C226 started for the first time in 20 years!

[Garfield]

Major milestone reached in the loco's restoration... well done to the ITG volunteers who've worked tirelessly to reach this point!

 

[irishrail201]

Am I right in saying the first mainline diesel to be preserved in the country?

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

Am I right in saying the first mainline diesel to be preserved in the country?

 

 

I would say that would be RPSI 141/142 as they did a rail tour a few years back now (I stand to be corrected). Well done to the ITG it would be great to see 226 back on the rails again.

Edited June 18, 2013 by Anthony

[Warbonnet]

Fair play! Send her up to Downpatrick for Agee runs when she's ready!

[Garfield]

I would say that would be RPSI 141/142

 

They're the last ones (to date), Anto!

 

I think B103 may hold the distinction of being the first mainline diesel to be preserved...

[irishrail201]

They're the last ones (to date), Anto!

 

I think B103 may hold the distinction of being the first mainline diesel to be preserved...

 

From the ITG website "226 was purchased by the ITG on 23rd October 1992 for I£ 500 plus VAT. This locomotive had the distinction of being the first main line diesel locomotive to be preserved in Ireland"

 

:)

[Flying Scotsman 4472]

They're the last ones (to date), Anto!

 

I think B103 may hold the distinction of being the first mainline diesel to be preserved...

 

 

I don't really know Pat I only remember the 141/142 rail tour a while back would be nice to see them paired up again on another tour

[BosKonay]

What a gorgeous noise!

[irishrail201]

I don't really know Pat I only remember the 141/142 rail tour a while back would be nice to see them paired up again on another tour

 

B141/142 were the first GM built locos to operate in preservation on the diesel do railtour and need TPWS equipment because the rail system in the north somehow needs different safety standards than down here......the ITG's 039 I believe was the first preserved diesel to operate in Ireland with the "silver cloud" railtour?

 

But C226 is definitely the first mainline diesel loco to be preserved in Ireland

[Tarabuses]

Great to see this footage of C226. When did it happen?

[Blaine]

 

But C226 is definitely the first mainline diesel loco to be preserved in Ireland

 

Correct, the first mainline diesel to be officially preserved and paid for, not just 'put aside' like B103/113/4 were....

[Mayner]

B231 was the first C Class to be re-started in preservation, some restoration work was done on B231 in the UK and she was restarted in Yorkshire in 2000.

 

For a small group mostly based in the UK the ITG have shown a lot of dedication and determination to collect and restore Irish diesels

[irishrail201]

 

For a small group mostly based in the UK the ITG have shown a lot of dedication and determination to collect and restore Irish diesels

 

Agreed...........

 

It is wonderful that (almost) the entire history of mainline diesel traction has been preserved by the ITG......

 

Its just a pitty IE evicted them from inchicore...afterall the RPSi still store their heritage and craven rakes there long with B141, B134 and B175.......#

 

now in moyasta....It may well be te only place offered (so far) but it is not ideal being so far west.

[Blaine]

 

Its just a pitty IE evicted them from inchicore...afterall the RPSi still store their heritage and craven rakes there long with B141, B134 and B175.......#

 

 

No pity really - Lets just say, the tenant should not annoy the landlord.......

[enniscorthyman]

I was on the Silver Coud Railtour in January 1999,and

had a great day.The route was Connolly to Waterford Via

lavinstown curve-Carrick on Suir-Waterford-Rosslare-Connolly.

Unfurtunatly the high cost of insurance that was needed to

run the ITGs own locos put paid to a39 and A3r running on

the main line again.

[Riversuir226]

Great news cheered me up after seeing the excavators been off loaded for the destruction of the mk 3's. Well done to all involved in getting 226 started, even better that it ran on the West Cork line back in the late 50's to join 90 in the surviving ex West Cork regulars in preservation:p

Edited June 18, 2013 by Riversuir226

[jhb171achill]

It depends whether its firstloco acquired by a preservation society, or first preserved loco operated on CIE / NIR, or first preserved loco operated anywhere else (i.e., by default, DCDR).

 

Westrail operated the first privately owned diesel on CIE lines using E428, now at Dunsandle. E421 was the first loco to operate in Downpatrick. The RPSI's 141 / 142 were the first "main line" diesels to operate on the national network, while A39 was the first main line diesel to operate on the DCDR.

 

All good stuff, of course, irrespective of first-dates and the year in which it happened. There is now an agreement between ITG and DCDR which will see an operational "C" at Downpatrick as soon as this can be arranged. In the meantime, the guys at Carrick-on-Suir are the very epitome of what preservation is all about. They have slaved away, often with little recognition or thanks by the broad enthusiast world, for what pretty much amounts to all of the adult lives of some of them; this is a truly fantastic achievement for such a small band of people in a relatively out of the way place. They deserve the highest accolades that the enthusiast / preservationist world can give. Well done, folks. Keep 'er lit!

