Considering Fenit Harbour

[Mol_PMB]

My 'Considering Ennis' thread seems to have been well-received and the feedback has certainly given me something to think about.

Plus points are that it's a prototype that matches my preferred period and region, has a personal connection, could probably be made to fit my loft space, would have a variety of interesting operations.

Negative points are that the amount of work to convert the loft space is very large, and the layout itself is quite large, so it would take a lot of work. The loft space is not an ideal working or playing environment for much of the year, and temperature fluctuations can cause problems. It's probably too ambitious for my first step in 21mm gauge.

Several people have advised something smaller than would fit in the living space of the house.

This alternative space for a small layout is 1750mm long and 450mm wide, and would be in the living room. A 600mm long sector plate with 2 or 3 tracks could be added to one end, but this is in a constricted space which does not favour other fiddle-yard options like traverser, turntable or cassettes.

So I've been looking at another place for inspiration - Fenit Harbour. I thought this would sit better in a separate thread from the Ennis one.

Here's a lovely photo on Flickr, uploaded by Andrew Lance but taken by the late John Powell, probably in the late 1960s:

Back in the early 1990s when I first had a go at modelling Irish broad gauge (in EM) I built most of a layout representing Fenit (mainland). I never finished it, partly because I didn't really have the skills at that time, and life moved on. It would be too big for the space available to me now. But Fenit harbour is a much more compact place, and there's a fairly believable 'what-if' to consider. For those unfamiliar with the place, it's on the west coast of Ireland at the end of a branch off the North Kerry line just west of Tralee. This map from the national library of Scotland shows the basic arrangement with a station on the mainland, then a long causeway out to 'Samphire Island' and a sharp curve onto the pier (the photo above is on the pier):

Here's one of Ernie's photos on Flickr with the mainland station in the foreground, and the causeway and pier in the background, dated 1960:

Walking to the seafront, this view from Ernie shows the causeway a bit better:

Crossing the causeway, here's another photo from Ernie, dated 1963, looking from the seaward end of the causeway towards the pier, with a ship unloading coal into open wagons. A couple of vans can also be seen in the background in front of a small warehouse:

The NLI archive has some very nice aerial shots of the pier dating from 1955, here's a view from the south showing the pier across the bottom of the picture, Samphire Island on the left, and the causeway to the mainland which is just visible top right:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000733676

So that's the Geography lesson over; in the next post we'll look at the History.

[Mol_PMB]

In researching the history I found that the page on the Tralee-Fenit Greenway actually covers the history of the branch line pretty well, so I'll just link that here:

http://www.traleefenitgreenway.com/history/

It doesn't say much about the harbour though, which is now the most westerly deep-water commercial port of Ireland and Europe, and still in use. Built in the 1880s around the same time that the railway arrived in Fenit, it served as the port for Tralee. Coal, grain and timber imports were significant, as well as a local fishing fleet. In the 1950s it became apparent that the original timber causeway and pier were in poor condition, and they were renewed in concrete. This was a substantial investment and I suspect the NLI aerial photos were taken to record the completion of the work. Business continued into the 1970s, and the arrival of a cargo ship could keep the railway busy for several days as the cargo was unloaded into wagons.

A lot of fish was landed here in the 1970s too; Irish involvement in this declined under EU quotas but French fishing fleets used Fenit until 2006. There was also a bunkering (fuelling) facility for ships here.

Rail traffic declined and the line to the pier closed in 1973 (5 years before the rest of the branch). However, shortly afterwards there was the prospect of drilling for oil off the West coast of Ireland, and Fenit was well-placed to support this. As described in this article, and others around the same time, there were great hopes:

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/kerry/lifestyle/archives-norwegian-ship-arrives-for-fenit-oil/27395865.html

This 1980 photo on the pier at Fenit shows a Norwegian oil survey support vessel, and also shows a substantial gantry crane on the pier:

Sadly the oil mania didn't last, but Fenit remains a commercial port catering for vessels up to 17,000 Dwt, 175m long. This is primarily for the export of container cranes manufactured by Liebherr's Irish subsidiary, based in Killarney, which are shipped all over the world. There are about 15 shipments per year.

