What happened to 224

[228RiverOwenboy]

So, where's 224 now?

 

[flange lubricator]

11 minutes ago, 228RiverOwenboy said:

So, where's 224 now?

 

In Inchicore waiting for Uri Geller to put in an appearance and lay his hands upon it .

[connollystn]

The class 201(new) is an ugly locomotive. If locomotives looked liked that when I was a kid I seriously doubt that I'd have gotten into railway modelling. It has no redeeming features.

[Bob229]

The Class 201 are an impressive loco in size but bland compared to the 71/ 121/ 141 / 181 but in time they will be the last diesel loco on IE fleet and a favourite, I always like seeing them in Kent Station 

[connollystn]

They're big in size and big in uselessness. At the time of their launch there were large parts of the network it couldn't operate on due to the condition of the infrastructure. 

[Ironroad]

35 minutes ago, connollystn said:

They're big in size and big in uselessness. At the time of their launch there were large parts of the network it couldn't operate on due to the condition of the infrastructure. 

The condition of the network isn't a reflection on the quality of the loco, for that's something management needs to held responsible for. 

[Bob229]

Not on the Mk4 sets between Cork and Dublin 

[Ironroad]

Or the Enterprise

[connollystn]

It had limited operational use. Should have bought fewer 201s and retained the A class.

[DJ Dangerous]

Have to disagree. The 201's are gorgeous locos. Massive presence about them, just dripping with charisma and power.

A more prudent decision would have been ordering 201 locos built into identical shells to the 071's, and all push-pull equipped.

Hopefully, if IE ever order more locos in the future, the shells are identical to either the 071's or 201's.

[Sean Hogan]

More sardines await 

[connollystn]

10 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

Have to disagree. The 201's are gorgeous locos. Massive presence about them, just dripping with charisma and power.

The 201s have the charisma and power of Keir Starmer

[Garfield]

8 minutes ago, connollystn said:

The 201s have the charisma and power of Keir Starmer

This is getting ridiculous. Can we move on?

[Westcorkrailway]

Of course the 201 named after the river in West Cork has been withdrawn with years

[Noel]

As a matter of interest what is the status of 201? Is it on the 201 scape line at inchicore? Presume it doesn't have the PP gear? Was there a suggestion some years ago that some of the 'resting' 201s could have gone back into service re-engined with hybrid power trains? In the context of climate action, diesel locomotion's days seem numbered.

[Colin R]

In view of hybrid power plants may be we should dig up Mr Bulleid and get him to design and build a new version of the Turf Burner, but with better green credentials on the chassis of a 201    

[228RiverOwenboy]

2 hours ago, Noel said:

As a matter of interest what is the status of 201? Is it on the 201 scape line at inchicore? Presume it doesn't have the PP gear? Was there a suggestion some years ago that some of the 'resting' 201s could have gone back into service re-engined with hybrid power trains? In the context of climate action, diesel locomotion's days seem numbered.

If I remember correctly, this plan either never came to fruition or was cancelled in 2019

[228RiverOwenboy]

17 hours ago, connollystn said:

It had limited operational use. Should have bought fewer 201s and retained the A class.

Now, I'd like to add that the A Class were pretty obsolete, and would definitely not reach the standards to pull anything of today's rolling stock (well, except freight...if anything). Plus, it was inevitable that they were going to be withdrawn, sure, they were about 39-40 years old...They were bound to be replaced by more powerful locos

 

[Colin R]

I think the thing is most railway organisations at some point pick a pig in a poke, the other thing is technology also has to play its part. like the days of the steam engine there is only so far a design can go and as 228Riverowneboy has said the A class would not have coped with todays traffic, also I don't see IE buying any new locos at this moment in time either, what with the eco summit having just taken place, there will now be design teams at all the locomotive manufactures working out what the industry and railway companies will require in the future.

I would not be surprised to hear of a IE bill to electrify the remaining parts of the rail system and the construction of at least one may be two new electrical power stations or the installation of bigger wind farms around Ireland to power the railways future needs.

Edited November 16, 2021 by Colin R

[228RiverOwenboy]

34 minutes ago, Colin R said:

I think the thing is most railway organisations at some point pick a pig in a poke, the other thing is technology also has to play its part. like the days of the steam engine there is only so far a design can go and as 228Riverowneboy has said the A class would not have coped with todays traffic, also I don't see IE buying any new locos at this moment in time either, what with the eco summit having just taken place, there will now be design teams at all the locomotive manufactures working out what the industry and railway companies will require in the future.

