One frame, three generations

Three generations of Irish railway equipment rest at Westport on May 16: A 22000 Class DMU at left, an 071 Class diesel at center, and 2-6-4T No. 4 at right. Photo by Brian Schmidt

I learned a lot on the Trains Magazine tour of Ireland, England, and France in May. One of the most important lessons was to keep my eyes open, and take in all that I could around me. This one photo at Westport, County Mayo, Ireland, on May 16 best exemplifies that philosophy with three generations of railroading on display. While most of the railfans, or “train spotters,” were fixated on the steam locomotive, I was able to find a bit more meaning in the moment.

At left is an Iarnród Éireann, or "Irish Rail," 22000 Class diesel multiple unit train set, part of a fleet of 63 built by Hyundai Rotem and Tokyu Car Corp. from 2007 to 2012. They come in three-, four-, and five-car variants and can seat up to 304 passengers. They originally operated in six-car sets, but these were broken up to make smaller consists. The trains are fast and comfortable – something I can attest to firsthand after a ride from Hazelhatch & Celbridge Station to Dublin Connolly later in the trip. The trains handle both intercity and Dublin commuter assignments throughout the Republic of Ireland and are among the newest equipment in the country.

In the middle is the famed 071 Class EMD export locomotive, the six-axle JT22CW model built in 1976 at LaGrange, Ill. Irish Rail’s 18 071 locomotives are all still earning their keep on the Republic’s rail network. Class locomotive, No. 071, was released in May 2016 in its original 1976 Córas Iompair Éireann orange-and-black ‘Super Train’ paint after rebuild to mark the model’s 40^th anniversary. It was the prize of a lengthy excursion earlier in the trip, from Dublin Connolly to Waterford, Limerick Junction, and back. Today, most of the class wears a gray-and-yellow paint scheme introduced a few years for this model by national rail operator Iarnród Éireann. The locomotive sports a control cab at both ends, a concept quite foreign to North American railfans. Much to my disappointment, I have found out that there are no commercially produced models of these locomotives available now in N scale.

At right is the star of the weekend, 2-6-4T No. 4. The locomotive was built at Derby, England, in 1947 and was withdrawn from active service on Northern Ireland Railways in 1971. The Railway Preservation Society of Ireland, a group that dates to 1964, immediately purchased the locomotive, and put it back out on the road in excursion service in 1972. It powered three days of excursions from Dublin Connolly across the Republic, spending two nights in Westport, until a spat of lineside fires sidelined it on the last leg back to Dublin. But more on that in a future travel tale.