J15 Smokeboxes

[Jawfin]

Hello all

 

At what point did the J15s start getting their McDonnell smokeboxes (like 90 has) replaced with the conventional ones currently seen on 184 and 186? I recall that 184 was the last one to recieve the treatment in the 1940s or something like that

[murrayec]

Hi Jawfin

 

McDonnell was responsible for bringing in the 101/J15 design by Beyer Peacock around 1860, so maybe around then? Aspinall, Ivatt & Coey carried on production and modification after McDonnell left in 1882

 

Don't know if that helps or confuses further

 

Eoin

[Mayner]

Superheated J15s like 186 would have been fitted with new extended smokeboxes with dished doors as the locos were re-built with superheated boilers from the early 1930s. The relatively poor performance of the new J15B or 711 Class seems to have lead to the large scale re-building of the older locos from 1934 onwards.

 

The replacement of the old GSWR sloping smokebox and double doors with coventional smokeboxes may have been due to problems with maintaining an adequate smokebox draft with poor quality fuel during the Emergency.

 

One of the 201 Class the tank engine version of the J15 retained an old style sloping smokebox with double doors until scrapped in the late 1950s.

[Jawfin]

Ah, thanks, I thought it would have been a good bit earlier

[airfixfan]

184 was the last J15 to keep the older double doors till about 1940 and came across a lovely photo of 184 repainted in GSWR green in the late 1950s which is one of the reasons why it was picked to be preserved by CIE.

[jhb171achill]

90 still retains the double doors at Downpatrick - worth knowing for modellers. The IRM trip on 20th June will allow close inspection.

 

184 was painted (not even remotely accurately, it might be added; just a "retro" livery for a film) because it had been picked for preservation rather than the other way round.

 

By the formation of CIE in 1945, double doors had gone on J15s, though I suspect the introduction of "normal" ones might have been somewhat earlier than mentioned above - I'd need to check.

 

A few locos other than 90, of other classes, retained them a good bit later than any J15s.

[GSR 800]

Was 90 shunter at glanmire road in the 50s?

[jhb171achill]

It was indeed, GSR 800. It shunted both Glanmire and Albert Quay, mostly the latter. During the beet season, or when summer excursions were running, it was to be seen with the one other remaining of its class, No. 100, on the Clonakilty Jct - Ballinascarthy - Courtmacsherry branch.

 

It survived 100 by a year or two, only being withdrawn on the closure of the West Cork system in 1961.

[GSR 800]

Are their any reminents of albert quay and/or the Cork"tramway" left at all? I liked the wonderful signalbox there

[jhb171achill]

The main terminus building remains, but every single thing except one beyond they is long obliterated. The one thing remaining is the wall behind the coal staithes at what was the curiously-named "Rocksavage" depot - the only open air loco "shed" in Ireland: locos were stored under the bridge!

 

Nothing remains of the tramway at all. I actually walked the route of it about three weeks ago to check. There's more left of the narrow gauge Albert Street terminus (CB&PR) than the CBSCR.

 

You can see a curved pedestrianised path just off McCurtain St, which shows where the tramway ran. A few bits of rail survive on Penrose Quay, showing where Dock sidings would have come out of the main goods yard.

Edited May 13, 2015 by jhb171achill

[GSR 800]

I remember seeing that in one of Tom Ferris's films. it was a Wide bridge but they were lucky the didnt have to shelter anything bigger than a Bandon! Such a shame it was all torn down.

[jhb171achill]

Indeed. I saw the final operations in '76 or so, when I think it was fertiliser only. Wish I'd taken more pics....

[Weshty]

 

You can see a curved pedestrianised path just off McCurtain St, which shows where the tramway ran.

 

I remember walking it in '82 and the track was still on it, but I think it was pulled up shortly after that,

[Jawfin]

36 has the double doors too - interestingly, it appears to have had the small dart during its later life

 

It was indeed, GSR 800. It shunted both Glanmire and Albert Quay, mostly the latter. During the beet season, or when summer excursions were running, it was to be seen with the one other remaining of its class, No. 100, on the Clonakilty Jct - Ballinascarthy - Courtmacsherry branch.

 

It survived 100 by a year or two, only being withdrawn on the closure of the West Cork system in 1961.

 

Was 90 not withdrawn in 1959?

Speaking of which, wonder what mileage it's done... I should hope the frames are original?

Edited May 13, 2015 by Jawfin

[jhb171achill]

It was kicking about a while longer, Jawfin, though saw little use. 100 seems to have been withdrawn about 1958/9.

 

Lucky it survived. First it became a static exhibit in the old Mitchelstown branch bay platform at Fermoy. When the Mallow - Waterford line, on which Fermoy lay, was closed in 1967 it was moved to Mallow, where it took up a position ON the former Waterford / Fermoy platform until preservation.

[airfixfan]

Sorry have checked that date and according to Locos of GSR 184 retained double doors until 1948 and it was the last J15 to retain them.

[Garfield]

Some questions relating to 'what if...' scenarios regarding closed lines have been moved to the more appropriate 'The Official Irish Might Have Beens...' thread:

 

http://irishrailwaymodeller.com/showthread.php/4534-The-Official-Irish-Might-Have-Beens-Thread/page9