This 2012 photo from Francis Foley on Flickr shows a ship departing with crane components:

In the photo above, note the double track curving round in the foreground and then running along the pier, with a couple of crossovers. The shed at the far end of the pier is old, visible in the photo of the G class in the previous post, and in Ernie's photo of the ship unloading coal. The pier has been widened in the foreground but the far end with the shed is the same width as it was in the 1950s.

This IRRS archive photo dated 1960 is a similar view:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54253250554

This 1950s NLI view in the opposite direction makes an interesting comparison:

https://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000731645

In recent years, the harbour has also been developed along the causeway towards the mainland, with a large marina and an extra small pier for fishing boats, as seen in the 2024 Google Maps view below:

 

In diesel days, a variety of locos could work to Fenit (mainland) including A and C class, and several excursions and steam specials also visited Fenit. But the harbour line had sharp curves and there was uncertainty over the weight limit for large locomotives. G class locos were most commonly used but at least one E class was trialled. There were serious proposals to use C class locos onto the pier in the mid-1960s but this doesn't seem to have actually happened, with G class locos remaining in charge until the line closed.

The Tralee-Fenit line was not officially abandoned until 2014 and was divested by CIE in 2017; it had been retained for nearly 40 years post-closure, partly because it linked to a potentially strategic port.

 

My idea for a 'what-if' is that the railway line remained open a few years longer, and the oil prospecting in the 1980s was more successful. The railway could have been useful in bringing in supplies for the oil prospecting ships, both bunkers (fuel oil) and other consumables and equipment. The gantry crane shown in the 1980s photos could have handled containers, and perhaps the fish traffic could have gone out by rail. Having proved its usefulness, the railway then remained open through the 1980s. Later it would have probably suffered the same fate as Foynes though.

The curve radius onto the pier is about 75m and I reckon 141s and 201(C) class would have been fine with that. Given the constricted space, trains could have been split on the mainland and brought out onto the pier in smaller sections (exactly as happened in the old days with the G class). Maybe 4 4-wheel wagons or 2 bogie wagons at a time. There would have been a fair bit of shunting involved to position the wagons under the gantry or in front of the shed on the pier.

Traffic inwards would be containers of supplies for the oil prospecting, and fuel oil for the ships.

Traffic outwards could include insulated containers of fish, and imported ship cargoes. With a compacy VIGAN suction handling device, bulk powder cargoes such as grain and cement could be easily transferred between ship and train.

Implausible, probably, but fun to think about!

 

[jhb171achill]

There are a few pics of Fenit in my (and Barry Carse’s) book “Rails Through North Kerry”, which show the cranes too.

What is below is based on a planned branch off the Achill line to a place called Inishlyre in Co. Mayo.

 

Edited January 8 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

A sketch of a potential model of Fenit pier in the mid-1980s:

The main part is 1750mm long and 450mm wide, including a strip of water both front and back. A 600mm long sector plate with 3 tracks connects at one end.

The trackplan is closely based on the real pier, with some longitudinal compression. Minimum curve radius is 900mm with 1:5 crossing angles on the turnouts, which I think is close to what they actually were.

There's room for either 4 4-wheel wagons or 2 bogie wagons in both loops and both sidings, and on the sector plate tracks with a loco as well. Thinking it through there's actually quite a lot of operational flexibility.

An operating sequence might be:

• Loco 1 and train A are on the sector plate with the loco at the LH end.
• Loco 2 and train B are on the sector plate with the loco at the RH end.
• Train C is in one of the visible sidings or loops on the layout.
• Train D is in the third road of the sector plate.
• Loco 1 and Train A leaves the sector plate and arrives on the pier with a train. It shunts that into the vacant siding, running round if necessary.
• Loco 1 then returns light to the sector plate, and collects Train B. It brings this onto the pier, and shunts around to swap it with Train C. It hauls Train C onto the sector plate, leaving Loco 1 trapped.
• However, Loco 2 is no longer trapped on the sector plate, because it was released in the previous move. It can now take over the shunting, swapping things around as desired, but make sure it releases Loco 1 before Loco 2 departs onto the sector plate hauling a train.

In the 1980s, I'd envisage that the 4 trains might be:

• pair of bogie container flats
• 4x 4-wheel container flats
• mixed freight of a fuel oil tank, a a lowmac and a bogie flat wagon (with deck), loaded with oil drilling equipment
• bulk powder freight e.g. 4 cement bubbles

Turning the clock back to 1970 or thereabouts, a more traditional mix of loose-coupled vans and wagons would predominate.