I would not be surprised to hear of a IE bill to electrify the remaining parts of the rail system and the construction of at least one may be two new electrical power stations or the installation of bigger wind farms around Ireland to power the railways future needs.

Mhm. It'd be very illogical if Irish Rail retained the majority of the A Class, they already have the 071s and 201s which are more flexible and more powerful...There's only so many issues with keeping locos over the age of 40 in service, there's major aspects such as scarce spare parts (especially with over 50+ A Class locos), expensive maintenance and immense fuel consumption.

[connollystn]

Anyway, back to the subject in hand. Does anyone have any up-to-date information regarding the 224? It'd be interesting to find out why the superstructure failed.

[228RiverOwenboy]

4 minutes ago, connollystn said:

Anyway, back to the subject in hand. Does anyone have any up-to-date information regarding the 224? It'd be interesting to find out why the superstructure failed.

Well, the reason why 224 failed was because of that of a weld repair to a non-structural bed plate had been unnecessarily applied to a structural chassis plate, causing an eventual structural failure of the locomotive.

A bent no.224 brought to the Inchicore Works, July 2020

[connollystn]

@228RiverOwenboy - Thanks for the update and picture. Looks like 224 is for the scrapheap.

[228RiverOwenboy]

6 minutes ago, connollystn said:

@228RiverOwenboy - Thanks for the update and picture. Looks like 224 is for the scrapheap.

Most likely, I actually saw her a month prior to her incident!

[Westcorkrailway]

54 minutes ago, 228RiverOwenboy said:

Well, the reason why 224 failed was because of that of a weld repair to a non-structural bed plate had been unnecessarily applied to a structural chassis plate, causing an eventual structural failure of the locomotive.

A bent no.224 brought to the Inchicore Works, July 2020

Holy sh*t that looks rough….imagine being the first person on site and having to inform inform the bossman 

[Mike 84C]

224 will live on as parts transplanted into others of her class. Its the way with all machines and has been said on this thread a year ago.

[Broithe]

5 hours ago, 228RiverOwenboy said:

Well, the reason why 224 failed was because of that of a weld repair to a non-structural bed plate had been unnecessarily applied to a structural chassis plate, causing an eventual structural failure of the locomotive.

A bent no.224 brought to the Inchicore Works, July 2020

Has anybody modelled this?

Possibly a use for an old Lima..?

[228RiverOwenboy]

Guess who I found in the Inchicore Works during the 2022 Opening Day? 224 herself! She seems to look at bit better now, with her frame straightened...Opposed to her little incident in July 2020

Still needs some work done on her, she's gotten a bit grimy, her engine cover hasn't been properly fitted and a few bits missing. Hopefully she'll be back working hard on the mainline as soon as she's repaired! 

[Colin R]

It might be me but it still looks like a bit of a bend upwards in the middle of the frames, this may be due to not having an engine or other parts not yet in place at the moment. 

[flange lubricator]

8 minutes ago, Colin R said:

It might be me but it still looks like a bit of a bend upwards in the middle of the frames, this may be due to not having an engine or other parts not yet in place at the moment. 

If you looked inside the loco you could see the engine has been removed also the fuel tank and air tanks are also gone that may account for slightly bowed look.

 

[Colin R]

5 minutes ago, flange lubricator said:

If you looked inside the loco you could see the engine has been removed also the fuel tank and air tanks are also gone that may account for slightly bowed look.

 

Thanks Flange, I didn't get there myself, but having seen the same effect at the local traction depot (Slade Green, Erith. Kent) a few years ago with a BR class 33.

Colin    

[228RiverOwenboy]

Regardless, it is good to see her being somewhat repaired, right?

[flange lubricator]

22 minutes ago, 228RiverOwenboy said:

Regardless, it is good to see her being somewhat repaired, right?

Is it being repaired or is it undergoing a process of component recovery?

[228RiverOwenboy]

6 minutes ago, flange lubricator said:

Is it being repaired or is it undergoing a process of component recovery?

Honestly I'm not too sure, she was in the Bogie Shop at the time...

[Rob]

It did have a note stuck to it that 'No Parts were to be removed from this loco by order'.....