[irishrail201]

 

There is now an agreement between ITG and DCDR which will see an operational "C" at Downpatrick as soon as this can be arranged.

 

with 6111 it would be a splendid pairing

[jhb171achill]

Yes, it would. With Downpatrick increasingly being ITG's operating base, this could well happen. But: how to save 6111 first!? Nobody denies it SHOULD be saved, but when CIE and the UFTM have failed to come to an arrangement over many years, it's almost as if they depend on, or hope for, interest from ITG, DCDR or RPSI. Nobody should be under any illusion that for any of these three organisations, preservation of this vehicle presents serious challenges. To paraphrase another thread on IRN, it's just a pity the scheme proposed for a NRM-like "state" transport museum at Mullingar some 20 years ago was not acted upon; as usual, certain politicians sabotaged it due to petty local interests of their own.

[ei6jf]

All of those involved in getting 226 to this stage should give themselves a hearty clap on the back. Nobody should underestimate the amount of work required in restoring a loco of any sort. These guys are the unsung heroes of the preservation world.

[Weshty]

Come on y'all, let's accentuate the positive here and focus primarily on the amazing achievement of getting a C Class up and running. I don't doubt there's a feed of work to be done yet to get her final fitted and running, but what a job done! Over many long years, slowly but surely, they have got her nearly in better order than she was the day she shipped out.

 

 

I hope the ITG lads have fully documented all they have learned about stripping down and fixing up this loco. They could sell it as a downloadable PDF on their site.

http://www.irishtractiongroup.com/ITG_locos/loco_226.htm certainly whets the appetite.

 

Congrats again to all.

[BosKonay]

She certainly looked to have started very cleanly!

[Kirley]

Well done ITG, great video. The quality of diesel traction has been preserved by the ITG has saved this heritage from the scrapyard and now with its working relationship with Downpatrick there is a chance to see them working. I was at Downpatrick just before Easter and was able to experience the startup of A39 from inside the loco. I was also given a potted history of 146 and shown the major repairs carried out to it. Both the DCDR and ITC members could not be more helpful.

[islandbridgejct]

Ah, that GM throb. You can't beat it.

 

She certainly did start up very cleanly. I've seen ex-BR locos started up (on youtube) with about 5 minutes of spluttering and clag before the engine was ticking over smoothly. The ease of that start up is a really tribute to the ITG (and to GM for its original build quality.) Well done to all those involved.

 

Alan

[Weshty]

She certainly looked to have started very cleanly!

 

Boskonay, very much noted, barely a whisp of exhaust, once it settled down. A good clean running engine.

[enniscorthyman]

The engine in 226 came from 149 in 2008.

[Guest hidden-agenda]

First class work by the ITG boys they deserve a keg for their work.

[enniscorthyman]

Hell of a job alright,and if anyone gets a chance to have a

look inside the engine room of A39,you can

see the work gone into that,painstaking painting of

pipes etc.

[Blaine]

I was on the Silver Coud Railtour in January 1999,and

had a great day.The route was Connolly to Waterford Via

lavinstown curve-Carrick on Suir-Waterford-Rosslare-Connolly.

Unfurtunatly the high cost of insurance that was needed to

run the ITGs own locos put paid to a39 and A3r running on

the main line again.

 

High insurance coupled with dwindling passenger numbers over the 4 tours that ran.... - unprofitable

Edited June 20, 2013 by BosKonay

[Magpie1951]

The engine in 226 came from 149 in 2008.

 

Wasn't 149 one of the baby GMs that got a 1100 hp GM engine from a scrapped C class in the early 90's?

[217 RIVER FLESK]

Wasn't 149 one of the baby GMs that got a 1100 hp GM engine from a scrapped C class in the early 90's?

 

That was the whole reason why 149's power unit was chosen as a replacement for C226

[irishrail201]

I think it needed a new engine anyway!!!

[aclass007]

There is now an agreement between ITG and DCDR which will see an operational "C" at Downpatrick as soon as this can be arranged.

 

Some interesting news about this in the Irish Mail this quarter!

[enniscorthyman]

Wasn't 149 one of the baby GMs that got a 1100 hp GM engine from a scrapped C class in the early 90's?

Yes I think that is the case.

[irishrail201]

The ITG is a pretty unique group preserving (almost) all mainline and shunting diesel traction of irish heritage. (with exception to B113 and one or two shunting types).

 

That's a real achievement!

 

Some of the locos are historic in their own right C226 being the first mainline preserved loco in the country, C231 hauled the last train from birr to Roscrea and was the first C class to start in preservation, 003 was the last A (001 class) to haul a passenger train, G601 is a class prototype, B103 is the last sulzer remaining in Ireland, B124 is the oldest formof GM traction in ireland surviving, im sure ive missed a few more....

 

but well done!