 

 

4 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

There are a few pics of it in my (and Barry Carse’s) book “Rails Through North Kerry”, which show the cranes too.

I've been trying to find a copy of that book for months, without success. I don't suppose you have any spares stashed away? I have the other three of the series. I'd love to see some of those photos.

I do have a copy of Alan O-Rourke's book on the North Kerry though.

Edited January 8 by Mol_PMB
removing unwanted merging of posts

[David Holman]

Nice! Westport Quay worth a look too. Iain Rice did two takes on the subject, as shown below.

Edited January 8 by David Holman

[jhb171achill]

I'm afraid it's long out of print, and I only have my own copy! Might be worth contacting Colourpoint Creative (the publisher) in Newtownards just in case they find any in their warehouse! It sold out in a flash, which pleasantly surprised Barry and myself.

(We've No. 5 in the series in preparation, but it's a long way away geographically, and a long way of time-wise as both of us are up to our eyes with a million other things!)

I'll put up pics later.

 

2 minutes ago, David Holman said:

Nice! Westport Quay worth a look too.

Exactly - that's what Dugort Harbour is based on, though set in West Kerry.

[jhb171achill]

Fenit, a few of the pics from from Rails Through North Kerry… showing the pier, cranes and a few beet trains, more or less the sole traffic in later years.

Note a highly unusual livery variation in pic 4 - number on wagon end!

 

Edited January 8 by jhb171achill

[Mol_PMB]

Wonderful - many thanks for the photos which are very inspiring.

I'm currently trying to find my 1930's postcard of Fenit Harbour (reproduced in Alan O'Rourke's book) and when I do I will re-scan it and post here.

[jhb171achill]

I’ve working timetables for the line more or less fully from 1926 to closure, if that’s any use. Until early 30s, two mixed trains a day.

Consist would have been a J15,  a brake third and a 1st / 3rd composite, both six wheelers, plus maybe half a dozen goods vans or wagons.

 

[Mol_PMB]

3 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

I’ve working timetables for the line more or less fully from 1926 to closure, if that’s any use. Until early 30s, two mixed trains a day.

Consist would have been a J15,  a brake third and a 1st / 3rd composite, both six wheelers, plus maybe half a dozen goods vans or wagons.

 

That's good to know, many thanks. Don't spend any time on it on my behalf just yet, I'm still mulling over ideas. I've just bought a 1967 WTT (not yet arrived). I do have November 1975 and 1978 as well as some 1980s ones. However, even 1975 is a bit late for Fenit as there are no booked workings shown.

[jhb171achill]

2 minutes ago, Mol_PMB said:

That's good to know, many thanks. Don't spend any time on it on my behalf just yet, I'm still mulling over ideas. I've just bought a 1967 WTT (not yet arrived). I do have November 1975 and 1978 as well as some 1980s ones. However, even 1975 is a bit late for Fenit as there are no booked workings shown.

Yes, there was nothing much after 1931! The line spent over half its life with little or no traffic of any sort, and even less regular!

[Mol_PMB]

I can't find the postcard at the moment, it's probably in a 'safe place'...

This is a lower-quality cropped version. I'll keep trying to find the original.

Another old photo can be seen here:

https://www.historicalpicturearchive.com/shop/pictures/kr-00380/

Also from a planning report here's a 1959 photo of CIE delivering some Liebherr crane parts - by road! The railway was still open at this time.

https://consult.kerrycoco.ie/en/system/files/materials/116/Fenit Masterplan Final Report.pdf

This is a 2002 photo showing the quay in use with a small coaster unloading loose timber:

https://www.geograph.ie/photo/2307306

Another cargo that could go by rail in my imaginary world!

 

Moving closer to the present day, here's the end of the line, from a fishing (not phishing) website:

And from Pauric Ward on Flickr, a 2011 view of the pier showing the curving track still present, and a ship loading crane components:

When using hand-built 21mm gauge track, an advantage here is that it's all buried in concrete!

 

[minister_for_hardship]

Why and when did the station building go?

Was there pre ww2, gone by the sixties 

[Mayner]

41 minutes ago, jhb171achill said:

Yes, there was nothing much after 1931! The line spent over half its life with little or no traffic of any sort, and even less regular!

