Interesting comments re CIE

[spudfan]

Here are a few comments regarding CIE which you might find interesting (well I did, sad I know). They come from this thread http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=160297&p=1344014&hilit=cie#p1344014

1.   "This is anecdotal so I will understand if gets deleted in such a technical discussion. I visited Ireland with my family in 1963. Due to a storm in Galway preventing the tender reaching our ship, CIE put together a special train to take us to Cobh. How they threw together a train for 150 passengers so quickly is a true wonder. When we got to station platform, the driver was standing next to a relatively new Class 121 EMD. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diesel_lo ... of_Ireland As noted in this article, the engine was oriented "cab forward". I asked the driver how come it was pointed opposite to the American style. He replied that this way they only needed one man in the cab, i.e. no fireman. I'll find another forum to discuss the behavior of my mother and my aunt as they drank Baby Chams at every station stop on the trip"

.2    "(pjw1967-- CIE continued to be able to put on special trains on short notice. When I first went to Ireland in September 1977, Dublin Airport was fogged in and Are Lingus had to let us off at Shannon. And arranged a special train with CIE to take a 747-load of passengers from Limerick to Dublin.)

Pneudyne-- I didn't realize that EMD had made a 3-foot gauge traction motor! I had assumed they relied on things like the GA-8 for sub-meter gauge applications. (National of Mexico had a few GA-8 and I think even its successor model the GA-18 to serve some of their surviving 3-foot gauge lines.)"

3    " Re CIE, my understanding is that it adopted single-person crewing for its main-line diesel locomotives quite early on. Its mid/late 1950s A, B and C classes, all of the double end-cab type, were designed for that, and had driving positions on both sides of the cab. Somewhere – and I might be able to find the reference – I read that in the days of mixed traction, where a given crew might operate both diesel and steam locomotives during a shift, the fireman typically travelled as a passenger on the diesel legs. Re Babycham, I recall that it was popular with the YLs when I was living in London in the 1970s. I wouldn’t though have associated it with mothers and aunts.....

Returning to EMD exports, I have attached a drawing for the Clyde-GM version of the G12. This clearly shows the extra length and the back porch. The drawing is from the 1957 January edition of the generic operating manual, and I suspect, basis the buffers and couplers, was based upon the initial QR delivery, with fabricated trucks.

The D36 3-foot gauge traction motor was used for example on the Colombia GR12 fleet. Clyde-GM also used its version, the CD36, on the (Cape gauge) QR GL8C and GL18C models, ostensibly to assist in keeping weights down".
 

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[FiveFootThree]

I'm confused about the 3 foot GM discussion?  What's that got to do with Ireland, apart from nothing?

[murrayec]

8 minutes ago, FiveFootThree said:

I'm confused about the 3 foot GM discussion?  What's that got to do with Ireland, apart from nothing?

Hi FFT

The above text is a cut n paste job from the original discussion on another forum- if you click on the link in the text, the context of the '3 foot GM' will be revealed

Eoin

 

[jhb171achill]

20 hours ago, FiveFootThree said:

I'm confused about the 3 foot GM discussion?  What's that got to do with Ireland, apart from nothing?

This reminded me of a moment of delusional inspiration in my teens. One of my first layouts beyond the "train set" stage was an eventually unfinished 009 outfit, based on a fictitious CIE narrow gauge line which had survived to the 1975 closures. West Clare railcars would have been evident, and alongside an "F" lass diesel would have been a couple of locos based on a 3ft gauge version of a 121!

I did out the drawings for it, and I must say it looked quite a beast. Must delve to see if l still have them....