The Mallow Pilot

[Mol_PMB]

I'm making progress with my first 21mm gauge layout, a shunting plank based on Quartertown Mill near Mallow. 

I haven't found a great deal of information on how this was operated, but these notes from the 1966 IRRS Munster Area railtour (thanks to WestCorkRailway) give us a couple of useful snippets:

1. The line was in almost daily use, and was worked by the Mallow pilot engine.

2. C class were permitted but A class were banned.

The layout was inspired by this photo in the IRRS Journal No. 198, an article by Ciaran Cooney with this photo by Joe St Leger. It also notes that the line was usually worked by the Mallow pilot engine, in this case a B141 class. 

So I decided I needed to find out about the Mallow pilot engine. Fortunately, the older WTTs contain a list of 'Traffic Pilot Engines' available at each location on the CIE system. From the summer 1961 WTT, here is the list for the 'Southern Area' including Mallow:

Although not as detailed as I'd really like, this does contain some very useful information.

Mallow (North) had continuous pilot availability through the week from 0130 on Monday morning through to 0645 the following Sunday. However, this was provided by at least two different locos: a steam engine covered long daytime double shifts, while a diesel electric was allocated to the night shift.

Mallow (South) only had a pilot on weekday evenings - 1800 to midnight, stretching slightly into the early hours of Sunday. However, this short shift was also split between steam and diesel electric traction. They must have been different locos from the Mallow (North) pilots as they were on duty concurrently.

Perhaps these locos were also used on other duties such as timetabled or overload freights to/from Mallow, during some of the time when they weren't allocated to pilot duties?

Loco classes aren't given. Do you think these would likely have been J15 and C class locos in the early 1960s?

Edited 22 hours ago by Mol_PMB
attribution

[Mol_PMB]

My next WTT is summer 1967, and the listing of pilot engines is simpler than before. Again, here is the Southern Area:

Mallow (North) still has continuous pilot availability through the week from 0045 on Monday morning through to 0410 the following Sunday, but this time there is no mention of loco type or how the shifts were split. They were all diesels by 1967, of course. 

Mallow (South) just gets a loco for 2 hours each weekday evening. 

What do you think is the significance of the (North) and (South) pilots? Would these have served different lines or yards? Can we guess which might have served Quartertown?

[Mol_PMB]

By 1973, most of the freight traffic was going by liner train and there would have been less need of a pilot engine stationed at Mallow. Here's the summer 1973 WTT which only shows a weekday Mallow (North) turn.

It is listed as a 'Pilot Engine' whereas at many other locations the pilot duties are noted as provided by 'Train Engines. However, the pilot availability is not continuous, perhaps governed by traincrew shifts which might overlap with other turns.

There's no indication of loco class, and I guess it could have been almost any A or B class.

WTTs from 1975 onwards do not appear to include a list of Traffic Pilot Engines at all. There were still some - I can remember pilots at Heuston into the 1990s, but the WTTs don't seem to contain an equivalent listing. But by the late 1970s the wagonload traffic had gone, and my modelled branch line had closed, so it's not so relevant to my interests.

[Mol_PMB]

This photo from Roger Joanes on Flickr appears to show the Mallow (North) pilot in 1960. It's clearly the daytime shift which in the 1961 WTT was listed as a steam turn, as seen here with J15 156:

Ernie also has a couple of images of J15s shunting at Mallow, possibly on the daytime pilot duty in 1960:

In 1969, a stealth black C218 seems to be on the Mallow pilot duties:

 

 

 

[Westcorkrailway]

How’s does the sugar beet factory factor into mallows pilot situation. As I assume it would have been way busier 

[Mol_PMB]

11 minutes ago, Westcorkrailway said:

How’s does the sugar beet factory factor into mallows pilot situation. As I assume it would have been way busier 

That’s a very good question. The WTTs I have for the 1960s/70s are all summer ones (June to September) so they don’t include the beet season. There is a note that the signalbox and loop at Beet Factory Siding were only open when required.
I’m not sure whether the beet campaign paths were rigidly defined in the winter WTTs or if they were worked as overload freights in any available path? 
Perhaps I need to try to find and buy a suitable winter WTT?

[seagoebox]

The "Beet Campaign" traffic arrangements were advised in the weekly circular at the start of the season.

[mfjoc]

Bear in mind that by 1973 the transplant program was almost if not fully complete and A and C class reliability had gone through the roof. One of the main reasons for so many pilot workings was to cover for A and C class breakdowns.

[seagoebox]

[seagoebox]

Here is the complete Mallow beet programme for winter 1958, nine pages, that will give you something to think about !!

[Mol_PMB]

Thank you so much! That will indeed keep me busy.