Fenit was feaured in one of Michael Baker's annual Irish Railway World aricle in the early 70s, only rail traffic from the Port was a train load of starch after a ship was diverted to Fenit as a result of a storm.  

Seasonal beet working continued to run to Fenit unil 1977, rail connection  to he quay was disconnected in connection  with a sewrage scheme when i visited in 78.

Intteresingly one of Feinits main businesses as a port has been exporting Leibherr Container and Port cranes.

 

 

 

[Killian Keane]

E410 on Fenit Pier, August the 6th 1958

[Mol_PMB]

My 1967 WTT has arrived. Unlike the 1975 WTT this does actually show some trains to Fenit, though not specifically on the pier.

There is a weekday goods path, as required. Tralee 1400 - Fenit 1435, returning Fenit 1600 - Tralee 1635.

There is also a passenger path, operating on Sundays from 18th June to 3rd September. This leaves Cork at 1015, Tralee at 1300 and arrives at Fenit 1330. The return journey departs Fenit at 1815, reaching Cork at 2135.

 

[irishrailways52]

This video has some fotage of the harbour railway

[Mol_PMB]

9 minutes ago, irishrailways52 said:

This video has some fotage of the harbour railway

Lovely - very atmospheric!

I only remember Fenit in the abandoned period, I have half a dozen photos of the station area including these ones of the latest Accurascale product...

 

[Mol_PMB]

This map shows the old, pre-1950s, pier and track layout:

https://osi.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=bc56a1cf08844a2aa2609aa92e89497e

And here it is overlaid on the present-day aerial image:

This is the old map overlaid on satellite imagery from around 2000, which shows that part of the pier was widened in the last 25 years or so:

What I haven't yet found is a good large scale map of the pier in the 1950s-1990s period. The track layout wasn't quite the same after the pier was rebuilt in the 1950s, though I can work it out from photos and the surviving bits visible on the modern aerial images.

[Mol_PMB]

Tonight’s new treats from the IRRS include this beauty and several others at Fenit:

https://flic.kr/p/2qEvmLG

 

[Mol_PMB]

I've been doing some work based on maps, aerial and satellite photos, and ground-level photos, to produce a plan of Fenit pier as accurately as I can.

Then of course, it doesn't fit the space available so I've had to compress it. Still, this has been an interesting exercise and the results are shown below. The upper version is full size, while the lower version is compressed longitudinally to fit on an IKEA 'LACK' shelf which is 1900x260x50mm. The real thing seems to use 1:6 turnouts but I've compressed them to 1:5 on the model. Minimum curve radius is 875mm, same as my best estimate of the real thing scaled down.

There are some rather attractive small buildings that might be used as a scenic break at the left-hand end but I haven't yet drawn those up.

With a suitable small fiddle yard I think this could be quite an entertaining layout. In reality it was mostly operated by G class in the diesel era, but E and C are easily justifiable and if a C class will fit then a 141 isn't far behind.

The 'LACK' shelf doesn't favour under-board point motors, but an option is to put the motors above the service in the long thin warehouse on the pier, and use rods and cranks to operate the points.

The entire track layout is set in concrete so there are no worries about rail section or fastenings.

 

[Mol_PMB]

On 8/1/2025 at 7:36 PM, jhb171achill said:

Fenit, a few of the pics from from Rails Through North Kerry… showing the pier, cranes and a few beet trains, more or less the sole traffic in later years.

Do you have a date for these photos? Just wondering because the views recently uploaded to the IRRS Archive https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257009944 dated 7 Sept 1963 have grey cranes, whereas these are red.

On a lighter note, my eye was drawn to the lady sunbathing against the buffer stop in the second photo!

I imagine that these steam cranes were self-propelled but they don't seem to be designed for shunting wagons. Any info on whether they were used for shunting in the absence of a loco? Potentially another item of motive power needed for a model!

 

[jhb171achill]

4 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

Do you have a date for these photos? Just wondering because the views recently uploaded to the IRRS Archive https://www.flickr.com/photos/irishrailwayarchive/54257009944 dated 7 Sept 1963 have grey cranes, whereas these are red.

On a lighter note, my eye was drawn to the lady sunbathing against the buffer stop in the second photo!

