Dublin Port Shunting Tractor

[dave182]

Does anyone remember, or have pictures of, the green Fendt tractor that was used on Alexandra Road in Dublin Port? It was around until the early 90s and was used to shunt oil tanks from the concrete stand just inside North Wall yard to the various terminals along Alexandra Road. It was nothing fancy, and if memory serves me right it had a couple of wooden railway sleepers lashed on to it acting as buffers.

 

This might have been covered on previous sites but can find no reference, so no harm to revive the thread here for reference purposes.

 

Also wondering who operated it? CIE, Dublin Port Authority or the Oil companies? Did it have a predecessor?

[Glenderg]

Yes dave, have some photos tucked away on the big rig, and will post tomorrow. Think they were from the yuku site.

[dave182]

Thought you might!

[Mayner]

The tractors were owned by Dublin Port and Docks Board and more recently the Port Company. The tractors seem to have been mainly used to move tank wagons between the Granary Sidings East Wall Road and the various oil and bitumen siding on the Alexandra Road Tramway. Irish Shell had its own shunting loco.

 

Traffic on the Tramway would have been heavier in loose coupled days with wagon load traffic to and from Alexandra Basin, grain traffic for Ranks and Odlums and fertiliser from Gouldings East Wall Road.

[Glenderg]

North Wall Jun 2004 DSC00744 by Ernies Railway Archive, on Flickr

[David Holman]

By no means unique - I can remember seeing one used at Newark Northgate in my spotting days. It probably replaced a four legged 1hp version & no doubt there were many others around too. Making a working model might be interesting, though the 7mm scale layout 'End of the Line' had two R/C lorries, so presumably not impossible.

[minister_for_hardship]

The were a number of smaller tractors used for per way work, there was recent published photo of a Massey Ferguson 35 on flanged wheels and a small 'train' of per way trolleys on the Harcourt St line before lifting. Think Cork had some Fordson Majors, read somewhere that they used travel up the disused Summerhill stub every so often to re-establish right of way years after it had closed, they probably to be found some shunting work in Tivoli too.

Edited November 11, 2014 by minister_for_hardship

[jhb171achill]

When was that Summerhill stub finally lifted?

[dave182]

Ah brilliant. Didn't realise they had more than one on the go. One for your Arthurs quay scene, Glenderg?

[minister_for_hardship]

When was that Summerhill stub finally lifted?

 

A local told me there's some rails still down there in places, buried under decades of lawnmower clippings...he has recovered some cut stone masonry there also, possibly some of the remains of Summerhill or its outbuildings.

Edited November 11, 2014 by minister_for_hardship

[minister_for_hardship]

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=tractor&type=AllFields&filter%5B%5D=digitised%3A%22Digitised%22&filter%5B%5D=format%3A%22Photo%22'>http://catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=tractor&type=AllFields&filter%5B%5D=digitised%3A%22Digitised%22&filter%5B%5D=format%3A%22Photo%22

 

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Search/Results?lookfor=tractor&type=AllFields&filter%5B%5D=digitised%3A%22Digitised%22&filter%5B%5D=format%3A%22Photo%22

[Irishswissernie]

North Wall Jun 2004 DSC00744 by Ernies Railway Archive, on Flickr

I video'd this one as well , its a bit later than the 90's. The tractor had a bit of help from a 141 in getting the tank wagons (10 of them I think) started.

 

Ernie

[h gricer]

The Dublin Port tractor hauled it's last fuel tanks August 2006, the loose coupling and shunting of fuel tankers on Alexandra Road is now prohibited, Reynolds Logistics now have the fuel contract for moving all fuel for Irish Rail, probably makes more sense, it's cheaper and Reynolds Logistics takes all the risk.

Regards

hg

[popeye]

I found this pic on the web and thought it might be of use to you.

 

[Mayner]

It looks like Sligo Goods possibly 1980s. CIE introduced tractor and trailers in the 1970s to replace horse drawn trolleys in the for urban deliveries in major cities and towns.