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IRM A Class; Our First Locomotive!

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Warbonnet

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  • 3 weeks later...

Silver A Classes A27 & A38 double heading straight out of the box ... but why?

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305551

The Patrician Year, 1961, was marked by 12 months of religious celebration in recognition of 1,500 years of devotion to St Patrick in Ireland.

The Papal Legate Cardinal Gregorio Pietro Agagianian, the pope's envoy visited Ireland and he and Cardinal John Charles McQuaid traveled on the special papal legate's train drawn by 2 A classes in June 1961

http://catalogue.nli.ie/Record/vtls000305550

 

Edited by DiveController
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Very interesting pictures of two A Classes operating as a double header. I didn't think that they were designed to operate in multiple either with it's own class or others. I recall many moons ago seeing an A Class and 121 Class coupled together in my local freight yard heading a fertilizer train. At the time I thought that the A Class locomotive had failed and that the 121 Class was on a recovery mission.

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They’re actually newly painted green in that photo....... nice and shiny, though, as befitted the occasion!

Anything still silver by then was absolutely disgracefully filthy, and probably well beyond cleaning to a remotely acceptable standard.....

The “silver” era is never going to tax a modeller who isn’t confident about intricate lining! Just dip the whole thing in a puddle of random weathering stuff!

Was looking just the other night at some of John Langfords’ and Roger Joanes’  superb photos from those times - there’s one somewhere showing a newly repainted “tin van” (green) coupled next to an identical van still in “silver”.

It’s so dirty that it could have been painted tartan with pink and yellow spots for all anyone might know..... 

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4 hours ago, connollystn said:

Very interesting pictures of two A Classes operating as a double header. I didn't think that they were designed to operate in multiple either with it's own class or others. I recall many moons ago seeing an A Class and 121 Class coupled together in my local freight yard heading a fertilizer train. At the time I thought that the A Class locomotive had failed and that the 121 Class was on a recovery mission.

They can't work in multiple. Only the GM locos can.

The 2 A classes were because of it's reliability or lack there of. The second loco would be there purely as back incase the other failed.

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19 minutes ago, Railer said:

They can't work in multiple. Only the GM locos can.

The 2 A classes were because of it's reliability or lack there of. The second loco would be there purely as back incase the other failed.

If "Bishop Brennan's" train broke down, all hell would surely break loose. Better safe than sorry.

Edited by minister_for_hardship
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30 minutes ago, connollystn said:

I wonder if the IRM version of the Crossley engined A Class will be prototypically as unreliable - it would add a bit of realism to any layout.

No thanks please. Expecting even better reliability and the smooth running of Bachmann/Murphy Model 141/181 class. I've no doubt that the IRM A loco will be top drawer by the time it is shipped to us customers. Crossley sound chip would be very interesting. I don't think I can remember the sound, only the EMD GM motors.

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8 hours ago, Railer said:

They can't work in multiple. Only the GM locos can.

The 2 A classes were because of it's reliability or lack there of. The second loco would be there purely as back incase the other failed.

Exactly what I was thinking, i would not do to have the engine fail on such an auspicious occasion. Carry on with the second loco and no-one would be the wiser

10 hours ago, jhb171achill said:

They’re actually newly painted green in that photo....... nice and shiny, though, as befitted the occasion!

Was looking just the other night at some of John Langfords’ and Roger Joanes’  superb photos from those times - there’s one somewhere showing a newly repainted “tin van” (green) coupled next to an identical van still in “silver”.

Yes, of course you're right. I must have had 121s in my mind or something but yes, an A that clean in '61 and the silver era had been abandoned at the point.

 Post those tin vans if you have a link

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Its possible that the Papal Legates train was double headed to put on a show of high speed non-stop running, rather than as break down insurance. If the lead loco failed, the train would most likely had to run at reduced speed until the dead loco was removed.

A single A Class had a lower power output than a single 800 Class which usually hauled visiting Churchmen there is a photo of a line up of all 3 800 Class specially prepared to haul the Archbishop of Bostons train(s?) at Cork in 1949. 800 & 801 are all decked out in flags and insignia with the cleaners putting the final touches to 802

It looks suspiciously that the two A Class were recently overhauled and specially selected for an important run, rather than th3e best available locos in the running shed.

