IRM A Class; Our First Locomotive!

[newman]

4 hours ago, DiveController said:

Great first post! @newman 

Just discovered the delights that is the Irish outline of Worsley Works, I think my soldering skills are going to improve very fast!

[DiveController]

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 February 18, 2020 by DiveController

[connollystn]

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.

[jhb171achill]

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..... 

[Railer]

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.

[minister_for_hardship]

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 February 18, 2020 by minister_for_hardship

[connollystn]

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.

[Noel]

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.

[minister_for_hardship]

43 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.

Smoke generator fitted?

[Noel]

27 minutes ago, minister_for_hardship said:

Smoke generator fitted?

With a fan

 

[jhb171achill]

4 hours 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.

Weathering it with liberal oil stains might be a better option!

[DiveController]

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

[Mayner]

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.

[Noel]

On 11/1/2018 at 12:39 AM, WRENNEIRE said:

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

 

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'.