CIE 001 Class

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Irish Rail 001 Class

Also called:	Metro-Vick “A” Class
Builder:	Metropolitan Vickers at Dukinfield Works, Manchester
Years Built:	1955-56
Number Built:	60
Replaced By:	GM 201
Engine:	Crossley HST V8 Re-engined '68-'71 with EMD 12 cylinder 645E (bore-stroke:9 1/16"x12")
Transmission:	Electric. 6 Metropolitan Vickers MV137CW/K traction motors.
Wheel Arrangement:	Co-Co
Brakes:	Westinghouse air brake system for the locomotive vacuum for the train brakes
Length:	51'0"
Width:	9' 6"
Height:	14'
Weight:	63 tons
Maximum Speed:	75 mph
Engine Horsepower:	Crossley - 1200hp (896kw) @ 625rpm EMD - 1325hp (989kw) @ 800 rpm 1030hp at dry rail
Tractive Effort:	18000lbf (82kN)
Operators:	CIE/IR

The Córas Iompair Éireann 001 Class locomotives were the mainstay of mainline passenger and freight services on the Irish railway network for forty years, from 1955 until the mid-1990s when they were replaced by the new 201 Class locomotives.

Initially they were fitted with eight cylinder two-stroke, port controlled Crossley engines. These were loop scavange type which utilised a patented principle that recycled the normally wasted exhaust-pressure pulse so as to boost charge air in the cylinder. These produced 1200 hp at 625 rpm and could do 75 mph. They were initially fitted with sandboxes which were used to improve traction with the rail, however these were removed after a few years. Even today sand is still not used for this purpose on Irish rail.

The Crossley engines proved to be notoriously unreliable from the very outset [1]. Amongst a plethora of problems were:

Unbalanced engines resulting in vibration induced fuel and water pipe fractures
cylinder defects
generator and motor flashovers
excessive water temperature causing shutdowns

This problem was tackled from 1968-71 by the progressive conversion of the entire class with 12 Cylinder, 1325 hp General Motors engines (a similar process was followed for the original 201 Class). When built, these locomotives were numbered A1-A60, and as locomotives were re-engined, they had the suffix 'r' added to their number. From 1972, when the prefix letters were dropped, the locomotives were renumbered 001 to 060.

[edit] Preservation

The first locomotive to be withdrawn was 008, in 1973, following bomb damage, however the last was not until 1995, and four have since been preserved, as follows: