doing 84…. I think, though stand to be corrected, that the line limit there was 70….

Let me find my WTTs and double check, but I think pre-1984 the full 75 linespeed applied over most if not all that section.

[Mallow Junction]

And is there only 3 steam locomotives in operation now? In operation - Heritage 

[Sean Hogan]

On 4/1/2022 at 9:08 PM, Westcorkrailway said:

i believe this particular 0 gauge example belongs to a forum member. 

 

It sure does thanks to Brendan Kelly and eoin Murray 

[jhb171achill]

3 hours ago, Mallow Junction said:

And is there only 3 steam locomotives in operation now? In operation - Heritage 

Do you mean in real life?

Downpattick has three locomotives, of which two are in working order. The RPSI has about ten, of which I think three are currently in working order.

The Cavan & Leitrim have two, with one in w/o.

Over the years, between the three, typically anything from 4 to 7 steam engines are operable.

Edited January 6, 2022 by jhb171achill

[DB JOE]

19 minutes ago, Sean Hogan said:

 

It sure does thanks to Brendan Kelly and eoin Murray 

What a cracker she isBe fantastic if she was also immortalised in 00 RTR too!!!  Hint Hint nudge nudge say no more!!!!

[Westcorkrailway]

 

47 minutes ago, DB JOE said:

What a cracker she isBe fantastic if she was also immortalised in 00 RTR too!!!  Hint Hint nudge nudge say no more!!!!

 

break out the measuring tape! 
 

well we would have to if SSM did not have a kit already out  

[Mayner]

22 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

I was in the cab of an 071 on the Cork line about 1979 and he was delayed leaving, then held at a signal somewhere near Kildare, making him ten minutes down overall. Begad, he threw the anchor and parachutes away after that (about 8 or 9 Mk 2s and genny van behind), and on what they driver referred to as “the racetrack” between Templemore & Thurles he was doing 84…. I think, though stand to be corrected, that the line limit there was 70….

I had a similar experience in an Up Westport behind an 071 during the early 90s (not in the cab) departed Athlone late apparently checked by late running Westbound trains between Portarlington and Athlone but positively took off after crossing the Asahi Liner at Geashill and recovered most of the lost time between Portarlington and Clondalkin presumably he had a clear road ahead with no signal checks and the Up Cork line cleared for 100mph running once through the slack at Portarlington.

I travelled a lot by rail during the mid 80s early 90s while home on holidays from the UK, but seldom traveled by rail following my return to Ireland except from Dublin to Bangor for model railway exhibitions and a family weekend in Galway.

We traveled on an 071 hauled in Craven coaches on an RPSI Seabreeze to Wexford in 2018 but it turned out to be an endurance test that an enjoyable day out, how one's ideas of what constitutes a good day out changes as we get older.

[jhb171achill]

1 hour ago, DB JOE said:

Be fantastic if she was also immortalised in 00 RTR too!!!  Hint Hint nudge nudge say no more!!!!

Can you IMAGINE!!! Agreed totally!

[DB JOE]

well lets hope the Accurascale Manors are just a rehearsal for Maebh and her sisters!!!! 

[Noel]

19 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Can you IMAGINE!!! Agreed totally!

Agree, but I doubt 800 class ever commercially viable unless it can be sold in numbers to the diaspora in the USA as well as here.

PS: Impossible I know but I'd rather see actually 800 back down here in steam on Irish rails hailing RPSI specials. There may be too many weight restrictions on Irish rail that make it impossible even if she was ever able to steam again. We can but dream.

[jhb171achill]

23 minutes ago, Noel said:

24 minutes ago, Noel said:

Agree, but I doubt 800 class ever commercially viable unless it can be sold in numbers to the diaspora in the USA as well as here.

PS: Impossible I know but I'd rather see actually 800 back down here in steam on Irish rails hailing RPSI specials. There may be too many weight restrictions on Irish rail that make it impossible even if she was ever able to steam again. We can but dream.

Good dream, though! 

[228RiverOwenboy]

From Buffer to the end of the tender, how long is a GSR 800? 

[Galteemore]

Locomotive length 40’ 11.75”

Tender 26’2.75”

[Wexford70]

On 6/1/2022 at 10:48 AM, jhb171achill said:

Do you mean in real life?

