GNRI Class V

GNR(I) 85 Merlin at Goraghwood, County Armagh on 10 July 1957.

No. 85 Merlin, the only survivor of her 5-strong class, in steam at Lisburn on 3 July 2004.

The Great Northern Railway (Ireland) Class V steam locomotives were 3-cylinder compound locomotives of 4-4-0 wheel arrangement built in 1932 by Beyer Peacock. They were numbered 83-87. The design owed a lot to the Midland Railway 1000 Class. When the GNR(I) stock was split up in 1958, 83/86/87 passed to the Ulster Transport Authority (UTA), and 84/85 to Córas Iompair Éireann (CIÉ).

No.	Name	1958 owner	Notes
83	Eagle	UTA
84	Falcon	CIÉ
85	Merlin	CIÉ	Preserved
86	Peregrine	UTA
87	Kestrel	UTA

The names of three of these locomotives were re-used on the Northern Ireland Railways 101 Class locomotives. These locomotives were withdrawn from service in 1963, but 85 Merlin has been preserved by the Railway Preservation Society of Ireland at Whitehead, County Antrim, and returned to operational condition.

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