Getting Impatient.....!!

[flange lubricator]

19 minutes ago, murphaph said:

I think Loughrea had an electric storage heater, plugged in at night at the Terminus to charge it up.

Yes that is correct but I thinks CIE were trying a number of solutions to the problem and this was one of them and I dont think it was a successful one.

[murphaph]

Ah ok, interesting.

[Mayner]

3 hours ago, murphaph said:

I also asked on Facebook but I'll ask here too...

What is the silver coloured plug/socket arrangement on the buffer beam?

Intended for Electric Train Heating where C Class worked branch passenger trains, most likely Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Birr and Ballina. Largely redundant after CIE closed the Birr Branch and discontinued Manulla Junction-Ballina feeder service in 1963.

Apparently CIE converted some (4) older GSR coaches to 'Self Heating' Carriages" by fitting underfloor generators in the 1950s, some Cs were fitted with jumpers for ETH operation as the generators were un-reliable, whether the ETH actually worked on any of these branch line trains is another question.

The 'Self Heating" carriages and problems with the generators were reported in Irish Railfans News in the 50s.

CIE fitted a Brake Standard and a Park Royal with storage heating when the Ballina Branch passenger trains were re-instated in the early 1970s.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, murphaph said:

I think Loughrea had an electric storage heater, plugged in at night at the Terminus to charge it up.

Correct.

3 hours ago, murphaph said:

I also asked on Facebook but I'll ask here too...

What is the silver coloured plug/socket arrangement on the buffer beam?

That’s the drivers WiFi.