Downpattick has three locomotives, of which two are in working order. The RPSI has about ten, of which I think three are currently in working order.

The Cavan & Leitrim have two, with one in w/o.

Over the years, between the three, typically anything from 4 to 7 steam engines are operable.

Stradbally has one Bord na Mona engine operational or are we only talking mainline?

 

[Bloomeroid]

Is there anywhere that produces OO scale models of Meabh?

[jhb171achill]

On 10/1/2024 at 2:59 PM, Bloomeroid said:

Is there anywhere that produces OO scale models of Meabh?

If only! I think they’d sell well….. 

Answer is no, not at the moment. There’s a kit, but it’s only suitable for a highly skilled kit maker.

[DiveController]

On 4/1/2022 at 10:26 AM, WRENNEIRE said:

 

 

O Gauge by Bren Kelly, the blessings of God on his curly hair ! 

 

 

Would love one (or three) in this livery! Would be great to have some stuff in GSR. I imagine most people (including me) would buy one of these regardless of their modeling era, some would buy all three (including myself) and those crazy enough might even buy and reminder with 803 and 804 (me-self included one again )

There is still a lot interest in pre grouping and BR steam across the pond but almost none in Irish pre-CIE despite the population disparity. Lack of model availability of course doesn’t help either. 

[minister_for_hardship]

8 hours ago, DiveController said:

Would love one (or three) in this livery! Would be great to have some stuff in GSR. I imagine most people (including me) would buy one of these regardless of their modeling era, some would buy all three (including myself) and those crazy enough might even buy and reminder with 803 and 804 (me-self included one again )

There is still a lot interest in pre grouping and BR steam across the pond but almost none in Irish pre-CIE despite the population disparity. Lack of model availability of course doesn’t help either. 

I think the interwar years are looked upon as a sort of golden age in the uk and kept alive in popular culture whereas here seen as "bad times" of economic and cultural stagnation, unemployment, emigration and best forgotten.

I think if you asked the average person they probably have never heard of the GSR, it having just about passed from living memory.

[Westcorkrailway]

1 hour ago, minister_for_hardship said:

I think the interwar years are looked upon as a sort of golden age in the uk and kept alive in popular culture whereas here seen as "bad times" of economic and cultural stagnation, unemployment, emigration and best forgotten.

I think if you asked the average person they probably have never heard of the GSR, it having just about passed from living memory.

As my colleague says, Those who say “the Good old days” have never opened a history book. 
 

Perhaps this is why in Ireland the 1960s era layout with Black and Tan ect. Is really the earliest mainstream Irish modelling goes. There is the odd 50s thing and some GSR stuff but generally it starts around the 60s 

 

saw this yoke in my YouTube recommended. The tender is all wrong but what else would have to be changed….splashers? Nameplates?

[GSR 800]

1 hour ago, Westcorkrailway said:

As my colleague says, Those who say “the Good old days” have never opened a history book. 
 

Perhaps this is why in Ireland the 1960s era layout with Black and Tan ect. Is really the earliest mainstream Irish modelling goes. There is the odd 50s thing and some GSR stuff but generally it starts around the 60s 

 

saw this yoke in my YouTube recommended. The tender is all wrong but what else would have to be changed….splashers? Nameplates?

Smokebox, splashers, cab and cab footplate area would need to be replaced completely, and if the tender is hard-wired in, strip out the wiring in the tender and put it into a six-wheeled version. LMS-type tender would need modification itself. New dome if you're picky.

I've often thought it 'looks' closer to the 800s with the huge boiler, compared to the Royal Scots, but it seems like it'd be an even bigger job converting it

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, GSR 800 said:

Smokebox, splashers, cab and cab footplate area would need to be replaced completely, and if the tender is hard-wired in, strip out the wiring in the tender and put it into a six-wheeled version. LMS-type tender would need modification itself. New dome if you're picky.

I've often thought it 'looks' closer to the 800s with the huge boiler, compared to the Royal Scots, but it seems like it'd be an even bigger job converting it

And the real thing didn't have that enormous hand on it either........

[irishrailways52]

1 hour ago, jhb171achill said:

And the real thing didn't have that enormous hand on it either........

perhaps we could bring 800 back if we had a hand like that to lift it over the too low bridges