I imagine that these steam cranes were self-propelled but they don't seem to be designed for shunting wagons. Any info on whether they were used for shunting in the absence of a loco? Potentially another item of motive power needed for a model!

 

August 1965, and they were used for unloading boats. They were rail-borne, I believe on their own track. Dunno what gauge they were.

Edited January 10 by jhb171achill

[Mayner]

4 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

August 1965, and they were used for unloading boats. They were rail-borne, I believe on their own track. Dunno what gauge they were.

There are some interesting photos of Fenit Pier in the Kennelly Archive, they appear to have continued in after the gantry was installed in the late 60s

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/-/medias/d50d6827-9e27-43d2-b28e-0d1268e9f5a2-cranes-at-fenit/fs

One of the steam cranes unloading a (coal) boat into a cut of railway wagons on the parrallel siding.

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/-/medias/1cedefcc-b639-434c-9175-7cbe5b85c05c-cranes-at-fenit/fs

"Leibherr Ireland" Gantry crane apparrently loading Tower Crane jib sections onto a ship, crane components and structural steelwork in stacking area.

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/-/medias/9da0e68a-6d8a-40ce-bd7d-50b5129c1b75-cranes-at-fenit/fs

General view of Pier with two steam cranes and gantry crane.

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/-/medias/2f0fb9d1-9f79-44ed-b526-0b3a42e42a65-sea-angling-competition/fs

Angling competition 69 three steam cranes in background, no couplers or buffing gear.

It looks like the steam cranes may have been mainly used for unloading coal boats, using tub like skips loaded by hand by workers in the ship's hold, a mobile crane with grab was trialed in 1965 for loading trucks https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/page/175#media_6edb0e7f-e29b-4aec-a32c-4487f6206210

I had plans to convert a  HO Jordan Steam Shovel into a crane for my own dock line (if I ever get round to it) https://www.hobbylinc.com/jordan-erie-b2-steam-shovel-plastic-model-kit-ho-scale-303

Its possible the G Class was used for working wagons between Fenit Yard and Pier with a 'main-line" loco working trains between Fenit & Tralee rather than a G611. In pre-CIE days a small 'industrial" 0-6-0ST is likely to have been used for similar duties and an ex WLWR or GSWR loco for 'main line' work to and from Tralee.

[Mol_PMB]

Many thanks!

I hadn't previously discovered the Kennelly Archive, there are hundreds of photos of Fenit Pier on there from various different dates. Looking at them will keep me amused for a while!

Regarding the cranes, the rail-mounted steam cranes were standard gauge, and ran on the same tracks as the locos and wagons. One of the NLI images shows a crane at Fenit (mainland).

Now that I've seen a lot more photos of them it's clear that they don't have any buffers or couplings, and that the crane body overhangs the underframe. So they must have been self-propelled and were not intended for shunting [elsewhere, it wasn't unusual for small cranes like these to have buffers and be used for shunting].

As John notes above, by 1965 thoughts were turning to replacing the old cranes, and a road crane was hired as a trial:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/6edb0e7f-e29b-4aec-a32c-4487f6206210

 

The Kennelly Archive photos cover a good range of dates, but one sequence of 34 images is from May 1970, recording the commissioning of two new gantry cranes, and this is quite interesting:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/227941d5-7782-4307-a9e3-f6414e85a12a

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/79aa37cd-dcae-4922-845c-04808a040e54

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/f07bcebb-3eb1-4673-bf1f-0abb563c9c32

One rail of the big gantry crane appears to be one of the railway running rails, or perhaps a new stronger rail put in the same place. The other gantry crane rail is just in front of the shed on the pier. So you could still run wagons under the crane, but not on the track nearest the quayside.

The crane tracks didn't extend as far as the pointwork:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/4d716003-8cc6-403d-9131-069b1266ac4d

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/9da0e68a-6d8a-40ce-bd7d-50b5129c1b75

This has interesting implications for working railway traffic on the pier!

