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The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Classes 301. 305, 309 and 321 consisted of 26 4-4-0 tender locomotives designed by Robert Coey for passenger work and built between 1900 and 1907. [1]
One priority at the start of the 1900s was to cater for the forecast increasing passenger train weights, [2] the Cork limited mail for example increase from a load of eight six wheeled carriages in the 1860s weight less than 100 tons to over 250 tones by 1905. [3] To address this problem Coey introduced a series of 4-4-0 locomotives that were noticeably larger than the preceding class 52 and 60. [2]
The earlier classes were somewhat restricted in steaming. [2] Records for the original 301 class seem to have some omissions and discrepancies but the Class 305, which had slightly larger heating surfaces than Class 301, were rebuilt almost immediately by 1906 with tapered saturated boilers. No. 308, rebuilt after just two years in 1904 to trial this border, was found to be seriously overweight and required remedial work on the frames to correct; this may have weakened them and it is speculated may have been the cause of the locomotives' early demise in 1933. [4]
The evolved Class 321 with its tapered boiler and larger cylinder achieving a 20% increase in tractive effort over Class 301, [2] albeit at the expense of a high axle load which restricted it to the Cork and Limerick main lines. [5]
| Feature | 301 | 305 | 309 | 321 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Introduced | 1900 | 1902 | 1903 | 1904 |
| Number built | 4 | 4 | 6 | 12 |
| Tractive effort | 14,500 lbf (64.50 kN ) | 14,500 lbf (64.50 kN ) | 15,320 lbf (68.15 kN ) | 15,320 lbf (68.15 kN ) |
| Cylinder size | 18 in × 26 in (457 mm × 660 mm) | 18 in × 26 in (457 mm × 660 mm) | 18+1⁄2 in × 26 in (470 mm × 660 mm) | 18+1⁄2 in × 26 in (470 mm × 660 mm) |
| Builder | Inchicore | Inchicore | Neilson | Inchicore |
| Adhesive weight | 30.55 long tons (31.04 t) | 31.45 long tons (31.95 t) | 30.9 long tons (31.4 t) | 33.5 long tons (34.0 t) |
| Max axle load | 15.95 long tons (16.21 t) | 15.75 long tons (16.00 t) | 16.0 long tons (16.3 t) | 16.75 long tons (17.02 t) |
| No. | Name | Built | Withdrawn | GSR | Inchicore | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 301 | Victoria | 1900 | 1960 | 301 | D11 | |
| 302 | Lord Roberts | 1900 | 1957 | 301 | D11 | |
| 303 | Saint Patrick | 1900 | 1959 | 301 | D11 | |
| 304 | Princess Ena | 1900 | 1959 | 301 | D11 | |
| 305 | 1902 | 1957 | 305 | D12 | ||
| 306 | 1902 | 1959 | 305 | D12 | ||
| 307 | 1902 | 1959 | 305 | D12 | ||
| 308 | 1902 | 1933 | 305 | D12 | ||
| 309 | 1903 | 1959 | 309/310 | D13 | Rebuilt for a while as Class 321 | |
| 310 | 1903 | 1957 | 309/310 | D13 | ||
| 311 | 1903 | 1959 | 309/310 | D13 | 1930 rebuild include class 321 frames | |
| 312 | 1903 | 1959 | 309/310 | D13 | Rebuilt for a while as Class 321 | |
| 313 | 1903 | 1957 | 309/310 | D13 | ||
| 314 | 1903 | 1957 | 309/310 | D13 | ||
| 321 | 1904 | 1957 | 321 | |||
| 322 | 1905 | 1960 | 321 | |||
| 323 | 1905 | 1955 | 321 | |||
| 324 | 1905 | 1928 | 321 | |||
| 325 | 1905 | 1928 | 321 | |||
| 326 | 1905 | 1927 | 321 | |||
| 327 | 1905 | 1959 | 321 | |||
| 328 | 1905 | 1959 | 321 | |||
| 329 | 1906 | 1960 | 321 | |||
| 330 | 1906 | 1957 | 321 | |||
| 331 | 1906 | 1959 | 321 | |||
| 332 | 1906 | 1959 | 321 | |||
 | This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2019) |
Most of Coeys' 4-4-0 locomotives gave service through to the late 1950s of even 1960 when they were displaced by the arrival of diesels. There are suggestions that most of the few earlier withdrawals may have been due to structural issues with the need to reduce weight.
On introduction the classes were the most powerful passenger locomotives on the GS&WR and all were noted for their ability to run at speed given a light enough load. Class 321 were allocated to the Cork and Limerick expresses. The arrival of the Coey/Maunsell prototype Sir William Goulding in 1913 and Watson's Call 400 4-6-0 in 1916 that Class 321 were displaced as first choice from the Cork Mail. Only after 1923 were further 4-6-0 locomotives to appear displacing the Class 321 from some of their duties though they were still often called in to deputise.
| | This article needs additional citations for verification .(July 2019) |
Coey used the Class 321 as the basis for the smaller wheeled GS&WR Class 333 which had better route availability due to a lower axle loading and was better suited for mixed traffic work. Coey's last 4-4-0 design before early retirement at 60 to ill health was completed by Maunsell as the prototype Class 341 Sir William Goulding.
