DWWR 4

Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway (DW&WR) 4 and 5 were a pair of 0-6-2T tank locomotives purchased from Kitson & Co. in 1897.[3] Ahrons indicated he had no idea purpose these particular pair of engines were ordered for.[2] Grierson, the Locomotive Superintendent, is understood to have held the theory that tenders were less economic than tank engines due to the need to haul around the weight of the tender.[3], more conventional thinking is tank engines are generally better for short trips, suburban and branch line work; and tender engines are better suited to longer main line trips with their higher water capacity and possibly better running at speed. In the event by the time they arrived, Robert Cronin was locomotive superintendent and these locomotives, named Lismore and Clonmel respectively, were found to have problems by exceeding the maximum axle load and having issues with hot-running axle boxes. After the short period of only eleven years in 1908 Cronin rebuilt the locomotives as 0-6-0 tender engines with Belpaire boliers, the new tenders being built by the Grand Canal Street railway works. The rebuild produced engines of strong power however they were noted for very high coal and water consumption and a tendency to stall on the gradient if the boiler pressure dropped. There was usually no trouble restarting once the boiler pressure had been regained. Engine No. 4 [3]

DW&WR 4
Type and origin Power type Steam Designer Grierson Builder Kitson & Co. Serial number 3686/7 Build date 1897[1] Total produced 2 Rebuilder Grand Canal Street Rebuild date 1908
Specifications Configuration: ​  • Whyte 0-6-2T 0-6-0 Gauge 5 ft 3 in (1,600 mm) Driver dia. 4 ft 9 in (1,450 mm) Trailing dia. (not known) Length 33 ft (10,000 mm) (est.) Loco weight 47 long tons (48 t) Water cap 2,000 imp gal (9,100 l; 2,400 US gal) Boiler pressure 160 lbf/in^2 (1.10 MPa) Cylinders 2 Cylinder size 18 ^1⁄2 in × 26 in (470 mm × 660 mm)[2]
Performance figures Tractive effort 21,230 lbf (94.44 kN)
Career Operators DW&WR DSER GSR CIÉ [1] Class J1 (Inchicore) Power class C/E Number in class 2 Numbers 4, 5 448, 449 (GSR) Locale Ireland Withdrawn 1950 Disposition Both scrapped
Figures are following rebuild to 0-6-0 in 1908[3]

History

On the merger of the railways in Ireland to Great Southern Railways in 1925 these locomotives became allocated class 448 with numbers 4 and 5 and they were finally withdrawn in with No. 4 being withdrawn in 1940. No. 5 survived the nationalisation to C.I.É in 1945 and in an assessment in 1948 the rating of the class was "quite good". That did not seem to stop No. 5 being withdrawn in 1950.[3]

Engine number 4 had a couple of other milestones. It was the last locomotive to be rebuilt at Grand Canal Street and was the final locomotive to retain Dublin and South Eastern Railway (DSER) livery until being painted GSR grey/black in 1930.[3]

References

1. Boocock, Colin (1 October 2009). "Locomotive Compendium Ireland" (1st ed.). Ian Allan. p. 41. ISBN 9780711033603.
2. Ahrons, E. L. (1954). L. L. Asher (ed.). Locomotive and train working in the latter part of the nineteenth century". six. W Heffer & Sons Ltd. p. 48,49.
3. Clements, Jeremy; McMahon, Michael (2008). Locomotives of the GSR. Colourpoint Books. pp. 129–132, 144. ISBN 9781906578268.