 

The old cranes were still there in 1970 but perhaps now obsolescent:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/d50d6827-9e27-43d2-b28e-0d1268e9f5a2

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/7042074c-a9c4-42c5-81db-8eb466b4ee65

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/d125f8ce-a114-4a98-8538-5638a86eb950

 

There is evidence of container traffic handled at Fenit, this is a pre-ISO container in 1960:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/e7b8bbaa-0feb-4f95-ae01-578dd613f895

And here's an ISO flat 'Hibernian Transport Group' being lifted in 1970:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/05f808a9-dd5a-4ccb-a8d4-f01850e28d70

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/20b8d016-5aee-4a0e-a623-297d7dd53e6c

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/media/65fe3d37-7b93-42ef-9d6c-1aed3072c868

I think there

This photo linked by John is very useful for the pier construction - it's not just a vertical wall but the front edge is on columns and the wall is a bit further back. This would be interesting to represent at the front of the model:

https://www.kennellyarchive.com/-/archive/all-images/-/medias/2f0fb9d1-9f79-44ed-b526-0b3a42e42a65-sea-angling-competition/fs

 

I will continue researching this as I do think the pier could be an attractive model and interesting to operate. The gantry crane using the same rail as the trains would definitely restrict operations within the limited space available, but might not be a complete show-stopper and would give some interesting shunting challenges. But I could choose whether or not to place the gantry crane on the layout, and without it I could represent a date pre-1970.

 

 

 

[Mol_PMB]

Regarding motive power, Alan O'Rourke's book on the North Kerry line has a good chapter on this covering Fenit in some detail. The following is just a brief summary.

In the early years of the 20th Century, the Fenit harbour commissioners had their own loco 'Shamrock', a Hunslet 0-6-0ST 557 of 1892, purchased secondhand. It later became GSR 299, and continued to work on the pier until 1941.

In the late 1920s there was another Hunslet 0-6-0ST of 1894, named 'Erin', which was withdrawn in 1930. GSWR 0-6-0T 100 was transferred to Fenit in the 1930s.

The pier was closed from 1941 to 1955 as the timber pilings had deteriorated to a dangerous condition, but was substantially rebuilt in concrete in 1955 and reopened. MGWR Class E 0-6-0T 560 was provided by CIE to work it until 1963. E410 was trialled in 1958 but 560 continued in use until replaced by G class locos in 1963 (usually G616 or G617). In 1963 there was serious consideration of permitting C class locos onto the pier and a trial run was proposed, but this came to nothing. The use of road tractors or capstans to haul railway wagons on the pier was also considered and discounted.

In the 1960s, there were about 30 ships a year serving Fenit, each providing about 3 days work for the railway. On the Fenit branch, a G class was allowed a maximum load equivalent to 11 wagons, but this wasn't an efficient way to work when a ship was being unloaded. Instead, the G class would shuttle back and forth to the pier with runs of 5 or 6 wagons, which would be assembled into longer trains at Fenit (mainland) and hauled to Tralee by a larger loco, usually a C class or B141 class.

So given a bit of modeller's licence, a C class or B141 class on the pier wouldn't be too far-fetched. There are also kits available for the G class and the MGWR Class E... (but not the diesel E class)

 

[Mol_PMB]

Would the pier have been strong enough for a C class? Remember it was newly reconstructed in concrete in 1955.

From then until 1963 it was worked by a Class E steam loco weighing about 35 tons on a 13'3" wheelbase, 11.7t axleload, 2.64 tons/ft.

An E class diesel was also trialled, 38.8 tons on a 13' wheelbase, 12.9t axleload, 2.98 tons/ft.

In comparison a C class was 58 tons on a 29' wheelbase, 14.5t axleload, 2.0 tons/ft.

So the C class was a fair bit heavier, but the weight was distributed over more axles and a much longer wheelbase: in terms of bridge loading it wouldn't necessarily be any worse than the E or the other E.

[jhb171achill]

2 hours ago, Mol_PMB said:

Would the pier have been strong enough for a C class? Remember it was newly reconstructed in concrete in 1955.

From then until 1963 it was worked by a Class E steam loco weighing about 35 tons on a 13'3" wheelbase, 11.7t axleload, 2.64 tons/ft.

An E class diesel was also trialled, 38.8 tons on a 13' wheelbase, 12.9t axleload, 2.98 tons/ft.

In comparison a C class was 58 tons on a 29' wheelbase, 14.5t axleload, 2.0 tons/ft.

So the C class was a fair bit heavier, but the weight was distributed over more axles and a much longer wheelbase: in terms of bridge loading it wouldn't necessarily be any worse than the E or the other E.

I doubt very much if a C would have caused problems.