A wide variety of steam locomotives have been used on Ireland's railways. This page lists most if not all those that have been used in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Irish railways generally followed British practice in locomotive design.
Richard Edward Lloyd Maunsell held the post of chief mechanical engineer (CME) of the South Eastern and Chatham Railway from 1913 until the 1923 Grouping and then the post of CME of the Southern Railway in England until 1937. He had previously worked his way up through positions in other railways in Ireland, England and India.
The GS&WR Class 2 was a lightweight 4-4-0 steam locomotive used by the Great Southern and Western Railway in Ireland in the late 19th and in the first half of the 20th century. They were the first locomotives of type 4-4-0 in Ireland.
The GS&WR Class 201 was a class of ten 0-6-0T locomotives designed by Locomotive Engineer, Henry Ivatt in 1887 for shunting heavy goods trains at Kingsbridge and Cork yards. Although the design is generally attributed to Ivatt they were actually created in the last year of Alexander McDonnell's tenure. The locomotives were built in three batch with variations between batches: Nos. 207—210 were introduced in 1887; 201 and 202 followed in 1895 taking numbers formerly held by Sambo and Negro; while the final batch 214—217 emerged in 1901.
The GS&WR Class 101, classified as Class 101 or Class J15 by the Great Southern Railways, was a class of 0-6-0 steam locomotives designed for working goods traffic although they did, and were quite capable of, working branch and secondary passenger trains.
The GS&WR 400 class or CIE class B2/B2a were a class of ten 4-6-0 steam locomotives built for the Great Southern & Western Railway (GS&WR) between 1916 and 1923 for express passenger duties on the Dublin to Cork main line. They proved initially unreliable but rebuilds from four to two cylinders between 1927 and 1937 for the seven survivors produced locomotives yielding satisfactory performance with the last two being withdrawn in 1961.
The Midland Great Western Railway (MGWR) A Class, later Inchicore Class D5, consisted of 6 4-4-0 express passenger locomotives built at Broadstone Works in the period 1902-1905. The largest express passenger locomotive in Ireland for a short while after introduction they were used on the MGWR's flagship services to Galway with most surviving until the 1950s albeit on less prestigious work.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 333 consistent of eight 4-4-0 mixed-traffic locomotives designed by Robert Coey and built by Inchicore railway works in 1907/8. In 1936, the successor company - the Great Southern Railways (GSR) - built five similar engines known as GSR Class 342.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 341 consisted of a single 4-4-0 express passenger locomotive named Sir William Goulding introduced in 1913 for the Dublin—Cork route. Despite being an apparently capable design it was withdrawn in 1928.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 900 consisted of a pair of 4-8-0T locomotives designed by E.A. Watson and introduced in 1915 and 1924 as a heavy shunter and banker for use on the relatively severe gradient from Kingsbridge to Clondalkin.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 362, also known as class B3, consisted of six locomotives designed by Robert Coey and built between 1905 and 1907 for goods traffic and was the first tender locomotive to utilise the 4-6-0 wheel arrangement in Ireland.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 351 initially consisting of four 0-6-0 tender locomotives designed by Robert Coey for use on heavy freight trains on the main line. They were joined by four similar locomotives built in 1912 introduced by Richard Maunsell, these had detail differences such as larger cabs and higher running plates. They included an extended smokebox to which a Phoenix superheater was briefly trialed but abandoned. They were initially designated GS&WR Class 249 but were subsequently grouped into class 351.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 368 consisted of four 2-6-0 tender locomotives designed by Robert Coey for use on heavy freight trains. on the main line.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 52 consisted of twenty 4-4-0 express passenger tender locomotives designed by John Aspinall. Aspinall also built a further fifteen similar but slightly larger locomotives of GS&WR Class 60.
Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway (DW&WR) 13 was an 0-6-0 goods locomotive built in 1904 at Grand Canal Street railway works and was followed by four more of the same class, two being contracted to Beyer, Peacock and Company.
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 and rebuilt as 0-6-0 tender Locomotives in 1908 due to a tendency to derail. Renumbered by Great Southern Railways to 448 and 449 they survived until 1940 and 1950 respectively.
Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway (DW&WR) 55 to 58 were 4-4-0 locomotives built from 1895 at Vulcan Foundry for express passenger duties on the Dublin—Wexford mainline. They were to remain the DW&WR's and subsequent Dublin and South Eastern Railway's leading express passenger locomotive until the arrival of Nos. 67 and 68 some ten years later.
The Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) Class 37 consisted of six 4-4-2T tank engines. The first two built by locomotive superintendent Henry Ivatt (Snr.) were based on a previous 2-4-0T design by McDonnell, as were some 2-4-2Ts Ivatt produced two years earlier for the Kerry branches.
Robert Coey (1851–1934) was a locomotive superintendent of the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) of Ireland from 1896 until 1911.
The GS&WR McDonnell 2-4-0 types were a set of passenger locomotive classes introduced on the Great Southern and Western Railway (GS&WR) of Ireland by its locomotive engineer Alexander McDonnell between about 1868 and 1877.