Dan Renehan had a good account of Crossley operation in one of his IRRS papers. CIE allocated recently overhauled/repaired locos to main line passenger duties, re allocating locos onto less demanding passenger and freight duties by monitoring engine oil condition for signs of contamination arising from fuel contamination or water leakage as faults developed.

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  • 3 months later...
On 11/1/2018 at 12:39 AM, WRENNEIRE said:

Could be in trouble with the news of the new A's being produced

 

1273396034_2011-01-2618_00_39.thumb.jpg.caffe89811176546d1d377996d43fbef.jpg

Whoops! :) That's a nice collection of your Silverfox locos. They were of their time and made it to most layouts in RTR or Kit form back in the day. They passed the 'duck test' for many despite Sir Richards famous 'belt of a shovel'. 😂

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  • 4 years later...
31 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

So, what are the chances of an A Class re-run?

Another presentation model would definitely be nice!

Funny enough we were discussing it yesterday. Wont be 2024, but perhaps 25.

Let us know what you would like to see! 

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15 minutes ago, Warbonnet said:

Funny enough we were discussing it yesterday. Wont be 2024, but perhaps 25.

Let us know what you would like to see! 

So none of these down the back of the couch at IRM towers? 😉

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In the same way that nin final days, the 121 / 141 / 181 classes variously had dayglo lower panels on the front, or else didn't, in green livery days some of the A, B101 & C classes had an eau-de-nil waistline, and some didn't.

If a re-run was being done, the black-roofed "Supertrain", perhaps 001 with the orange-shaded number on each end, and a green one with a waistline, would be the only two liveries not yet covered.

Same with the C class and the B101s - some had the waistline, some didn't.

To digress, we enthusiasts often dream up our own names for things, and also sometimes rarely use terminology that actual railwaymen used. In earlier operational days, the B101 class were usually called "Birmingham Sulzers" by loco staff.... (and no self-respecting NIR man ever referred to any type of railcar as a "fumper"!)

..............................

Just edited this post to add - on the subject of the C class (hopefully an IRM project some day?), there was the very short-lived variant of one with a yellow buffer beam, and I've a notion another very briefly got an orange buffer beam. Two (at least) of the 121s got red buffer beams while still grey, and at least one 121 received grey again when it was first repainted - most went from the grey to black'n'tan at first repaint.

Edited by jhb171achill
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1 hour ago, ttc0169 said:

To acknowledge the efforts of Sean Brown for his preservation and museum in Castlerea -maybe a model of his A class-A55 in green livery would be a fitting tribute to him. 
https://www.hellskitchenmuseum.com/

 

We don’t have any green A class locos with the line yet either. I know A55 was already done in the last run. But it would be super to get his one done! 

And how could we forget that Galway livery A class might make a suitible candidate. Wouldn’t be interested in that one personally but would make for a nice special edition model

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1 hour ago, Warbonnet said:

Thanks folks. Just to point out that it doesn't have to be new liveries either, it can be new running numbers on existing liveries of course. So let us know! 

Has 007 been done? If not, maybe include a suitable signed photo of Pierce Brosnan?

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4 hours ago, ttc0169 said:

Any chance????

image.jpg

 

How about a limited edition "body only" A Class for that one???

Wasn't it only half the loco or a quarter of the loco that was actually repainted?

 

18 minutes ago, Horsetan said:

Has 007 been done? If not, maybe include a suitable signed photo of Pierce Brosnan?

 

Signed. Photo signed.

 

3 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

I know a man...............

 

With a big big sofa?

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 A couple more green livery A's would be great or and a silver version as well.

Or how about some pre CIE stock or some old GNR (i) stock before and after it got split up, or what about one of the pullmans or some of the six wheel bogie stock for the cork mails? 

Or even better still how about doing a Downpartick collection of locos and rolling stock?

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007 used to have “James Bond”scratched into the paintwork!

 

50 minutes ago, DJ Dangerous said:

 

How about a limited edition "body only" A Class for that one???

Wasn't it only half the loco or a quarter of the loco that was actually repainted?

 

 

A “body only” one would cost just as much. They may aswell provide the chassis 

 

yes only 1 end and 1 side of the loco was done. It’s a lovely “what if” livery though

 

 

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